Quinoa-Sweet Potato Mini-Cutlets with Cranberry Chutney/Dip; DFT

It's that time of the year when there are holiday parties galore!! Tons of food everywhere: work, home, you name it! No, I am not being a Grinch. I am all for parties. With a little planning and thinking, we can make these festive gatherings healthy. One just has to be smart about it. There are different ways to achieve this: 1. Sneak healthy ingredients to all your menu items.
2. Make 50% of your menu items healthy.
3. Reduce the portion size of all your hors-d'oeuvres.
4.Serve desserts that are not that sugary and are more natural, fruit-based.
5. Provide smaller plates for eating.

Here are some healthy appetizer ideas for your holiday party.Go ahead and celebrate this Holiday Season with Team DFT with some figure fitting, weight watchers and Diabetes Friendly Recipes!

                       Creating Recipes with a Cause! I am a proud DFT blogger. 
                                        To learn about DFT, Read this Link! 
                                        To view more DFT recipes, Click here!

My contribution to this are these very delicious protein-packed mini-cutlets made with the goodness of quinoa and sweet potatoes.They are crunchy when you bite into them and soft on the inside.  They are totally guilt-free. Are you surprised that I am recommending sweet-potatoes for diabetics?? Believe it or not, according to the American Diabetes Association, sweet potatoes are considered a superfood for diabetics! You can read more in the "footnotes" ( tip for healthy living).

Coming back to the quinoa-sweet potato mini-cutlets, they are simple and easy to make. You don't need too many ingredients either. You can make it gluten-free too. I made half the batch gluten-free and the other half not because I ran out of white cornmeal. This dish uses very little oil. You could bake them or pan-fry them. I baked half the batch and pan-fried the other half. Frankly, I prefer the pan-fried version as it crisps and browns better than the baked version.

So, go ahead and give it a try and share your thoughts and opinions. I look forward to them.

Recipe for Cranberry chutney: click here.

Recipe for the Quinoa-Sweet potato Mini-Cutlets

Servings: makes 24 mini-cutletsServing size: 2 per person with 1 tsp chutney

Ingredients:

Quinoa: 1/2 cup, uncooked
Water: 1 cup
Salt: 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ( adjust as per individual taste)
Sweet potato: 1, medium-sized
Water: 4 cups
Onion: 1, small
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 1-2 ( adjust as per individual spice level), chopped fine.
Cumin powder ( jeera powder): 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder ( dhania powder): 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/8 tsp ( optional).
Cilantro ( coriander leaves): 2 tbsp, chopped
Cornflour: 1 tbsp
White cornmeal ( makke ka atta) / Cream of wheat ( sooji): 1/2 cup, for dipping; may not need all.
Cooking oil : 1-2 tbsp for greasing the skillet/pan.

Method:

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 cup washed quinoa. Reduce the flame to low, cover the saucepan and let it cook for 15mins. When done all the water should be gone and you should see small curly strands on the quinoa. Fluff it with a fork/ spoon and keep aside to cool.

Bring 4 cups water with the washed unpeeled sweet potato  in it to a boil. Reduce the flame and cook for 15 mins or until the sweet potato is tender enough to be mashed. Alternatively, you could steam the sweet potato.

Let the sweet potato cool down completely. Peel it and mash it in a bowl. Add cooked quinoa, cumin powder, coriander powder,garam masala powder,  chopped onion, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chillies , chopped cilantro ,cornflour and mix well. Your dough is ready.

Take the white cornmeal/cream of wheat/ sooji in a plate.

Using wet hands, pinch a lemon-sized dough in your hand and make a ball. Gently press it down to make it into a pattie/cutlet. Do this with all the available dough.

Heat a skillet/frying pan on medium heat. Grease it with 1 tbsp oil.

Roll each cutlet in  cornmeal/cream of wheat/ sooji and place it on the hot skillet.

Reduce flame to low and cook for 7-8 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 5-7 minutes or until lightly golden. It should be crispy from the outside and soft on the inside.

