Delicious Diabetes Cooking

Holiday Cranberry-Olive Tapenade

2011-12-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

Dried cranberries and green olives combine to make the perfect sweet-salty balance in this festive holiday tapenade from my book 1,000 Diabetes Recipes (Wiley, 2011). Serve it on toasted baguette slices topped with crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese or just serve it in a pretty bowl with fresh vegetables and whole wheat crackers alongside. If you need a holiday hostess gift, make a double batch for a gift—it’s especially pretty in a clear glass jar tied with a sparkly ribbon.

Cranberry-Olive Tapenade

Makes 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup cranberry juice

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup green olives, pitted (such as manzanilla or picholine)

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 small clove garlic, crushed through a press

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Place the cranberry juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the cranberries. Cover and let stand to cool to room temperature. Drain.

2. Combine the cranberries and the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. The tapenade can be refrigerated, covered, for up to a week.

Each serving (1 tablespoon): 5 g carbohydrate, 35 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, 58 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 0; Exchanges: 1/2 fat

Photo: Veer

Simple & Delicious for Holiday Entertaining Tuna with Roasted Lemons

2011-12-13T20:49:00.000-05:00

This busy time of year, a dead-simple recipe comes in handy, whether you want to make a special meal just for family, or you need to impress company without much fuss. This recipe, from my book 1,000 Diabetes Recipes (Wiley, 2011), is a healthy, quick, and flavorful meal that’s ready in about 40 minutes start to finish. The lemons take about half an hour to roast, so while those are in the oven, make some whole wheat couscous or steam some baby potatoes and toss a big green salad to serve alongside and dinner’s done.

If you want to have a secret ingredient on hand to enliven another holiday dish, make extra roasted lemon slices when you prepare this recipe. If you love the tart flavor of lemons, you may find these addictive. You can chop them up and add them to a salad dressing, a creamy dip, or even potato salad.

Tuna with Roasted Lemons

Makes 4 servings

2 medium lemons, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and seeded

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 (5-ounce) tuna steaks

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the lemon slices with 2 teaspoons of the oil and arrange in a single layer in the baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Sprinkle the tuna with the salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the tuna and cook, turning once, 2 minutes on each side for medium rare, or to the desired degree of doneness. Place the tuna on 4 plates. Divide the roasted lemons evenly among the plates and serve at once.

Each serving: 3 g carbohydrate, 197 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 62 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 32 g protein, 193 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 0; Exchanges: 4 lean protein, 1 fat

Photo: Veer

Sweet and Salty Bulgur and Cauliflower Salad {Recipe Redux}

2011-11-21T06:44:00.011-05:00

This month’s topic for Recipe Redux, a group of registered dietitians who write a blog post about a healthy recipe all on a single theme, is all about whole grains. Exotic grains were encouraged for the recipes, but instead, I chose a common pantry staple—bulgur wheat—and added some out of the ordinary flavors.

Bulgur is traditionally reserved for tabbouleh, the lemony parsley and grain salad recipe that everyone has memorized they’ve made it so often. I love the hearty flavor and chewy texture of bulgur, but wanted to do something completely different with it.

For crunch (and because it is so incredibly beautiful at the farmers’ market this time of year), I added finely chopped raw cauliflower (done in the food processor; quick and easy), for sweetness, I used golden raisins plumped in warm orange juice, and for a bit of salty tang, I threw in a handful of chopped green olives. It all came together to make a salad that has humble ingredients but fantastic flavor. Scroll to the end of the recipe for links to more healthy grain recipes from my fellow Recipe Reduxers.

Sweet and Salty Bulgur and Cauliflower Salad

Serves 6

2/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fine grind bulgur wheat

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 of a small head of cauliflower (about 12 ounces for 1/2 a head), trimmed and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 large green olives, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the bulgur. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the orange juice to a simmer in another small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the raisins. Cover and let stand until cool.

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (be careful not to over process, you don’t want it pureed).

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the bulgur and the raisin mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the olives and parsley. You can serve the salad at once, or cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 123 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein, 109 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat

Pumpkin Flan - Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert

2011-11-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

If you’re planning smart use of your carbs for the Thanksgiving meal, add this silky sweet Pumpkin Flan to your menu. From my book, 1,000 Diabetes Recipes (Wiley, 2011), It’s like the smoothest pumpkin pie filling you’ve ever had—without the crust. Whether you’re avoiding crust because of the carbs or because you want to take some shortcuts with a laborious holiday menu, you’ll love this dessert.

Another great selling point for this flan is that you HAVE to make it a day ahead so that it forms the addictive caramel syrup in the refrigerator overnight. When dessert is already baked, it frees up the oven for more important things—like the turkey. All you have to do to serve it is to invert it onto a plate—a rimmed plate—you don’t want any of that yummy syrup to go to waste. Happy Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Flan

Makes 12 servings

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the inside rim of a 9-inch metal round cake pan with the oil, leaving the bottom of the pan uncoated.

2. Stir together the granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden, about 6 minutes longer. Carefully pour the sugar mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom (the pan will be hot after pouring in the caramel).

3. Whisk together the evaporated milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour into the cake pan. Place the cake pan inside a large baking roasting pan and add hot water to the baking pan to a level half way up the sides of the cake pan.

4. Bake until a knife inserted in the edge of the flan comes out clean and flan is still soft in the center, 1 hour and 20 minutes. Carefully remove the flan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate the flan, covered, overnight.

5. To serve, run a small spatula around the edge of the flan and invert onto a rimmed serving plate to avoid spilling the syrup.

Each serving: 24 g carbohydrate, 126 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 68 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate

Lemon-Spice Lentil Soup

2011-11-15T14:37:00.000-05:00

I love turning ordinary ingredients into a fantastically delicious meal—it’s like kitchen alchemy. This flavorful soup is one of my latest successes. I used whole spices and toasted them to bring out their best flavor, added fresh grated ginger for a pungent kick, and finished the soup off with a drizzle of tangy yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. It takes the humble lentil to a new level.

If you don’t have whole spices, used ground spices (in equal measure) and cook them along with the leeks, so they will toast slightly. I used leeks because they were in the CSA box last week; an onion will suffice perfectly if you don’t have leeks on hand. The fresh ginger is a must, however, and since it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator, it’s a worthy staple for your pantry. This soup freezes well too. Just make sure when you reheat it that you don’t forget to garnish the soup with the yogurt and cilantro.

Lemon-Spice Lentil Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

Grated zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, thinned to drizzling consistency with 1-2 tablespoons milk

Chopped fresh cilantro

Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in small dry skillet and set over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan often, until the spices are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Crush the spices in a mortar and pestle or place in a small zip lock bag and crush with a meat mallet. Set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add the broth, water, lentils, the spice mixture, ginger, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon.

Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; add to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Ladle the soup into 6 bowls; drizzle with the yogurt mixture and sprinkle with cilantro.

Each serving: 41 g carbohydrate, 252 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 13 g fiber, 17 g protein, 386 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 3; Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 veg, 1 plant-based protein, 1/2 fat

Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2011-11-01T14:14:00.001-04:00

My cookbook, 1,000 Diabetes Recipes, came out a few weeks ago and I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes in the book to make this time of year. If you love to make butternut squash soup, but hate all the time it takes for peeling and chopping, you’ll love this recipe.

It uses canned pumpkin, so it takes no time at all to prep. If you have any red peppers left from the end of the season farmers’ market, by all means roast your own. But honestly, this is one recipe where it really doesn’t matter. The only way to possibly mess up this recipe is if you buy the wrong kind of pumpkin—you want “canned pumpkin” not “pumpkin pie filling.”

It’s great to have for lunch or an easy supper. And, if you want to dress it up a little and serve it at a holiday dinner, top each serving with a spoonful of plain low-fat yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream. Enjoy the ease of the season.

Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

5 to 5 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

2. Add 5 cups of the stock, the bell pepper, salt, and ground pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Place the vegetable mixture in a food processor or blender in batches and process until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the pumpkin. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth a few tablespoons at a time, if needed, to reach the desired consistency. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and serve at once. The soup can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Each serving: 16 g carbohydrate, 80 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein, 324 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable

Photo: Veer

Yellow Bell Pepper Romesco Sauce

2011-10-18T13:41:00.000-04:00

I am by nature a plain (read: lazy) cook, which is what makes having sauces like this one so great. I made a big batch of this yesterday and will eat it for days on striped bass fillets (broiled with salt and pepper), roasted vegetables (cut up, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted), roasted chicken (rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted), and with just plain sliced bread.

I used yellow bell peppers because they looked so pretty at the produce market, but you can use red or orange ones instead. To make this even faster, you can even use roasted red peppers from a jar. You’ll need about 1 mounded cup of drained peppers. And if you don’t have pine nuts, you can substitute almonds or walnuts.

Put this low-carb, low-cal sauce on almost anything—it’s good stuff to have around when you don’t feel like cooking.

Yellow Bell Pepper Romesco Sauce

Makes generous 1 cup

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 large yellow or red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, stems and seeds removed

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pine nuts in a small baking dish and bake, shaking the pan once or twice, until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool (don’t keep them in the hot pan or they will continue to toast).

2. Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a small rimmed baking pan and place the bell pepper halves skin side up on the pan. Broil the peppers, turning the pan as needed, until the skin of the peppers is blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl; set a plate over the bowl to hold in the heat. Let stand until the peppers are cool enough to handle, 15-20 minutes. Peel away and discard the skins of the peppers.

3. Combine the pine nuts, peppers, and the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. (If your peppers are really large, you might need a little more liquid to get to a “saucy” consistency; you can add a few teaspoons of cold water or chicken broth.) Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.

Each serving (about 2 tablespoons): 4 g carbohydrate, 73 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 71 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 0; Exchanges: 1 fat

Tomato Time: End of Summer Pasta

2011-09-14T16:25:00.001-04:00

This time of year, there's so much great food at the farmers’ market, it’s hard not to come home with more than you can possibly eat. The mountains of late season summer tomatoes on vendor’s tables are irresistible. And right now, as our short New York tomato season draws to a close, I try to eat as many as possible before they disappear. Here’s a recipe I recently made that uses lots of the other late summer vegetables, but lets the flavor of those soon-to-be-gone tomatoes shine through.

I took a combination of eggplant, red bell pepper, yellow squash, and onion and roasted those, then tossed the roasted vegetables with hot whole wheat pasta, fresh uncooked tomatoes, and fresh basil. The combination of the sweet roasted vegetables and the tangy tomatoes is a perfect combination. If you have leftovers, they make a delicious lunch.

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Fresh Tomatoes, and Basil

Makes 4 servings

1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large red or green bell pepper (or use a combination), cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices

1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

6 ounces whole wheat rigatoni or other short pasta

2 large tomatoes (preferably beefsteak), chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Combine the eggplant, bell pepper, squash, and onion in a large rimmed baking pan or roasting pan. Add the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in the pan. Bake, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

3. When the vegetables are about half way done, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

4. Combine the roasted vegetables, pasta, tomatoes, basil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture among four shallow serving bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Each serving: 46 g carbohydrate, 276 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber, 10 g protein, 304 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 3; Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 veg, 1 fat

Summer Fruit Popsicles

2011-08-21T11:08:00.003-04:00

This post is another in a series of food blogs brought to you by a group of registered dietitians who believe good nutrition can taste great. This month's theme is frozen desserts.

I bought some popsicle molds for some recipe development projects that I did this winter and I’ve put them to good use to make summer treats for myself. All I do is puree fruit, add a little lime or lemon juice, pour it into the molds and freeze. It’s a refreshing, sugar-free, and delicious treat to enjoy on the last of the hot summer afternoons. Try giving one of these healthful treats to your kids—they’ll probably think it’s better than any artificially colored and flavored popsicle they’ve had.

If you don’t have popsicle molds, you can make these in small paper cups. Put the puree in the cups and cover the tops with foil. Insert a wooden popsicle stick into the center of the foil and freeze.

You can also layer different fruit purees to make colorful popsicles or stir some whole raspberries or blueberries into the puree before freezing. This is the perfect time of year, when fruits and berries are at their peak, to have some fun in the kitchen and have a delicious treat as your reward.

Summer Fruit Popsicles

Makes 4 servings

4 cups fresh berries or 1-inch cubes of peeled and seeded fruit (such as cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, or plums)

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

1. Place the fruit and the lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth (you’ll have about 2 cups of pureed fruit).

2. Spoon the mixture into 4 (4-ounce) popsicle molds, top with the handles, and freeze at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.

