Simple & Delicious for Holiday Entertaining Tuna with Roasted Lemons

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

Lemon-Spice Lentil Soup

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

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

Meatless Monday Bean Burger

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

Barley and Asparagus Risotto





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