Categories: Prep Foods

31 Dec 2017, Comments (0)

American Diabetes Association Complete Month of Meals cookbook + GIVEAWAY!

Author: Healthnuttxo

Super excited to share this with you guys! Straight from the American Diabetes Association, a complete month of meals cookbook. These are diabetes friendly recipes, WITH full nutritional information and exchanges listed for each recipe.

AND A GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!! (scroll to bottom…after you read of course 😉 )

There are recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, salads, and drinks. I decided to make two of the dinner recipes.

First one:

Porcupine Meatballs!

uhhh…what?

Ok, while I will admit that the name alone got me to try the recipe, it has nothing to do with porcupines. THERE WAS NO PORCUPINE MEAT IN THIS RECIPE! I’m actually not sure if you can even eat porcupine…I imagine it not to be very comfortable lol. Anyway- I think the name comes from the fact that rice is intertwined in the meat, giving it a “prickly” appearance.

The recipe was super easy.

First, add your COOKED rice to meat and spices. I swapped minced onion for onion powder, and I know diabetes friendly = low sodium… but my blood pressure is well controlled so I did actually add some garlic salt. Don’t judge me, ADA! I also had to use 80% beef — 1. 96% is HARD to find. and 2. well…80% is much cheaper. If you blot the oil, they really weren’t too greasy. I would like to do it with 90% lean beef, but hey, we had 80% in the fridge so I do what I can.

Next, form meatballs! I doubled the recipe to feed my family, so I ended up with 12. You want to sauté them on a medium hot pan on each side, but DON’T cook them all the way!

Then I took the meatballs out, wiped out the pan of some stray rice and oil, and placed them back in with sauce and water, and covered them. Then I let them simmer on low heat for about 25 min. I had rather large meatballs.

and VOILA! the final product.

Honestly, I loved them! I usually make meatballs the way my mom does, which is with a breadcrumb base, but I loved this! They were soft and hearty, and healthier than breadcrumbs because made with brown rice. As a caveat, make sure when you make the meatballs you press them tightly so they don’t fall apart while cooking.

The seasoning was great, meatballs were moist and flavorful. Definitely would recommend giving it a try.

 

Next up, Chicken and Rice bake.

First up, was cooking the celery and onions in a pan with some butter. I used I can’t Believe it’s Not butter. I also doubled the vegetables required because I had a ton, so I figured the more the merrier 🙂

Once your onions are translucent, mix the cooked rice, cooked carrots and onions/celery mix together with your spices.

Next up, put that in a pan, and top with whole chicken breasts. I took the skin off. It said to top with cream of mushroom, But I just mixed a chicken gravy with milk because that’s what I had on hand.

 

Then cook until chicken is appropriate temperature using meat thermometer (I believe it was 165 F)

 

and ENJOY!

 

 

Honestly, this was SO good and SO filling. Part of me wanted to make it again with some pie crust for a pot pie…but I guess that would defeat the diabetic friendly aspect of low fat, etc. However, I really liked the flavors in this! I never sautéed celery and onion together, but the carmelized onions added a great taste. The carrots and rice helped the dish be hearty and filling, and the chicken was moist and juicy. I would definitely make this again, it was super easy, granted you have decent knife skills to chop up carrots and celery. If you don’t, you can always buy them pre chopped 🙂

Overall, this book is a hit for me so far! I look forward to trying more recipes.

 

GIVEAWAY:

1 winner will receive a cookbook! Open to US and Canada, 18+ years and up.

How to enter: leave comment for EACH!

  1. leave me a comment saying what your favorite diabetic friendly (low fat, low carb, whole grain, etc.) recipe is
  2. for an additional entry, you may follow me on IG: ” lisa_liftsx” where I post fit and food reviews!

GIVEAWAY ENDS JANUARY 6th 2018 12 pm EST.

 

DISCLAIMER: This is an unbiased review. I received this book for free.

