Anyone can add their recipes to this thread.

By Elizabeth:

GROUND ALMOND SPONGE

100g Ground Almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or cream

Beat with a fork eggs and milk or cream together. Add ground almonds and baking powder. Pour into microwave proof container and cook on high for 3 minutes. Cool. Split in half and spread with reduced sugar jam spread and top with either lite yoghurt or whipped cream.

JELLY

1 tablespoon gelatine
4 tablespoons Thriftee
500 ml boiling water

In a bowl, place gelatine and Thriftee. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour into mould/s and when cool, refrigerate until set.

TRIFLE

Make a ground almond sponge. Cut in half and then into small pieces and spread with reduced sugar jam spread. Arrange sponge pieces in serving bowl and pour cool jelly over. Refrigerate to set. Serve with either lite yoghurt or whipped cream.

JELLY CREAM

1 tablespoon gelatine
4 tablespoons Thriftee
200 ml boiling water
1 cup fairly stiff whipped cream

In a bowl, place gelatine and Thriftee. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Allow to almost set. Whip cream until fairly stiff. Slowly add cold starting to set jelly. Refrigerate until set.

LSA BREAD

1/4 cup LSA
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (optional as can make holey bread)
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil

In a bowl, beat with a folk egg and oil. Add LSA and optional baking powder. Pour into bread slice size microwave container and cook on high for 1 to 1.30 minutes. Cool.

Variation

1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons Sucaryl for sweeter LSA bread .. or

1/4 cup dried mixed fruit.
1 teaspoon mixed spice or ginger

MAKE YOUR OWN LSA

1 cup ground Linseed
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup almonds (ground already if you like)

Grind up the mix in a food processor or coffee grinder until you have a reasonably fine powder. This mix is best kept in a tightly sealed container in the fridge to maintain its freshness. L.S.A mix (linseed, sunflower and almond) is a great source of essential fatty acids and fibre. It can be used in baking, or easily added to smoothies, yoghurt, and anything else that takes your fancy.

LINSEED LOAF

1 cup ground linseed or LSA or 1/2 cup linseed and 1/2 cup walnut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water (boiling water for a lighter loaf)

Ground linseed, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk eggs, oil, vinegar and water. Add dry to wet and combine sloppy mixture. Put into microwave container(s) (either 2 x 500g Margarine containers or a Glad 975g container) and cook for 3 minutes in a 1000 watt oven. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool.

MUFFINS

6 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup sugar free syrup depending on your taste (I use Da Vinci Sugar Free Caramel)
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups Ground Linseed or LSA or 1 cup Ground Linseed and 1 cup Walnut Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons of either cinnamon, or ginger, or mixed spice

In a medium bowl beat eggs with a fork, add oil, sugar free syrup, water and vanilla. In a medium bowl combine remaining dry ingredients, then stir into the egg mixture.
Let stand five minutes to let liquid absorb into Linseed. Spoon into 12 well greased muffin tins. Bake at 160-180 for 12-15-20 minutes (depending on oven) until they are lightly browned. Tip out immediately to cool. Freeze well.

Walnut Flour is available from A Cracker of a Nut. Phone/fax 03 347-8103.

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By Annie:

Try these or make an omelette or scrambled eggs


Home made Muesli (760kj (185 Cal) per serve)

Half a cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons wheat germ
4 tablespoons unprocessed bran
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
5-6 walnuts or almonds chopped
2 tablespoons dried fruits, chopped

Method:
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Cereal can be served with skim milk or low fat yoghurt. Fresh fruit may also be added when serving the muesli to make a complete breakfast.

Variation
Muesli may be stored in a covered jar with a vanilla bean for added flavour.
Copied from the Heart Foundation Cookbook.

Pan Cake

2 TBsp ground linseed
add a few ground walnuts or brazil nuts (optional)
Mix with a beaten egg.
Fry until set.

This is nice with light cream cheese, some berries, such as strawberries, blue berries etc topped with some light dairy whip cream.

