Chef Michael's Irish Soda Bread

Irish Bad Boy... and LOVING IT!!!

Caution:

This bread is NOT a good choice for diabetics.

Make it for your friends & family and treat yourself to a sensible taste.

I know... I know... Purists will chastise me... Hardliners may disown me... My Irish heritage is appalled and I am sure my ancestors are stirring in their graves readying to mount a zombie attack against me and my disrespectful ways...

I'm not much of a baker, but years ago when I was running parenting workshops with my very Irish friend Mary Dowd, she introduced me to her version of Irish Soda Bread that was just divine. She was kind enough to share her recipe and I had fun making the breads on my own. Easy peasy...

...and then...

I was getting ingredients to make the breads one year and there they were... calling to me... and I thought... hmmmmm, this might work... Enter the beautiful, amazing, tasty and tradition-bucking...

----CRAISINS----

Irish Soda Bread made with craisins has been my St. Patrick's Day signature treat ever since; friends and family rave quietly by way of yummy noises every year. Ohhhhh the sacrilege... The recipe is best used as a dessert or breakfast bread, because... well, the craisins are just a little weird with corned beef ;-) So without further ado, let me introduce you to something quite different from Irish tradition:

Chef Michael's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 16 oz. container sour cream
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup Craisins…. YES CRAISINS!!!

Yes... I know I am handing my fellow diabetics pure sugar, but there's a good chance not all our guests share our disease, and as always... moderation is our friend. We diabetics are diligent all year round, right? So, in a nutshell... "Live a little!" a few times a year is how I roll... Enjoy!

Preparation:

Mix all dry ingredients well. Add egg and sour cream. 

Fold ingredients with floured hands until well combined, but not overly mixed.

Fold in and combine... and combine.... yeah, right LOL

Basically, squoosh the hell out of this messy, very sticky batch

of gooey goodness until you have a big, sticky ball.

Then... just when you're ready to launch Irish obscenities....

You're done!

Bake at 375 degrees in greased 9” cake pan for about 50-60 minutes

or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Enjoy!

Serve as a dessert or for breakfast… Add a little butter and OMG YUM!

And... all my fellow diabetics? Moderation, please! 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Edamame Beans.... Helluva Good Snack for Diabetics

So.... right off the bat... I do NOT have any affiliation to this company. My goal here is to share a diabetic friendly snack that can also help curb your appetite because of its protein load.

These edamame beans have really good flavors (more on their site) and sport 11 grams of protein in a packet. I eat one of these and it curbs my food cravings for several hours. I don't think I could see myself eating more than one at a time, but I will tell you anyway... Moderation is key. Remember this is a soy product so know your tolerance to soy and consume accordingly.

Bottom line... you get crunch and serious flavor paired with a serious amount of protein.

Company name is The Only Bean.... You'll have to Google them yourself so you know I'm not making any money.

Blessed be... and happy snacking!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

 Adapted from a recipe found on Food.com.

Let's say you're invited to a pot luck dinner party, you're asked to bring an appetizer, and you're just not in the mood to make my Cannellini Dip again... Well, rest assured these tasty morsels will be the hit of the party. 

After trying them just once, these beauties have become part of the line-up for Christmas Eve's Seven Fishes Feast... Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil or 1/4 cup melted butter
• 24 lge white mushrooms
• 12 oz flaked crabmeat
• 4 tbsp finely chopped onions
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise

 

Preparation:

Spray a 9x12-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Use an additional baking dish if needed.

Drizzle olive oil or butter in the bottom of the baking dish.

Clean mushrooms using your preferred method. For me that’s washing under cold running water. Trim the edges of the mushrooms with a cuticle scissor to allow for easier filling.

Remove stems, set aside caps and chop stems to add to filling.

In a medium bowl, mix crabmeat, chopped mushroom stems, onion, mustard, 1 cup parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, Aleppo and black pepper, garlic and salt. Mix well and then stir in egg and mayonnaise.

Use a teaspoon to mound filling onto each mushroom cap. Mound a generous portion of the shredded parmesan cheese on top of each filled mushroom. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F and serve hot. Can be prepared ahead, refrigerated and then baked just before serving (add 7-10 minutes additional baking time).

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Mini Vegetable Frittata

  Credit goes to the Diabetes Food Hub at the American Diabetes Association.