Each popsicle has about 15 grams of carbohydrate: 1 Carb Choice; 1 fruit exchange

Take a look at these frozen treats from fellow registered dietitians participating in the Recipe Redux:

Emma Stirling - The Scoop on Nutrition
Greek Yogurt Pavlova Popsicles

Cherie Schetselaar - Grain Crazy
Blackberry Lemon Almond Torte

Emma Cutfield-The Hearty Heart
Coconut Ice, Blueberry and Cocoa, Joint Healing Dessert

Carlene Helble- Carlene's Figments
Peanut Butter Banana 'Ice Cream' Sandwich

Janel Funk - Eat Well with Janel
Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream

Kat Lynch - Eating The Week
Coconut Chia-Seed Fruit Pops

Dr Barb, Nutrition Budgeteer
Simply Fruit Mango-Pineapple Sorbet

Rebecca Scritchfield - MeFirst
5-minute Frozen Peach Pie

gretchen - kumquat
chocolate "ice cream" bars

Emily Greenfield - The Nutriscientist
Honey and strawberry semifreddo

Liz Marr - Liz On Food
Peach Lavender Ice Cream

Elizabeth Jarrard- Don't (White) Sugar-Coat It
Adult Popsicles: Frozen Boozy Treats

Regan - The Professional Palate
Frozen Samoa Pie

Liz Weiss & Janice Newell Bissex - Meal Makeover Moms' Kitchen
Healthy Blueberry and Mango Snow Cones

Jessica Fishman Levinson - Nutritioulicious
Watermelon Sorbet

Alexandra Caspero- Delicious Knowledge
Mango & Coconut Popsicles

Karman Meyer- Nutrition Adventures
Coconut Ice Cream with Strawberry Puree

Yuri - Chef Pandita
Acerola Chia Lime Popsicles

Kristen Bourque- Swanky Dietitian
Peanut Butter Coffee Popsicles

EA Stewart-The Spicy RD
Luscious Lemonade Pie

Danielle Omar - Food Confidence RD
Banana Soft Serve

Katie Caputo- East Meats West
Auntie Rosie's Ice Cream Pie

Alysa Bajenaru - Inspired RD
Coffee Granita

Kara Lydon - Peace, Love, and Food
Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream" With Dark Chocolate

Serena Ball- Teaspoon of Spice
Splendid Key Lime Frozen Yogurt

Nicole Ferring Holovach - Whole Health RD
Peaches and Rum Ice Cream Pie

Lisa @ Healthful Sense
Peanut Butter Vanilla Soft Serve

Audra Losey - Nutrition Know How
Mocha Pops

Kristina LaRue - Love and Zest
Frozen Berry Yogurt

The Summer Casserole

2011-07-31T08:36:00.001-04:00

This has got to stop! The produce coming from my CSA and from the weekly trips to the local farmers’ market where eggplant and bouquets of basil are stacked in bountiful piles that I just can’t leave there have me inundated with vegetables.

This week, I made a dish that I make at least a couple of times every summer when I have these feelings of being buried in zucchini. It’s not really a recipe, per se, and the beauty of it is that you can use whatever you hand. There are no set amounts of anything to put in this dish, so if you don’t like eggplant or you you’ve got fresh thyme, but no basil, this will still turn out to be delicious.

Here’s what you do:

Pull out all the vegetables that you need to use. This can be tomatoes, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and any kind of herb. Cut the vegetables up into slices or chunks, mince the garlic and a handful of whatever herbs you have, and put them in a big bowl. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil (not much, 2 tablespoons will do for a huge, huge, batch), sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and toss everything together. Put the vegetables in a baking dish, cover, and bake at 350F until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. You don’t need to add water or liquid to the dish, the vegetables will give off their own juices. This is not one of those crisp-tender preparations, so don’t expect crunchy vegetables. They all sort of meld together and some of the eggplant and tomatoes will fall apart, but it’s a very good thing.

What to do with it now? Serve the vegetables over pasta (as in the photo above), polenta, or grits; coarsely chop the vegetables and put them in an omelette or a frittata; or just serve them as a side dish, sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese along with whatever you’re grilling this week. It’s a healthy, easy, delicious, low-carb way to use up whatever you’ve hauled out of your garden or home from your local market.

Crispy Potato and Spinach Salad with Parmesan

2011-07-17T08:34:00.002-04:00

The new potatoes are finally in here at the farmers’ markets in New York. Which, of course makes me long for my mom’s homemade potato salad, full of mayonnaise and hard boiled eggs, onion, and celery, and sprinkled with paprika on the top. I will definitely make this version before summer is over (maybe lightening the mayo with some fat-free Greek yogurt), but I thought I’d satisfy my current potato salad craving with something a little lighter.

For this salad, I slice the potatoes thin and sauté them in a nonstick skillet in a bit of olive oil until they’re brown and crispy. I put them on plates, then top them with a spinach salad dressed with a sharp red wine vinaigrette and tossed with shards of salty Parmesan cheese. It’s the perfect balance of crispy potatoes, bitter greens, and rich cheese.

I used spinach in this salad, because that’s what I had on hand. I think arugula or watercress would be even better, but any salad greens you have on hand would work. And if your potatoes are freshly dug, just wash off the dirt, no need to peel. Don’t go overboard on the portion, though. Three ounces of potatoes (1 small) have about 15 grams of carbs, or 1 Carb Choice.

Crispy Potato and Spinach Salad with Parmesan

Makes 2 servings

Potatoes

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 small potatoes (about 3 ounces each), scrubbed and thinly sliced

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Salad

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Pinch of kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

3 cups spinach, arugula, or other greens

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

To make the potatoes, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom.

Add the potatoes, keeping them well-spread in the pan for even browning. Cook, turning the potatoes as they brown, until tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the salad, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the potatoes are done, divide them evenly between 2 plates. Add the spinach to the dressing and toss to coat. Top the potatoes with the spinach and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve at once.

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 179 calories, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein, 263 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 fat

Grilled Prosciutto Shrimp with Asian Dipping Sauce

2011-06-21T05:00:00.004-04:00

This is my first post that's part of a brand new network of dietitans who believe flavor comes first. We call ourselves the Recipe Redux and every month we'll be creating recipes on a single theme and linking to each others' blog posts. Check out all the links at the bottom of this recipe for more great-tasting, good-for-you summer grilling ideas.

I love kebabs. They make any meal look like you went to more trouble than you did. There’s something about putting food on a skewer that elevates it to a special occasion (even a marshmallow on twig!).

These kebabs are extra nice because the large shrimp are each wrapped in a little strip of salty prosciutto and then they’re alternated on the skewers with sweet peaches. The marinade and dipping sauce is a sweet/salty/spicy Asian-inspired mixture made from ordinary pantry ingredients. I call for peaches or nectarines in the recipe, but you could also use cubes of cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, or pineapple.

When you shop, look for wild or farmed shrimp from the United States. They may be a little more pricey than the imported ones, but most shrimp imported from other countries are farmed with lenient environmental regulations.