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By Kathryn:

have a recipe for Pistachio & Apricot Biscotti, which I believe would make a nice Christmas Gift suitable for people with diabetes.

Pistachio & Apricot Biscotti

70g packet of raw pistachios
half a cup of dried apricots (diced)
Zest of one orange (finely grated)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp Sucaryl liquid sweetener
1 tsp almond essence
3 eggs
1 egg white

Chop pistachios roughly. Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Lightly beat Sucaryl, almond essence and eggs together. Mix into dry ingredients with pistachios, apricots and orange zest until well combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into two 3cm wide logs. Place logs on a greased oven tray. Lightly beat egg white and use to brush each log. Bake at 180oC for 35 minutes or until cooked. Remove from oven, cool slightly and then cut logs into 1cm wide slices.
Place slices on an oven tray. Bake at 160oC for 20 minutes or until biscotti are dry.
Makes about 40.

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By Elizabeth:

I can't buy Jok'n'Al's reduced calorie Jam Spread in either of my local supermarkets so go into the city for it. .. Yes, it's expensive - nearly $4.00 for a 280g jar - so it's a treat. I was tempted to buy their lemon curd but just bought the Raspberry Jam Spread for my ground almond sponge.

From ..
http://www.diabetic-lifestyle.com/articles/aug03_cooki_1.htm

Strawberry Jam

(makes four 1/2-pint jars)
(Recipe Courtesy of Sweet 'N Low®)
3 1/2 pints ripe strawberries
1 cup water
4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon Sweet 'N Low®

1. Rinse and hull the strawberries. Crush the berries with the back of a large wooden spoon, or pulse in a food processor or blender. Reserve.

Pour water into a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over top. Let stand 1 minute. Place over low heat and stir for 1 minute, until gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Add strawberries and Sweet 'N Low®. Mix well. Pour into 4 hot sterilized 1/2-pint jars. Seal tightly and allow to cool. Freeze. Thaw before serving. Keeps in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Note: Since granulated sugar is a necessary component of making preserves, it's hard to get really good jam using sugar substitutes Because Sweet 'N Low® provides only the sweetening and not the preserving qualities of granulated sugar, jams made with Sweet 'N Low® must be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks if not frozen.
Per 1 tablespoon serving: 5 calories (0% calories from fat), 0 protein, 0 total fat (0 saturated fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 mg sodium, 26 mg potassium
Diabetic exchanges: FREE

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By Elizabeth:

I'm a Type 2 on Metformin as I was obese at diagnosis. With the encouragement of my Diabetic friends, I've been able to have the courage to experiment with my meter and when I was well enough, started to reduce my carb intake. Bread was included with every meal.

Now, my bread is either the Ground Linseed and Walnut Flour Loaf or more recently, LSA "Slice of Bread". LSA is a blend of Linseed, Sunflower Seeds and Almonds either finely or coarsely ground, depending on supplier.

LSA "Slice of Bread" (Great with Sardines)

1/4 cup of LSA
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder (optional as result can be holey)
1 tablespoon oil
1 small egg

Egg and oil together (I use a fork) and add dry ingredients. I use a Glad (700ml?) square container the size of a slice of bread to cook in microwave for 1 to 1.30 minutes on high. Cool.

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By Elizabeth:

For 12 muffins:

6 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I use Olive Oil)
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup sugar free syrup depending on your taste (I use Da Vinci Sugar Free Caramel)
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup Ground Linseed
1 cup Walnut Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons of either cinnamon, or ginger, or mixed spice

In a medium bowl beat eggs with a fork, add oil, sugar free syrup, water and vanilla.

In a medium bowl combine remaining dry ingredients, then stir into the egg mixture.

Let stand five minutes to let liquid absorb into Linseed.

