Three diabetes quick-fix dinners perfect for healthy, hearty meals
It’s easy to fall into a rut when it comes to weekly meals. It can be even more challenging to think outside the recipe box when you are following a diet to help manage your health. Here are three recipes to liven up your dinner table and shake up that weekly routine.
Pork fried rice
Fried rice needs to be crisp and flavorful. To capture the crisp, smoky wok flavor, make sure your pan is very hot. When you add the ingredients, let them sit for one or two minutes before tossing. This allows the wok to return to a high heat after the cold food has been added.
Helpful Hints:
• For easy stir-frying, place all the prepared ingredients on a cutting board or plate in order of use. You won’t have to look at the recipe once you start to cook.
• Leftover rice can be used instead of microwaved rice in the recipe. Measure 1½ cups cooked rice for 2 people.
Countdown:
• Make rice. • Make stir-fry.
Shopping List:
To buy: 1 package microwave brown rice, ¾ pound pork tenderloin, 1 bottle sesame oil, 1 can sliced water chestnuts, 1 bottle low-sodium soy sauce*, 1 bottle dry sherry, 1 green bell pepper, 1 package fresh snow peas and 1 package fresh bean sprouts,
Staples: onion, egg, salt and black peppercorns.
Pork fried rice recipe
• 1 package microwave brown rice
(to make 1½ cups cooked rice) • 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy
sauce*
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• ¾ pound pork tenderloin
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil • 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced green bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh snow peas, trimmed • 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• ¼ cup sliced water chestnuts • 1 large egg
• Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 1½ cups cooked rice and save remaining rice for another time.
Mix the soy sauce and sherry together and set aside. Remove visible fat from pork and cut into ½-inch pieces. Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the rice and stir-fry 2 minutes. Push rice to the sides of the pan and add the onion, green bell pepper and snow peas. Stir-fry 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and water chestnuts and toss all ingredients for 1 minute. Push the ingredients to the sides of the pan and break the egg into the center. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Return the
pork to the wok and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on
two dinner plates.
Yield 2 servings
Per serving: 580 calories, 140 calories from fat, 15 g fat, 3.3 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, 48 g protein, 55 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugars, 530 mg sodium, 1,180 mg potassium, 685 mg phosphorus.
Exchanges: 2 ½ starch, 4 vegetable, 5 lean protein, 1 fat.
Shop Smart: low-sodium soy sauce, containing per tablespoon: 8 calories, 511 mg sodium
Chicken in sherry mushroom sauce with herbed quinoa
Slow cooking in sherry produces a moist, tender and flavorful chicken dinner. Mushrooms add an earthiness to this dish. It can be made ahead and rewarmed.
Helpful Hints:
• You can use any type of mushroom.
• Sherry should be cooked over a low heat. It burns easily.
• The skillet should hold the chicken legs in one layer. If it is too big, the juices will run along the bottom and evaporate.
• A quick way to chop parsley and chives is to
snip them with a scissors.
Countdown:
• Start chicken.
• While chicken cooks, make quinoa. • Finish chicken dish.
Shopping List:
To buy: 1½ pounds skinless chicken legs with bone, 1 lemon, 1 bottle dry sherry, 1 package sliced portobello mushrooms (½ pound needed), 1 package quinoa, 1 bunch parsley and 1 bunch chives.
Staples: olive oil, minced garlic, salt and black peppercorns.
Chicken in sherry mushroom sauce recipe
• 1½ pounds skinless chicken legs with
bone*
• ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup dry sherry
• ½ pound sliced portobello mushrooms • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rub the chicken with the half lemon. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet just large enough to hold the legs in one layer over medium-high heat. Add the chicken legs and brown 2 minutes. Turn and brown 2 minutes. Lower
the heat to low and add the garlic and sherry. Cover tightly and cook 10 minutes, turning from time to time. Add the mushrooms to the chicken and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. A
meat thermometer should read 170 degrees.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 760 calories, 110 g calories from fat, Total fat 12 g, 2.5 g saturated fat, 6 g
monounsaturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, 38 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, 180 mg sodium, 930 mg potassium, 435 mg phosphorus.
Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1 vegetable, 5½ lean protein, 2 fat.
Herbed quinoa recipe
• ½ cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup sliced chives
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place quinoa in a colander or sieve with small openings and run cold water over the grains. Let drain. Place the quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring
to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook 10 minutes. All the water should be absorbed. If the pan runs dry before the quinoa is cooked, add more water. Add the parsley, chives, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place quinoa on a plate and serve chicken and sauce on top.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving:180 calories, 45 calories from fat, 5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugars, 5 mg sodium, 300 mg potassium, 205 mg phosphorus.
Exchanges: 2 starch, ½ fat.
Whiskey pork chops
with rosemary lentils
Whiskey lends an intriguing flavor to this simple French pork dish. This is a hearty meal and takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish.
Helpful Hints:
• You can buy whiskey in small splits at most
liquor stores.
• Look for low-sodium, canned diced tomatoes in the market.
• Find minced garlic in the produce section of the market.
Countdown:
• Prepare first nine ingredients. • While lentils cook, prepare mustard,
whiskey and parsley.
• Cook mustard sauce and finish dish.
Shopping List:
To buy: 2 6-ounce boneless, center loin pork chops (¾ to 1-inch thick), 1 can lentils, 1 can low-sodium diced tomatoes, 1 package fresh rosemary, 1 small bottle whiskey, 1 jar Dijon
mustard, 1 yellow onion and 1 bunch parsley.
Staples: olive oil, fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth*, minced garlic, salt and black peppercorns.
Shop Smart: Fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, containing per cup: 20 calories, 0 g fat, 150 mg sodium. Canned low-sodium, no-sugar-added diced tomatoes, containing per cup: 41 calories, .3 g fat, .04 g saturated fat, 24 mg
sodium.
Whiskey pork chops with rosemary lentils recipe
• 2 6-ounce boneless, center loin pork chop
(about ¾ to 1 inch thick)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth* • 2 cups drained, low-sodium, canned diced
tomatoes
• 1 cup rinsed and drained canned lentils
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (½ teaspoon
dried)
• ½ cup whiskey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Remove visible fat from pork chops. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high
heat. Add pork chops, onion and garlic.
Brown the pork on both sides, 1 minute per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils and rosemary.
Stir well. Bring to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid, and simmer 5 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees for the pork. Remove the pork and lentils to two dinner plates. Add whiskey to the remaining juices in the skillet. Raise the heat to high and reduce by half. Add the mustard and blend in to make a smooth sauce. Slice the pork and place on top of the lentils.
Spoon the sauce over the sliced pork. Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve on two dinner plates.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 599 calories, 111 calories from fat, 12.3 g fat, 2.7 g saturated fat, 6.1 g monounsaturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 51.8 g protein, 37.3 g carbohydrates, 12.1 g dietary fiber, 9.5 g sugars, 560 mg sodium, 1696 mg potassium, 688 mg phosphorus.
Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 6 lean protein, 1 alcohol.