Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

I substituted low-sodium chicken broth for the water, only used 1 c. cheddar, doubled the salt/pepper/bay leaves. Added paprika, cayenne and nutmeg and low-fat, organic turkey bacon which I crumbled and blended into the soup at the end.

8 servings, 1 cup each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low carbohydrate | Low cholesterol | Healthy weight | High calcium

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed
• 4 cups chopped cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

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Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring, until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, 2 cups milk, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is soft, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl. When the cauliflower is soft, remove the bay leaf and stir in the milk mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the soup has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese and lemon juice.

Nutrition

Per serving: 186 calories; 11 g fat (5 g sat, 3 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 0 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 2 g fiber; 488 mg sodium; 198 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Calcium (27% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 low-fat milk, 1 high-fat meat

Hungarian Beef Goulash 8 hours

Hungarian Beef Goulash

From EatingWell: January/February 2008

3.7 out of 5 stars based on 102 reviews

This streamlined goulash skips the step of browning the beef, and instead coats it in a spice crust to give it a rich mahogany hue. This saucy dish is a natural served over whole-wheat egg noodles. Or, for something different, try prepared potato gnocchi or spaetzle.

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READER'S COMMENT:

"I put everything in the crockpot together, didn't see a need to do part in pan first. I also didn't do cornstarch. I didn't have caraway so I used a bit of cumin. It came out okay, not my favorite but edible. "

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8 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 1/2-8 hours

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low carbohydrate | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Low sodium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | Gluten free |

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, (such as chuck), trimmed and cubed
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 1/2-2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika, (or a mixture of the two), preferably Hungarian (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell pepper.
2. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7 1/2 hours on low.
3. Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 4 months. | Prep ahead: Trim beef and coat with spice mixture. Prepare vegetables. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Refrigerate in separate covered containers for up to 1 day.

• Ingredient Note: Paprika specifically labeled as “Hungarian” is worth seeking out for this dish because it delivers a fuller, richer flavor than regular or Spanish paprika. Find it at specialty-foods store or online at HungarianDeli.com and penzeys.com.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories; 5 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 48 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 250 mg sodium; 298 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (40% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv), Iron (15% dv).

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat

Inside-Out Lasagna

From EatingWell: January/February 2010

Here we take basic lasagna ingredients—ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes—and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette.

4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or fusilli
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves cloves garlic, sliced
• 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

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Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.

Nutrition

Per serving: 364 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 16 g protein; 7 g fiber; 588 mg sodium; 786 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Folate (25% dv), Potassium (22% dv), Calcium (21% dv), Iron (20% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 vegetables, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

Healthified Green Bean Casserole

6 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium sweet onion, (half diced, half thinly sliced), divided
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 pound frozen French-cut green beans, (about 4 cups)
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk powder, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

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Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroom juices are almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and sherry and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in green beans and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and buttermilk powder. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
3. Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup flour, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add sliced onion; toss to coat. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with any remaining flour mixture and cook, turning once or twice, until golden and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Spread the onion topping over the casserole.
4. Bake the casserole until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient notes:
• Don't use the high-sodium “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets. Instead, purchase dry sherry sold with other fortified wines.
• Look for buttermilk powder, such as Saco Buttermilk Blend, in the baking section or with the powdered milk in most supermarkets.

Our modification since we couldn't find the buttermilk powder: 3/4 c buttermilk, 1/4 c. reconstituted non-fat dry milk, 2 tbsp non-fat dry milk powder (for consistency)

Nutrition

Per serving: 212 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 10 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 533 mg sodium; 259 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (16% daily value).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat

Sugar Snap Salad

SUGAR SNAP SALAD

Yield: 4 servings (3/4 cup each)
Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/87.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 3 cups sugar snap peas (8 ounces), trimmed
- 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-1/2-inch-long slivers


DIRECTIONS

Cook peas in lightly salted boiling water in a medium
saucepan until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and
rinse under cold running water.

Whisk vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add scallions, bell pepper and the peas; toss to coat.
Serve within 1 hour.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (3/4 cup each):
Calories: 104, Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 9 g,
Protein: 2 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sodium: 153 mg
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1-1/2 Fat

Barley, Carrot and Ham Soup

SOURCE: The 8 Week Cholesterol Cure

NOTE: I made this in a 5 qt crockpot and cooked for 6 hours rather than cooking on the stove. This made enough to leave down for lunches and dinner tomorrow and enough to fill up a container for the deep freezer stockpile.

8 c. fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth or water (I make my own no salt chicken broth or veggie broth)
2 c. barley
1 lb 96% fat-free ham (I use turkey ham)
6 carrots, chopped
1 onion
1 clove garlic
any spices you like

In a large saucepan, bring all ingredients slowly to a boil/ With a skimmer or slotted spoon, skim any grayish matter that rises to the top. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 192
Fat: 3.15 grams
Cholesterol: 16.6 mg
Sodium: 663 mg (lower if you use your own broth)