Halibut Steak Puttanesca

After a long holiday weekend filled with great fun, good friends and delicious foods like barbecue I am sure you are ready for something on the light side. This recipe has very bold flavors with a picante saltiness. Don't be thrown by the anchovies though. They will melt and become another layer of flavor in the sauce and you will never know that they are there. Serve this dish with a side portion of 2/3 cup of pasta and a 2 cup portion salad to round out your meal.

Halibut Steak Puttanesca

Ingredients:

4 - 4 ounce Halibut steaks

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup green peppers, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

2 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes, no salt added style

1 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio if available)

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 Tbsp. capers, rinsed

8 kalamata olives, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Place a large saute pan on medium high heat and add the olive oil. Place the halibut steaks in the pan and cook until lightly browned on one side and flip to lightly brown the other side. It is about 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove the fish and set aside.

Add the green pepper, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and anchovies into the same pan and saute for about 4 or 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Remove pan from heat and add the white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by about half. Turn the heat to low and place the halibut steaks back into sauce to finish cooking. Gently simmer for about 4 to 6 more minutes or until halibut is done. Add the capers, kalamata olives, basil and parsley at the very last moment and serve.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311.3
Total Fat 9.0 g

• Saturated Fat 1.0 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 3.7 g

Cholesterol 48.2 mg
Sodium 565.0 mg

Potassium 913.4 mg

Total Carbohydrate 14.1 g

• Dietary Fiber 3.5 g
• Sugars 5.7 g

Protein 33.7 g

Labor Day Weekend Barbecue Basics

Well, the summer is drawing to a close and it's time for that traditional Labor Day celebration. There is nothing that we as diabetics have to miss out on either. I am posting a variety of recipes below to help make your barbecue a delicious success and no one will ever know the difference. Choose your favorites and don't forget to count your total carbohydrates, vegetables, proteins and fats for your meal. The first recipe is my basic barbecue sauce, which is good for meat, pork or chicken and is also great as a dipping sauce. You may want to double or even triple the recipe, depending on how many people you'll be cooking for. I hope you enjoy it.

Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 Tbsp. sugar free apricot preserves

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. liquid Hickory Smoke

2 Tbsp. brown sugar substitute

1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

1/4 cup malt vinegar

1 cup reduced sodium beef stock

black pepper to taste

olive oil spray

Saute the onion and garlic in a small sauce pan coated with olive oil spray on medium high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, blend well. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half and has thickened.

Yields 3 - 1/2 cup servings

Variations:

Spicy Barbecue Sauce - saute jalapeno pepper or green chile peppers with the onion and garlic. Add 1/4 tsp. chili powder and cumin along with the rest of the ingredients before reducing.

Southwestern Barbecue Sauce - add rehydrated and diced ancho chile peppers to the onion and garlic saute and replace the liquid hickory smoke with an equal amount of liquid mesquite smoke.

Each serving contains 28 calories, 7.5 g carbohydrate, less than 5 g fat.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Skewers

Ingredients:

4 large ears of fresh summer corn, about 7 3/4" to 9" long

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them for about 30 minutes in water so they will not burn on the grill. While soaking them, clean the corn and cut each ear into two inch widths. Alternate a piece of corn and a cherry tomato on the skewer so that you have three pieces of corn and three tomatoes, ending with the tomato. In a small sauce pan melt the butter and add the seasonings, stirring well to combine over low heat. Cook gently for five minutes to marry the flavors. Use this mixture to baste the skewers on the grill.

Yields four servings

Each serving contains 161.8 calories, 27.9 g carbohydrate, 5.7 g fat

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

1 bunch large asparagus spears, about 7 1/4" to 8 1/2" long

Clean asparagus and snap off the bottom at its natural point by bending one asparagus. It will break where the asparagus is tender. Use this as your marker and line up the other pieces and cut them at the same point. Place asparagus in a container so that they lay flat. Blend the lemon zest, juice, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl with a whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the asparagus and toss gently to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2 hours. Before grilling shake off any excess marinade.

Each piece of asparagus contains about 24.5 calories, 0.9 g carbohydrate and 2.3 g fat

Grilled Lemon Potatoes

Ingredients:

12 ounces Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl blend the lemon zest, juice, garlic and olive oil with a whisk and season with salt and pepper as desired. Add the potato slices and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to grilling so flavors marry well. Shake off any excess marinade before grilling.

Yields 4 - 3 ounce servings. Each serving contains 195.5 calories, 17.6 g carbohydrate and 13.6 g fat

Note - the total calories and fat reflects the total amount of olive oil used in marinade and may actually be less when cooking.

Creamy Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 Tbsp. malt vinegar

1 tsp. Splenda

1/2 large head cabbage, thinly shredded

3 large carrots, thinly shredded

1/2 cup purple cabbage, thinly shredded

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl blend the mayonnaise, sour cream, malt vinegar and Splenda. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your personal taste for sweetness or tartness. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Shred the cabbages and carrots in your food processor. Add the cabbages and carrots and toss well. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight if possible or at least 4 hours before serving so the cabbage is wilted but crisp and the flavors marry.

Yields about 12 servings.

Each serving contains about 55.1 calories, 5.3 g carbohydrate and 3.6 g fat.

Note - you can use a bag of prepared cole slaw mix from the produce department of your grocery store if preferred.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!!!!! Don't forget our motto ~ Eat, live and enjoy life!!!