 

31 Aug 2015, Comments (0)

Outer Spice Original & Spicy seasonings

Author: Healthnuttxo

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I got these spices to try from Outer Spice! I was sent two varieties, the No Salt Spicy version, and the Himilayan Sea Salt Original blend. They have a retail value of roughly $6.99 each.  They are MSG, GMO and Gluten Free, and made from high quality spices and herbs.

I used these a few times during cooking. We made chicken cutlets with the Spicy variety, and then I used the Original variety for turkey burgers (see below), shrimp garlic stir fry, and grilled chicken with veggies in a butter sauté.

imageI’ll review the Spicy variety first!

It was…not spicy actually!
Again, we made chicken cutlets with this spice mixed into breadcrumb mixture and fried.
I noticed that the thyme flavor was pretty strong. Again, it was not salty- no salt!
The flavor was unique and went well with the chicken but it wasn’t spicy, so a bit deceiving! 3 1/2 star

 

Next up, the Original blend.

It was very thyme-y again, with possibly Rosemary?
Not much other prominent flavors, but will enjoyable.
It went well with the meats, and my favorite was with the shrimp and grilled chicken stir frys. I did add some salt since it was not super salty. 4 stars.

 

Overall, pretty good and worth a try! I would pick em up and add them to your favorite dishes! If you order directly from their website, there is also FREE shipping! Woo! Click here to get some.

 

 

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I received this this product for free. This is an unbiased review.

 

5 Mar 2013, Comments (0)

Nature’s Earthly Choice Easy Quinoa in Sundried Tomato Florentine

Author: Healthnuttxo

A new love of mine…Quinoa. Definitely a new grain in my life, but since I am trying (read: failing but trying really hard) to eliminate the gluten in my diet…insert Quinoa! And quite perfect, no? A good serving, a cup or so cooked, has quite a bit of fiber as well as protein. Plus it has a satisfying taste and texture, so it feels like I am actually eating something worthwhile.

Anywho, I was sent this to try for free from the company. Followed the directions to a T and then spooned it into a bowl. Looks delish, eh?

Easy to make? Uhhhhhh yes. First time making quinoa and it came out just right (or at least I think??). Add water, let cook, add seasoning packet, etc. etc. Easy peasy.

It was a tad chewy, but not super chewy, and I liked that it had a little bite to it. But… the Taste verdict? it was alright. It was VERY salty. Too salty actually. I wished that I only put half of the flavor packet in, instead of the whole thing. However, problem easily solved with the addition of some plain, steamed broccoli to absorb some of the flavor. Aside from being salty, it had garlic undertones and was quite potent. It did have a tad bit of an off flavor, which I contributed to the sundried tomato. I feel like sundried tomato is either a I-freaking-love-this thing or a gross-what-is-this kind of thing. I’m not sure which one I am yet…hah.

Overall… 2 1/2 stars. Can’t say I’d try this particular flavor again with the whole packet of seasoning…maybe half. Or maybe plain. Or maybe I just need a new flavor. Or maybe I’m just not a sundried tomato fan? Who knows. But I am willing to try quinoa again and again! 🙂

16 Jan 2012, Comments (4)

Perdue Short Cuts Grilled Italian Style Carved Chicken Breast

Author: Healthnuttxo

These things are a staple in my fridge. Any given time of any given day, they will be in there. And….I never tried them. Until now of course. After a quick scan of ingredients and nutritional information accompanying a growling stomach after a workout, I decided the Short Cuts Grilled Italian Style Carved Chicken Breast would fit the bill.

Here’s a close up-

I’m not even a big meat/poultry eater- no pork or beef whatsoever, and turkey/chicken maybe 1 or 2 times a week tops. I prefer eggs and peanut butter for my protein sources, along with occasional beans/tofu. However, these looked good. And I was craving something that would keep me full and fuel my muscles post kickboxing workout.

