italian diabetic recipes
by Alice Ann Pazzaglia
(return to food)

T his month's' recipes are the result of a request from one of our volunteers. She told me it is very difficult to find Italian recipes for diabetics. She is right it is very difficult. So if any of our readers has Italian diabetic recipes to share, please do so in the Food Forum!

ANTIPASTO - APPETIZERS

Here are two delicious veggie ways to begin a meal.

Insalata di Pomodori - Tomato Salad
1/4 c Parsley, fresh; chopped
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tb Vinegar, cider
2 ts Mustard, prepared
1 ts Salt
1 ts Sugar
1/4 ts Pepper
1 Garlic clove; minced
6 sm Tomatoes; firm, ripe, sliced

Combine the first 8 ingredients, mixing well. Place tomato slices in serving bowl, and pour dressing over all. Cover and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Insalata Calda di Spinaci con Limone e Pinoli - Wilted Spinach with
Lemon and Pine Nuts
1 lg bunch spinach
2 cl garlic; peeled and finely chopped
1 ts fresh lemon juice;
1 tb extra virgin olive;
1 tb pine nuts; Toasted

Toast the pine nuts. The nuts can burn quickly, so keep eye on the pan. Place nuts in dry skillet and toast them over very low dry skillet and toast them over very low heat, stirring or shaking the pan as needed until they're golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Sort throught spinach, discarding stems and bruised or yellow leaves.Wash spinach in plenty of cold water; if sandy, wash the second time, then spin dry. (or dry on paper toweling. And water left on the leaves will help it to wilt quickly.) Heat oil in large saute' pan over medium heat. Add garlic and lemon juice. Saute' for 1 minute. Turn heat to high. Add spinach, 1/4 ts salt and a few pinches of pepper. Wilt spinach, tossing with tongs to coat leaves with hot oil and garlic. Toss in pine nuts. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Food Exchange per serving: 1 VEGETABLE EXCHANGE + 1 FAT EXCHANGE
Serves 4

MINESTRE ED ZUPPE - SOUP

Chicken soup is said to have healing powers. That's because we feel so good after eating it.

Minestra di Pollo con Riso - Chicken Rice Soup
3 lbs chicken pieces
1 pn Pepper
8 c water
1 bay leaf
1/2 c celery with leaves; chopped
1/4 tscCelery seeds;
1/4 c fresh parsley leaves;chopped
1/2 c rice; uncooked
1 sm onion;
1 c carrots; diced

Simmer the chicken in the water with the celery, parsley, onion, pepper, bay leaf and celery seeds for 4 hours in a slow cooker or one hour over low heat on the stove. Drain the chicken broth and remove chicken pieces. (Discard bay leaf.) Bone the chicken and chop into bite-size pieces. Combine the broth, chicken, rice and carrots in a saucepan. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

1 cup 3 lean meat, 1/2 bread exchange 11 grams

Serves 6

Minestra di Verdura - Vegetable Soup
1/2 c dry navy beans
water
4 c chicken broth
3/4 c carrot, sliced, peeled
1/2 c Potato; sliced with peel
1 tb extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c onion; sliced
16 oz can Italian tomatos including liquid
2 c cabbage; sliced thinly
1 c zucchini; sliced
1/2 c Celery; sliced
1/2 c garbanzo beans drained canned
1/2 c rotini or other small pasta uncooked
1 tb parsly; finely minced fresh
2 ts dried basil; crumbled
1/4 ts salt
1/4 ts freshly ground pepper

Cover navy beans with water in a large pot. Over medium heat, bring just to the boiling point. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Add chicken broth, carrot, and potato. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are almost tender, about 35 minutes. Heat olive oil in a small skillet and saute' onion until tender. Add onion and all remaining ingredients to soup pot. Cook 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Serve hot

Food exchanges per serving: 2 starch + 1 vegetable + 1 fat exchange.
Serves 6

PASTA

Fettucini ai Funghi - Fettucini with Mushrooms
8 oz fettucini
2 tb fresh lemon juice;
1/4 ts To 1/2 ts hot pepper flakes;
3 tb virgin olive oil;
1/4 tssalt;
2 lg g garlic cloves; minced
1/2 ts pepper;
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms; sliced
1 ts chopped fresh parsley;
1/4 c dry white wine;

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil and cook garlic about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, strring about, about 5 minutes. Add wine, lemon juice, hot pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes until has evaporated. Stir remaining oil, pepper and parsley. Remove from heat. Bring a large kettle of water to a boil and cook pasta until it is al dente, 8 to 12 minutes (see instructions on the package). Drain in a colander add pasta to sauce in skillet, toss and reheat over low heat.