While you’re grilling the kebabs, throw some quick-cooking veggies on the grill to serve with them. Sliced yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers or small whole mushrooms are all good low-carb options. This is an easy, delicious meal that lets you do what people were meant to do this time of year: sit back and enjoy summer.

Grilled Prosciutto Shrimp with Asian Dipping Sauce

Makes 4 servings

1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (about 24 shrimp)

2 ounces prosciutto, cut into 24 thin strips

4 small peaches or nectarines, pitted and cut into wedges

3 tablespoons orange juice or unsweetened apple juice

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 clove garlic, crushed through a garlic press

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wrap each shrimp with a strip of prosciutto. Thread the shrimp and peaches alternately onto 8 (6-8 inch) metal skewers and place in a large shallow dish.

Stir together the orange juice, soy sauce, molasses, oil, garlic, and cayenne in a small bowl. Drizzle the skewers with 2 tablespoons of the orange juice mixture and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Set aside the remaining orange juice mixture to serve as a dipping sauce with the shrimp.

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Place the skewers on the grill and grill until the shrimp are opaque, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 216 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 183 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein, 777 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 fruit, 3 lean protein

Here is a list of the grilling creations of my fellow registered dietitian Recipe Reduxers:
Alexandra Caspero
Grilled Summer Fruit Salad
Alysa Bajenaru – Inspired RD
Grilled Romaine Salad
Cindy Brison
Nutrition Know How
Chef Pandita
Grilled Vegetables
Danielle Omar – Food Confidence
Grilled Sweet Peppers
Diane Welland – EatWellEatClean
Grilled Beet & Onion Salad with Goat Cheese
The Nutrition Budgeteer
Dr Barb’s Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
EA Stewart – The Spicy RD
Grilled Polenta Veggie Stacks with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Emma Stirling – The Scoop on Nutrition
Char Siu BBQ Pork
Gretchen – Kumquat
Grilled Tandoori Chicken Skewers
Jessica Fishman Levinson – Nutritioulicious
Grilled Salmon Burgers with Cherry Chutney
Kat Lynch – Eating The Week
Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spiced couscous
Katie Caputo- East Meats West
Succulent Sirloin Kabobs
Kristen – Swanky Dietitian
Portabella Mushroom Burgers with Grilled Corn
Lisa – Healthful Sense
Grilled Veggie Bean Burgers
Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex – Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen
Mushroom Burgers with the Works, Mushroom Cannellini Spread
Marie Spano
Italian Grilled Turkey Burgers
Nicole Ferring Holovach – Whole Health RD
Grilled Eggs
Rebecca Scritchfield – MeFirst
Grilled Plantains: A Sweet Summer Side Dish
Regan – The Professional Palate
Grilled Eggplant & Two-Tomato Whole-Wheat Piadina
Serena – Teaspoon of Spice
Grilled Watermelon Salad

Local & Naked

2011-06-16T12:50:00.001-04:00

In almost all parts of the country right now you can probably find some local strawberries at your farmers’ market, at a nearby you-pick farm, or if you grow your own, they’re right in your back yard (lucky you!). You can also, without doubt, find strawberries in your local supermarket that are grown in California or Florida. If you ever thought that eating local foods was just for snobs or all just bunch of hoo-hah, this is the perfect time of year to prove to yourself how fantastic local food tastes.

Pick up a package of those shipped-in strawberries in a plastic container at your supermarket. Then, get some locally grown strawberries and put them side by side. The locally grown ones will almost surely be much smaller than the supermarket strawberries. They’ll be fresher, because they were just picked, and did not have to spend days on a refrigerated truck. In fact, the local berries you bought have never been inside a refrigerator. Commercially grown strawberries are bred to be large and to look fresh even when they have been picked for a week. Not so with locally grown strawberries; small farmers and backyard gardeners are not choosing the same variety of berries as the big growers like Driscoll. Their berries aren’t going that far; they will be picked and sold right away close to where they are grown.

Now, take a bite from each of the berries and you’ll instantly understand why local is better. And it’s not just for strawberries—it’s every food. When you have diabetes or heart disease, when your health really does depend on every bite you put in your mouth, every bite should be delicious. And, when you take the extra trouble to seek out local produce that’s full of flavor, you’re going to be excited about eating all those fruits and vegetables that you should be piling on your plate every day. The best way to eat those strawberries: naked (the berries, that is), in a bowl, with a fork.

Summer Lentil Salad

2011-06-12T14:31:00.003-04:00

My CSA started up last week and the local Jackson Heights Greenmarket is in full swing. It’s the time of year when there is way more produce in my refrigerator than I will ever find the stomach space to use. Neighbors don’t think you’re too weird if you show up at their door with the gift of a head of Bibb lettuce. They get used to it as the season progresses.

One of the ways I like to use fresh produce is to cook some lentils or dried beans and use those to make a salad with all the produce I have. The lentils or beans are a good source of protein and an excellent source of fiber—and they’re delicious with almost any vegetable you add to them.

The salad I made today uses what I had on hand. This recipe is just a blueprint really, to use whatever is fresh and fabulous at your farmers’ market this time of year. You can add almost anything: diced carrots, radishes, turnips, bell peppers, jicama, kohlrabi, cucumbers, green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, and any herb that you have on hand.

One rule of thumb I will mention is that when you’re making salads with high carb ingredients like these lentils, dried beans, whole grains (like wheat berries or barley), or whole wheat pasta use the same amount of fresh vegetables in the salad as you do of the lentils, beans, grains or pasta. In this recipe, 1 cup of dry lentils will make about 2 cups of cooked lentils, so make sure you add about 2 cups of vegetables to the mix. This not only prevents carb overload, but it insures that you have a flavorful, colorful, and crunchy salad. And if, like me, you are up to your eyeballs in lettuce, serve the lentil salad on top of fresh greens. Ah, the joys of summer!

I will point out my flavor-infusing cooking method for lentils in this recipe. They cook so quickly (in about 15 or 20 minutes) that they need to go into an already flavorful cooking liquid so they can absorb as much flavor as possible. I simply simmer a small halved onion, a stalk of celery, a crushed garlic clove, and a bay leaf in salted water for about 15 minutes before I add the lentils. That way, the lentils are cooking in a vegetable broth that’s really going to give them an additional layer of flavor. Another trick: once they are just done, tender, yet firm to the bite, and still holding their shape, I pour the lentils, liquid, and the onion/garlic/bay leaf mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish and let the lentils cool in the cooking liquid to absorb even more flavor. Set the dish in front of a fan to cool if you’re in a hurry.