Spoon into 12 well greased muffin tins. Bake at 160-180 for 12-15-20 minutes (depending on oven) until they are lightly browned. Tip out immediately to cool. Freeze well.

For me, the nicest ones I've made are Hot Cross Muffins with one cup of sultanas and four tablespoons of mixed spice. Others have experimented to make cream cheese and sugar free jam ones, date ones, linseed and ginger ones (without walnut flour) and savoury ones .. so if your're an experimental cook .. go for it and let's know what they're like.

Elizabeth

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By Elizabeth and Annie:

Hi Robin,
You don't need a bread maker for this recipe posted below.

Ground Linseed & Walnut flour Loaf

1/2 C grd linseed (flaxmeal)
1/2 C ground almond (I use Walnut flour)
(1 Tbs wheat bran if desired)
1 tsp B powder
1/2 tsp b soda
2 eggs
1/4 C warm water
1/4 c oil 1 tsp vinegar

Mix all together...it needs to be almost sloppy, so add more water if required. Divide between 2 x 500g margarine pot or similar. Microwave on high 3 - 4 mins. (I have two glad pottles)
One 1kg marge container would do, undivided. The loaf rises better if a high-sided container is used, but don't expect the height of a leavened loaf..!!
Turn out onto a wire rack straight away.
Slice horizontally to give nice slice size ... vertically for 'finger' food...4 - 6 slices depending on thickness of slice. It slices beautifully and doesn't go soggy.
Fill with regular sandwich fillings... Unlucky if there is more than 1g net carb per slice .
I'm pretty sure you will be surprised if you give it a go.

================================================================

This is so yummy, also good to freeze.

FAUX POMME DE TERRE AKA FAKE POTATO

1 head of califlower (it's usually about 1kg)
2 fresh diced mushrooms (optional)
4 oz (around 125g) Cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup minced green onion (optional)
1/2 stick of soft butter (a lump or two)
1/4 cup of Romano Cheese (Optional)
6 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon
Greenery if liked (chives, parsley etc)
Shredded/grated cheese for top

Boil cauli till soft. Drain well.
Replace cauli in empty pot and mash well. Add remaining ingredients, except for grated cheese. Mash/mix again, then pour into buttered ovenproof dish. Top with grated cheese.
Bake at 350/180 until heated through again and cheese has melted.

I've replaced bacon with a can of salmon. I heat it through in the microwave.

and this one.

Zucchini frittata
A frittata is a thin open-faced Italian omelet.
It is delicious served with salad and, if you like, shavings of parmesan.
There are variations galore; you can use asparagus, tomato,
onion or simply a strong melting cheese such as gruyere.
Ingredients
2 large free-range eggs
½ small zucchini, thinly sliced
½ clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
A few basil leaves, torn
Directions
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them with a fork.
In a medium-sized non-stick pan saute the zucchini and garlic in a little olive oil until soft.
Season, add the basil leaves and remove from heat to cool slightly.
Then add the zucchini to the eggs and stir to combine.
Wipe the pan with kitchen paper and place over a medium heat.
When the pan is hot, pour in ½ tbsp of oil followed by the egg mixture,
stirring with a fork - distribute it evenly to cook quickly.
When the eggs have just set,
your frittata is ready and you can slide it onto a plate and serve.
(If you wish to double the recipe,
you will need to finish cooking the frittata in a preheated oven or under a grill.)
Serves 2 as a starter.

CARB COUNTERS' STUFFING - LOW CARB AND GRAIN FREE

Dressing is a stuffing that's baked outside the bird; it's much easier, faster, and safer than cooking it inside the bird. Plus you are not limited to what would fit inside the bird. That's a good thing because this bread-less version, resembling a cornbread dressing, happens to be delicious.

Ingredients

4-6 cups cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
250g onions, minced
4 stalks celery, diced
250g mushrooms, diced
1 cup canned bamboo shoots or baby corn
4 large eggs, beaten
I Tbsp Bisto powder or stock powder
4 tablespoons fat from pan drippings or cooking oil
2 tablespoons corn bran, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
poultry seasoning, to taste
pan drippings or broth for basting

Directions
Makes 14 half-cup servings.

