Healthy Recipe- Homemade Frappucino

Okay, so it's not totally without calories and carbs, but the storebought Frappucinos pack a whopping 350 calories and 33gr of carb in a single bottle (and they don't come in decaf). This one clocks in at 85 calories and 7 gr of carb, and it's mighty tasty- thick and sweet and easy to make, great for a treat, or even as dessert. I did see a recipe for something similar on someone's blog, but I can't find the link for attribution, so whoever invented this- thanks!

P.S. The cup is an insulated, reusable one that my sister gave me- I love it. She also gave me the French Press. It's handy having a relative who works at Starbucks.

Homemade Frappucino

1 tbsp sugar-free instant pudding (any flavor)
1 packet Splenda or other no-calorie sweetener
1/2 cup 1% milk
Glug of any sugar-free coffee flavoring
12 ozs cold coffee


Mix the pudding, Splenda, milk and flavoring in a 16 oz cup- the pudding has a tendency to clump, so if you have one of those little drink blenders, use that to stir everything up well. Allow the mixture to set for 5 minutes or so, to thicken. Stir in the coffee until everything is well blended. Drink.

85 Calories, 7 gr Carb

(my favorite combo is chocolate pudding and Kahlua sugar-free coffee flavoring)

Healthy Recipe- Peanut Butter Cookies

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Diabetic Living website. My adaptation leaves out the sugar, and substitutes Splenda. My version has more calories because I only made 24 cookies from the recipe, rather than 36, but it's less than half the number of carbs. Be warned, Splenda can leave a bit of a tangy aftertaste, you might want to go with the original recipe, or split the sugar/substitute half and half (and if you do, be sure to adjust the calories and carbs upward). Use the bulk baking granules, not the little packets for sweetening coffee.

These cookies are crumbly but soft and very good.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray cookie sheet and cookie press with non-stick spray

1 cup Splenda
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
about tbsp Splenda

Mix ingredients until well mixed. Roll dough (will be soft, but not sticky) into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on baking sheet. Dip sprayed cookie press in the tbsp of Splenda, and press on cookies. Bake about 9 minutes, or until set. Allow cookie to cool on sheet for a few minutes, and then carefully remove

Per cookie: 70 calories, 2.6 gr carb

Healthy Recipe- Low-ish Carb Apple Crisp

Okay, so it's not totally low-carb, or low calorie, but if you're carb watching (as we do in Diabetesville), and if you generally have fruit with your meal anyway, you can add this dessert without too much menu jockeying. Half of the carbs, and almost half of the calories, come from the apples, and if you pair this dish with a low-carb/low calorie supper (like salmon and a nice green salad), you can even add a scoop of low-carb ice cream to it (we love Breyers Carb Smart Vanilla).

Low-ish Carb Apple Crisp

Serves: 2

preheat oven 350 degrees, spray 2 individual baking cups with non-stick spray

2 large, or 3 medium- firm, tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1tbsp Carbquick
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Splenda granules (or other no calorie sweetener)
1 tsp cold butter

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, add apples and stir until coated. Arrange apples in sprayed baking cups. Divide butter in half, and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle butter pieces over apples.

Topping:

1/4 cup Carbquick
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Splenda granules (or other no calorie sweetener)
1 tbsp cold butter

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples.

Bake 30-45 minutes, or until topping is brown, apples are tender, and juice is bubbling

Serve warm. If desired (and you can afford the calories and carbs), top with 1 scoop of Low-Carb Vanilla Ice Cream.

Calories per serving (without ice cream): 225
Carbs per serving (without ice cream): 30


P.S. I haven't tried it, but I would guess that other fruits would work just fine in this recipe (peaches, cherries, rhubarb, blackberries... yummmm)- shorten the cooking time so the fruit doesn't become too mushy

p.s.s. For baking, I use the bulk Splenda that you measure out like sugar, not the little packets

Healthy Recipe- Two-Skillet Spicy Chicken and Veggies

You can serve this plain, or wrapped in low-carb tortillas (I love La Tortilla Factory Garlic Herb tortillas- 3 gr carb and 50 calories apiece), topped with a bit of cheese. Or you could serve it with 2/3 cup of rice (lots of carb- I don't eat rice much any more) or whole wheat pasta (210 calories, 33gr carb). It's wonderful no matter how you serve it. We use a Thai hot sauce, but any hot/soy/stir fry sauce will work.

And yeah- there's a lot of sodium in this dish. Sub low-sodium spices and soy sauce if you want.

This whole pan is two servings, but you could divide it three ways and no one would go away hungry.