Lentil and Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

Makes 6 servings

To cook the lentils

3 cups water

1 small onion, cut in half

1 stalk celery, cut in 3-inch pieces

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup French green lentils, picked over and rinsed

To make the salad

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil (or, if you have it, walnut oil is lovely)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (you don’t need much, since the lentils were cooked in salted water)

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small turnip, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1 green onion, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (crumble it while it’s cold, so a little bit can go a long way)

To cook the lentils, combine the water, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add the lentils, return to a simmer, and cook just until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour the lentil mixture into a large shallow dish and let cool to room temperature. Drain the lentil mixture and discard the onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf.

To make the salad, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lentils, turnip, carrot, cucumber, green onion, and dill and stir to combine. Serve the salad at once, or store refrigerated for up to 3 days. The salad tastes better at room temperature, so if you do make it ahead, let it sit out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving. Taste the salad before serving; it may need another splash of vinegar to brighten the flavor. Sprinkle the salad with the goat cheese just before you serve it.

Each serving: 21 g carbohydrate, 177 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 10 g protein, 255 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 veg, 1plant-based protein, 1/2 fat

Grilled Chicken with Avocado-Basil Sauce

2011-05-18T12:06:00.001-04:00

Living in an apartment in a city where cooking on a grill requires a special city permit (only in New York!), I’ve learned to love my Lodge cast iron grill skillet. I use it all the time for quick dinners like this one made with marinated and grilled chicken breasts with a sauce. This Avocado-Basil Sauce is fantastic with fish, shrimp, or scallops, too.

Grilled Chicken with Avocado-Basil Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Chicken & Marinade

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Avocado-Basil Sauce

1 ripe medium avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 slender green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 to 1/3 cup cold water

Lime wedges

To make the chicken, combine the basil, lime zest and juice, olive oil, and garlic in a shallow glass dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

Preheat the grill or a cast iron grill pan to medium heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with the salt. Brush the grill rack or the grill pan with a small amount of canola oil. Place the chicken on the grill rack or in the grill pan and grill, turning occasionally, until the juices of the chicken run clear, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the avocado, basil, lime juice, green onion, salt, and hot sauce in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the water and pulse to combine. Process the sauce until smooth, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. You can make the sauce up a day ahead. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce to prevent it from browning and refrigerate.

Serve the chicken with the Avocado-Basil Sauce and lime wedges.

Each serving: 6 g carbohydrate, 225 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 24 g protein, 273 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1/2; Exchanges: 1/2 carb, 3 lean protein, 2 fat

Pile It On: Low Carb Veggies

2011-05-11T15:41:00.000-04:00

If you’ve had diabetes for a while, or even if you’ve only been recently diagnosed, you’re probably already tired of your diabetes educator, your doctor, or your dietitian preaching to you about portion control.

Your health care providers are probably so concerned about getting the message across that you should only have a single cookie, a 3-ounce portion of meat or poultry, and high calorie oils and butter in moderation that they didn’t tell you what you can eat all you want of: non-starchy vegetables.

These include all lettuces and leafy greens, cucumbers, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, summer squash, green beans, and lots, lots more. You can find a full list here.

The American Diabetes Association calls these the non-starchy vegetables and they say that a serving is 1/2 cup of cooked vegetable or 1 cup of the raw vegetable. This serving size has about 5 grams of carbohydrate, so unless you’re loading up on other carbs at the same meal, you can eat two or three servings of these at a time.

Not only are these choices nearly a free ride when it comes to carbs, they are low in calories, high in fiber, and all of them have healthful antioxidants. If you’re out of ideas for preparing vegetables, check out the website FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. The site has more than 1000 recipes for fruits and vegetables in an easily searchable database.

Go to Eating Well magazine and Cooking Light magazine too and search for vegetable recipes. These two magazines do a fantastic job of creating great tasting recipes that are easy to prepare. I recommend them for people with diabetes also because all their recipes have the nutrition information included, so you’ll know how much of the dish can fit into your diet.

When was the last time someone told you to eat more of anything? Now, get yourself to the farmers’ market and start cooking.

Meatless Monday Bean Burger

2011-05-09T15:30:00.005-04:00

If you’re participating in Meatless Monday (or even if you’re not), here’s a burger with so much flavor, you’ll enjoy it any day of the week. I eat bean-based burgers often and love to play around with the seasonings. For this one, I sautéed the jalapeno, onion, and garlic to soften them slightly before adding them to the other ingredients.

A potato masher is the best tool for mashing the beans; I think a food processor grinds them too finely. I like to see a little bean in my bean burger. I used pintos for this recipe, because that’s what I had in the pantry, but black beans would work here too. These burgers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; just put wax paper between the patties to keep them from sticking together and cover them with plastic wrap.

A few words about buns (bread buns, that is): If you haven’t made the switch to whole wheat buns, a full-flavored recipe like this one is the perfect place to give them a try. The burger itself is so flavorful that you won’t notice the whole wheat. If you buy large buns and rolls from a bakery or from those self-serve bins at the supermarket, take them down a notch. No one needs that many carbs! I bought the one in the photo here from the self-serve bin at my local market and I cut fully 1-inch of bun out of the middle of it! Just saved myself a lot of carbs and calories that I never missed. If you can’t bear to throw the middles away, save them to make stuffing or bread crumbs.

Cilantro Bean Burgers

Makes 3 servings

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 large egg white

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 small whole wheat sandwich buns, toasted

Optional toppings: lettuce leaves, tomato slices, sweet onion slices

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the jalapeño, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish to cool slightly.

While the vegetables cook, place the beans in a medium bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add the egg white, bread crumbs, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Add the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Shape the mixture into 3 patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the patties and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve in the buns, with the toppings of your choice.

Each serving: 39 g carbohydrate, 298 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g fiber, 12 g protein, 410 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 2 1/2; Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 plant-based protein, 1 fat

Asian Chicken Salad

2011-05-05T15:54:00.000-04:00

Today I had a craving for a crunchy salad but I wanted something salty, too, so I made this fresh Asian Chicken Salad for lunch. The dressing and marinade are made with salty Asian fish sauce, tart lime juice, and spicy chili-garlic paste. It’s a refreshing but filling springtime lunch. If you’re watching your sodium, this salad—or anything made with Asian fish sauce—is definitely an occasional treat.

The pretty greens in my salad are from my local farmers market, from Monkshood Nursery and Gardens in Stuyvesant, New York. Any greens will work here—you can try mesclun, baby spinach, bibb lettuce, or romaine.

Asian Chicken Salad

Makes 2 servings

marinade and dressing

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed through a press

1/4 teaspoon chili-garlic paste

salad

2 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon canola oil

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 cups mixed salad greens of any type

2 radishes, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 of a hothouse cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs

To make the marinade and dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Place the chicken in a small shallow dish and add 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Turn the chicken to coat, cover snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade, which will be used as a dressing on the salad.

