Chef Jacques Pepin: "Use what's in your refrigerator..."

I first heard Chef Pepin utter the line when I watched a video of him making a cod dish with assorted ingredients I never thought would work. Radishes with cod? What was he thinking!? LOL I recreated that dish and then named it Wondra Codfish as that recipe was also my introduction to Wondra Flour.

Use whatever is in your refrigerator... The line came to mind Monday night after a long weekend that left me with multiple started items in my fridge. I smiled as I thought of Chef Pepin and just started grabbing things.

The dish that ended up on the dinner table was bright, fresh and distinctly flavorful while incorporating minimal seasonings. I was so pleased with how diabetic-friendly the dish was that I decided to add it here. Enjoy!

Every dish needs a name, right? I call this one.... Fridge Whatever :-)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz chickpea pasta (1/2 box) - Banza brand preferred
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic - smash minced
• 1-2 tomatoes - cut up
• 1/4 orange bell pepper - diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6-8 oz leftover meat - this version features loin of pork
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cook the pasta and peas and set aside. Pasta should be slightly under so it holds up in the skillet later on. Heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat. Add pasta and fry until lightly browned. Add peppers, peas & onion powder... toss until heated through. Fold in meat and then tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper... done.

Serves 2 with no leftovers

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Country Pork Pasta

This dish is a classic slow cooker delight, and yes... you can have pasta because the glycemic index of pasta is in the low range at 52. The thing to watch is the portion size determining the glycemic load, so take the time to measure out a two oz portion. It's not much, I'll give you that, but it's better than no pasta at all. :-) Alternately, you can use pearl barley for an even lower glycemic index. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs country style pork ribs
• 2  28oz cans Redpack whole peeled tomatoes in thick puree
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 2 medium onions cut up
• several cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 cup of wine that you feel pairs well with pork
• salt & pepper to taste
• 8 oz pasta of choice (This makes four 2 oz servings)

Preparation:

Place the oil, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, thyme and 1/2 can tomato paste in a large skillet and cook on medium flame 8-10 minutes. Stir in half the wine and pour mix into slow cooker. Mash the tomatoes by hand with a masher and mix into slow cooker.

Brown the pork in same skillet and place into sauce in slow cooker, submerging the meat. Deglaze the skillet with the rest of the wine and add to slow cooker. Cook for ~7 hours on low. Spoon off the fat/oil before removing meat to a covered serving bowl. Stir remaining tomato paste into slow cooker to thicken up sauce.

Add fresh flat leaf parsley to slow cooker while preparing the pasta separately for an additional burst of fresh :-) Once pasta is cooked, divide into 2 oz servings and top with pork and veggies. Alternately serve pork over pearl barley for an even lower glycemic index.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Spanish-style Mountain Beans

 Credit for this dish goes to Chef Valentine Warner at The Guardian

Chef Warner posted this delicious recipe to be made easily while camping. I haven't gone camping in years, but it seems the dish works quite well in my kitchen at home, too. ;-) Enjoy!

Prep 15 min - Cook 30 min -Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp good olive oil
• 4 garlic sausages - skinned, meat broken into chunks
• 1 medium onion - peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper - diced – red works, too, if your system doesn’t like the green
• 1 big pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (I know it sounds odd, but trust me)
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 large garlic cloves - peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 can cannellini beans - 15.5 oz
• 1/3 cup tart cider
• 1 fresh medium tomato - halved
• 1 big handful Swiss chard leaves – chopped - or nettles, sorrel or wild garlic, depending on the season
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the sausage meat for about seven minutes, until well browned all over, then scoop out on to a plate.

Fry the onion and green pepper in the remaining fat in the pan for 15 minutes, until they’re totally, undeniably soft, then stir in the oregano, cinnamon and paprika. 

Add the sliced garlic, return the sausage meat to the pan and cook gently for another minute or so, then tip in the beans and their tin juices and the cider (or water). 

Bring to a simmer, then lay in the tomato halves cut side down and leave to bubble gently for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the skins can be easily pinched off. 

By this stage, the consistency of the bean mix should creamy but not too thick – it should be able to slide slowly off a plate.

Stir in the chopped chard, cook for a minute or two until wilted, then season with just enough lemon juice to give it an edge. Add salt & pepper to taste,  and serve with a cold cider.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Asian Meatloaf

Credit for this unconventional dish goes to Sam the Cooking Guy

When I first saw this recipe I chuckled, but as soon as I looked at the ingredients I was intrigued... Not one... not two... but three meats plus Asian flavors? I'm in!!! 

Ingredients:

• Neutral oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger - finely chopped
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 3/4 tsp sesame oil
• 2/3 cup ground pork
• 2/3 cup ground beef
• 2/3 cup ground chicken
• 3/4 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup diced green onions, plus extra for serving
• Roasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add the onion and celery - cook until just softening, about 3 minutes

Add the mushrooms and cook another 3 or so minutes, then add another couple teaspoons of oil and the garlic & ginger and when super fragrant (after about a minute) set aside and let cool

Make the sauce: combine hoisin, ketchup, sriracha and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil - mix well and set aside

Combine ground pork, beef and chicken in a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, remaining sesame oil, soy, cooked vegetables, cilantro and green onions and a couple tablespoons of the hoisin sauce - mix well

Shape into an even meatloaf shape on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 45 minutes, brush with remaining hoisin mixture and return to oven and bake  another 15 minutes

Remove, let cool about 10 minutes and slice

Serve garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs & Sauerkraut

This recipe is a revival from years ago when I used to eat red meat 4-5 times a week. Even though I now limit myself to having red meat maybe twice a month, not everyone else does and this recipe is just too easy and too flavorful to not share. Enjoy, meat lovers! 