Preheat oven to 350° F

1. Boil, steam or microwave the cauliflower until it soft enough to mash.

2. Heat 2 Tbs oil on medium heat, add pecans and saute until slightly browned.

3. Remove pecans with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onions, celery, mushroom and bamboo shoots and cook until softened and slightly browned.

4. Puree the cauliflower with a handful of the vegetables, the eggs, Bisto or stock powder and corn bran. Season to taste and bake for approx 45 minutes or until firm.

5. Gently mix the cauliflower "bread" with the sauteed vegetables and pecans, stirring just enough to break it into crouton-like chunks.

6. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to taste, and place in a greased casserole.

7. Replace in oven and heat until thoroughly warmed through, basting with broth or pan drippings if it becomes too dry.

Nutrition
Nutrition per serving (calculated by Mastercook with bamboo shoots but without the corn bran and basting liquids): 117 calories; 9g fat; 7g carb (of which 3g are fiber); 3g protein.

Source:
http://www.expertfoods.com/Recipes/poultry-dressing.php

Gus's Bread:

I have a bread recipe that uses WHOLE wheat flour, in other words they grind the wheat and WYSIWYG. NOT for gluten free diets, but it sure slows the metabolism vs. 'normal' bread:

I HAVE NEVER SEEN HAZELNUT OR ALMOND FLOUR HERE!

2 Tblsp white or brown sugar
2 tsp salt
350 ml water
2.5 cups whole ground wheat flour
2 tsp baking yeast

Throw it all in a bread maker machine, push START, and stand back! Makes a 1 kg loaf. Sorry about the mixture of Imperial and Metric, poor Canada has to cater both to the US in Imperial, and the rest of the world in Metric.

Happy Day, Gus

Cayle Christmas Cake
(suitable for diabetics)
3 cups mixed dried fruit ½ cup pitted dates
1 can of apricots or peaches in juice not syrup
¼ cup cold tea
Zest of an orange
1½ tsp mixed spice
¾ tsp cinnamon
3 eggs beaten
2¼ tsp baking soda
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 cups self-raising flour
16 whole almonds for decorating
1 tsp melted butter
Place the dried fruit in a large saucepan add the spices, juice from the canned fruit and orange zest. Chop the dates and canned fruit into small pieces and add to the pan with the cold tea. Bring to the boil stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes then cool.
Heat the oven to 170°C and grease and line an 18 cm square cake tin. When cool add the beaten eggs, almonds, baking soda and flour to the fruit and quickly combine. Stir well to ensure no floury pockets in the mix. Quickly pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until dark golden and well risen. A skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean. If the cake browns too quickly place a double layer of paper over the top to protect it.
When cooked, cool for a few minutes in the tin then turn out, carefully remove baking paper and brush the top with melted butter to add a little shine.
Cut into 40 serves each serve contains 15g Carbohydrate.
(Cut into 20 serves each serve contains 30g Carbohydrate).

From Sophie Gray's Enjoy! cookbook

An excellent cake for Christmas or other occasions.

Date Nut Cake for Diabetics and high cholesterol sufferers.

1/2 c. canola spread
2 eggs
4 Splenda tablets, finely crushed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. dried pitted & chopped dates
1 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 c. boiled (stewed) apples (core and skin removed)

Put dry ingredients into mixing bowl and mix together. Retain some egg white for glazing top of cake, to prevent added icing soaking into cake. Beat (blend) eggs and boiled apples lightly in separate bowl. Now add the dates, pecans, blended stewed apples and eggs to rest of ingredients. Mix well, using power cake mixer until well blended. It should now be a nice smooth thick paste. If too dry, add a little water.