Food Exchange per serving: 2 starch/bread exchanes + 1 fat exchange
Serves 2 or 3

Linguine alle Vongole - Linguine with Clam Sauce
This is one of the best known and most favorite pasta recipes. I have never met anyone who doesn't love to eat this.

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
shallots finely chopped
bay leaf (or 2) parsley stems
sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon Dried thyme (or 5) peppercorns
1 cup white wine
3 quarts steamer clams (24-30)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (or 3) garlic cloves minced
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cupchopped parsley
dash red pepper flakes
1 pound Linguine cooked & drained

Combine onion, shallots, bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme, peppercorns and wine. Bring to a boil. Add scrubbed clams and steam for 4 to 5 minutes or until clams open. Remove clams, discarding any that haven't opened, separate them from shells and chop coarsely. Strain and save liquid. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon reserved clam juice in a medium-size non-stick frying pan. Add garlic and mustard and cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and cook 1 to 3 minutes more. Add 1 cup reserved clam juice and
simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Add chopped clams and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Toss clam sauce with linguine, garnish with lemon, if desired, and serve warm.

Serves 4

RISO - RICE

Baked Rice
A refreshing way to serve rice.

3 cubes chicken bouillion
1 c dry bread crumbs
8 c Hot water
2 c Rice
8 green onion; chopped
7/8 c celery

Dissolve bouillion in hot water. Add rice, green onion, and celery;
cover. Cook for 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs. Pour into small baking
dish. Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is lightly
crusted.
Food Exchange per serving: 1 1/2 starch/bread exchanges

Serves 8

VERDURA

This is a great alternative to pasta.

La Zucca di Spaghetti con Verdura - Zucchini Squash with Vegetablesd (Almost Pasta Primavera)
3 1/2 lb spaghetti squash 1 medium
1 c broccoli flowerets fresh
1 c zucchini small, sliced
1 c mushrooms fresh, sliced
1 c carrot sliced
1 clove garlic small, crushed
3/4 ts extra virgin olive oil
1 tb skim milk
1/2 c part skim ricotta cheese
1 tb Parmesan cheese
1/2 ts Imitation butter flavoring
1/4 ts Salt
1/2 ts Italian seasoning
1/8 ts coarsely ground pepper

Wash squash; cut in half lengthwise and discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a Dutch oven; add 2 inches water. Bring water to a boil, cover and cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Drain squash and cool. Using a fork remove spaghetti-like strands. Measure 3 cups of strands; set aside. Remove remaining strands for other use. Steam vegetables 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well.
Combine squash strands and vegetables, tossing gently. Cover to keep warm; set aside. Saute garlic in olive oil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Add milk, cheese, buter flavoring, and seasonings to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot (do not boil). Spoon cheese mixture over vegetable mixture, tossing gently.

Food Exchanges per serving: 1 food exchange + some free vegetables,
1/2 high-fat meat + 1/2 fat exchanges.

Spaghetti Squash with ragu' alla Bolognese
4 lb spaghetti squash
3/4 lb hot sausage, bulk style
1 t extra virgin Olive oil
2 lg carrots chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
28 oz crushed tomatoes in puree
2 tb tomato paste
1 1/2 ts basil crumbled
1/3 c Italian parsley chopped

Place whole squash in microwave safe baking dish, 9x13". Microwave on high for 10 minutes. Halve squash lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane. Place squash, cut side up, in same baking dish. Add 1/3 cup water. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 12 minutes, giving dish a half a turn once. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. Scrape squash from shell with fork onto a platter, fluffing to separate strands. Meanwhile, cook sausage in oil in large saucepan, breaking up meat, 6 minutes until browned. Add carrot, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and 3 tbls parsley. Cover; simmer 15 minutes.Spoon spaghetti squash onto plates. top with sauce. Garnish with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

SECONDI PIATTI - SECOND COURSE

POLLO - CHICKEN

Pollo alle Erbe al Forno - Baked Herbed Chicken
1 lb skinned, boneless chicken breast
1/4 c Lemon juice;
2 ts leaf tarragon; dried
2 ts virgin olive oil;
2 ts leaf basil; dried
6 tb dry white wine;
1/2 ts hot red pepper flakes;

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim any fat from chicken breast and pound lightly between two sheets of waxed paper to flatten. Coat with olive oil and place in a baking dish. Add wine, lemon juice, herbs and and pepper flakes, turning chicken to coat both sides. Cover dish with foil. Bake 25 to 30 munutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Food Exchange per serving: 4 low fat/meat exchanges

