Easy Gourmet Dinners

Warm Barley Pilaf with Spring Vegetables; the Diet

I thought, prior to this diagnosis, that having diabetes was pretty straight forward:

Type 1 diabetics gave themselves shots of insulin.

Type 2 diabetics took a pill.

I assumed they did this once a day, probably before breakfast.... Just like I take a vitamin.

Oh, I had heard about severe cases where people actually monitored their own blood sugar, and had insulin pumps, but I thought that was the exception rather than the rule.

As it turns out, there are no rules.

This is one condition where the patient has to know more than the physician.  Each person's diabetes is unique, and each person has to be treated uniquely.

Let me rephrase that: Each person with diabetes must establish their own unique course of treatment.  Then they must monitor it and change it on a daily basis.

V checks his blood glucose levels 6 times each day. 

He gives himself a shot of insulin before each meal.

The three daily injections are each at different levels.

And he keeps a diary of what's happening. 

He normally has bran flakes and toast for breakfast.

This morning, as a treat (and because we're low on milk and I had bacon to use up - don't expect this often....) I made omelets.

Two hours later he was getting shaky; his blood sugar was too low.  The poor lad had to have some food, fast.  This is where he gets to eat the candy and sweets....

Note to diary: next time he has eggs for breakfast, lower the dose of insulin.

I had no idea it was so involved.

Of course, there are lots of Type 2 diabetics that do just pop a pill once a day.  Unfortunately, V's not going to be one of them.

What is truly amazing is how well he is handling everything.  I mean, this is a guy who put his car keys in the toe of a shoe and then couldn't find them for 3 days!  And he wore the shoes!

I guess that's why they kept him in hospital so long... They wanted to be sure he was ready to assume responsibility for himself. 

Good lad!

As chief food person, one of the things I'm learning about is the Glycemic Index.  The carbohydrates in food affect the blood sugar levels differently.  Some cause a rapid rise; others a slow rise.  This is not something the dietitian talked about but it seems logical that it should be considered along with everything else.  It's not mentioned in many sites about 'diabetic diets', so we'll do some exploring and see what happens.

The Glycemic Index plays an important role in the South Beach Diets for those who wonder where they've heard the term....

Barley, which I dearly love, happens to have a low GI (Glycemic Index).  Remember, the other half of a diabetic has to eat to.

Warm Barley Pilaf with Spring Vegetables

2/3 cup barley (3oz, 90gr) quick cooking
1 1/3 cup (11.5oz, 350ml) chicken stock
6oz (180gr) asparagus
3oz (90gr) mangetout, snow peas
3oz (90gr) cherry tomatoes
2 green garlic or green onion

Vinaigrette

1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1 tbs sherry vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp fines Herbes

Cook barley in chicken stock.
Heat a saucepan of water to boiling for the asparagus.  Trim and cut the asparagus into 1 1/2" (4cm) lengths. Trim the snow peas and cut large ones in half or thirds. Trim and thickly slice green garlic or onions, including lots of the green part.  Cut tomatoes in half.
Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling water. Remove and refresh in cold water.
Whisk together mustard and vinegar for vinaigrette. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly.
When barley is done:  Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green garlic or onion, asparagus and snow peas. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until hot and starting to brown.
Put vegetables into a bowl.  Add barley and stir to combine.  Add tomatoes and vinaigrette, stir gently and serve.

For more recipes visit my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

Pan-Fried Salmon with White Bean Salad; the importance of Balance

I rarely used my kitchen scale in the past.  Occasionally I would get it out for baking; or for actually following a recipe, but, usually, it was tucked out of site.

I've never been a precise cook; always following the Julia Child approach of a glug of this and a handful of that. 

When I started posting recipes on my websites and other blog (see sidebar) I started actually measuring and making notes as I cooked. 

Well, at least, I tried to... A lot of it was still a bit of guess work.

In most cases, a bit more or less pasta, chicken stock, cauliflower, cheese, etc. is not going to effect the final flavors or appearance in a recipe.

And most, if not all, of my measures were by volume, rather than by weight. 

Most American recipes are by volume: 1 cup of this, 1/2 cup of that.
Most European recipes are by weight: 150gr of this, 200ml of that.

The notes I received from the dietitian were all in weights. 

It's a lot more precise.  Think about the difference in weight (and, therefore food) between 1 cup of small pasta (orzo) versus 1 cup of large pasta (rigatoni)

Out came the scale.

Of course, the guidelines were all for cooked food.  Who measures cooked food?  I'm too hungry by the time it's cooked to start measuring.  Besides, what if it's combined with other foods?

So, I'm slowly doing my own charts.

He should have 30 grams of carbohydrates in the form of pasta, rice, potatoes or legumes at each meal.

He also should have 15 grams in the form of fruit but that's another day....

As it turns out, I would normally make 1/2 cup of brown or Basmati rice for the 2 of us.