Alternatively, if you choose to bake, place the cornmeal/ sooji rolled cutlets on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Bake it at 350 deg F in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until it turns slightly golden.

Flip it once halfway through the baking.

Serve hot with cranberry chutney.

I am bringing these beauties to Throwback Thursday, Fiesta Friday #99 and Saucy Saturday! Caroline @ Caroline’s Cooking and Linda @ La Petite Paniere are co-hosting Angie's Fiesta Friday this week.

Cooking made easy:

You could make the batter and shape the cutlet ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. An hour before the party just roll it and pan-fry or bake it.

Alternatively, you could make it completely the previous day. Just warm it in the oven an hour before the party.

Footnotes ( tip for healthy living):

Again, according to the American Diabetes Association, sweet potatoes are considered a superfood for diabetics! Sweet potatoes have shown stabilization of blood-sugar levels by lowering insulin resistance. The high fiber content in sweet potatoes also helps reduce the " bad" LDL cholesterol in the body. The glycemic index of sweet potatoes is much lower than potatoes. A cup of mashed sweet potato has 58 grams of carbohydrate of which 8.2 gms is fiber. ADA recommends that a diabetic consumes no more than 45-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal. This means that sweet potatoes can be part of the meal, provided the rest of the meal is food free of carbohydrate.

Quinoa is a nutrient- rich superfood that is not only protein-rich, but is so rich in dietary fiber. It has a low glycemic index and helps stabilize the blood-sugar level.

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

Other DFT contributors  and their links!

http://simplyvegetarian777.com/2015/12/16/spicy-rajma-chaat-in-tomato-baskets-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/

https://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2015/12/16/black-bean-meatless-meatballs/

http://eatingwelldiary.com/2015/12/16/easy-savory-or-masala-granola-for-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/

http://www.sarikasethgunjal.com/murgh-malai-tikka-dft/

Food for thought:

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. John

Holiday Sugar Cookies

It is the holiday season! There is Christmas music and decorations everywhere. Everybody is in the Holiday spirit. It doesn't matter whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it is hard to be oblivious to the festive cheer around you, especially if you have little children at home. I do not celebrate Christmas, but I do celebrate the Holiday spirit! My three-year old  told me the other day in his little voice: "mummy, it is soon going to be kissmass! It is going to shnow & Shanta Claus is going to come on the sled with presents for us! Did you know that??" How can I disillusion him?? One of the key elements for the holiday celebration are the holiday cookies: the classic sugar cookies with decoration. My kids love to potter around me in the kitchen. I therefore figured that making and decorating Holiday cookies would be a fun activity for them. I therefore set-out looking for an easy, fool-proof sugar-cookie recipe. Funnily, nothing caught my fancy! Finally, I found a very nice and easy recipe in a place we would least expect! I took it from the back of the Domino sugar package!! I was apprehensive about trying out a recipe that none of my friends/ blogger friends could vouch for! Then, I remembered that I had once made these lovely bars from a recipe from the back of a package and they came out great. With this in mind, I bravely tried out the recipe. I must say: the recipe kept it's promise: it was super-easy and super-simple with no need to freeze the dough before using. Also, the cookies didn't fall flat on baking. If held it's shape!! They looked beautiful when they came out of the oven and the kids had a great time decorating it. Even the neighbor's kids joined in the fun! The end result is far from perfect but the pride my kids demonstrated in the cookies they made is unexplainable! Do give this recipe a try: you will never go looking for another one!

Servings: makes around 23-25 cookies.

Ingredients:

Butter: 6 tbsp ( at room temperature)
Sugar: 3/4 cup
Egg: 1
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Flour: 2 cups, sifted
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp

For Royal icing:

Confectioner's sugar ( powdered sugar): 3 & 3/4 cups
Egg whites:  from 2 eggs
Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.

Add one egg and vanilla essence am beat well.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside.

Mix  the flour mixture to the egg mixture, little at a time until all the flour is used and a nice dough is formed. Do not over mix.

Using a waxed paper, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.

Using the cookie cutters, cut out the desired shapes. 

Line them on a cookies sheet. Do this until all the dough has been used up.