Frittata, as they are called in Italy, can be downsized into mini portions for the perfect low carb breakfast on-the-go. This version calls for mushrooms, leeks, and zucchini, but you could make these with any seasonal vegetables. Try artichokes and asparagus in the spring, tomatoes and eggplant in the summer, or fennel and roasted peppers in the fall.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (cut into very thin slices)
• 1 pt shiitake mushrooms (stemmed and cut into very thin slices)
• 1 large zucchini (diced)
• 2 small leeks (white and light green parts rinsed and finely chopped)
• 4 large eggs (beaten until foamy)
• 8 basil leaves (hand torn)
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• nonstick cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a large, wide, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden (about 4 minutes). Add the mushrooms and zucchini, and cook until browned (about 4 minutes). Add the leeks, stir, and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside until cooled.

In a large bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, basil leaves, and pecorino cheese. Add the cooled vegetables to the egg mixture and stir to combine.

Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and distribute the egg and vegetable mixture evenly into the holes, filling each 1/2-3/4 of the way. Put muffin tin in the oven and bake until the frittata tops are golden and the eggs are set, about 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and serve.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Everyone knows that apples are a fun and healthy snack year-round, right? :-)

In this recipe from the Diabetic Cookbook for Beginners - 2024 Edition there is no sugar or sweetener added so I suggest staying away from anything tart and sticking to a sweet variety like Honey Crisp. The end result can be eaten warm from the oven or as a cold snack later on. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Toss the apple slices with the ground cinnamon until evenly coated.

Add the melted butter and toss until apples are fully coated.

Pour mix into an oven-proof dish, spread evenly and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until tender.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Spicy Tuna Cucumber Bites

 Inspired by Ramon Negron's dish on his fun blog titled Wellness Sleuth.

Looking for an appetizer or snack that packs a punch and doesn't take a lot of time to prepare? Well... let me introduce to to some spicy little tuna treats today. 

The quantity here will fill a party platter. The recipe can absolutely be cut in half for a smaller group. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2  8 oz can solid white tuna - drained (shredded salmon is a delicious option)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sriracha sauce**
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 scallion stalks - green parts only - sliced
• 2-3 tbsp white sesame seeds - toasted works well, also
• 4+ tbsp roasted red peppers - diced
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 long/large English cucumber - ~1/4" slices on the mandolin

**For more heat, adjust the amount of sriracha sauce as desired.

Preparation:

Wash the cucumber and slice on mandolin, or cut by hand to uniform thickness. 

Add drained tuna, mayo, sriracha, and garlic powder to a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and stir to combine. 

Divide the tuna mixture between the cucumber slices and arrange on a serving platter. 

Garnish each appetizer with some of the sliced green onion, red pepper and sesame seeds right before serving. Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Mediterranean Egg Muffins

Credit goes to Tarashaun Hausner, member of Clean Eating + Healthy Lifestyle

These tasty egg muffins make for a wonderful little grab & go high protein, breakfast or snack!

(Makes 12 muffins, Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs - whisked
• ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
• 2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes - oil-packed
• 2 tbsp sliced kalamata olives
• ¼ cup chopped baby spinach

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and fill greased or nonstick muffin pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or cold :-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chef Michael's Roasted Chickpeas

I had been looking for healthy snacks, especially something for the evening while watching television. Roasted pistachios have been a favorite for a long time, but they only go so far in the variety department.

Roasted chickpeas are, of course, a thing, but I couldn't seem to come across a recipe that intrigued me enough to use it. Then it hit me... A while back I created what I affectionately call The Good Stuff, a seasoning blend originally created for baked chicken that has since found many uses. 

My very own roasted chickpeas are now a wonderfully savory treat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 15 oz cans chickpeas - rinsed, drained & dried

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp The Good Stuff

Preparation:

If you haven't already made your own batch of The Good Stuff, I highly recommend doing so as this is a very versatile seasoning blend I created.

• 2 parts kosher salt
• 1 part freshly ground black pepper
• 1 part garlic powder
• 1 part onion powder
• 1 part smoked paprika

Overall quantity for your kitchen is up to you. :-)

As for this recipe, rinse, drain and dry the chickpeas. I spread them on paper towel and leave them for 30-45 minutes.

Once dry, place the chickpeas in a bowl and add the olive oil and Good Stuff seasoning. Blend well so all chickpeas are covered evenly.

Spread the chickpeas on a foil lined (easy clean-up) baking tray. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes... (40 min was right for me)

Allow to cool before serving.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!