The GI Diet Blog and Board

Pork Tenderloin is atkins/low carb friendly for those of us who struggle with feeling satisfied. I still struggle, but there’s one meat for me that seems to fill me up, and that’s pork. Tenderloin is the BEST part of the pig, and this is one such recipe that’s sure to make pork a flavourful source of protein for your dinner along with a side of salad or asparagus.

HERB-ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN

Yield: Makes 1 Tenderloin (4 Servings)
Serving Size: about 3-1/2 ounces sliced tenderloin
Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 1 whole pork tenderloin (1 pound)
- 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary,
or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano,
or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage,
or 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme,
or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Prepare a shallow roasting pan and rack with non-stick pan spray.

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Brush the tenderloin with the mustard. Combine the herbs;
pat them evenly onto the tenderloin and sprinkle with pepper.

Place the pork on the rack in the roasting pan, set it in
the oven, and immediately reduce the oven temperature to
350 degrees F. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in
the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 145 degrees
F., about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the tenderloin).

Remove the pork from the oven and let rest 5 minutes.
Carve in 1/2-inch slices and serve with the pan juices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 141, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 66 mg, Sodium: 96 mg,
Carbohydrate: 0 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Protein: 24 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 Very Lean Meat

since eggs are such a simple, inexpensive and great-any-time-of-day protein, it makes sense to have 1001 recipies to enjoy them!

SPANISH OMELETTE

Yield: 4 servings
Source: “Magic Menus for People with Diabetes”
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/3.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 can green chilis, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped, seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons chopped pimiento
- 6 egg whites
- Pinch of saffron
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (1%)

DIRECTIONS

In nonstick skillet, saute green pepper, onion,
and garlic in water. Add chilis, tomato, and
pimiento and boil off remaining liquid.

Combine egg whites and saffron and beat into soft
peaks. Fold cottage cheese into egg whites,
followed by the contents of the skillet.

Return to skillet and fry until eggs are set,
turning to avoid scorching. Pour off any water
rendered during cooking and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe):
Calories: 71, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 338 mg,
Carbohydrate: 7 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 9 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Very Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable

SPINACH-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Yield: 4 servings
Source: “Magic Menus for People with Diabetes”
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/3.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 10-ounce package frozen chopped
spinach, defrosted and drained
- 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon tarragon
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves, (leave skin intact)
- 1/2 teaspoon reduced-fat margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine spinach, cheeses, and seasonings.

Lift up skin of each chicken breast and divide mixture evenly
among them. Be careful not to tear skins. Smooth skin over
stuffing; tuck skin edges underneath to form a neat package.

Brush chicken with melted margarine. Place in 2-quart
baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes. Remove
skin before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/2 breast):
Calories: 211, Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 96 mg, Sodium: 160 mg,
Carbohydrate: 2 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 36 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 5 Very Lean Meat, 1/2 Fat

Ok, so, I haven’t posted recipes recently, but want to start that again. My wife is back on her hunt for decent low-carb recipes from her sources on the net. I’ve specifically asked her to look for meals 5 carbs or less. This one is sure to please. Now, Atkins folks might suggest a heavier yogurt… I’m somewhat non-commital on the subject. I’ve tried both fat-free and low-fat to the more heavier fat yogurts with my cooking. While on a low carb regime like induction, my “worry” about high fat diary is less, but you have to consider: does switching yogurt fat content alter the recipe in a way that doesn’t work? If you’re not sure, don’t switch. Otherwise, nothing wrong with experiment. For myself, I know that for dips, I like the balkan style yogurts (5% milk fat and up). For dippings like what’s suggested here, I’d probably stick with the recipe.

GARLIC-ROASTED PORK WITH TARRAGON SAUCE

Yield: 4 servings
Source: “Quick and Easy Low-Carb Cooking” by Nancy Hughes
Info: http://www.diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/46.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Paprika
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon leaves
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place pork on a baking sheet. Cut four 1/2-inch slits in
pork and place a garlic half in each slit. Sprinkle evenly
with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and paprika.

Bake 22-24 minutes or until just barely pink in the center.
When pork is cooked, place on cutting board and let stand
3 minutes before thinly slicing on the diagonal.

Just before pork is done, combine remaining ingredients
except oil in a small saucepan. Cook 2-3 minutes over medium
heat or until just heated through. Do not bring mixture to a boil.

Remove from heat, stir in oil, and
serve alongside pork for dipping.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe):
Calories: 181, Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 2 g, Sodium: 455 mg,
Carbohydrate: 4 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 26 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat

It’s odd. Breakfast is something I prepare everyday. Ever since my mother-in-law arrived to stay with me for the summer, my own personal routine has greatly improved. This includes a low glycemic index breakfast which, if you scan quickly enough you might think: it is?

