Daily Dish for Tuesday, July 28th 2020

I want to apologize for not having the daily dish out the past two days as our internet went down from a major lighting strike and it was so bad it ruined the internet connection.

I will be developing a new breakfast menu eventually that we can have that is heart healthy!

Breakfast is more than just an eye-opener that helps you transition from sleep to the day ahead. Eating breakfast, especially one that includes whole grains, reduces your risk for heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure, reports the May 2008 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.

A host of mostly small studies show that eating breakfast, as compared with skipping it, makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin after all of the day's meals and snacks. Smoothing out the blood sugar and insulin roller coaster can help reduce levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It can also curb the appetite.

What you eat for breakfast matters just as much as whether you eat it, if not more so. The Harvard Heart Letter suggests these menu ideas that are heavy in whole grains, fruits, and healthy protein sources:

• a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal topped with fruit and walnuts

• a bowl of high-fiber, whole-grain cereal such as Fiber One, Shredded Wheat, or Cheerios with milk and sliced banana, strawberries, blueberries, or other fruit

• 6 or 8 ounces of 1% yogurt with blueberries and sunflower seeds

• a whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter

• an omelet made with one egg and one egg white, or egg substitute, served with whole-grain toast and orange slices

• a smoothie made with milk, yogurt, orange or pineapple juice, strawberries or blueberries, and banana, plus some oat bran, ground flax seeds, or wheat germ for extra fiber and healthful oils.

Resource: https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/a-healthy-breakfast-may-protect-against-heart-disease

Low-Sodium Meal Plan for the Week from Allina Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota

https://www.allinahealth.org/health-conditions-and-treatments/health-library/patient-education/heart-failure/diet-and-nutrition/low-sodium-sample-menu-plans-for-one-week

Low Sodium and Diabetic friendly recipes:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/diabetic-italian-food/

Diabetic Friendly Breakfasts:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/breakfast-ideas-for-diabetics/

Lunch / Dinner: Smoothie and The rest of the lunch menu will be out tomorrow after the morning's breakfast.

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 2 cups grape tomatoes

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes

• 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, mix honey and 1 tablespoon oil. Add tomatoes and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 5-7 minutes or until softened.

• Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to 1/2-in. thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Serve with roasted tomatoes; drizzle with glaze.

Editor's Note: To make your own balsamic glaze, bring 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10-12 minutes or until thickened to a glaze consistency. Yield: about 2 tablespoons

Nutrition Facts 1 chicken breast half with 1/2 cup tomatoes and 1-1/2 teaspoons glaze: 306 calories, 11g fat (2g saturated fat), 94mg cholesterol, 384mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 1g fiber), 35g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1-1/2 fat, 1 starch.

Green Beans with Pomegranate Seeds

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place beans in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Roast 10 minutes, stirring once.

• Add garlic to pan. Roast until beans are crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes longer. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Nutrition Facts 1 serving: 70 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 187mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 2g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Maple Winter Squash Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 medium pie pumpkin (3 pounds)

• 1 medium butternut squash (3 pounds)

• 1 medium acorn squash (1-1/2 pounds)

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°. Cut pumpkin and squashes in half lengthwise; discard seeds or save for toasting. Place pumpkin and squashes in two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans, cut side down. Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes or until tender.

• Cool slightly; scoop out pulp and place in a large bowl. Mash pulp with sugar, maple syrup, butter, salt and cinnamon. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and oats; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over squash mixture. Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Test Kitchen tipsIf you have an electric pressure cooker, you can make quick work of cooking all the squash. Just a few minutes in there and you're ready to go. While this is great with three different kinds of squash, feel free to use whatever combination you may have or just go with one single variety.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 337 calories, 15g fat (8g saturated fat), 31mg cholesterol, 201mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 6g fiber), 5g protein.

Ganache-Topped Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup boiling water

• 2 ounces 53% cacao dark baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• GANACHE:

• 1/4 cup half-and-half cream

• 3 ounces 53% cacao dark baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Fresh raspberries, confectioners' sugar and baking cocoa, optional

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Pour boiling water over chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in sugar, buttermilk, egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; whisk into chocolate mixture just until blended.

• Transfer to a 9-in. round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Place rack on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.

• For ganache, bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Slowly pour over cake, allowing some ganache to drape over sides.

• Refrigerate until serving. If desired, sprinkle with raspberries, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Cut into wedges.

Nutrition Facts 1 slice: 179 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 26mg cholesterol, 236mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.

Resource:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/surprising-diabetic-desserts/

Tomato-Cucumber Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 English cucumber, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices

• 1 small green pepper, chopped

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onions

• 12 pitted Greek olives, sliced

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

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Directions

• In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onions, olives, parsley and basil. In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegars, sugar, salt, oregano and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat.Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Just before serving, toss in cheese. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 160 calories, 14g fat (3g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 265mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 fat, 1 vegetable.

Italian Chicken and Penne

• 6 servings

Read Next Bow Tie Chicken Supper Stir-Fried Chicken Marinara Mediterranean Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 small green pepper, julienned

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

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• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a nonstick wok, stir-fry the chicken, pepper, onion and garlic in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, sauce and seasoning; heat through. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand until melted.

