Switch It Up – A Fresh Take on Quick and Easy Diabetes-Friendly Recipes for a Balanced Life

I frequently hear the lament from diabetics that cooking can be a difficult balancing act – trying to create tasty and appealing meals that still fall within the healthy guidelines of what they should eat. What I immediately loved about Switch It Up – A Fresh Take on Quick and Easy Diabetes-Friendly Recipes for a Balanced Life by Corinne Trang was that it was easy to read and easy on the eyes. The photos are gorgeous in that they draw the eye and tempt the palate to keep reading. Recipes are easy to follow, and most recipes do not require a lot of prep or cook time. In addition to providing a list of the American Diabetes Association’s approved meal exchanges and detailed nutrition information for the recipes, each of the recipes have pairing suggestions of other recipes in the cookbook to help you create healthy multi-course meals.

Two of the many creative recipes in the cookbook that I loved are the Butternut Squash Soup with Pine Nuts and Goji Berries, which has a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 35, and the Pan-Seared Scallops with Avocado Walnut Sauce, which has a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 5 minutes, making preparing meals a snap even for "cooking novices." They are also listed in the cookbook as "pairing suggestions," which provides you with an exciting 2-course meal for yourself or to prepare and wow your guests.

A few of the other great recipes in the cookbook include Fennel Salad with Blood Orange, Spicy Miso Guacamole, Calamari in Tomato Sauce with Basil, Curry-spiced Chicken Breasts, Pan-seared Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples, and for dessert Apple Cranberry Pecan Crisp. Creative, healthy, delicious – and easy to make, too!

Corrine Trang and the American Diabetes Association graciously share the recipes for the Butternut Squash Soup with Pine Nuts and Goji Berries, and for the Pan-Seared Scallops with Avocado Walnut Sauce, to tempt your palate into learning more about the cookbook.

Switch It Up Recipes

Butternut Squash Soup with Pine Nuts and Goji Berries
Pan-Seared Scallops with Avocado Walnut Sauce

Butternut Squash Soup with Pine Nuts and Goji Berries

Serves 8

Serving Size: 1 Cup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Pairing Suggestion: Avocado, Corn, and Tomato Salad (page 60), and Dates, Baby Arugula, and Stilton (page 106)

Ingredients

The fall is a great time of the year when all sorts of winter squash are available on the market, including butternut. Bright orange, its flesh is naturally sweet and makes for a smooth, silky soup that’s thick and thin or somewhere in between depending on your preference. With a touch of coconut milk and a hint of curry, it is one of those soothing, satisfying soups that can be had as a complete meal with freshly tossed salad green on the side. It’s also wonderful as a first course to a celebratory meal or any holiday.

In a medium pot over medium-low heat add the coconut milk, 2 cups water, butternut squash, and curry powder. Cook until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Working in batches as needed, transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil and serve hot, garnished with the pine nuts, and goji berries, if using.

A great substitute for butternut squash is pink pumpkin or kabocha squash, aka "Japanese pumpkin." The results will be slightly different, sweeter, and perhaps a little smoother. These pumpkins many even give you a slightly thicker version of the soup, but it is also partly a function of how much liquid you add to the pot for the desired consistency. There is no rule other than it should be delicious!

Exchanges/Choices

½ Starch

1 Fat

Calories 75

Calories from Fat 40

Total Fat 4.5 g

Saturated Fat 1.5 g

Trans Fat 0.0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 10 mg

Potassium 280 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10 g

Dietary Fiber 3 g

Sugars 2 g

Protein 2 g

Phosphorus 55 mg

Pan-Seared Scallops with Avocado Walnut Sauce

Serves 8

Serving Size: 3 Scallops

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Pairing Suggestion: Butternut Squash Soup with Pine Nuts and Goji Berries (page 42), and Dates, Baby Arugula, and Stilton (page 106)

Ingredients

Delicious, naturally sweet, and juicy, big scallops can be pan-seared to a golden crisp and served over a refreshing lime, cilantro, avocado, and walnut sauce. It can be a colorful appetizer or an entrée. You decide, but either way, your guests will be impressed by the flavors as much as by the textures and the colors. You can even wrap the whole thing up in a fresh tortilla and pack it for lunch!

In a mini food processor, add the cilantro, lime juice, avocado, jalapeno, and walnuts. Process until smooth and divide among the individual plates.

Meanwhile, season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, add the oil and pan-fry the scallops until cooked through but slightly translucent in the center and golden crisp on the outside, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the flip side. Drain on paper towels and arrange 3 scallops on each of the plates on top of the sauce. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve hot.

Exchanges/Choices

½ Carbohydrate

1 Protein, lean

2 Fat

Calories 175

Calories from Fat 110

Total Fat 12.0 g

Saturated Fat 1.6 g

Trans Fat 0.0 g

Cholesterol 20 mg

Sodium 325 g

Potassium 390 mg

Total Carbohydrate 8 g

Dietary Fiber 3 g

Sugars 1 g

Protein 11 g

Phosphorus 245 mg

©2017. Switch It Up by Corinne Trang. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association.

Switch It Up – A Fresh Take on Quick and Easy Diabetes-Friendly Recipes for a Balanced Life By Corinne Trang

Published Date: February 2017

American Diabetes Association

SBN: 978-1-58040-549-2

Switch It Up is available at ShopDiabetes.org (Switch It Up by Corinne Trang), in bookstores nationwide (note: ISBN: 978-1-58040-549-2), and by calling 1-800-232-6733. Order number 4728-01.

Proceeds from your purchase of this book support the American Diabetes Association’s mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To learn more, visit stopdiabetes.com or call 1-800-DIABETES.

"The American Diabetes Association funds research to prevent, cure, and manage diabetes, delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, its mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes."

For more information please call the American Diabetes Association or visit their website. Information via telephone or online is available in English and Spanish.

American Diabetes Association

Toll-Free Telephone:+1-900-DIABETES (+1-800-342-2383)

Website: www.diabetes.org

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