Three Cheese and Spinach Calzone

This is a little bit of an unusual dish and meant more as a special treat for a hearty lunch or simple dinner as the main ingredient is cheese. I am talking about Calzone. A calzone is an Italian dish of a baked stuffed pizza dough. I have filled it with three different kinds of cheese, spinach, garlic and basil. The crust is the standard 13.8 ounce canister of refrigerated Pillsbury Pizza Crust Classic. This is another recipe that is quick and easy to make and will become a family favorite. It is a lunch or dinner depending on your appetite as each calzone makes six portions. Serve this with a one quarter cup portion of Mario Batali's Marinara Sauce for dipping, adding just 3 grams of carbohydrate and a 1 1/2 cup portion of a side salad with a tablespoon of your favorite fat free salad dressing and you will have rounded this dish out and have used all food exchanges for your meal. Just to make sure you don't go overboard choose lean proteins for your other meals during the day you make this recipe.

Three Cheese and Spinach Calzone

Ingredients:

1 - 13.8 canister Pillsbury Pizza Crust Classic

12 ounces part skim ricotta cheese

6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese or shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (grated Parmesan is fine also)

1 - 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and all water squeezed out

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

2 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400'.

Roll pizza dough out to a 14" by 16" rectangle on a large sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the ricotta and Pecorino Romano cheeses, spinach, 1 tsp. of the basil and the garlic. Blend well. Spoon the mixture evenly on the bottom half of the crust leaving a 1/2" border for sealing the crust. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly across the cheese mixture. Fold the top half of the crust up and over the mound of cheese and spinach and pull to the edges. With thumb and forefinger twist and pinch the crust from end to end to seal completely. Make three small slits in the crust to allow steam to escape while cooking. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl and add the remaining basil. Using a pastry brush lightly coat the top of the calzone with the egg mixture for a dark golden brown crust. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is a nice dark golden brown color and the cheese is bubbly. Let calzone rest for about 5 minutes and then cut into six equal portions. The easiest way to cut this is with a serrated or electric knife. First cut the calzone in half and then cut each half into three equal pieces.

Nutrition Information

Yields Six Servings

Each 1/6 serving

Calories 355.1

Total Carbohydrate 37.6 g

• Dietary Fiber 2.3 g
• Sugars 4.2 g

Total Fat 13.2 g

• Saturated Fat 7.2 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g

Cholesterol 72.7 mg

Sodium 785.6 mg

Potassium 236.5 mg

Protein 22.4 g

Note: If you don't like spinach feel free to substitute another vegetable such as roasted red peppers, artichokes, etc. Just make sure that the vegetables are cooked and not "wet" or it will make your crust soggy instead of crispy. Use a total of 1 1/2 cups cooked vegetables.

Can't Miss Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday dinner is going to have to be a simple meal like yesterdays was. I have chosen a simple flank steak, seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper and granulated garlic and will broil it to medium rare, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Portion size is 3 ounces cooked for 3 protein exchanges. Flank steak is a very lean meat and is delicious. I am kind of a steak purest and don't like a lot on my steak. I enjoy the flavor of the beef. For my side dishes I have chosen Spiced Garlic Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes.

To prepare the broccoli you will need fresh or frozen broccoli florets, crushed red pepper flakes, minced garlic and olive oil. The amounts depends on how many you are cooking for. This is a simple recipe and is very forgiving. For fresh broccoli all you need to do is place a large skillet on medium heat and add about 1/2 cup water. Bring to simmer and add the broccoli. Cover and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the broccoli is crisp tender and all of the water has evaporated. Add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and stir. Add crushed red pepper flakes and minced garlic. I use about 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and 1 Tbsp. minced garlic for the florets from one large bundle of broccoli but it is entirely up to your taste and how hot and garlicky you like it. Heat to lightly brown the garlic, stirring frequently. That's it! Really simple and delicious. If you are using frozen just eliminate the step with the water and go right to adding olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic to your skillet, then add broccoli. Don't forget that a one cup serving of cooked broccoli is equal to 15 g carbohydrate or 2 carbohydrate exchanges.

Now for the best part...the mashed potatoes. Here is my recipe and I hope you enjoy it. The best part of this recipe is that you can enjoy twice the amount of mashed potatoes for very few extra grams of carbohydrates and there is more fiber. Please read the Nutritional Information at the bottom of the recipe.

Can't Miss Mashed Potatoes

Creamy texture with a delicious potato taste, you'll never
know you are missing all those carbs!

Ingredients
2 large Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes (24 ounces)
5 cups cauliflower (one large head)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. reduced fat sour cream
1 Tbsp. chives (fresh or dried)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock, optional
salt and pepper to taste

I prefer to leave the potato skin on but this is entirely up to your own taste. Cut potatoes and cauliflower florets into equal sized pieces and add to a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for between 15 and 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to pot over very low heat for a few minutes to evaporate any excess liquids, watching it and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and mash or run through a potato ricer or food mill. Stir in the butter, sour cream and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The cauliflower keeps the mixture moist enough and no additional liquids should be needed. If it is too thick add up to 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

• The following options for the Can't Miss Mashed Potatoes are not included in the nutritional value and do not make any appreciable difference.
• Add three or four peeled cloves of garlic to the cooking water with the potatoes and cauliflower and mash with mixture for a mild garlicky mashed potato.
• Add the zest of 1/2 lemon to the mashed potatoes along with the chives for a bright, light lemon essence.

Nutritional Information
Yields 6 one cup servings
Amount per serving

Calories 140.2

Total Carbohydrate 26.1 g

• Dietary Fiber 4.8 g
• Sugars 1.1 g

Total Fat 2.9 g

• Saturated Fat 1.7 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.8 g

Cholesterol 7.5 mg
Sodium 114.7 mg
Potassium 814.4 mg
Protein 4.4 g