To make the salad, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-hgih heat. Add the canola oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until the juices run clear, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand about 5 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, combine the tomatoes, greens, radishes, green onions, carrot, cucumber, and cilantro sprigs in a large bowl and toss to combine.

To serve the salads, drizzle the tomato mixture with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade and toss to coat. Divide the mixture among two plates. Top evenly with the chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved marinade and serve at once.

Each serving: 12 g carbohydrate, 251 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein, 1181 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean protein, 1 1/2 fat

Best Whole Grain Crackers

2011-05-03T14:08:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you just crave a little crunch and if you make a smart choice, whole grain crackers can be a healthful snack. There are so many options, choosing one that’s good for you can take an hour in the cracker aisle of the supermarket.

The chart below lists my favorites, but when making a choice at your supermarket, select crackers with:

● Whole grain as the first ingredient

● At least 3 grams of fiber per serving

● Less than 150 calories per serving

Avoid crackers with:

● More than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving

● Trans fat in the nutrition facts panel

● Hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list

● Sugar or other sweeteners in the ingredient list

● Artificial colors in the ingredient list

What you choose to have with the crackers is as important as the crackers. A thin smear of peanut butter, a slender slice of cheese, or a spoonful of hummus all make healthful choices and give you a little protein to help keep hunger at bay through the afternoon.

BEST CHOICES FOR WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS

Brand	Serving	Carbs	Cals	Fiber	Sodium
Finn Crisp Crispbread	2 crackers	18 g	80	4 g	120 mg
Triscuit Baked Wheat Crackers	6 crackers (these are small)	19 g	120	3 g	180 mg
Ryvita Rye Crispbread	2 crackers	18 g	90	4 g	90 mg
Wasa Crispbread	2 crackers	20 g	80	4 g	100 mg

Photo: Vladimir Blinov

Great Find: Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous

2011-05-02T14:01:00.002-04:00

I’ve seen whole wheat pearl couscous at my local supermarket, but just got around to trying it this weekend. I’m sold on it. It’s delicious, is a good source of fiber, and cooks in boiling water in less than 10 minutes.

This is my first experiment, but the couscous would be good not only in springtime salads such as this one, but in soups, too. It would make an easy side dish on its own tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, or you could fancy it up with sautéed onions and garlic and some fresh herbs. A great find for making healthy meals in a hurry!

Pearl Couscous and Cucumber Salad

Makes 4 servings

3/4 cup whole wheat pearl couscous

1 medium lemon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 radishes, diced

1 thin scallion, thinly sliced

1/2 of a hothouse cucumber, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and stir in the couscous. Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the couscous is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well.

While the couscous cooks, grate the zest from the lemon and place it in a medium bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add to the zest. Add the salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the radishes, scallion, cucumber, and parsley. Add the couscous and toss to coat. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Each serving: 23 g carbohydrate, 149 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein, 150 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fat

Note: Use your imagination and what’s on hand to vary this easy salad. Add canned garbanzo or cannellini beans; canned tuna or salmon; diced chicken or shrimp; diced bell pepper, fresh fennel, or summer squash; or crumbled feta cheese.

Roasted Vegetables with Charmoula Sauce

2011-04-26T14:44:00.006-04:00

I love it when I find a recipe for a sauce that turns ordinary ingredients into a special meal without a lot of fat or calories. Carrmoula, a simple Moroccan sauce that’s made with fresh parsley and cilantro and ground spices, is just such a recipe. I’ve paired it here with a combination of roasted vegetables (use whatever vegetables you have on hand), but you can serve it with fish or roasted chicken too. It’s best not to make it too far ahead, since the herbs will lose their bright green color after a couple of hours.

Roasted Vegetables with Charmoula Sauce

Makes 6 servings

6 ounces fingerling potatoes or small baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half

4 carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

1 small acorn squash, cut into wedges and seeded

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth or water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the potatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and squash in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and toss to coat. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two large rimmed baking sheets. Bake, turning the vegetables once, until tender and well browned, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the parsley, cilantro, broth, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne in a blender and process until pureed. (the sauce makes about 1/2 cup)

To serve, arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle evenly with the sauce. Serve hot or warm.

Each serving: 20 g carbohydrate, 146 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein, 179 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable

Barley and Asparagus Risotto

2011-04-22T11:42:00.007-04:00

Celebrate the bounty of fresh California asparagus that’s in the markets right now with this fantastic risotto. If you’ve never made risotto with barley, you’re in for a treat. It has a delicate flavor that pairs perfectly with the asparagus. Serve it as a light entrée, or as a side dish alongside grilled salmon or roast chicken.

Makes 6 servings

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup pearl barley

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pour the broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth hot.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the leek, mushrooms, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes.

Add the barley and wine and cook, stirring often, until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add the hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir occasionally, until the broth is absorbed before adding more.

After 15 minutes, stir in the asparagus and continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time until the barley is tender, yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Stir in the cheese. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and pepper. Serve at once.

Each serving: 33 g carbohydrate, 235 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 11 g protein, 258 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 2; Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat

10 Ways to Get More Fiber

2011-04-21T10:38:00.001-04:00

If getting the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day is a challenge, and on most days, you don’t come near that, try working high fiber foods into meals and snacks, even when you’re on the go.

1. Don’t skip breakfast. A high-fiber cereal or oatmeal will get you off to a good start on your fiber goal for the day.

2. Make a high-fiber smoothie. Use fiber-rich berries or an unpeeled apple or pear. Once apples and pears are pureed, you won’t know the peel is there, but you’re still getting the fiber. Add a tablespoon of

3. Choose only 100% whole grain bread. Most brands that are 100% whole grain will have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. Make sure the label says 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain to make sure you’re getting the most fiber and nutrients.

4. Munch on dry roasted edamame. I love these! Just 1/4 cup has 1 carb choice (16 grams), 150 calories, and a whopping 5 grams of fiber.

5. Hummus is good for us. Buy it or make your own and look for varieties that have at least 2 grams of fiber in a 1/4 cup serving. Enjoy it with fresh broccoli florets or celery sticks for even more fiber.

6. Make crackers count. Choose Wasa or Finn Crisp fiber crackers which have 2 to 3 grams of fiber per serving.

7. Eat more beans. Add canned dried beans to salads or soups or use them to make burritos, quesadillas, or salsa. Fat-free canned refried beans are great too. Best choice: Red kidney beans with 8 grams of fiber in 1/2 cup.