How does a 3 egg omelette, bacon, yogurt, toast and jam sound to you? Would you be surprised if I told you the whole meal was under 20 carbs AND low fat? (That’s uh, *total* carbs, not *net*. But if you want to add net there, we’re be saying roughly 12-14 “net” carbs.

Welcome to the world of substitution. Now, while the GI diet tends to get people more into wholesome cooking (at least it did for me), but when you’re concerned about overal health, and cholesterol in your diet as well as fat, there are solutions out there for you that help with your meal plans.

In this case:

- I use 100% egg whites or egg beaters for my omelette, instead of real eggs. Both options are great, but since my mother-in-law and I eat eggs every day, I use real or whole eggs about 2-3 times a week. The GI Diet book I use recommend 4 eggs per week. So keep that in mind.

- bacon? Well, unless you’re using real back bacon, the other option to keep this low fat is turkey bacon. fry up in a no-stick pan, keeps your meat on the lean side with this dish.

- yogurt - I personally don’t eat this very often but my mom does. You can usually find low fat no-sugar added yogurt at your grocers that’s usually under 10 carbs per serving. She has one that was 8 carbs.

- toast and jam - no-sugar added jam., if you’re going to have jam at all, is a GREAT option for diabetics. It’s about 5 carbs per serving, but in our case, I used diet bread that’s 9 carbs per slice and 1 slice each of us, I was able to stretch out the serving over 2 slices of toast. 12 carbs total for 1 slice of toast with jam.

I usually round out the meal with spinach (hence the omelette) or 1/2 a red tomato, sometimes I add cheese. In our case today, I used soy cheese which helps cut the fat content.

I find that since I’ve been eating breakfast regularly, I’ve been snacking a lot less during the day, and I ‘cheat’ less. This is *not* a meal that compromises on taste either. If you can avoid the high fat, why not do it? the funny amusing thing for me is, this would be an appropriate meal on a moderate “atkins” diet, and there was literally not trick to this, no “faux” make-believe-you’re-eating-carbs-but-you’re-not kind of dishes that I see plastered on the net.

Get back to the basics… GI is like that.

Review: Ok, so without a doubt, unless you’re using a lot of potatoes and root vegetables, *most* pot roasts are easily low carb, delicious, very ‘homey’ meal. As someone on the GI diet, I really really should consider eating this way more, but it is hard to do when cooking for one or two people. That’s not to say these aren’t excellent options for all of us… leftovers always rock.

A comment about pasta (as suggested below). Consider whole wheat pasta if you’re going to have pasta at all with this dish. I use whole wheat penne pasta as there seems to be more fibre AND more protein (12 g per serving - wow). Otherwise, I’d go with a nice big salad on the side. One other option might be one medium red potato per person. If you’d like to try using less canned vegetables, just add fresh roma tomatoes. However, I’d probably stay with the tomato paste.

SLOW-COOKED SICILIAN POT ROAST

Yield: 8 servings
Source: “The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan”
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/60.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 2-1/2 pound well-trimmed top round roast
or flat half brisket
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped red or green bell peppers
or 1 cup roasted bell peppers, drained and chopped
- 14-1/2 ounce can diced Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
- 6-ounce can tomato paste with roasted
garlic or Italian seasonings

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the meat with cool water and pat it dry with paper
towels. Sprinkle both sides with some of the pepper. Coat
a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and
preheat over medium-high heat. Place the meat in the skillet
and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Place the mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers in a 3-quart
slow cooker and top with the roast. Pour the tomatoes over
the meat. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for
10 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Remove the roast to a serving platter and cover loosely
with aluminum foil to keep warm. Add the tomato paste to
the remaining slow cooker mixture and stir to mix well.

Slice the roast across the grain and serve hot
accompanied by the sauce. Serve with pasta if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe):
Calories: 221, Carbohydrate: 12 g, Cholesterol: 80 mg,
Fat: 5.7 g, Saturated Fat: 1.7 g, Fiber: 2 g,
Protein: 29 g, Sodium: 440 mg, Calcium: 36 mg
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat, 2 Vegetable

So last week I commented on finding recipes that are atkins-inspired for low carb diets but was frustrated with the high-fat content that is NOT necessary for some recipes to taste good and still be low carb. mashed cauliflower is the perfect example of that. I made mashed cauliflower and the consistency was so creamy, I couldn’t tell the difference between that and regular mashed potatoes. The magic: blend well, and no need for high fat diary products. Here’s what I did.

- 1 large head of cauliflower, broken up into florets
- about 2-3 cups of broth… any flavour is fine
- 1-2 tablespoons of margarine - go with yogurt based for even lower fat
- to add flavour and some extra creamy texture (though you don’t need it), I added about 1 cup of *soy* cheddar cheese
- 2-3 strips of crumbled low fat turkey bacon
- 1-2 chopped green onions.