Place the cookie sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 deg for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cookie.Note: these cookies don't brown ( may be slightly at the bottom), they stay nicely white.

Cool it completely on the cooling rack before decorating it.

Royal icing:

Beat the egg whites for few seconds until frothy. Add the vinegar and beat for 10 more seconds. Now add the powdered sugar one cup at a time beating in between to mix well. Once all the sugar powder has been added, beat on medium for 7-10 minutes or until stiff peaks are seen.

Divide the royal icing in 3 bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl and green to the other. The third one stays white. Ideally gel colors are preferred as they give deeper colors. I was out of it so I used regular food colors hence they are lighter and more pastel.

Add the frosting to the piping bags. I used Wilton tip# 3 & 5. Decorate the cookies as you wish. You can use edible decoration, candies, pretty much anything you want!!

Let it dry completely, preferably overnight before storing in airtight container.

These cookies may not be the prettiest or professional looking but they were decorated by my kids and when we were having a fun time as a family. To me, these cookies are the most precious ones in this world! Enjoy making these adorable cookies with your kids and sharing them with your loved ones! After all Holidays is about families and this is what makes for wonderful memories!

Happy Holidays Everyone!! 


I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday, Fiesta Friday #99 and Saucy Saturday! Caroline @ Caroline’s Cooking and Linda @ La Petite Paniere are co-hosting Angie's Fiesta Friday this week.

Cooking made easy:

If you don't have icing bags, just add it to a ziplock bag and cut a small edge and pipe away!

One trick to keep cookies soft is to store them with a slice of bread.

Tip for healthy living:

Whenever possible while making cookies and cakes, use butter instead of margarine or shortening as butter is much healthier than the others.

Food for thought:

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. Socrates

Act on Diabetes Now; World Diabetes Day-November 14th.

Today is World Diabetes Day. During this day, campaigns are run worldwide to spread awareness of diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that leads to high levels of blood sugar, estimated to impact 1 out of 3 people in their lifetime.

 In 2013, International Diabetes Federation estimated 381 million people had diabetes, with 90% of the cases being Type 2 Diabetes also known as Diabetes Mellitus. Did you know, that by 2040, 640 million of us worldwide will be living with Diabetes .

           India has more diabetics ( 62 million) than any other country in the world.This is followed by China and then the United States of America ( 30 million).

 According to the Indian Heart Association, India is the diabetes capital of the world with more than 62 million Indians ( which is more than 7.1% of India's adult population), currently suffering from Diabetes. November 14th is celebrated as Children'sDay in India. But by 2035, these children may become one of the projected 109 million individuals with Diabetes in India. An estimate shows that nearly 1 million Indians die due to Diabetes every year. The average age upon onset is 42.5 years. The high incidence has been attributed to a combination of genetic susceptibility, adoption of high-calorie, low activity lifestyle by India's fast growing middle-class.

Uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to heart failure, kidney disease, vision impairment and possible amputation.

However, Diabetes Mellitus is a preventable disease, through diet and exercises. 

To know if you or your loved ones are at risk, take this simple test:

http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/. 

You can also significantly reduce your chances of developing diabetes by:

 *   Eating Healthy
 *   Maintaining a Healthy Weight
 *   Quitting Smoking
 *   Increasing Physical Activity
 *   Monitoring Blood Pressure and Glucose Levels 

My contribution to increasing awareness regarding diabetes is via food. I truly believe that our body is reflects what we eat. Research has proved that diet ( food) and exercise are the cornerstones of both prevention and treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. Often, people are reluctant to exercise or find it hard to exercise for various reasons. But, deciding what we eat, making healthy food choices is something we control and easily attainable. You don't have to make huge changes in one day. 

• You make small changes in your food, little at a time so that you don't crave any specific food group. 
• Make healthy choices. 
• Swap unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones in your favorite food.
• Eat small meals..
• Eat everything in moderation.
• Limit yourself to one serving per meal. Don't take second helpings.

