A couple years ago, my sister was the victim of a corporate
re-organization. In other words, her
employer had to cut costs and determined that eliminating an entire department
was the best way to do that. Since then,
it has been a struggle for her to land back on her feet and find a job that
matched the position and salary she once had.
During this season of soul searching and re-evaluating her future, my
sister developed a desire to be a business owner. Having a background in business, I decided to
have an informal meeting with my sister and her business partner, Naomi, to
review their business plan. Everyone
knows, the best business decisions are made either on the golf course or at the
dinner table. Considering I have never
played golf, I decided to invite them to dinner.
I quickly started to plan the dinner and theme. I came up with a rich meal and decadent
dessert and spirited cocktails: Metropolitan Chic. Then, my sister called; her friend was
bringing her two teen boys to entertain my nephew. There goes my metro dinner. With a few changes, I came up with a hearty
Italian entrée with a fun classic dessert:
Buon Appetito! Before I could complete my shopping list, the
phone rang again. “Oh, I forgot to mention, Naomi is diabetic.” WHAT? Now
I was stumped. I had to prepare a family
style menu that was diabetic friendly as well as teen friendly. Oh dear…
Diabetes is a disease in which the body produces too much
insulin causing high levels of glucose in the blood. The foods a diabetic should stay away from
are starchy carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes and white rice. Because of the sugar content, most desserts
are also on the forbidden list of foods to eat. I wanted to create a healthy and tasty dish
that was also lighthearted and fun. The winning
theme: Soul Food.
·
Oven-Fried
Chicken-
o
Fried chicken is always a favorite but not
always the best thing for you. This
recipe for oven fried chicken maintains the flavor and crispiness of fried
chicken, but healthier.
·
Roasted
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
o
Instead of mashed potatoes, this recipe uses
cauliflower in a way that you would think you were eating potatoes. Cauliflower is a staple in the diabetic menus. It is a great alternative to potatoes.
·
Healthy
Collard Greens
o
Leafy vegetables in general are very
nutritious but collard greens have are known to help prevent and possibly
reverse diabetes. Full of vitamins A, C
and K, collard greens help in lowering cholesterol, boosting the immune system,
and maintaining healthy bones.
·
No-Bake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
o
This recipe for cheesecake uses very little
added sugar and relies on the natural sweetness of the ingredients. Combined all together, you get a delicious
dessert that fits within the restrictions.
I have a feeling there will be very little business talk
happening when this dinner comes together later this week. Try one or all of these recipes and let me
know how it turns out!
Mending Maria
Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups rice-corn crispy cereal, (recommended: Crispex)
2 1/4 cups broken bagel chips or melba toast
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 bone-in, skinless chicken pieces (about 6 ounces
each)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400
degrees F. Set a rack on a foil lined baking sheet. Spray the rack generously
with cooking spray.
Finely grind the cereal and toasts together in a
food processor. Transfer crumbs to a large gallon size plastic bag. Add the
oil, salt, cayenne, paprika, and ground pepper and toss to mix thoroughly. Whisk
the light mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together in a medium shallow bowl. Add
chicken to mayonnaise and turn to coat all the pieces evenly. Drop the chicken
into the plastic bag, seal and shake until each piece is evenly coated. Place
coated pieces on the prepared rack. Spray the chicken pieces evenly with
cooking spray, and bake until the coating crisps and browns and an instant-read
thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pieces registers 160 degrees
F, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to
a platter and serve hot or at room temperature.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/oven-fried-chicken-recipe.html
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 large
head cauliflower
2 bulbs
roasted garlic
olive oil
1/3 cup
Silk unsweetened almond milk
3/4
teaspoon salt
1/8
teaspoon pepper
Directions
Slice off
top of garlic bulb so that the inner cloves are exposed. Drizzle with
olive oil. Wrap in foil and roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes; set
aside to cool.
Wash and
cut cauliflower into medium chunks, removing all leaves and green parts.
Place
cauliflower in large saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Place lid
on saucepan and boil for 8 minutes. Drain
Cauliflower and pat dry with paper towel.
Place
cauliflower, Silk almond milk, salt, and pepper in bowl of large food processor.
Add
roasted garlic. Process until cauliflower is a smooth puree, close to the
texture of mashed potatoes. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator to serve
later.
To reheat,
bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Healthy Collard Greens
Ingredients
1
tablespoon olive oil
1
large white onion, chopped
2
garlic cloves, minced
2
smoked turkey wings or legs or 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (vegetarian/vegan
option) or 2 whole
dried
chipotle chiles or ancho chiles (and omit the chili flakes or cayenne later)
1
teaspoon salt
1
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3
cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, low sodium preferred
1
tablespoon cider vinegar (optional)
2
bunches (about 2 pounds) fresh collard greens
Directions
Prepare
the collard greens by first removing the stems. Pull them off by hand or cut
them out with a knife. Wash the leaves
in a very large bowl of water or clean sink filled with water, allowing the
soot from the greens to sink to the bottom of the container. Repeat by cleaning
the container, and re-submerging in clean water. To test a leaf for no grit,
simply bite into one. Never dump the leaves into a strainer with the water, or
the leaves will get dirty.
Stack
the leaves and cut across into about 1- inch sized ribbons. In a large pot over
medium high heat, add oil and onions. Saute onions for 5 minutes over medium
high heat until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and saute quickly for
an additional 30 seconds or so,
just
until golden and fragrant. Add the turkey wings, the stock, the greens, and the
salt and pepper and bring just to a boil.
Reduce
the heat to low. Cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, until the greens are tender.
Remove
the smoked turkey wings(if used) from the liquid. Remove the skin and bones
from the turkey wing and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. Remove the chilies and discard. Add the turkey meat back to the liquid. Stir the vinegar
into the greens, if using, just prior to serving or serve on the side, to be sprinkled
in as a condiment.
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 recipe Graham
Cracker Crust (see recipe below)
1 envelope unflavored
gelatin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 8 - ounce
tub light cream cheese
1 15 - ounce
can pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
or sugar substitute* equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
3/4 of
an 8-ounce container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed
Frozen
light whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)
Ground
cinnamon, chopped pecans, and/or pomegranate seeds** (optional)
Directions
Prepare Graham Cracker Crust; set aside. In a
small saucepan, stir together gelatin and the water; let stand for 5 minutes to
soften. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves; set aside to cool
slightly.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an
electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add pumpkin, sugar, the 1 teaspoon
cinnamon, and the gelatin mixture; beat until well mixed. Fold in the
three-quarters container of dessert topping. Spread mixture into crust in
springform pan. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours or until set.
Using a thin metal spatula or table knife,
loosen the cheesecake from the side of the springform pan. If desired, use a
wide spatula to remove cheesecake from bottom of pan and place on a serving
plate. Cut into wedges to serve. If desired, top with additional whipped
topping. If desired, garnish with additional cinnamon, chopped pecans, and/or
pomegranate seeds.
Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
3/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small
bowl, combine crushed graham crackers, canola oil, and sugar. Mix well. Spread
evenly in bottom of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan; press firmly onto bottom.
Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
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