Hummus

I was surprised to find that I like hummus - I never cared for the taste of chickpeas on their own.  In fact, it has become one of my favorite foods.  I enjoy the taste; I enjoy the fact that it is so good for you; and I enjoy that it stays with me til the next meal.  I hate being distracted by hunger before it is time to legitimately do something about it.

This is how I usually make my hummus:

1 can chickpeas plus 1/4 cup of the liquid from can

1/4 cup tahini

juice from 1 lemon (approximately 3 tblsp)

1 tblsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 tblsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Put all ingredients together in food processor and puree until smooth.  I like to use the fresh parsley if I have some on hand because it is a natural diuretic but if I don’t have any on hand, I make it without.

Last week I tried a recipe for Rosemary Artichoke Hummus that I found on www.inadvertentgardener.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/ which was really tasty:

1 can chickpeas

1 can quartered artichoke hearts

2 cloves garlic

3 or 4 tbsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped (I used 1 tsp dried)

3 tblsp lemon juice (1 lemon)

3 tblsp olive oil

Put all ingredients into food processor and puree until smooth.

I have recently come across another variation that calls for roasted red pepper which I plan on trying next week.

Diabetic Beet Salad

This tastes so good, you feel like you are eating dessert.

1 pkg diet lemon jello

1 can beets

3/4 cup liquid from beets

2 tblsp vinegar

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp horseradish

1 tblsp chopped red onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped celery

Drain beets, reserving liquid.  Dissolve diet jello in 1 cup boiling water.  Add liquid from beets.  Stir in vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, horesradish, salt and chopped onion.  Chill until partially set. 

Chop beets and fold into partially set jello along with the chopped celery.

I have adapted this recipe from one which I found in Better Homes And Gardens New Cook Book.  Every time I serve it, I am asked for the recipe.

Dutch Pumpernickel Bread (Red River Cereal)

This recipe comes from the Harrowsmith Cookbook.  It takes very little time to prepare, but it is only ready to bake the next day, and to eat the day after that.

I am not a real fan of Red River cereal as far as taste and texture go; but know that it is very healthy so decided to give this no-yeast bread a try.  It wasn’t bad.  I had guests in so had made Salsa Dip with cream cheese and sour cream.  The bread went really well with that (and certainly was filling.)  The other ways that I have been told it is good is with peanut butter and honey, also with cheese melted on it under the broiler.

2 tblsp molasses

3 cups hot water

3 cups Red River cereal

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine the water and molasses.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Beat at high speed for 2 minutes.  Cover with a cloth towel and let stand overnight, then pour into greased loaf pan and smooth.  Bake at 275 for 1 hour, reduce heat to 250 and bake for one more hour.  Store in refrigerator one day before slicing.

Diabetic Mayonnaise

This is a good tasting mayonnaise and is equally good on a sandwich or in any recipe that calls for mayonnaise.

1/3 cup Splenda

2 tblsp flour

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tsp butter

dash of tobasco or cayenne pepper

Mix in order given and cook in double boiler until thick and smooth.  Beat occasionally with whisk while cooking.

Spinach Salad

I plan my grocery list around what’s on sale each week; keeping  a keen eye focused especially on fruit and vegetables that are available.

I then plan my meals around the perishables that need to be used up first.

I stumbled onto a wonderful combination of tastes when making this salad for my lunch yesterday.

baby spinach

grape tomatoes, halved

english cucumber, cut in chunks (unpeeled)

yellow pepper, cut in chunks

crumbled blue cheese

Renee’s poppyseed dressing

I had a slice of whole grain toast with it; which just seemed to compliment the wonderful flavor combination of salad ingredients. 

And it kept me going until the next scheduled meal - which is always a plus in my books.

Turkey Soup

There’s a lot of life in that turkey, yet!

Remove as much of the meat as you can from the leftover turkey.  Put the bones on to simmer gently in 10 cups of water for 2-3 hours.  Pour into a colander to separate broth - you should end up with about 7 cups of rich tasting broth.  Refrigerate overnight for any fat to rise to the surface and harden.

To make your soup the next day, remove any fat from surface and put your broth in large pot.  Add:

1 large onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 1/4 cups turnip, finely chopped

1 1/4 cups carrots, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups potatoes, finely chopped

1/4 cup rice

1/2 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper to taste

Simmer gently 20-30 minutes til vegetables are tender.  Just before serving add small pieces of turkey (approximately 2 cups).  I use whatever dark meat I have left at this point saving any remaining white meat for turkey salad sandwiches.

 

High Fibre Multi-Grain Muffins

Here’s an easy way to get Red River Cereal into your diet.  I found this recipe in the Courier Weekend earlier this month, and after making them at home, decided they were worth sharing.  They are a tender, light muffin with a good taste.

1 cup water

1/4 cup Red River Cereal

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cups oatmeal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400.  Bring water and Red River Cereal to a boil in small saucepan.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened.  Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine egg, oil, buttermilk, brown sugar and vanilla.  Add cooked cereal.  Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until blended.

Place in prepared muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then cool on wire rack. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits are usually high in fat and are mostly made with shortening, margarine, or butter.  Now, quite often, I use this recipe which combines buttermilk and vegetable oil for a tasty, flaky biscuit.

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp baking soda

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in oil.  Add soda to buttermilk and stir into flour mixture.  Place dough on floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times until smooth.  Pat down to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut in circle shapes with a juice glass.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool.  Makes 8-10 biscuits.

Eating Fish And Loving It

I had a piece of haddock that needed to be used up; so at lunch time, I rolled it in flour and fried it in a little bit of grapeseed oil.

After putting it on the plate, I topped it with salsa and ate it with a piece of cornbread.

To round the meal off nicely, I enjoyed some pumpkin custard for dessert.

I enjoyed the combination of haddock, salsa, and cornbread so much that I decided to make this meal one of my regulars.  I have been trying to find an enjoyable way of making fish one of the foods that I have more often.

Oh, and I made the custard with Splenda so that makes this meal even safe enough for diabetics to enjoy.

Stay With You Breakfast

Some breakfasts seem to stay with you better than other ones.  I have found this one stays with me even past lunchtime:

Microwave Oatmeal:  1/3 cup oatmeal, 2/3 cup water.  Combine in good-sized bowl and nuke for 2 minutes.

I top mine with brown sugar Splenda (which tastes like the real thing) and a little milk. 

Finish the meal off with a bran muffin, a piece of cheddar and a cup of coffee.

You will find the bran muffin recipe I use on Cooking From Scratch.  This recipe makes 12 tasty muffins which freeze well.