Two-Skillet Spicy Chicken and Veggies



2 boiled Chicken Breasts, cut into small chunks


2 tbsp olive oil


1 medium summer squash, sliced (the widest pieces quartered)


1 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)


1/2 cup sliced baby carrots


1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved


Assorted spices (we use Garlic salt, Johnny Salt, Freshly Ground Pepper and Lemon Pepper)


Hot Sauce to taste


2 tbsp Soy sauce


In one skillet, heat 1 tbsp Olive Oil. Add the boiled/cubed chicken, spices to taste and Hot Sauce. Heat through.


As the chicken heats, in another skillet, heat 1 tbsp Olive Oil on high. Add the carrots and stir for 1 minute. Add the Broccoli, and stir for 1 minute. Add the summer squash, and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stir. Stir the spiced chicken into the veggies, and heat for 1 minute. Add Soy Sauce to taste.





Serve plain, in low-carb tortillas as wraps, or with pasta or rice (don't forget to count the calories/carbs of those extras).


Serves 2



Plain (without tortillas or side dishes): 245 calories, 13 gr carb

Healthy Recipe- Raspberry Kahlua Mocha, and Hazlenut Caramel Iced Coffee

I don't know why I didn't realize that there were sugar free coffee flavorings until now, but wahoo! I've been decaffeinated for well over a decade, and I am no coffee gourmet, so I just use instant. But those of you who like lead in your drink, and who want a fine coffee experience, go ahead and use your exclusive roasts and hand ground beans. They all work fine in these recipes.

I drink the mocha hot, but it could be iced just as easily. The iced coffee could be left hot as well. And I suspect either could be blended with ice for a smoothie.

Raspberry Kahlua Mocha

1 cup strong black coffee

1 packet of Swiss Miss Diet Cocoa Drink

2 tbsp DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Raspberry Flavoring

2 tbsp DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Kahlua Flavoring

2 tbsp Sugar Free Cool Whip

Stir the coffee, Swiss Miss, and flavorings together in a large mug. Top with Cool Whip

Calories: 45 Carb: 6 gr

If you omit the Cool Whip: Calories 25, Carb 3 gr

Hazlenut Caramel Iced Coffee

1 cup strong black coffee

1/4 cup 1% Milk

2 tbsp DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Hazlenut Flavoring

2 tbsp DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Caramel Flavoring

ice

Stir all ingredients together in a tall glass

Calories: 28, Carb 4.25gr (all from the milk)

Healthy Recipe- Cajun Turkey and Cheese Wrap

This wrap is not only delicious, it's HUGE! And it's low calorie, and really low carb! Go, make yourself one right now for lunch. You won't be sorry. Or hungry again in an hour. (that's a full size paper plate, btw- not a dessert plate)

And if you have not tried La Tortilla Factory tortillas, go find them right now too. They come in lots of flavors and sizes (including Gluten Free, which my Sister #3 should love), and have far fewer calories and carbs than regular tortillas. http://www.latortillafactory.com/jadworks/ltf/jwsuite.nsf/sitewelcome/Home

Cajun Turkey and Cheese Wrap

1 La Tortilla Factory Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Wrap

1 oz Cajun Turkey Breast, sliced (can substitute any kind of turkey, but this stuff is Da Bomb!)(as my son would say. in 1986)

2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges, Garlic and Herb

Shredded lettuce (I use bagged salad, which also has carrots and other assorted healthy things in it)

5 Grape tomatoes, halved

Spread the Laughing Cow cheese over the entire tortilla. Arrange the sliced turkey down the center of the tortilla, leaving at least 1" at either end empty. Arrange the lettuce and tomatoes on the turkey. Fold the empty ends in, and roll the tortilla. Slice in half and serve.

Calories: 270, Carb: 10 gr

Healthy Recipe- Hamburger Chimichanga

These, especially when made with La Tortilla Factory's whole wheat, low carb garlic and herb tortillas, are fantastic. Since there are 8 tortillas in a package, the recipe calls for making up all 8, with the calorie/carb listing for a single assembled tortilla. You can decide if one is enough, or if you want 1 1/2 or even 2. They can be eaten out of hand plain, or you can top them with the usual sour cream/lettuce/tomatoes/olives (my husband prefers Lite Ranch Dressing to Sour Cream). Either way, they're delicious. The unfried chimicangas freeze well, so it's nice to make up all 8 and then thaw and fry them as needed.

You can substitute shredded cooked chicken for the hamburger (about the same calories and carbs), or skip the meat altogether.

Sorry for the bad pic.

