SLIMMING EVERYDAY RECIPES

For the past two weeks, we’ve been discussing delicious ways to use leftover holiday foods, but there’s one leftover from all that food which isn’t so easily disposed of—those extra pounds we all seem to pick up at this time. The popular resolution to lose them makes January one of the most profitable months for the weight-loss industry. However, drastic diets and long-term food delivery plans aren’t family friendly. Most people simply want to drop some weight and find a way to adjust their normal cooking preparations to avoid gaining it back.

Accidently, I’ve stumbled upon a solution which hadn’t occurred to me before in this context. Recently, I was consulted about making food gifts for three separate people, all, by coincidence, diabetics. Now, cooking for this condition is not a new concept for me. I had three diabetics in my family and a few clients in my chef service but that was some years ago.

I decided to brush up and found the new guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to simplify the basics of balanced eating plans for everyone were adjusted to include the American Diabetes Association’s Nutritional Recommendations. All people need a healthy, balanced diet consisting of a variety of nutrients but diabetics closely regulate their food intake and their recipes reflect sound nutrition. Their diets adhere to the rules and consist of 45-55% carbohydrates, 10-20% protein and the balance fiber. Fats are limited. This is an excellent model for all of us and almost perfectly aligned with the diet favored by Millennials as well as with the recipes in my cookbooks Dinners With Joy and Can I help?

(Disclaimer: There are many forms of diabetes and each case is individual. It’s important that anyone with it rely on their own physician’s personal recommendations. That’s why I’m not including the nutritional values with the recipes below. I don’t want them accepted as medically therapeutic, although they do come from diabetic cookbooks. )

The reason diabetic diets are universally effective is because they monitor carbohydrates, just as most weight loss diets do. There’s a general misconception that diabetes is concerned with sugars, but it actually zeros in on all carbs, especially the simple carbohydrates or sugars. The enlightened view concludes that sugar itself isn’t harmful. The harm lies in the fact that it contains so many simple carbs which enter the bloodstream quickly. When combined with carbs in other ingredients the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to cope with them.

Therefore, many newer diabetic recipes list a full range of ingredients, including sugar. There’s less searching for substitutions, or using synthetics and the ones still listed are low-cholesterol, sodium or fat products in regular use. The recipes are effective for weight-loss and maintenance for the general public simply because they monitor the amounts of ingredients that go into the dishes as a whole. Moreover, they are nutritionally balanced for the whole family. Best of all, they’re geared to ‘normal’ eating habits, with no drastic changes in types of foods or cuisines.

I’m not recommending that families adopt diabetic diets. I am saying that understanding how carbohydrate content is reduced can translate to recipes we normally make. Take the Chocolate Bundt Cake below. It starts with any boxed mix, but this cake, glazed, has only 206 calories per slice, as opposed to 255 in the regular cake, unfrosted. Why? Well this cake uses baby food prunes in place of most of the oil for less fat AND fewer calories, which represent carbs. Prunes are often used this way in chocolate cakes, and it stands to reason that in other, lighter colored cakes unsweetened applesauce would do the same.

Two ingredient glazes give the finishing touch of sweetness without all the calories of an icing coat, and of course, more are eliminated if there are no layers to fill. Also note the serving size. It’s 16 here as opposed to the normal 12. Portioning is very important to the diabetic diet and highlights a good rule for everyone. Ingest no more carbohydrates than you will consume in normal, daily activity. For the non-diabetic this translates easily: Don’t Over Eat! Your body will create fat cells to store any extra food you give it.

So try these recipes, compare them to others and get some ideas on how to adjust the ones you have to be more slimming. Sometimes only a tiny change can make all the difference, like the prunes for oil in the cake. Chances are you’ll slim down and stay that way without having to alter your cooking or give up any of your favorite dishes.

RECIPES:

These recipes come from 3 books by International Publications Ltd. 1) Diabetic Recipes with Bold Flavor 2) Diabetic Cooking—Low Fat Recipes for Everyday Eating 3)Diabetic Desserts

Beef and Bean Burritos:

Serves 6
½ lb. beef round or chuck cut in ½ inch strips
3 cloves minced garlic
(1) 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
(1) 4 oz. can green chilies drained and chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
(6) 6 inch flour tortillas
Salsa-optional
Non-fat sour cream-optional
Non-stick cooking spray
Spray a large skillet and over medium heat, cook garlic and beef until desired doneness, usually about 5 min. Add beans, chilies and cilantro, cook until heated through about 5 min. Spread mixture down the center of each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold tortilla bottoms over the filling and then fold sides to enclose it. Serve garnished with salsa and sour cream or pass them on the side.

Chipolte Tamale Pie:

Serves 6
¾ lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
¾ cup EACH diced red and green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
(1) 15 oz. can pinto beans-drained and rinsed
8 oz. canned no-salt, stewed tomatoes- undrained
2 canned, chopped green chilies in adobo sauce + 1-2 Tbs. adobo sauce
(1 cup) 4 oz. low sodium, reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped cilantro
(1) 8 ½ oz. pkg. corn bread mix
1/3 cup 1% milk
1 egg white
Cook first 5 ingredients over medium heat for about 5 min. until no longer pink. Drain fat and sprinkle with cumin. Add chilies and sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 min. uncovered. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and cilantro. Pour mixture into a lightly sprayed 8 inch square baking dish, pressing down to compress. Combine corn bread mix, milk and egg and spoon completely over meat. Bake in a preheated 400deg. oven 20-22 min. until golden. Cool 5 min. before serving.