So we all know that slow cooking is the bomb, right? Well, dear foodies.... this one simply takes the cake! Five ingredients, no special seasoning and prep so easy you can set this up before morning coffee if need be :-) Don't let the Easy Button fool you though.... This dish is absolutely brimming with flavor!!!

Ingredients:
· 1 27 oz can sauerkraut
· 1 onion - chopped
· 1 red-skinned apple - diced
· 2 to 3 pounds country style pork ribs
· 1 bottle beer (Smithwick's or Killian's Red preferred)

Preparation:
Put sauerkraut in bottom of crock pot. Add the chopped onion and diced apple. No need to peel the apple... we want to keep the good nutrients. Mix with sauerkraut and even off the top. 

Brown ribs in a sear pan, layer them on top of kraut mixture and pour beer over all. 

Cover and cook 6 to 8 hours on low setting. Serve with a simple tossed salad.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Unstuffed Eggroll

 Adapted from a recipe found on the ADA's Diabetic Food Hub

Original source: The Diabetes Cookbook. Recipe Credit: Lara Rondinelli Hamilton, RD, LDN, CDE and Jennifer Bucko Lamplough. Photo Credit: Mittera.

This quick and easy recipe features the familiar flavors of a Chinese takeout eggroll, but without the added grease from deep frying. This is a great low-carb entree on its own, or serve over a grain, like barley or quinoa, or over cauliflower rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground pork or chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (divided use)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1  16 oz bag packaged coleslaw mix
• 2 tbsp lower sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 green onions/scallions - sliced to 1/4” pieces on an angle for appearance

Preparation:

Season pork/chicken with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the garlic powder. Sauté meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat using 1 tbsp oil until completely cooked. Drain fat if needed. Remove meat from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in pan and add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add coleslaw, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add meat back to pan and top with green onions. Blend and heat 1–2 minutes.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Ceci Chorizo

Back around 2015 I was introduced to a restaurant version of this appetizer that just blew me away. We actually ordered a second portion to dissect and did our best to identify all the components as the chef refused to share the recipe. Yes... some chefs are like that. LOL Anyway.... after several trial runs I finally nailed it and I'm happy to share the results with you. Enjoy!!!

Chickpeas, with their glycemic index in the mid 30s, are a good choice for any diabetic meal. Here I have combined them with chorizo and fresh tomatoes to create a tasty appetizer or simple lunch. 

Ingredients:

• 1 - chorizo sausage
• 1 - 15oz can chickpeas (ceci)
• 2 plum tomatoes (diced)
• fresh parsley (chopped)
• Marsala (a splash)
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Remove sausage meat from casing and crumble into fry pan on medium heat. 

When meat is cooked, add chickpeas, wine and

parsley and saute for about five minutes.

Fold in tomatoes and simmer for 5 more minutes,

stirring occasionally. Add S&P to taste with the tomatoes.

Garnish with fresh parsley for that OMG-this-is-real-purrrrrdy effect ;-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chef Michael's Sausage & Kale

A number of years ago I found that the winter doldrums needed a bit of color, so multi-colored cherry tomatoes and fresh kale were included in this sausage medley for a bit of bright fun!

Ingredients:

• 6-7 links sweet Italian sausage
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lge yellow onion
• 12 cherry tomatoes in assorted colors
• 2-3 generous handfuls fresh shredded kale (not too small)
• 1 15.5 oz can cannellini or small white beans - rinsed & drained
• Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Boil sausage until fully cooked and set aside to cool. 

Cut up onion and saute in large Dutch oven until lightly browned.

Add kale and simmer down while tossing until somewhat wilted. 

Add in diced tomato and beans… toss gently until warmed through.

Cut sausage into diagonal slices and sear on both sides in frying pan.

Add to the mix and fold in until evenly hot.

Season with a bit of salt and black pepper to taste if needed.

Smile and enjoy the yummy goodness! 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Pork Loin

I have been cooking for decades. When I was diagnosed type 2 back in 2013 my whole culinary world went into a tailspin, and I basically had to learn to cook all over again. I'm not gonna lie... it was very very hard to give up so many things that I had loved for years. Yes... there was anger and there were tears. I started this blog to share my newly learned skills but could never quite let go of my culinary past completely. That is why I have the quotation marks in the blog's name.

My "Diabetic" Food

My goal is to share good food for all with a strong lean toward recipes that serve the diabetic foodies well. This slow cooker is not one of those recipes. Today's slow cooker is for the folks following me who are not diabetic and it is a culinary memory that makes me salivate to this day. If this dish does get made in a diabetic home, please be sure you stick to one slice of meat and maybe 1 tbsp of the sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4.5 - 5 lbs boneless pork loin roast
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 - 14 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 - 3” strips orange zest (no white stuff)
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1: Dry pork with paper towel and season all sides with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until almost smoking. Brown pork well on all sides, about 7 – 10 minutes.

2: Stir cranberry sauce, cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon into slow cooker. Nestle browned pork into slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender and registers 140 - 145 degrees on meat thermometer. This will take about four hours on low.

3:Transfer pork to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Discard orange zest. Transfer braising liquid to saucepan and simmer until reduced to ~ 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

4: Remove twine (if used) from pork, slice into 1/2” thick slices, and arrange on serving platter. Spoon 1 cup sauce over meat and serve with remaining sauce.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!