8. Have a side of whole grain. Use whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous, bulgur, or quinoa. Try brown rice, but if it’s not your favorite, there are other types of whole grain rice to try: Wehani, brown jasmine, or black japonica.

9. Go vegetarian a few times a week. If you’re replacing meat, chicken, or fish with beans or whole grains, you’re automatically getting more fiber.

10. Have fruit for dessert. Enjoy an unpeeled apple or pear, fresh berries, or a small banana and you’ll get some fiber, about 15 grams of carbs, and a lot of healthy nutrients.

Lemon Vinaigrette to Eat with Everything

2011-04-19T18:21:00.001-04:00

I’ve been emailing with a friend today discussing whether people actually still cook or not. I don’t think I’m a good judge of whether people do or do not cook. I am so consumed every day with cooking for myself and convincing other people to cook through this blog and my recipe development projects that I just assume everyone starts with fresh ingredients and makes themselves a healthful and delicious dinner every night. Don’t they?

According to my friend, people don’t have time to cook. They buy pre-fab food at Costco, eat fast food, or get food delivered. I say: You’re killing yourself if you’re not cooking. Especially when it’s so easy and so delicious!

Yesterday I made this wonderful lemon vinaigrette that takes about 5 minutes to make and is perfect to drizzle on almost anything. It’s made by simply pureeing the lemon segments—which give it potent lemon flavor—and then whisking in some olive oil. I had it with a pan seared fish that took about 3 minutes to make, but use it for grilled or baked salmon, chicken, shrimp, scallops, or on green salad, pasta salad, roasted vegetables…it’s good on almost anything. You can make a double batch and refrigerate it for up to a week.

Recipes like this one that you can make ahead and serve with a lot of different foods will inspire you to cook every day. When food is this simple and this good, I am baffled as to why people don’t want to cook.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes generous 1/4 cup

1 medium lemon, well scrubbed

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Grate the zest from the lemon and transfer the zest to a small bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut away the peel and the white pith.

Holding the lemon over another small bowl, carefully cut along both sides of each section to free them from the membrane and let the sections fall into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl and then remove any seeds from the sections. Transfer the sections and the juice to a blender. Add the sugar and salt and puree until smooth.

Transfer the puree to the bowl with the zest. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then whisk in the pepper.

Each serving (generous 1 tablespoon): 3 g carbohydrate, 73 calories, 7 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, 70 mg sodium

Carb Choices: None; Exchanges: 1 1/2 fat

Sugar is Toxic?

2011-04-18T17:10:00.005-04:00

Gary Taubes, the science writer and author of “Why We Get Fat,” had a thought-provoking article in the New York Times magazine on Sunday about the potential toxicity of sugar.

Here's what I took away from the article:

Sugar has only empty calories; it contains no nutrients.
Sugar is often combined with high calorie foods (butter, shortening, oil, cream, nuts) to create products that have little nutritional value (cakes, cookies, ice cream).
Sugary foods either displace more healthful foods in the diet, or are consumed in addition to other foods that we already eat. Neither of these options will lead to optimal health and in most people will lead to weight gain.
When populations who do not eat a Western diet (aka American diet) begin to do so, their rate of cancer and diabetes increases.
Lewis Cantley, a researcher from Harvard Medical School, says that “up to 80 percent of all human cancers are driven by either mutations or environmental factors that work to enhance or mimic the effect of insulin on the incipient tumor cells.” Because of this, Cantley will not eat sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Consuming sugar makes your liver works harder and in animal studies, when the liver gets a big dose of sugar, it is converted to fat. This results in insulin resistance, which causes obesity, heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. We know this happens in laboratory animals; not enough studies have been done to prove it also happens in humans.
Saturated fat consumption and sugar consumption are both predictors of heart disease. Some researchers believe that saturated fat is the culprit; some believe it’s the sugar.

What does it all mean? Here’s what I think: No matter what researchers finally conclude that a healthy amount of sugar might be, it is no doubt way less than most of us are consuming. With the shocking numbers of Americans who are overweight and have diabetes or are at risk for developing diabetes, it’s safe to say the vast majority of us eat too much sugar.

Am I going to stop eating sugar? No, but I eat very little now and am going to try to start eating even less. How about you? Does reading this article change your mind about sugar?

Photo: milosluz

Healthy Homemade Meatloaf

2011-04-15T13:27:00.002-04:00

Heinz, maker of Classico pasta sauces, said today that they were surprised by the National Consumers League criticism. The NCL thinks Heinz should not be allowed to say that their products are made from fresh tomatoes, when in fact, they are made from “reconstituted industrial tomato concentrate.” Read the article at Food Navigator.

This news, along with the leftover brown rice from yesterday’s post, made me think of having a great homemade meatloaf topped, not with ketchup or with a jarred pasta sauce, but a quick and easy homemade tomato sauce.

You can make the sauce in less than 30 minutes, while the meatloaf bakes, and though it’s not made from fresh tomatoes, it has none of the added sugars that almost all jarred sauces have and certainly no industrial tomato concentrate. Serve it on pasta, chicken breasts, grilled salmon, almost anything.

Meatloaf with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Makes 8 servings

Meatloaf

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 egg

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Tomato Sauce

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or use about 1/2 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°.

To make the meatloaf, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly.

Add the ground beef and all the remaining ingredients to the onion mixture and mix well with your hands. Place the beef mixture in a large shallow baking dish (a 13 x 9 Pyrex is perfect) and shape into a loaf (about 12 x 5 inches). Bake the meatloaf uncovered for 1 hour.

While the meatloaf bakes, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the tomatoes are very soft, about 20 minutes. You can leave the sauce as it is if you prefer it chunky, or for a smoother sauce, use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes a bit. Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper (the sauce makes about 3 cups). Cut the meatloaf into slices and serve topped with the sauce.

Each serving: 17 g carbohydrate, 240 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 83 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 25 g protein, 257 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean protein, 1/2 fat

Quick and Healthy Veggie-Packed Lunch

2011-04-14T14:59:00.001-04:00

If you’re lucky enough to be at home at lunch time, you can make a healthy lunch in less than 10 minutes. Miso soup is ready in the time it takes to boil water, and you can add almost anything to it, making it perfect for using up leftovers.

Start with the recipe below as a guideline. I like to use a little less miso than most recipes call for, since it’s so salty and I’m trying to do better with my salt-tooth. Most recipes say 1 tablespoon miso for 1cup of water, but let your taste and your blood pressure guide you.