1/2 cup of brown rice is 120gr (about 4oz) raw, or 280gr (about 10oz) cooked. 

In 150gr (about 5oz) of cooked rice there is 30gr of carbohydrates....  Exactly what he is supposed to have.

Of course, that means that we can't have bread or legumes at that meal.

Or we could have 1/2 and 1/2.

So, while my recipes don't have to change, the way I combine foods will... Sometimes....

It's more important than ever to maintain a well-balanced diet.  I have always striven to have fish, spinach, legumes, and a variety of grains at least once each every week.  I find that if I don't pay attention it's easy to miss.  (Fish is there because V doesn't really like it.  It's always a challenge to make the rest of the meal good enough to make up for making him eat fish - in his eyes.

Pan-Fried Salmon with White Bean Salad
   I would have done the salmon on the barbecue but... It's buried in the barn at the moment....

The Salmon

2 salmon fillets, 10oz (300gr) total weight
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil and vinegar over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add salmon, skin side up, and sautè 3 minutes.  Turn, skin side down, and sautè another 3 - 5 minutes, until done.  Fish is done when it turns opaque and flakes easily.  Slip the salmon off the skin and serve.

The Salad

11oz (300gr) white beans  this should be the net weight in a 15oz can... roughly
1 carrot
1 small onion
1 rib celery
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Greek olives
1 tsp basil
1 tbs oil
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
2oz (60gr) spinach

Roughly chop the onion, carrot and celery.  You should have about 1/3 cup of each.  Mince the garlic.  In a medium skillet over medium heat, sautè the carrot, celery, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender, 5 - 8 minutes.  Pit olives if needed; cut in half.  Open, drain and rinse beans.  Add olives, beans, herbs and vinegar to skillet.  Heat through.  Serve salad on a bed of spinach, next to the salmon.

To start we had steamed Asparagus with a Red Pepper Coulis and to finish, Strawberries with Ricotta... Both recipes will be posted later this week.

Is life over when you have diabetes? Pasta with Chicken, Spinach and Feta

After V’s diagnosis I started receiving a lot of advice about the type of diet he would have to be on.

I started receiving comments that warned: Your life, as you know it, is over.

I was told there would be no more travel; no more eating out; no more fun.

I got depressed... I mean, who wouldn't?

And I wasn't even the one with the condition!

I started doing my own research.

Guess what?  The opinions are all over the board as to what's good, what isn’t; what works and what doesn’t. 

I started noticing what they were feeding him in hospital (a special ‘Metabolic Diseases' Unit).  They were feeding him a lot more than he ate at home - even desserts, though, not often.  His plate was loaded with potatoes or pasta at both lunch and dinner.

I met with the dietitian.  We had a long discussion of what is good, what is not and she gave me a list of the ‘no more than’ rules.  You know: no more than 250gr of pasta, no more than 150gr of red beans, etc. 

I came home and weighed and measured. 

As it turns out, my normal portions were less then her maximum portions.  So, now my question will be do I have to make him eat more potatoes/rice/pasta to come up to her requirements?

I think the answer is no.

In retrospect, I think her guidelines are for bread-eating French, (naturally) and we don’t eat bread with our meals.  In other words, we’re fine.

The dietitian is mainly concerned about carbohydrates (of which sugar is one). Not about eliminating them, but about eating the correct amount of them.

(She is also concerned that he eat a well-balanced diet, not gain weight, and exercise, but that's all for future posts.)

The main change I will have to make, as cook, shopper and person generally in charge, is in the combination of foods in any one meal.

For example, we love Red Beans and Rice; White Beans and Pasta.  

Our normal amount of pasta or rice with a meal is perfect, maybe even a bit on the low side.  As is our normal amount of red or white beans.  But to combine the 2 normal amounts in one meal would be too much.

Those are the recipes I'll have to tweak.

As time goes on and menus are decided on, I'm sure there will be more adjustments... And I'll share and explain as I discover them.

Oh, and to all those nay-sayers and doomsday prophets:  You're right: He’s probably done having before dinner martinis.... At least, on a regular basis.

But the doc yesterday said not to forget the red wine with dinner.  A glass, not a bottle...

His only strict rule is not to drink alcohol on an empty stomach; always have something to nibble with it.  I think we can live with that.

And he’s going to have to stop picking up Magnum bars on his trips to the DIY stores (when he’s by himself - he never did that when I was along.... Like any kid he forgot to destroy the evidence). 

I should qualify all this with the fact that he does not have to lose weight.  And I'll qualify that with the statement, that if one did have to loose weight, one could do it easily by eating what we do on a daily basis...

Which would be a far healthier way of doing it than going on some 'diet'.

Here is a pasta recipe with the correct portions for 2 people - each eating half, of course....