So, I tried these two ways. Cold and straight from the fridge, and then heated up in the microwave. Since it was seasoned, I tried it as is, with no toppings/sauces or sides.

The chicken itself was chewy, and some pieces were a bit too chewy which turned me off a bit. However, the chunks were relatively fresh tasting. It certainly was very salty, which I expected since it’s a prepared and flavored product. I tasted parsley and herbs, as well as onion and garlic flavors. It actually was rather flavorful and I enjoyed it by itself. There was also just a hint of lemon.

Then I heated up the rest of the chicken, and I think it was much better this way. The flavors came out even more, and it took on almost a chicken parmesan flavor. I think it would be really good with some (low sodium) tomato sauce and some shredded cheese on top, like a take on chicken parmesan, but without the breading and frying in oil.

What I liked about these is that they were also MSG free, low in fat, and gluten free. However, the sodium was really quite high, and it even tasted too salty which is a turnoff for me. ESPECIALLY for the person who buys this in my house all the time and eats it frequently, that’s a lot of sodium. (But hey, thanks by the way for letting me eat some ;’) ) SO, overall, I would give this 3.5 stars. I don’t know if I would buy it in the future, but if it was laying around in my fridge (which it will be, no doubt…) I might eat it again.

28 Mar 2011, Comments (7)

Organic Ragu Garden Veggie Pasta Sauce

Author: Healthnuttxo

Yesterday night, it was decided to have spaghetti & meatballs for dinner. I cooked up myself some whole wheat spaghetti, vegetarian style meat balls, and this Organic Ragu Garden Veggie Pasta Sauce to have. I don’t always buy organic, but whenever I can, I like to!

The nutritional facts were pretty good. For a half cup serving, there was 2.5 grams of fat and 80 calories. The sodium level was a tad high, at 480 mg, and the sugar content was a bit high as well, at 8 grams. However, on the front of the jar, it says that there is “MORE Than a Full Serving of VEGGIES in Every 1/2 Cup of Pasta Sauce”, so that was something I certainly liked.

I cooked it in a small saucepan on the stove, separate from any thing else, as I didn’t want to effect the taste. I noticed it wasn’t super thick, but not overly liquidy either. It actually had a nice consistency to it. It was certainly a sweeter sauce, but wonderfully spiced, with a bit of parsley flavor. It was also a bit salty, but I feel as if most pasta sauces are.

Overall, a great pasta sauce. I would totally eat this again. And, when I paired it with my the meatballs, it was SO good! Versatile, and delicious. Don’t tell, but I think this one tasted better than my mom’s homemade sauce I used to eat when I was a kid! =P  4 stars

What’s your favorite thing to put on pasta? I like mine with sauce, veggies, and some parmesan cheese!

1/2 cup is 80 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

18 Mar 2011, Comments (4)

Pillsbury Simply… Buttermilk Biscuit

Author: Healthnuttxo

I finally got around to trying these! It only took passing them a few times in the grocery store saying to myself, I really should get those. They look good. And then being distracted by the fact I needed to buy eggs or something else in the store and forgetting to buy them. HOWEVER, I finally bought them, cooked them, and ate them (ok not ALL of them…)

SO, here’s how one biscuit looked out of the oven. I broke it in half

These biscuits were light and fluffy, and absolutely delicious. They were a tad on the pasty side, but not overpowering. I certainly detected a buttermilk flavor which I thought was pleasant, and they had a salty flavor, which I actually really liked. I had 1 (ok… I had more than 1) with my dinner plain and thought they were just fine that way, but another person in my household had it with butter and seemed to enjoy them as well.

Overall, 4 stars. They are a tad high in saturated fat and sodium (330 mg) and have 0 grams of fiber per serving. However, not only delicious, but according to the package, also have “0g trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors”. Sounds like my kind of biscuit!

What’s your favorite way to eat a biscuit? I’m pretty sure I like my plain, or with a little smear of butter!

1 biscuit is 100 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

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