Nutrition Facts 1-1/3 cups: 291 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 46mg cholesterol, 214mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 23g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 0.500 fat.

Italian Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 package (5 ounces) spring mix salad greens

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 cup assorted olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

• 8 pepperoncini

• Optional toppings: Chopped tomatoes, shredded carrots and grated Parmesan cheese

• VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 teaspoon onion flakes

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Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients; toss lightly. If desired, add toppings.

• In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette ingredients until blended. Serve with salad.

Nutrition Facts 1-1/4 cups: 109 calories, 11g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 343mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable.

Apricot Dessert Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 10 slices French bread baguette (1/4 inch thick)

• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

• 1/2 cup apricot nectar

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves

• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

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Directions

• Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for until toasted, 4-6 minutes. Cool.

• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine apricots, nectar and lemon peel. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Strain and discard liquid.

• Combine cheese and preserves; spread over toasted bread. Top with apricot mixture. Sprinkle with almonds.

Nutrition Facts 1 piece: 77 calories, 1g fat (0 saturated fat), 2mg cholesterol, 49mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch.

Makeover Meatless Lasagna

Ingredients

• 10 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles

• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste

• 1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained and cubed

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 3 cups Daisy 2% cottage cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook mushrooms and onion over medium heat until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and tomato paste; cook and stir until heated through.

• Pulse tofu in a food processor until smooth. Add next 5 ingredients; pulse until combined. Drain noodles.

• Place 5 noodles into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, overlapping as needed. Layer with half the tofu mixture, half the sauce and half the mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles, tofu mixture and sauce.

• Bake, covered, 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Test Kitchen TipsIf you don't tell your guests, they'll never know there is tofu in this. Pureed with cottage cheese, it has a very similar taste and texture to ricotta. There are many types of tofu on the market so you'll want to make sure to pick up one marked "firm" and not "soft".

Nutrition Facts 1 piece: 258 calories, 9g fat (4g saturated fat), 48mg cholesterol, 498mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 19g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 medium-fat meat, 1-1/2 starch.

Raspberry Peach Puff Pancake

Ingredients

• 2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup fat-free milk

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, toss peaches with sugar; gently stir in raspberries.

• Place butter in a 9-in. pie plate; heat in oven until butter is melted, 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt until blended; gradually whisk in flour. Remove pie plate from oven; tilt carefully to coat bottom and sides with butter. Immediately pour in egg mixture.

• Bake until pancake is puffed and browned, 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven; serve immediately with fruit and yogurt.

Nutrition Facts 1 piece with 1/2 cup fruit and 1 tablespoon yogurt: 199 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 149mg cholesterol, 173mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 3g fiber), 9g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fruit, 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Fresh Fruit Bowl

Ingredients

• 8 cups fresh melon cubes

• 1 to 2 tablespoons corn syrup

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved

• 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

• 2 oranges, sectioned

• Fresh mint leaves, optional

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Directions

• In a large bowl, combine melon cubes and corn syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, stir in remaining fruit. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 56 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 2g fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fruit.

Coconut Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium mango, peeled and cubed

• 1 medium green apple, cubed

• 1 medium red apple, cubed

• 1 medium pear, cubed

• 1 medium navel orange, peeled and chopped

• 2 medium kiwifruit, peeled and chopped

• 10 seedless red grapes, halved

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 1 firm medium banana, sliced

• 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

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Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Drizzle with orange juice; toss gently to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Just before serving, fold in banana and sprinkle with coconut.

Health tip: Looking for a flavorful fruit salad that isn’t loaded with added sugar? Look no further. Use unsweetened coconut for a no-sugar-added version.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 101 calories, 1g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 10mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (17g sugars, 3g fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fruit.

Berry Slush

Ingredients

• 1 package (3 ounces) berry blue or raspberry gelatin

• 2 cups boiling water

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice

• 2 liters ginger ale

• 4-1/2 cups cold water

• 1 cup lemon juice

• Blue or red liquid food coloring, optional

• Fresh raspberries, blueberries and star fruit, optional

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Directions

• In a large container, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in sugar until dissolved. Add the pineapple juice, ginger ale, water and lemon juice. Add food coloring if desired. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.

• Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving. Stir until mixture is slushy. Serve in a chilled glass. For garnish, thread fruit on wooden skewers if desired. Serve immediately

Nutrition Facts 1 cup: 167 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 18mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (41g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

Power Berry Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice

• 1 container (6 ounces) mixed berry yogurt

• 1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries

• 1 cup fresh baby spinach

• 1/2 medium ripe frozen banana, sliced

• 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

• Optional: Sliced fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, flaxseed and granola

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Directions

• In a blender, combine the first 8 ingredients; cover and process for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour into chilled bowls; top as desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts 1 cup: 172 calories, 3g fat (0 saturated fat), 3mg cholesterol, 47mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 4g fiber), 5g protein.

Blueberry Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup reduced-fat vanilla ice cream

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

• 1/2 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches or frozen unsweetened sliced peaches

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice

• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

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Directions

• In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 149 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 57mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fruit, 1/2 fat.