Grease oven bread tray with canola spread or canola oil.
Place mixture into oven bread tray and bake at 176 C or 350 F for about 40 minutes or until done. After about 20 minutes, take cake out and cover top with remaining egg white. Return to oven for completion of cooking.

When done, cake should have risen to about double it's size and no sticking of ingredients evident when poked with fork. Take out of oven and allow to cool before removing cake from oven tray.

ICING:
Mix 2 tablespoons of Xylitol sugar substitute with about 2/3rds of Arrowroot thickener, mixing with cold water to a thick paste. Spread over top of cake and place in fridge to set.

Voilà !!!

Fahrenheit to Celsius converter:
http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm


Improvised from this page:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,166,159188-248204,00.html

Just noting some recent discussion of cereals elsewhere on the board. I thought I'd post one of my favourite basic breakfast options - the vanilla and cinnamon really do lift the flavour, and I find that the addition of a few peaces of seasonal fruit help vary the taste enough that it doesn't bore me too often (my favourites include blueberries, dried cranberries, and occassionally a crumbled square or two of no-sugar chocolate bar).

I'm not an enormous porridge fan, and the fact that is actually palatable came a surprise to me.

3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oats, rolled, preferably organic

1. Place the water in a pot and add the cinnamon and vanilla. Bring to water to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Add the oats and cook. Serve Hot.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 80 calories (14% calories from fat), 3 g protein, 1 g total fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 0 cholesterol, 6 mg sodium

Quick, simple and sticks to the ribs. Also, doesn't tend to spike my numbers.

Liareth

There is no way I would make any bread as it is the gluten which causes me problems...not to mention elevated bGs from the carbs in grains... However, if your meter says it is OK to eat bread, here is a link for a starter, plus links to recipes...
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/recipe-sourdough.html
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Bread/Sourdough-Bread-and-Starters/Main.aspx

My version of the Zuchinni Cake

250g cream cheese, softened
125g butter
1/2 cup Da Vinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
7 large eggs
500g Zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups ground almonds (I used half ground almonds half walnut flour)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
5 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180. Butter two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a very large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sweetener and beat until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the zucchini and vanilla.

In another bowl, mix the ground almonds, walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, cocoa, and baking powder. Stir into the zucchini mixture. Divide the batter between the two pans.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes before turning the layers out onto the rack to finish cooling.

Place one layer on a cake platter. Spread the top with frosting (see below). Top with the second layer and frosting the top and sides. Refrigerate until the frosting is set. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

ORANGE OR LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 x 250g cream cheese
125g butter
1/4 cup Da Vinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp finely grated orange/lemon rind

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the sweetener, vanilla, and orange rind, and continue beating until fluffy.

My verison of Pound Cake

125g butter, softened
250g full-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Da Vinci sugar free caramel syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 whole eggs
3 1/2 cups nut flour (walnut, LSA, ground almond blend)

Prepare 23cm tin and set oven for 160 degrees C

Cream butter & cream cheese with sweetners & vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs & nut flour, beat on low until mixed, then beat 4 minutes on medium, scraping bowl frequently. This mixture is VERY thick!

Spread evenly into pan, bake 45 minutes, then check at five-minute intervals until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 5 minutes, run thin knife along sides and cool cake completely on cake rack.

I used half recipe of lemon cream cheese frosting on top. Next time, I'll cut cake in half and frost it that way.

Muesli

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup shedded coconut
1 cup sultana's
1 cup chopped unsalted almonds (or cashew nuts)
2 cups oat bran (or barley)
2 cups all-bran
1½ cups wheat germ

Mix all ingredients together with a large spoon or your hand.

Allow one third of a cup per serve.

Nutritional Data: per serve.

470kj (112cal) carbs 12g, protein 4g, fat 6g

Not so much recipes as meal ideas we've had some success with. We're not really a standard meat n veg family, so some of these may not be to others' tastes, but OTOH they may also be a welcome change from food boredom!!