Chicken Fajitas with Cowpoke Barbeque Sauce:

Serves 4
10 oz. boneless skinless chicken cut in 1 x ½ inch pieces
2 bell peppers julienned
1 cup sliced onion
2 cups tomato wedges
(4) 6 inch warm flour tortillas
Non-stick spray
1 cup Cowpoke Sauce-divided
Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat. Toss chicken with ¼ cup sauce and cook, stirring, over medium 3 min. Add peppers and onions, cook 5 min. stirring, until chicken is done. Add tomatoes and heat through, about 2 min. Serve with warm tortillas and remaining ¾ cup sauce

Cowpoke Barbeque Sauce
1 tsp. oil
¾ cup chopped scallions
3 cloves chopped garlic
(1) 14 ½ oz. can crushed tomatoes
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 tsp. chili sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Heat oil in skillet, when hot, add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring about 5 min. until tender. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 15 min. stirring occasionally. Store chilled.

Paella:

Serves 4
10 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. oil
½ cup uncooked rice
4 cloves chopped garlic
½ cup EACH sliced bell pepper and onion
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
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¼ tsp. EACH paprika, salt and pepper
½ cup frozen green peas
½ cup drained diced canned tomatoes
8 oz. shelled medium shrimp
Preheat a sprayed oven proof skillet and cook chicken about 10 min. until no longer pink, turning once. Cool and cut meat into 1 ½ inch pieces. Wipe skillet and heat oil and sauté garlic and rice until rice browns. Add onions, pepper broth and seasonings. Stir in peas and tomatoes. Place chicken and shrimp on top of mixture. Bake 20min.in a preheated 350 deg. oven until heated through. Let rest 5 min. before serving.

Broiled Caribbean Sea Bass:

Serves 6
(6) 5-6 oz. skinless sea bass fillets (other similar fish can be substituted)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. EACH olive oil, lime juice and hot pepper sauce
2 coves minced garlic
(1) 7oz. pkg. black beans and rice mix
lime wedges for garnish
Place fish in a shallow dish, combine all other ingredients but rice, and pour over fish, Marinate 2 hr. Prepare rice mix according to directions and keep warn. Preheat broiler, place fish on a baking sheet and drizzle with marinade. Broil 4-5 inches from heat, 8-10 min, until fish is opaque, drizzling with remaining marinade. Serve with rice.

Thai Pork Kabobs:

Serves 4
(8) 10 inch skewers-if wooden be sure to soak first
12 oz. trimmed pork loin
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. EACH lime juice and water
½ tsp. hot chili oil*
2 cloves garlic-minced
1Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 red Bell pepper in ½ inch chunks
1 onion in ½ inch chunks
2 cups hot cooked rice—preferably brown
Combine liquids and spices in a bowl-reserve ½ cup for dipping sauce. Cut pork lengthwise in half and crosswise into 4 inch slices, then into ½ inch strips. Marinate in liquid in bowl 2 hr. Alternately thread woven pork strips, onion and pepper on skewers, spray grill and cook, covered over medium coals or directly under broiler 6-8min.until pork is done. Serve on rice with dipping sauce.
*Alternatively microwave 1tsp.canola oil and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 min.-let stand 5 min. to infuse

Pork Tagine:

Serves 4
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut in ¾ inch medallions
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. EACH ground cumin and paprika
¼ tsp. EACH red pepper and ground ginger
½ tsp. turmeric
1Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion –chopped
3 cloves garlic-minced
2 ½ cups canned chicken broth – divided
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup quick cooking couscous
¼ cup EACH cilantro and slivered toasted almonds
Mix flour with spices in a bowl and toss pork-set aside. Saute onion in oil over medium 5 min. add garlic and pork and cook until pork is no longer pink-about 5 min. stirring occasionally. Add ¾ cup broth and raisins and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 7-9 min until pork is done, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile cook couscous in remaining broth according to directions. Spoon couscous onto plates, top with pork and garnish with cilantro and almonds.

Chocolate Bundt Cake:

16 servings
(1) 18.25 oz. box chocolate cake mix
3 whole eggs
(3) 2 ½ oz. jars pureed baby food prunes
¾ cup water
3 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 Tbs. oil
Glaze:
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 Tbs. milk
Prepare Bundt pan. Mix cake with all other ingredients. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 40 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 min. and invert onto a plate and cool completely. Make glaze by microwaving ingredients in a small bowl at 50% power for 50 sec. then at 50% power until smooth. Spoon over cake.

Oatmeal-Date Cookies:

Yield 36
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup margarine
1 egg
1 egg white
1 Tbs. frozen apple juice concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups quick oats
½ cup chopped dates or raisins
Combine sugar and margarine well, add eggs, juice and vanilla, Combine dry ingredients and stir into wet until mixed. Add fruit and stir in. Drop by teaspoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 8-10 min. until edges brown slightly but center is still soft. Cool on sheet 1 min. then remove to rack to cool completely.