Method:
boil the cauliflower in the soup broth for a full 12 minutes. Drain. Reduce heat to low-med, and add the cooked cauliflower back in for another 2 minutes. this helps dry the cauliflower out which is necessary for this recipe.

Next, I used a blender adding the florets a bit at a time, but as it blends down it will get easier. add the margarine, or butter.

blend until the consistency of mashed potatoes. I used a spoon inbetween to keep pushing down the cauliflower.

once you reach creamy texture, add the cheese, then add the bacon bits, and green onion near the end. oh, and if you like it with even more flavour, add 1-2 large garlic cloves for that complete gourmet touch.

*THAT* dear readers, is it. No sour cream, no milk, no mayonnaise, nothing. If you’re not too kean on margarine, some olive oil will do but this recipe does not need the high fat content at all.

I served this with BBQ’d chicken and a nice large salad for the perfect BBQ meal.

Enjoy.

BBQ Season has arrived.

My wife is visiting from San Francisco this week, and I must say, I’ve been getting into my BBQ grill for almost all of our dinners. A fresh salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegrette to accompany our grilled meats along with roasted red potatoes (1 potato each) has really made our meals enjoyable. Depending on the phase of the GI Diet, you can add a glass of red wine to any type of meat including fish to round out a pleasant meal, and healthy too!

For cost saving measures we tend to stick to chicken thighs instead of chicken breast meat. Meals are fast. To make them a little faster, consider microwaving your cubed red potatoes for about 3-5 minutes in the microwave. Tonight I cubed them, microwaved for 5 minutes, then in tin foil, I gathered them up, added chopped garlic, a bit of kosher salt, rosemary and sprayed the whole potatoe package with olive oil spray. Delicious!

With a fresh salad greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegrette dressing, our grilled meat meal was a perfect combination.

Now’s the time folks to enjoy your BBQ and a healthy GI diet.

I love dips and love to snack, but as with any weight loss plan, gotta watch out for snacking. So, look for good things to dip: veggies, maybe a few multigrain chips, but the best to consider are: broccoli florets, cauliflower, baby carrots (watch the quantity there), and cherry tomatoes. Also great are green/red/yellow peppers.

CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP

Yield: 8 Servings
Source: “The Best Diabetes Cookbook”

INGREDIENTS

- 4 oz. dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 3/4 cup 5% ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup vegetable stock or water
- 3 tablespoons chopped black olives
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, pour boiling water to cover over
sun-dried tomatoes. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain and chop.

In a food processor combine sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta,
parsley, stock, olives, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan
cheese and garlic; process until well combined but
still chunky. Makes: 1-3/4 cup

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe):
Calories: 111, Fat: 6 g, Carbohydrate: 10 g, Fiber: 0 g,
Protein: 6 g, Sodium: 356 mg, Cholesterol: 8 mg

Review: I’ve been into different kinds of vindaloo lately. I love things spicey, I confess! This recipe takes a lot of time though, so I have a bit of a cheat (recipe wise). Although I’m a big supporter/promoter of cooking things from scratch, I have to admit that I tend to buy vindaloo sauces at the grocery store. If you decide to do this, remember to read the nutritional info on the jar and judge accordingly.

The best aspect about this dish is that it’s low carb and high protein. It fits in well with both Atkins and GI followers. Serve with a salad or if you want to be a little more traditional, look for whole grain naan bread, but limit your bread! A side of brown basmati rice is also wonderful with this.

Indian food is very tastey and for those of us who don’t eat a lot of indian, a switch to a more exotic dish keeps things pretty interesting.

PORK VINDALOO

Yield: 8 servings Source: America’s Everyday Diabetes Cookbook Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/17.shtml

Note: This dish must be assembled the night before it is cooked as it needs to be marinated overnight. Follow preparation directions and refrigerate overnight. The next day, transfer to stoneware and cook as directed.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds

- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

- 1 tablespoon clarified butter or ghee

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 8 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon minced gingerroot

- 1 piece cinnamon stick, about 2 inches

- 6 whole cloves

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds

- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- 2 pounds stewing pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 4 bay leaves

- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

In a skillet, over medium heat, cook cumin and coriander seeds, stirring constantly, until they release their aroma and just begin to turn golden. Remove pan from heat and transfer seeds to a mortar or a cutting board. Using a pestle or a rolling pin, crush seeds coarsely. Set aside. In a skillet, heat butter or ghee over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and gingerroot and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, salt, mustard seeds and cayenne and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Place pork in a mixing bowl. Add bay leaves and contents of pan. Add vinegar and stir to combine. Cover and marinate overnight in refrigerator. The next day, transfer to slow cooker stoneware, cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until pork is tender. Discard bay leaves, cinnamon stick and whole cloves.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe):

Calories: 181, Carbohydrate: 4 g, Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 26 g, Fat: 6 g, Sodium: 225 mg, Cholesterol: 82 mg Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 3-1/2 Lean Meat