Hamburger Chimichanga- Makes 8

8 La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low-Carb Garlic and Herb Tortillas

1lb browned 94% fat free hamburger

1 can refried beans (check the labels- beans vary widely in calorie and carb count)

4 ozs shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

Hot Sauce or Pepper Relish of your choice

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Divide and spread the refried beans on the 8 tortillas, covering the entire tortilla. Divide the hamburger evenly, and spread down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with a bit of Pepper Jack Cheese, and the hot sauce or pepper relish of your choice. Roll the tortillas, placing them seam down.

Heat the oil in a skillet, place the rolled, filled tortillas seam-down in the hot oil. Fry for several minutes, or until the tortilla is crispy and brown. Turn over and repeat. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels for a minute before serving.

Serve plain, sprinkled with the rest of the Pepper Jack cheese, or top with 1 tbsp Lite Sour Cream, Shredded Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, and 4 sliced olives.

Fried Chimichanga Plain: 292 calories, 9.5 gr carb @

Fried Chimichanga Topped: 372 calories, 15.5 gr carb @

Healthy Recipe- Stir Fry Chicken

You can actually throw any veggies you like into a dish like this without changing the calories or carbs very much, but I'll list the ones I used. Stir Fry Sauce mixes vary in calories and carbs, so check your packet if you're calculating this out for yourself. If you're not watching the carbs as tightly as we are, you can also add a small serving of rice, or chow mein noodles (the noodles are lower in carbs, the rice is lower in calories). This pot serves 4 and they're generous servings.

Stir Fry Chicken

3 Chicken Breasts, sliced into small strips or cubes

1 cup broccoli, cut up

1 cup slivered carrots (I bought them that way, you can slice as you like)

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 1/2 cup bean sprouts (fresh if you can get them, 1 drained can otherwise)

1 can water chestnuts drained (check the labels- brands vary widely in calories and carbs)

5 mushrooms, sliced

1 packet Stir Fry Sauce made up as directed (I used Kikkoman's)

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp Olive Oil

With the flame or burner turned on high, heat the oil in a large pot, add the garlic and stir until you can smell the garlic and your stomach starts to rumble. Add the chicken and stir for 4 minutes. Add each remaining ingredient at 30-60 second intervals (whenever the mixture heats up to sizzling again) in this order: broccoli, carrots, canned bean sprouts (if you're using canned), water chestnuts, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, fresh bean sprouts (if you're using fresh), mushrooms. Add the mixed sauce and stir for 1 more minute. Serve.

Serves 4

Calories: 360 Carbs: 19gr

Healthy Recipe- Spicy Chicken Dinner Salad

I dare you to eat this entire salad. The picture doesn't do it justice- trust me, it's yummy and very filling.

Spicy Chicken Dinner Salad

Serves: 4

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped garlic

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" slices

assorted spices

Spicy Sauce of your choice

1 bag of Salad greens (lettuce, carrots, cabbage)

1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

4 radishes, sliced thin

4 ozs Cracked Pepper Cheese, cut into small pieces

2 medium tomatoes, cut cmall

croutons

1 tbsp Lite Salad Dressing of your choice

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add chopped garlic and cook until you can smell them (you'll know when that is). Add chicken and saute 5 minutes, or until almost done. Add your spicy sauce (how much depends on how spicy you want your chicken- a tbsp of Tabasco will do the trick nicely) and whatever other seasonings you like (I always use Johnny's Salt). Simmer chicken in the spicy sauce for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat off and cover the pan. Let the chicken rest and cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Divide the bag of salad greens into 4 large salad bowls. Divide the sliced cucumber, radishes, and tomatoes and add to the salad bowls and stir. Sprinkle the tops of the salads with the chopped hard-boiled egg and cubed cheese.

Add 1/4 of the cooked chicken to each bowl. Top with a package serving of croutons, and the Lite salad dressing of your choice (I prefer Lite Ranch).

Calories (with dressing and croutons): 374

Carbs (with dressing and croutons): 15 gr

This is a low carb meal, so you can also serve a slice of garlic bread (depending on brand, add another 120 calories and 15 gr carb). You may want to skip the croutons if you're also serving garlic bread (the croutons are 4-6 gr carb just by themselves)

Healthy Recipe- Desert Gardens Dips- Chive & Garlic, Jalapeno Vegetable

This is more of a recommendation than an actual recipe, since I basically made up these dips exactly as directed on the packages, though I used Lite Sour Cream, and Lite Miracle Whip rather than Mayo (yeah, I know... abomination... but Miracle Whip is the sandwich spread of my youth and I have always preferred it to real Mayo, though most of my friends cringe at the very thought).