Pollo al Rosmarino - Rosemary Chicken
1 broiler-fryer chicken
1 ts dried Rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c dry white wine
4 cl garlic
1/4 c chicken broth

Preheat broiler. Remove skin from chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a broiler pan. Broil 5 minutes on each side until lightly browned; remove from broiler. Place chicken, garlic, rosemary, wine and broth in a large saucepan. Cook and cook over medium heat about 30 minutes or until tender, turning once. Guests

Food Exchange per serving: 3 low/fat/meat exchanges
Serves 4

MANZO - BEEF

Stufato di Zucchine con Polpettine - Zucchini Meatball Stew
1 oz ground beef;
ds ground pepper;
1/2 c ground zucchini;
1 c beef broth;
1 ts oOnion; finely chopped
1 lg tTomato; diced
1 egg;
1 ts parsley; chopped
1/4 c rRice;
1 tb Salt and pepper to taste
ds oregano, cumin, garlic powder

Combine ground beef, zucchini, onion, egg, rice, and seasonings; mix thoroughly. Shape into small meatballs. Combine beef broth, tomato, and parsley in saucepan; heat to boil. Drop meatballs into hot broth, one at a time. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Food Exchange per serving: 2 meat exchanes + 1 vegetable exchange + 1
starch/bread exchange

VERDURA

Cipolle al Forno - Baked Onions
4 lg onions
2 tb butter
1/4 c garlic breadcrumbs
freshly ground pepper
salt

Cut onions down to the root end in 8 wedges. Do not cut through the root so onion stays together. Divide butter in 4 pats and place one on top of each onion. Wrap each onion separately in foil. Sprinkle with crumbs and salt and lots of freshly ground pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until onions are soft.

Food Exchange per serving: 1 vegetable exchange + 1 fat exchange

4 servings

Carote al Basilico - Basil Carrots
6 medium carrots;
1 tb butter; melted
1/4 ts salt
1/4 tbs basil leaves crushed

Slice carrots. Simmer, covered, in salted water until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes; drain. Combine remaining ingredients, toss with carrots.

Food Exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable exchange
5 servings

Melanzane ai Pomodori - Eggplant with Tomatoes
2 thin slices eggplant
2 ts butter
1/4 c fresh or canned tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 ts chives, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the eggplant and garlic in butter. Add salt and pepper. Heat tomatoes in a separate pan and pour over eggplant. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Serves 1

Patatine Fritte al Forno - Baked French Fries
2 lg potatoes
1 tb olive oil
1/2 ts salt
1/8 ts paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Peel potatoes and cut into slices 4
inches long and 1/4 inch wide; place in a bowl of iced water to crisp.
Just before cooking, turn onto paper towel and pat dry. Spread pieces in
one layer of a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with the vegetables oil.
Shake pan to spread oil evenly over potatoes. Bake 30-40 minutes,
turning frequently, until golden brown. Empty potatoes onto paper
towels. Sprinkle with salt and paprika.

Food Exchange per serving: 1 starch exchange + 1/2 fat exchange
Serves 5

Fagiolini con Funghi e Pomodoro - Green Beans with Mushrooms and Tomato
1 lb green beans;
1/2 c shallots; chopped
1 c fresh tomato; diced
4 oz (1 c) fresh mushrooms; sliced
2 tb butter
2 tb Olive oil;
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Remove ends from beans. Leave beans whole or cut crosswise into 1" pieces. Place beans in 1" salted water (1/2 ts salt to 1 c water). Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Cover and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Drain beans, turn into a warm bowl, and set aside. Cook and stir shallots, tomato and mushrooms in butter and oil until mushroom are tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add vegetable mixture to beans and toss.
.
Mashed Turnips with Roasted Garlic
You may be amazed to hear me say that this could be the most surprisingly delicious recipe here. Not long ago, I went out to lunch with colleagues. Mashed turnips accompanied each and every entree and everyone was wild about them. We talked about the turnips for days afterwards! This is a great alternative to mashed potatoes.

1 1/2 lb Small turnips, peeled and quartered
1 ripe bartlett pear, about 6 -oz. peeled, cored, and chopped
4 cl garlic, roasted and peeled
1 tb butter
2 tb Skim milk - optional
1/4 ts Salt - optional
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Steam turnips over boiling water until fork tender, about 15 minutes.Drain turnips and place in a food processor or blender along with pear, garlic, and butter. Process until smooth, adding skim milk as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Exchanges: 1 vegetable.

Serves 8