Other healthful ingredients you can add to the soup include leftover diced chicken breast, small shrimp (either cooked or raw; they’ll cook in a couple minutes), or cubes of tofu. The protein will make the soup more filling. And you can use cooked whole wheat pasta or soba noodles instead of the rice. Use whatever veggies you have on hand: quick-cooking vegetables such as small broccoli florets, shredded carrot, thinly sliced summer squash, bell peppers, or scallions, or fresh bean sprouts. If you like sesame, add a tiny drizzle of dark sesame oil to the finished soup.

Another great way to have miso soup is to have just the broth for an afternoon snack. Boil water, remove from the heat, and whisk in the miso until smooth. Pour it into a mug and drink it like tea. When I’m craving something sweet that I know I shouldn’t have, like a chocolate-dipped macaroon from Lety’s Bakery (conveniently located just steps from my front door), if I have something salty, it stops the sugar craving. Give it a try.

When you’ve no time for lunch, yet want something really healthy and really quick, dig around in the refrigerator, see what you’ve got, and turn it into miso soup. I’d love to hear what you add to yours.

Oh, and brown rice, cooked perfectly. No one does it better than Alton Brown.

Miso Soup with Spinach and Rice

Makes 2 servings

3 cups water

2 cups chopped fresh spinach or baby spinach

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons white miso

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the water into a small bowl.

Add the spinach and rice to the saucepan and cook just until the spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the miso to the water in the bowl and whisk until smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the miso mixture. Serve at once.

Each serving: 30 g carbohydrate, 148 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein, 509 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 2; Exchanges: 2 starch

A Healthy Breakfast Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

2011-04-06T16:21:00.001-04:00

According to the results of a study presented last week at an American Heart Association meeting, eating whole grain cereal at least seven times a week decreases your risk of developing high blood pressure by 20 percent. And, the American Diabetes Association says that as many as two out of three people who have diabetes have high blood pressure. So, eating whole grains at breakfast is a great thing.

However, the report did not say which whole grain breakfast cereals the participants were eating. I’ve been trying to think of pour-from-the-box cereals that would be as good for you as plain old steel cut oats. I’ve only been able to come up with two cereals that are all whole grain with no added sugars: Grape Nuts (the original, not the flakes) and Shredded Wheat. Even All Bran has added sugar!

I recommend going for a simple, whole grain, no-added sugar breakfast by cooking your own steel cut oats. If you soak them overnight, they cook in the morning in about 10 minutes. You’ll be rewarded with a delicious, warming breakfast that will keep you going all morning.

And as for the sugar, I am not against it at all, but you’re better off adding it yourself. If you add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar or maple syrup to a serving of steel cut oats, you’ll still be eating less sugar than you’d find in a cup of All Bran cereal.

Wonder why those participants had lower blood pressure? Was it something in the whole grain, or was it because they ate a healthier breakfast at home than they would have if they had breakfast from the drive through? The researchers didn’t have an answer on that either.

10-Minute Steel Cut Oatmeal

Makes 2 servings

3 cups water

3/4 cup steel-cut oats

Pinch of kosher salt

The night before, bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the oats and salt and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.

In the morning, bring the oats to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender, but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.

Each serving: 20 g carb, 111 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein, 35 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch

What To Do With Rutabagas

2011-04-05T17:57:00.003-04:00

My husband and I belong to a CSA. Let me describe that a little more accurately. We belong to Farm Spot, the Community Supported Agriculture program in our neighborhood of Jackson Heights in Queens, NY. He sometimes picks up the fruit and vegetable deliveries about five blocks from where we live and I eat 99 percent of the produce myself. The vegetables come from Golden Earthworm Farm, an organic farm on the North Fork of Long Island. Fruits come from Briermere Farms located close to Golden Earthworm in Riverhead, NY.

A few weeks ago, he picked up a 30-pound granny cart load of root vegetables, greenhouse grown kale and spinach, and storage apples. Some woman in front of him said she didn’t like rutabagas, or Swedes, as they are sometimes called.

He said, “Oh, I’ll take them, my wife loves them.” Never mind that I have 6 rutabagas in the refrigerator that we—or, more precisely, I—have not eaten since our last CSA delivery 3 weeks ago. Now, we have 18 rutabagas. Here’s the simplest and one of the best ways I’ve prepared them. The lemon gives me hope of spring, the rosemary adds a piney note, and the honey softens the slight bitterness that rutabagas can have.

Note: If you don’t know what a granny cart is, it is a wire frame fold-up cart that elderly ladies and people who buy groceries fifty pounds at a time use in NYC to carry home their haul. It is very uncool to use a granny cart at any age (I use mine almost daily)!

Rosemary-Lemon Glazed Rutabagas

Makes 4 servings

2 large rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 pounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or crumbled dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the rutabagas in a large rimmed baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the rutabagas in the pan in a single layer.

Bake, stirring once, until tender and well browned, 45 to 50 minutes.

Whisk together the honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a serving bowl. Add the hot rutabagas and toss to coat. Serve hot or warm.

Each serving: 20 g carbohydrate, 118 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 2 g protein, 179 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat

Winter Into Spring Soup

2011-04-04T15:00:00.002-04:00

The calendar says spring, but the weather here in NYC is still tottering on the borderline and leaning more toward chilly evenings and ear muffs than warm nights and sleeveless dresses.

My friend and cat sitter Madalyn Benoit shared with me the perfect recipe for this time of year. It’s a soup that pairs two ingredients that I’d never put together before: sweet potatoes and red lentils. What makes it perfect for this in-between weather is that it’s warm and soothing and uses the sweet potatoes that I still have left from my last winter CSA share, but it’s drizzled with cool and creamy yogurt and topped with sprinkle of springtime mint.

Madalyn got the recipe from Sophie Grigson at TheWednesdayChef.com and I’ve made a few slight changes, using less oil and adding a bit more of the high-fiber lentils and a dash of cayenne pepper. The soup freezes well and Madalyn says it’s just as good if you make it with winter squash instead of the sweet potato. It’s just the thing to help us make it through a few more weeks until the real spring arrives.

Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup with Yogurt and Mint

Makes 8 servings

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger

5 1/2 cups water or reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth (if you use water, add a little more salt)

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (1 1/4 pounds)

1 cup dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 whole star anise

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Plain low-fat yogurt, thinned with a little low-fat milk

Minced fresh mint

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes.

Add the water, sweet potatoes, lentils, star anise, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the star anise.

Puree the soup in a food processor or blender in batchers until smooth. Stir in the lime juice. Spoon the soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a tablespoon of the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with the mint and serve at once.

Each serving: 28 g carbohydrate, 158 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 8 g protein, 118 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 2; Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 plant-based protein