Diabetic Friendly Dite

Spiced cauliflower with white bean mash

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 dried chillies
• 1 tbs shredded coconut
• 1 tbs fresh curry leaves (see tip)
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1kg (about 1 small) cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
• 125ml (1/2 cup) water
• 1 bunch English spinach, stems trimmed, washed, dried

• White bean mash

• 600g (about 4 small) Desiree potatoes, peeled, quartered (see note)
• 1 x 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained.

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the chillies, coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
2. Add the cauliflower and water to the pan, and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 7 minutes or until the cauliflower is just tender.
3. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach just wilts.
4. Meanwhile, to make the white bean mash, place the potato in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 60ml (1/4 cup) of the cooking liquid. Return the potato and reserved cooking liquid to the pan. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth. Stir in the cannellini beans.
5. Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto a large serving platter. Spoon the mash into a large serving bowl and serve.
   
   

   Method

   1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the chillies, coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
   2. Add the cauliflower and water to the pan, and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 7 minutes or until the cauliflower is just tender.
   3. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach just wilts.
   4. Meanwhile, to make the white bean mash, place the potato in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 60ml (1/4 cup) of the cooking liquid. Return the potato and reserved cooking liquid to the pan. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth. Stir in the cannellini beans.
   5. Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto a large serving platter. Spoon the mash into a large serving bowl and serve.
      
      

Diabetic friendly diet

 Spicy Red Beans With Fennel Seed

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry kidney beans
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• freshly ground mixed peppercorns to taste

Directions

1. Place beans into a pressure cooker and fill with enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and cool for 1 hour.
2. Add water to the beans again, filling just enough to cover the beans by 1/2 inch. Season with salt, fennel seed, cayenne pepper and mixed peppercorns. Put the lid on and set the pressure to high, or 15 pounds depending on your indicator. Bring to a boil and cook for 35 minutes. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions before attempting to open the pot. Do not open right away. Serve hot. 

                                     

 

Diabetic Friendly

Fruit Salad with Vanilla Yogurt

 

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 large peach, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 plums, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved
• 1 cup honeydew melon balls or cubes
• 1 cup cantaloupe balls or cubes
• 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
• 1 cup grapes
• 2 (16 ounce) containers low-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions

1. In a large salad bowl, lightly mix together the strawberries, peach, plums, kiwi fruit, cherries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes until the fruit is well mixed. Serve in bowls with yogurt spooned over the top. 

 

                                         

 

 

Diabetic Friendly Recipes

Breakfast Porridge

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pitted prune, chopped
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 2 tablespoons oat bran
• 2 tablespoons wheat bran
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon flax seed
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Directions

1. Bring the water with the prune and raisins to a boil in a pot; cook at a boil for 3 minutes. Stir the oat bran, wheat bran, wheat germ, flax seed, and honey into the fruit mixture. Remove from heat and serve hot. 

 

 

Scones

Ingredients

8 oz self-raising flour
A pinch of salt
3 oz butter – diced (room temperature)
1 ½ oz caster sugar
I large egg
2 tablespoons of milk

How to make them

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220 Fahrenheit.
Step2: Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the salt, then lightly rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Mix in the caster sugar.
Step 4: In a separate jug, mix the egg and milk together and pour it gently into the dry mixture, stirring with a palette knife.
Step 5: Use your hands to finish it off into a soft, non-sticky consistency – add extra flour or milk sparingly, if needed.
Step 6: When it leaves the bowl’s sides clean, roll out on a floury surface to no less than an inch thick.
Step 7: Use a round cutter and cut circles out, being careful not to twist the dough as you cut.
Step 8: Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 220 Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.
Step 9: Take out and cool slightly on a rack.
Step 10: Serve with clotted cream and jam.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients

Thinly-sliced, good-quality white bread
Salted butter
Cucumbers with the skin shaved off, cut into slim discs (and for decoration, some full length curls made using the peeler)

How to make them

Step 1: Spread the bread with a thin layer of butter, and then cut off the crusts.
Step2: Thinly slice the cucumber and fill the sandwich with a single layer of crunchy cucumber.
Step 3: Put the top on and cut into neat triangles. Serve garnished with long whorls of shaved cucumber.

Samosas

Makes: 30 samosas
Ingredients for the filling
4 cups of boiled finely diced potatoes
2 tablepoons roasted halved peanuts
1/4 cup cooked fresh peas
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon crushed fennel/ sauf
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons garam masala powder
2 teaspoons dry mango powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon black salt
salt to taste
3 tablespoons or more of freshly chopped coriander leaves

Ingredients for crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon caraway seeds / ajwain
1/4 cup melted ghee
salt to taste (about 1.5 teaspoon)
1/2 cup warm water

Method for the filling

Heat 1 tablespoon oil pan; add the cumin seeds and allow it to crackle. On low heat add the ginger and turmeric powder. After a few seconds add all the other filling ingredients except the peas, and gently toss all the ingredients so the potatoes get evenly coated with the spices. Stir for 3-4 minutes on low flame and finally add the peas and combine it with the potato mixture.
Set aside to cool. Once cool add the freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Method for the crust
Combine the flour, caraway seeds, salt and ghee with your hands until the flour resembles course crumbs. Make a well in the center and add water little at a time. Knead the dough with your hand to make a soft firm dough, adding more water if required. Cover the dough for 20 minutes with a wet muslin cloth. Divide the dough into 15 balls and keep covered with a muslin cloth.
Keep 1/2 a cup of water by the side for coating and sealing the edges of the samosas. On a floured surface, roll each ball into 6 inch diameter circle and cut each circle into half.

Spread the water lightly all along the edge of the semicircle. Fold the semicircle into a cone shape and seal the side edges and not the top opening of the cone. Pick the cone up in your hands.

Fill the cone with 2 tablespoons of potato filling. Press this filling down gently into the cone with your fingers. Now close the top of this cone into a triangle shape, pinching the top edge so that it is completely sealed.

Continue to make semicircles, cones and fill the rest of the samosas.
Heat oil in a frying pan for deep frying the samosas. Place the samosas in the frying pan a few at a time. Turn the samosas around in the oil once they come floating to the top. Fry them until the they turn a light golden-brown color on all sides. Keep the heat on medium high heat and not high heat. High heat can brown the crust faster but not make the crust crispier.

Serve samosa hot with green chutney and tamarind chutney or plain old tomato ketchup.