Pasta with Chicken, Spinach and Feta
      A pasta dish with a Greek twist - feta cheese and dry-cured black Greek Olives, plus peppers, garlic and onions.

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 red or green bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs paprika, smoky is nice
1 tbs olive oil
15oz (450gr) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) white wine
3 - 4oz (100gr) fresh spinach or frozen
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
3 - 4oz (100gr) feta
1/2 cup dry-cured, pitted Greek olives
1oz (30gr) grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cups pasta, bite size

Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Slice the pepper into matchsticks. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Pit olives, if needed and cut in half. If using fresh spinach, pick through leaves, discarding any that are damaged or wilted, and tearing any that are huge.
In a large skillet heat oil. Sauté paprika in hot oil for 1 minute. Add onion, pepper and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Add wine, herbs, tomatoes and spinach, if using frozen, and cook, uncovered until spinach is thawed and sauce has reduced and thickened. If using fresh spinach add when sauce is almost ready, 1 minute before adding the rest. Add olives, feta and cooked, drained pasta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Note: To pit olives, place them on a flat surface, place the flat of a large knife on top and hit with the base of your hand. This will crack and flatten the olive. Pick the pit out.

The answer to the question... No, life is not over! 

Maybe just changed a wee bit ...

Quinoa; What I didn't know about diabetes

V has been in hospital for over 3 weeks while his diabetes is stabilized and his foot heals.

Despite the fact that the hospital staff speaks French and my French is more in the 'nice weather' category than the 'functions of the pancreas' category, I have managed to glean some information.  (V's French is more in the 'cafe & croissant' category)

This is what I know now that I didn't know before:

Diabetes is not a disease.  It's a syndrome of disordered metabolism involving the pancreas.  

The pancreas is a rather busy organ in the digestive system producing several important hormones and enzymes. 

In Type 1, the pancreas produces little or no insulin.  It is only controlled with insulin injections.

In Type 2, the body develops a resistance to insulin and the pancreas eventually starts to decrease insulin production.  It can be controlled with insulin injections and/or pills and/or diet and exercise.

When V went into the hospital they immediately started him on insulin injections.  The purpose, in addition to controlling his blood sugar levels, was to give his pancreas a chance to rest and recuperate.

Because he had a long term infection in his foot, (5 months) the pancreas had been working overtime, fighting the infection and producing insulin.  In the doctor's words:  It was tired.

In the ensuing weeks, as the infection has cleared, up the amount if insulin he's using has been steadily dropping.  We expect him to be off it in another 4 - 6 weeks.  He'll then, most likely, take pills, at least for awhile.  With luck he'll be able to control it with diet and exercise.

A big advantage he has is that he's not overweight.  In overweight people the pancreas simply can't keep up with the demands of insulin production.

There is a condition called 'Syndrome X' which is a predisposition to Type 2 diabetes which, if discovered early, can be controlled with diet and exercise, and may not develop into diabetes.

Another, important bit that I didn't know...

At least initially, there is nothing that a diabetic can't eat.  It's all about portion control and timing.

Sugar and sweets should be limited but can be worked into the diet.

More about that next time...

For now... Have you tried quinoa?

Quinoa has been grown in the Andes for over 6,000 years and was second only to the potato as a food crop (third was maize).  It was grown and held sacred by the Incas. 

Nutritionally it's very high in protein, gluten free, high in fiber and minerals, and " contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff".   Not only that, it's good!  It has a nutty  taste with just the tiniest bit of crunch: when cooked the germ (a tiny, white spiral) separates from the seed and maintains an 'al dente' bite. 

Quinoa has an outer coating that is very bitter and must be thoroughly washed.  If you buy packaged quinoa this will have been done so all you need do is cook it. 

It comes in both a tan and a red version.

My French package said to cook it like pasta, in lots of boiling water.  Google said to cook it like rice, which is what I did: 1 part quinoa t o 2 parts chicken stock, ready in 15 minutes - as soon as the germ starts to separate.

More quinoa recipes to follow.

The Beginning

Eat well to stay well.

Stop using foods with preservatives, chemicals, and unpronounceable ingredients.

The husband, V, recently discovered he has diabetes.

He doesn't need to change a lot in his diet, as we already eat very healthily; but it will need a bit of tweaking....

Things like adding rice or pasta to a salad for a more balanced meal.

For a diabetic, it's all about balance.

For those of you who have diabetes or are cooking for someone what has it, follow me and learn how to prepare healthy, appropriate dinners; what works and what doesn't.

For those of you who just want to eat healthy foods, prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients, everything from scratch, everything easy.... You have found the right place!

Don't let the fact that it's for a diabetic put  you off - I don't use substitutes for anything, including sugar, and there is absolutely nothing that is 'not allowed'.

It's all about eating good foods, well-prepared.

Eat well to stay well.

And enjoying the ride....

For just recipes, visit my cook book: Easy Gourmet Dinners