Anyway, I found these dip mixes at the grocery store today- both from Desert Gardens ( http://www.comfortfoods.com/products.php?brand=dg ) and decided to try a couple. I chose Chive & Garlic, and Jalapeno Vegetable, and mixed them as I mentioned above, with Lite Sour Cream and Miracle Whip, chilled for a couple of hours, and then served them (in the *good* dishes, as you can see) with a plate of fresh veggies for dipping. They were a big hit- the Chive & Garlic (the bowl to the right) was light and tasty, and the Jalapeno Vegetable (on the left) had a nice bite to it.

Of course, these dips would be great with chips (if we ate chips these days, which we don't), and I suspect they'd both be really good with smoked salmon... I wish I had some smoked salmon right now.

Serving Size: 2 tbsp

Jalapeno Vegetable: 53 calories, 2 gr carb (more calories if you use real mayo and sour cream, but the same carbs)

Chive & Garlic: 40 calories, 2 gr carb (ditto on the above parenthetical note)

Neither the veggie calories nor the carbs will add up to much, but keep the totals in mind if you're doing the diabetic thing.

Healthy Recipe- Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

It's not all meat and main dishes around here- we make room for sweet things too, and this easy smoothie can be a part of your meal, a treat or a dessert. It whips up quickly with a blender, and makes a generous glass full of strawberry goodness.

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

6 medium strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1- 4 oz tub Dannon Lite and Fit Sugar and Carb Control Yogurt- any flavor

1/4 cup Breyer's Smart Carb Vanilla Ice Cream

Ice Cubes

Stem (if necessary) and slice 5 of the strawberries and put in a blender. Add the yogurt and ice cream. Blend on high until mixed. Add ice cubes one at a time and blend until the smoothie is thick (like a milk shake). Pour into a glass and top with the remaining strawberry.

Serves: 1

Calories: 135

Carbs: 10.5 gr*

(*there is some controversy over whether all of the Sugar Alcohol Carbohydrates can be subtracted, so I added the ice cream carbs. If you discount them, the total carb count for the smoothie is 9gr).

Note: You can add a packet of Equal if you want the smoothie to be a little sweeter.

Healthy Recipe- Parmesan Chicken, Zucchini and Salad

Here's a whole meal (again, note the good china) and guess which part has the most calories and carbs? The parmesan coated chicken? Nope. The sauteed zucchini? Nope.

That's right- it's the salad. But it's a good salad, and this is a very satisfying meal, low enough in calories and carbs that you can even have a light dessert (one of those great no-sugar fudgecicles, for example).

The total calories/carbs for this meal: 490 calories, 21 gr carb

Parmesan Chicken

1lb skinless, boneless chicken breast strips

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (the stuff you buy in the can, not fresh)

Spices

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Combine the Parmesan cheese and desired spices (I use Johnny's Salt, Trader Joe's Pasta Blend, and Garlic Salt) in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Heat the oil in a skillet. Wash the chicken strips and then coat with the cheese/spice mixture. Cook in the skillet- 5-7 minutes per side (or until the strips are done).

Serves 4, 180 calories, 0 gr carb

Sauteed Zucchini

4 small zucchini (approx 20 ozs)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Spices

1 tbsp stir fry sauce (I use a local brand, but any will do)

Cut the zucchini in 1/4" slices, heat the Olive Oil in a skillet. Sautee the zucchini, adding spices as desired (I use the same mix as with the chicken). Cook for approx 5 minutes (do not overcook the zucchini). Add 1 tbsp stir fry sauce.

Serves 4, 62 calories, just over 5 gr carb

Salad- for Each Serving

Romaine Mix greens

1/2 hard boiled egg, crumbled

1 tbsp crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 small tomato cut into small pieces

2 radishes sliced

4 black olives sliced

1/4 cucumber, peeled and sliced

5 large croutons

1 tbsp Lite Dressing (I like Ranch)

Toss everything but the croutons and dressing. Top with the remaining ingredients

248 calories, 16 gr carb

Healthy Recipe- Salsa Chicken

I had some chicken that I needed to use, and my friend Ann suggested this recipe, which I modified a bit (mostly because I didn't have a mallet to flatten the chicken). It's yummy, quick, and with a green salad and a piece of garlic bread, it makes a great meal. It can be mild or really spicy, depending on your brand of salsa.

Salsa Chicken

4 bonless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks

1 tbsp olive oil

spices

1 cup salsa (any kind- check the calories and carbs, my brand was 105 calories a cup and 15 gr of carb)

1/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 6 minutes. Spice to taste (I use a combo of Johnny's Salt, Garlic Salt, and Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy). Reduce heat, add salsa, and simmer until the chicken is done (another 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken chunks). Top with shredded cheese and allow it to melt.

