Diabetes Forecast May 2005

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FOR TYPE 1/TYPE 2

Healthy Eating

Spring Suppers
Escape The Kitchen, Enjoy The Outdoors
By Robyn Webb, MS, LN

Recipe of the Month: Cajun Chicken with Orange Mustard Sauce
Product of the Month: Stonewall Kitchen Grille and Teriyaki Sauces

I may be a culinary professional, but the last place I want to be when spring arrives is in my kitchen. After a long cold winter, all I want is to enjoy the warm sunshine and the beauty of the great outdoors.

But a gal has to eat. I make meal preparation very simple this time of year. Here are some tips to ensure that you eat well, but limit how long you're in front of the stove during this beautiful season.

Plan Several Meals Around One Dish

At the start of the week, buy a whole chicken or a pork loin roast. Serve with a side of veggies, a whole-grain starch, and a salad. The next night, take the meat, shred it, and stuff it into a corn tortilla or pita bread pocket. Top it with salsa. The third night, serve the meat cold on top of a salad or cube it and serve it over a baked potato.

Try No-Cook Cooking

When it's particularly warm out, I rely on a few staples and the grocery store's salad bar and deli. Prepare a cold salad of canned salmon tossed with canned beans. Serve it over greens with some whole-grain breadsticks. Try this fun sandwich idea: Roll sliced turkey into a whole-wheat tortilla spread with fat-free cream cheese. Add spinach leaves and shredded carrots for extra crunch.

Make a simple, refreshing gazpacho soup. Throw 2 cups of reduced-sodium tomato juice in a blender with ½ cup of chopped celery, 1 cup of tomatoes, and ½ cup of peppers from the salad bar. Add fresh lemon juice and a squirt of hot sauce. Top the blended soup with cooked crabmeat or cooked diced shrimp for added protein.

Use One Cooking Technique For A Week

If you're looking for fast and easy cooking techniques, try stir-frying and pan-searing.

You can prepare an all-purpose sauce for your stir-fried dishes; this sauce will make enough for two meals (4 servings each). The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Use 1 cup low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth, 3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce, 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 tsp. Splenda (or sugar), 1 Tbsp. dry sherry (optional), and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Mix all the ingredients together.

Stir-fry precut vegetables, canned water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and cubed tofu from a salad bar (using 1 tsp. of oil per cup of ingredients). Add the sauce until it thickens, and serve. Add a side of cooked brown rice, which can also be prepared a day or two in advance and heated up.

For pan-searing, choose a protein: salmon or tuna, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or boneless pork loin chops. Lightly salt and pepper your meat or fish. Spray a heavy large skillet with cooking spray, and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the fish, chicken, or pork, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the pan, and add a chopped onion and some minced garlic. Add a can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, ½ cup chicken broth, and 1 tsp. dried oregano. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a few sliced olives and a small handful of chopped fresh basil. Add back the meat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

You now have "permission" from a professional to actually cook less! Enjoy spring!

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The latest cookbook by Robyn Webb, MS, LN, and Hope S. Warshaw, MMSC, RD, CDE, The Diabetes Food And Nutrition Bible, is published by the American Diabetes Association. This, as well as other books by Robyn, can be ordered from the Association's online bookstore at http://store.diabetes.org or by calling 1-800-ADA-ORDER.