Introduction
Dining Delight. Treat someone special to a beautiful diabetes diet dinner with this easy-to-follow meal guide.
Please Note: I cannot guarantee it satisfies your requirements for carbohydrate reduction; although, I have done my best to provide a meal plan that considers carbohydrate intake.
A diabetes dinner does not have to be bland, unimaginative, or difficult to make. It may require some changes to some options, but with a little planning, anyone can turn a Valentine's diabetes meal into something special.
In a recent blog, we discussed ways to “Bring Back That Loving Feeling.” Add to the list, taking the time and effort to cook a beautiful meal for your special Valentine. It does not have to be difficult and as the old saying goes, the "fastest way to your partner's heart is through their stomach." I would add one caveat; turn off the damn cell phone and focus on delivering on the 3 A’s for a relationship to be successful; Attention, Affirmation, and Appreciation.
Do not wreck a great meal and opportunity by ignoring your partner, even for one second. As my wife says, “ver para creer.” To see is to believe. It is always easy to say one is going to do something but doing that something is a different story.
Now, onto the Meal which includes:
Appetizer - Cucumber Love Bites
Main Dish - Flattened Chicken
Steamed Vegetables
Green Salad
Dessert - Coconut Cookies
The Appetizer – Cucumber Love Bites
A thoughtful meal should always include an appetizer.We haveselectedoneforyouthatshouldsatisfyyourdiabetes diet and is super-easy to prepare. It includes only a few simple ingredients.
Cucumber slices and Humus. The hummus can be bought at most local grocery stores - before using it, I suggest tasting and adding any spices that you may want. I usually add a pinch of salt and oregano. I love garlic, but it is not good for the breath.
Preparation. Wash the cucumber and slice it into 1" thick rounds. Apply a dab of hummus and top with a pitted olive or tomato slice. Arrange on a plate - if you want to be "real fancy" sprinkle mint leaves or parsley around the cucumber bites.
Keep in the fridge until needed.
The Dinner – Flattened Chicken, Steamed Vegetables & Salad
Flattened Chicken. This is made with a whole chicken that
you remove the neck and breastbone, open and flatten.
Take a whole chicken and remove the neck and breastbone by cutting down both sides - I use kitchen scissors which work very well. But no scissors? A knife works too.
With the neck and breastbone removed, open the carcass up and flatten. Why cook it this way? A couple of reasons. First, I find the cooking easier to control, the chicken does not dry out and our favourite; we get lots of "crispy" on the chicken.
Add a rub to the chicken - I do not ind it does much to do this the day before. I keep it simple. My rub consists of:
3 tablespoons of olive oil & 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of Oregano
2 tablespoons of McCormick Chicken Spice 1 tablespoon of sage
Do not fret about it. If you do not have the above spices handy, substitute for what you have or leave some of the spices out.
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F and place the chicken on a pan with a rack if you have one - lifting it up off the pan allows the grease to drip free and provides for air circulation under the chicken.
When the top is beginning to brown, turn the chicken over to give the underside an equal chance. The amount of browning (crispiness) is up to you, but my recommendation is to always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature for "doneness". I usually go to 160 Degrees F, remove the chicken and let it rest.
Steamed Vegetables - I keep it simple. A package of mini carrots and frozen peas work wonders. The colour contrast is nice on the plate and finished off with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, a sprinkle of salt, they are ready to go.
Preparation - rinse the vegetables, cut the carrots in one-half lengthwise and place in a steamer. Steam until the carrots are done -Recommendation - remove from heat when still a little firm - no one likes mushy carrots
Keep warm until the chicken is done, plate and sprinkle with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, add a pinch of salt and sprinkle with parsley for colour.
Salad - I buy the packages of leafy greens (arugula and spinach) and add chopped tomatoes, pitted olives (halved) and feta cheese. That is it. If you do not have mixed leafy greens, chopped lettuce works equally as well.
My goals when cooking:
Keep It Simple - I am not a trained chef and know my limitations. All my learning was beside my mother who was an unbelievable cook. Her meals were legendary and with her now gone, I miss those grand fiestas with 30 or more people at our table. But, I do have her cookbook so part of her culinary expertise lives on.
Use what is available as much as possible - There is no harm in substituting. I am always looking for alternatives if I do not have something handy. Why rush out and buy something just because it says so in a recipe?
These cookies are made to satisfy a diabetes diet. They do not contain wheat flour or grains (unless you decide a little peanut butter will not hurt you) to remove, as much as possible, the carbohydrates. They are simple, tastyand only take a few minutes to make. They can be made and placed in the oven when cooking the chicken - that is usually what I do anyway.
Preparation Mix together the following:
1/2 cup of coconut flour - when you add the liquid, it will expand by up to 4 times - you will have lots. Do not have the dough runny. It needs a thick consistency when it is cooked.
5 tablespoons of grated coconut if you have it handy2 eggs
2 tablespoons of butter - or you can leave this out, or substitute for almond or peanut butter. What to use is dependent upon your level of comfort and if you are going for a vegan cookie. If you use almond or peanut butter, I use 2 tablespoons of either one.
I also add 2 teaspoons of vanilla - not necessary and some chopped dried dates. Raisins are easier to use but I find those too sweet.
Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and start with 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Regular milk will work, but I appreciate the added flavour from the coconut milk.
teaspoons of artiicial sweetener. I sometimes leave this out. It all depends on your personal taste.
Mix well - remember, do not make the dough runny. Scoop "loonie" sized dollops onto a cookie sheet. Leave a couple of inches between the cookies as the dough will flatten and spread out.
Cook until brown - not dark - and put out on a cooling rack. The cookies take about 20 minutes to cook.
And do not forget to offer coffee or tea with the dessert
Conclusion
The dinner is over, the dishes are done and now time to relax with sparkling water or another nice cup of coffee or tea.
Don't get the urge to check that cell phone, not even once. You have made it this far. Don't wreck all your efforts with 10 minutes of indiscretion.
I hope you have found this Valentine's diabetes diet dinner to your liking. It is designed in a way that you can substitute, or mix and match just about anything. My whole objective is to provide the sense and delivery of an elegant diabetes diet meal with foods that will lower blood sugar, or at least, not raise it.
Feel free to substitute the chicken for Steak Florentine, or a good quality ish. For vegetables and salad, just about any vegetable will do. I sometimes, for example, like to use baked squash instead of steamed vegetables, which can be cooked in the oven with the meat - yes, my steak even goes in the oven. I sear it on the stove and finish in the oven, which gives me much better control over the cooking.
At Damndiabetes.ca we do not offer instructions, we offer quality advice and are always available to help you meet the challenges of facing diabetes symptoms and the treatment of diabetes. We are here, even to just chat or respond to any questions that you may have. Reach out to us through our website, or contact us directly at (604) 788 7261 or by Email
Wayne Drury was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes over one year ago. He was frustrated with the lack of usable information on diabetes treatment and how to lower blood sugar effectively.His passion now, using all he has found with diabetes research, is helping others on a path to a better quality of life living with diabetes.
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