RECIPE CORNER

Send your great food ideas to the editor. Your recipes will be evaluated by dietitians, and if necessary, adjusted to make them more diabetically appropriate. Then he gets to taste them...

Tostadas Terrifico

from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health

This recipe was prepared to illustrate a heart-healthy diet.

Ingredients:

4 corn tortillas (6 ½" diameter)

1 cup pinto beans (cooked without salt, or canned)

½ cup salsa or picante sauce

2 cups shredded lettuce

½ cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese 1 cup chopped tomato ¼ cup minced onion (optional)

Instructions:

Heat beans in a saucepan. (If canned beans, drain and rinse with clear water.) Add salsa to the beans, then mash bean mixture lightly with a potato masher or fork. Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Spread beans evenly on all four tortillas, and top with grated cheese. Heat tortillas in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is lightly melted. (Tortillas can also be heated in a microwave oven on a microwave-safe dish or plate.) Remove tortillas from the oven. Top with lettuce, onions, tomato, additional cheese, and salsa.

Yield: 4 servings; Serving size: 1 tostada; Per serving: 178 calories; 4gm total fat; 2gm saturated fat; 8mg cholesterol;

206mg sodium.

Spinach and Pasta Bake

from Boone Hospital Center of Columbia, Missouri

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. parsley flakes

4 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese

3 cups reduced-calorie tomato sauce

5 cups pasta noodles (rotini, rigatoni, mostacolli)

1 cup raw spinach

Instructions:

Cook noodles until slightly underdone. In a small bowl mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. In an oven-safe dish, layer pasta, cheese, spinach and sauce until all ingredients are used. Save a small amount of mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on the top. Layer ingredients two to three times depending on the size of the dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Yield: 8 one-cup servings; Per serving: 126 calories; 2gm fat; 18gm carbohydrate; 1gm sat. fat; 291mg sodium; 9gm protein;

Diabetic Exchange: 1 meat (medium) + 1 carbohydrate.

Rosemary Chicken Rolls

from Dave Griffith of London, Ontario, Canada

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin

1 beaten egg

1 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. pine nuts

2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. bread crumbs

1 tsp. dried rosemary

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup dry white wine

Instructions:

Brush chicken with the beaten egg. Combine nuts, cheese, crumbs, rosemary and pepper. Spread evenly over the chicken and roll up from the narrow end to widest end. Fasten with a toothpick or tie with string. Heat the oil over medium heat, cook the rolls until each side is golden. Add the wine and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes (make sure the chicken is cooked through by cutting into one of the rolls).

This would go nicely with a brown basmati(80%)/wild rice (20%) mixture.

Yield: 6 servings; Per serving: 236 calories, 4gm carbohydrate, 31gm protein, 10gm total fat; Exchanges: 4 lean meat.

Unbelievable Chocolate Kahlua Cake

from Marilyn Helton "Cinnamon Hearts" Magazine

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 oz.) Light Devil's Food Cake Mix (such as Sweet Rewards)

1 small (1 oz.) box sugar-free, instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

¼ cup canola oil

1/3 cup skim milk

1 large egg + 3 large egg whites

1/3 cup Kahlua liqueur (may substitute water if desired)

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Baking cocoa (powder, sufficient to dust the pan)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with cocoa. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl. Beat with mixer for two minutes or until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool before cutting.

Yield: 16 servings; Per serving: 115 cal; 6gm fat; 11gm carbohydrate; 3gm protein; 16mg cholesterol; 118mg sodium;

Diabetic Exchanges: ½ bread/starch; 1 fat.

Courtesy of "Cinnamon Hearts—The Art of Living a Winning Diabetic Lifestyle," PO Box 578340, Modesto, CA 95357-8340. Published bi-monthly.