Today, I have put together a collection of recipes that are healthy and appropriate for diabetics. You will be surprised that quite a few of our regular meals can be consumed if you are mindful of the portion size. Click on the title of the food item for the recipe in it's entirety. 

Ragi Masala Dosa

Blackened Chicken

 Methi Sprouts Salad

Instant appe with vegetables

Ragi Shevai

Moong Bean Sprout Salad

Missal

Quick Masala Eggplant

 Ragi Phanna Polo

There are many more recipes all through the blog and for your weekly dose of diabetic-friendly recipes follow this space every Thursday for Diabetes-friendly Thursdays where 7 bloggers who are committed to creating diabetic-friendly recipes share them. To read more, click here.Even better follow this blog by signing up via email or following us on any social media. 

I am linking this to Throwback Thursday, Angie's Fiesta Friday#94 & Saucy Saturday to spread the word. Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Stef @ The Kiwi Fruit are co-hosting the Fiesta Friday this week!

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.


On this special occasion of World Diabetes Day, I have guest writer, Jonathan who is sharing with us Eating Tips for Diabetics. 

Eating Tips for Diabetics

Imagine that you are newly diagnosed as a diabetic. Now you have to learn to deal with knowing what to eat and what to leave alone, not to mention finding the right diabetic test strips and everything else associated with managing your disease. When it comes to eating tips, here are 10 steps that you can follow to make it easier and a little less frustrating.

Find recipes that you will actually eat

If all you have access to is recipes that you have no intention of eating, you're not doing yourself any favors. Find new ways to season foods so that you can have a whole new list of favorites.

Change the way you eat

This step goes hand in hand with the first one. When you find the recipes that really appeal to your taste buds, it will be much easier to change the way that you eat on a routine basis and stick with it.

Get active

Granted, this may not exactly be a tip about eating but the truth is, if you are eating more calories than you are expending, you will start gaining a lot of weight and this can cause even more problems for you if you're a diabetic. Therefore, it is definitely worth mentioning.

Try the homeopathic route

Many people control their diabetes with diet alone and you may be one of those individuals. Give it a try and see if it works for you. If it does, it will make your life a little bit easier.

Find new favorites

If you love a particular dessert or other food item that is especially bad for you, try finding new favorites that you can use to replace the more unhealthy food items. It might take some time, but it is doable. It is also worth it.

Do not give up

When you are first changing your diet, it is easy to get sidetracked and fall into old habits. Do not give up on yourself if you do this. Simply remind yourself of the importance of eating healthy and do your best to get back on track as quickly as possible. This will become much easier over time and you will find that you fall back into old habits less and less.

Take things slowly

Learning how to eat like a diabetic is something that takes a certain amount of time and effort. One of the best things that you can do when it comes to eating healthier is to take things slowly. There are a lot of things you have to adjust to and while it is important that you do it as quickly as is realistically possible, it is not something that you can do overnight.

Involve the whole family

If you can get the whole family to eat healthier, it will be much easier for you to do it. There is nothing worse than trying to eat a salad while you're watching someone 2 feet away from you sink their teeth into a plate of enchiladas or some other favorite food of yours.

Eat small portions more often

Eat more than three times a day. Instead of three meals, you should be eating five or six times a day and you should be eating smaller portions. This helps keep your blood sugar levels in control as opposed to eating fewer times a day, which allows them to fluctuate wildly at times.

Staying on course

Without a doubt, no one ever said that learning how to eat as a diabetic would be easy. Some days will be easy and others will make you wonder if you will ever actually manage to do it successfully. If you end up eating something you shouldn't, check your blood sugar levels and then do your best to eat healthy for the rest of the day. If you do this every day it will eventually become easier and you will find yourself staying on course more and more frequently.

Eating right when you are a diabetic can be challenging and sometimes, it can be extremely frustrating. With that being said, it is also vitally important for your continued health. That is why you have to get up every day with the attitude that you can succeed, even when you are struggling. 

Jonathan is the Editor of The British Gent and freelance writer who has worked with numerous national and international publications. You can follow him @TheBritishGent

Food for thought:

Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do. Johann Wolfgang VonGoethe