Serves: 4

Calories: 313

Carbs (Fiber subtracted): just under 4 gr

Healthy Recipe- Chili

I know that real chili doesn't have beans. Or is it meat? Anyway, this isn't real chili, but it is good. And it's not only healthy (with good carbs from the beans), it has low enough calories and carbs that you can serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich (using lite bread, and butter spray) and/or a good green salad.
You can also substitute cooked chicken for the hamburger.

Chili (serves 4 or 6, depending on the size of the serving)

1lb 94% fat free hamburger, browned
1 small can Spicy Hot V-8 juice
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers
2 cans spicy chili beans
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the hamburger in a large pot, drain if necessary. Add remaining ingredients, spice to taste, heat through and serve.

4 servings: 338 calories, 13 gr carb
6 servings: 226 calories, 9gr carb

Healthy Recipe- Low-Carb Enchiladas

We love this recipe, and would make it even if we weren't living in Diabetesville. You can substitute chicken or turkey for the ground beef, if you like. I think the calories would be about the same, but it would be a little less fat. I don't calculate out the fat in my recipes because the cholesterol numbers are fine in my house, so it's not our priority. You can reduce the cheese, or use a low-fat cheese as well. One enchilada is a generous serving.

You'll have to pardon the *good china* in the pic.

Be sure to check the nutrition labels- some brands of low carb tortillas have fewer calories, and some brands of refried beans have more carbs. Shop around.

Also, this is not particularly spicy as written- you can add jalapeno slices, or spices, or other toppings as desired, just count the carbs.

Low-Carb Enchiladas

Serves 6

preheat oven 350 degrees, spray an 8" x 8" pan with nonstick spray

6- whole wheat, low-carb tortillas

1 lb 94% fat free hamburger, browned and drained, spiced as desired

1 can refried beans

1 can green enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded mozarella cheese

Pour half of the green enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan

Divide the refried beans into 6 portions and spread on the tortillas

Divide the browned hamburger into 6 portions, and sprinkle on the tortillas

Divide the cheese in half, and sprinkle half of the cheese over the 6 tortillas

Roll the tortillas up and place them in the pan- they can be crowded

Top the rolled tortillas with the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly.

Serve with lettuce, diced tomato, sliced black olives and lite sour cream

327 calories per serving, 16gr carb (without toppings)

Eating Healthy- Mouse's Spicy Chicken Chalupa

My friend Mouse from Portland was in Sioux Falls, visiting her father, so we drove down to have lunch with her last week. We ate at Granite City (no website- but if you're in Sioux Falls, go there. The food is great) and Mouse had their Chicken Ceasar Chalupa, with added hot sauce, and it was wonderful (we all had a taste). We came home, determined to figure out our own diabetes-friendly version, and we came up with a winner. It's not exactly like the Granite City version (no Ceasar dressing), but it's a keeper.

When it comes to cooking, we use up whatever is in the cupboard, which accounts for the KFC Hot Wing sauce packet, which we had left from the old, bad-eating days. I'm sure other hot sauces would work if you don't have a stash from KFC on hand.

I didn't calculate the fat (our collective cholesterol numbers are fine, so we concentrate on monitoring calories and carbs). You can substitute or reduce the cheese if you want a lower-fat meal. The total calories depend on the kind of low-carb tortillas you use. Ours were 100 calories@, with 6 gr net carb.

Mouse's Spicy Chicken Chalupa- serves 4-6

1 tsp olive oil
6- whole wheat, low carb tortillas (approx 10" diameter)
3 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
assorted spices (we used some Tabasco and a couple of KFC Hot Wing Packets)
Pizza Sauce (we used Pizza Squeeze)
1 tomato, diced small
5 ozs Pepper Jack Cheese (sliced broken into pieces, or shredded)

optional: shredded lettuce, sliced olives

Preheat oven 400 degrees

Saute cubed chicken breast in a non-stick pan, sprinkle with spices and tabasco, and cook until done and juice evaporates

Spread small amt olive oil in a hot frying pan. Fry the tortilla on both sides (tortilla will not be crispy). Remove from pan. Spread 1 tbsp Pizza sauce on the tortilla, sprinkle with about 2 tbsp cooked, cubed spiced chicken (1/2 breast), sprinkle with 2 tbsp tomato, and top with about 3/4 oz shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

Place the Chalupa directly on the middle rack of your oven, or on a metal baking sheet, and bake until the cheese bubbles and the tortilla is crisp (5-7 minutes). Remove from oven and cut into pieces. Serve with shredded lettuce and top with sliced olives.

Each Chalupa (without lettuce and olives): approx 300 calories, 14 gr Carb