Everyday Recipes: Diabetes Awareness

Diabetes Awareness

For Diabetes Awareness Month, we turned over our Everyday Recipes section to Diabetes Canada. They have provided the following message plus five delicious, healthy recipes.

For the close to 11.5 million Canadians affected by diabetes and those who care for them, Diabetes Awareness Month is a time to shine a light on the impact of the disease through the voices of those living with diabetes, health-care providers and supporters. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Canadian discovery of insulin. Since the discovery, there have been huge strides and key advances in mapping and understanding diabetes and its complications. Insulin is a game-changer for those living with diabetes. However, it is not a cure. To honour the legacy of insulin’s co-discoverers – Banting, Best, Collip and Macleod – this month, Diabetes Canada is urging Canadians to take action to End Diabetes. Every action counts: helping dispel myths sometimes associated with diabetes; donating towards diabetes research; advocating for improved access to medications, devices and supplies; or attending an education session to enhance learning about diabetes management – all collective actions help get us closer to ending diabetes. Help achieve 100,000 actions to End Diabetes during the month of November and let Diabetes Canada know what you’re doing by visiting the website at Diabetes.ca.

Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta (penne or rigatoni)

3 tbsp olive oil or soft margarine

4 small zucchini, julienned

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced

2 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until tender but firm; drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over high heat; stir-fry zucchini and mushrooms in the oil for about 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Transfer to a bowl. In the same skillet, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add shrimp and garlic; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until shrimp is opaque. Add tomato and cook for 1 minute. Transfer shrimp and zucchini mixtures (including all liquids) to pot of hot pasta. Add parsley, cheese and lemon juice; toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.

Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp garlic salt (optional)

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp margarine or butter

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup chopped broccoli, asparagus or green beans

1/2 cup chopped celery

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, parsley, oregano, garlic salt (if using), pepper and 1 tbsp water. Set aside. In a heavy skillet, melt margarine over medium heat. Sauté green onions, broccoli and celery for 4-5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Pour egg mixture over vegetable mixture and cook for 30 seconds. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until set. Cut frittata in half and slide out of the skillet onto warmed plates. Serves 2.

Salmon with Lemon-Ginger Sauce

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets, 5 oz each

2 green onions

1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp low-sodium soya sauce

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop green onions (set aside chopped green tops for garnish). In a bowl, combine white part of onions, ginger root, garlic, soya sauce, lemon juice and rind, sugar and sesame oil to make the marinade. Place salmon fillets in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over fillets; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until salmon turns opaque. Arrange on serving plates, spoon sauce over salmon and sprinkle with green onion tops. Serves 4.

Linguine with Oven-Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

2 lb plum tomatoes

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large cloves garlic

3/4 lb linguine, preferably whole wheat

2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, diced

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

To prepare garlic, cut 1/4 inch off the top of the cloves. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and wrap in double-thickness aluminum foil. Place in oven alongside tomatoes and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Squeeze roasted garlic into a small bowl. Using a fork, mash it together with 2 tsp olive oil. Remove tomatoes from oven and allow to cool; cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add garlic-oil mixture; add dried tomatoes and toss to coat. Heat until mixture is warmed through. Add cooked linguine and toss. Remove from heat. Add mozzarella and basil, being careful to distribute pieces evenly. Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with Parmesan. Serves 6.

Skillet Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Olives

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tbsp canola oil

1 small red onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 tbsp chicken stock or water

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 sweet red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

2 cups cherry tomatoes (red, yellow and orange, if possible)

3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towel and season on both sides with pepper. Warm canola oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes per side. (Chicken will release easily from the pan when it’s ready to be flipped.) Remove chicken from the skillet and keep warm on a plate. Stir onion and garlic into the pan. If the pan is too dry, add another teaspoon of canola oil. Stir a few minutes, until fragrant. Add chicken stock or water and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in salt and pepper. Stir in canned tomatoes, red pepper and olives. Nestle chicken breasts into the sauce. Top with the cherry tomatoes and tuck in the sprigs of herbs. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 165°F in the thickest part of the breast. Remove skillet from oven and let chicken rest for a few minutes. Serve chicken and sauce over whole-grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa or couscous. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

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