Let me know if anyone is interested in recipes for any of these (most are in my head).

Mexican fajitas wrapped in lettuce instead of tortillas (could do tacos this way as well - they use beans or minced meat instead of steak/chicken/shrimp pieces)

Indian curry (chicken & vege, virtually instant if you cheat - a good take-out/delivery option too) with plain yoghurt or raita, pickles, chutney, and two poppadoms per person

Cafe style snapper and scallops on top of a green salad of goodies

BBQ'd Mediterranean veges (eggplant, zucchini, red/green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes) with rosemary/garlic/Moroccan spice-marinated lamb or beef (gotta love the BBQ 'cos blokes do all the cooking!)

Thai lettuce wraps done with pork mince, chilli, garlic, coriander, water chestnuts, carrots, mung bean sprouts, ...

Venison burgers (skip the burger bun and instead split a mini wholemeal pita - it's thin but it tastes fine)

Chicken burgers flavoured with chilli, garlic, lemongrass and coriander (ditto on the wholemeal pita bread as a skinny 'bun')

Japanese grilled whole snapper with fresh tofu, sesame/soy spinach, miso soup

Stir fried pork and veges

Eve I would be interested in those recipe's, I love trying different foods and they sound great. My DH can't eat peppers but I love them, could leave them out for him though and I have never cooked/tried Tofu as I didn't know what to do with them, love to give it a go.

I would love a tofu recipe if anyone has a good'un. I keep meaning to try it but never get around to it. I've even bought the stuff and ended up throwing it out after it's use-by date!

I love tofu just plain and simple, fried with a tiny bit of honey/soy sauce mixed together. my little ones like it that way too. i know honey is not on the recommended list, but just a little.

There are two ways to eat tofu, really, Japanese-style and other (stir-fry, meat substitute, etc).

If you want Japanese style (which is what we do), buy the little cardboard boxes of Morinaga tofu (forget any other brand). We get soft for us and firm for the babies (they are on finger food, so soft is too squishy; firm is still quite soft though if you prefer it - easier with chopsticks!). Plop the tofu out of the box onto two small plates, drain off the liquid, sprinkle with ground toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with a little soy sauce. Eat with chopsticks or a teaspoon alongside grilled salmon (or grilled whole snapper), miso soup, and sesame/soy/spinach.

To make the Japanese spinach (this is so good, even fussy kids like it), wash your spinach whole on the stalks and then throw in a large pot of boiling water WITHOUT chopping it up first. Put the timer on 2 minutes. When it beeps, fish the spinach out with tongs (pick it up by the stalks) and plunge it into a sink of cold water to stop it cooking and keep it bright green. Lift the cooled spinach out by the stalks and hold it all vertically, stalks up, then squeeze the water out with your hands. Lay on a chopping board and chop every 1cm, discard the stalks. Arrange pieces of spinach in a small dish. In a small bowl, mix about 1Tbsp soy sauce, 1tsp Splenda and 2tsp ground sesame seeds. Mix and taste; it should be a balanced blend of sweet and salty with plenty of sesame flavour. Add more of whatever's lacking, then drizzle over spinach. This is usually served cold or warm, so easy to do in advance.

Miso soup you can buy in packets from your local supermarket.

Any other recipes anyone wants in detail? I can't do all at once (supposed to be working!) but will try to do another soon.

Be very careful with takeaway curries from Indian Takeaways and the packeted frozen curries you buy in supermarkets as their fat content is out of this world! Countdown have a frozen curry and rice and sorry, I can't remember the brand. The fat content was 60g (SIXTY GRAMS!) per (smallish) packet. I think it's because they use a lot of ghee in cooking, which is clarified butter isn't it? I think this is quite puzzling as Indians as a race, on the whole, are not particularly overweight.
Better to make your own curries I think!

How much carb is in it Soleil?
If there's not much carb then it's ok to have fat... we burn that into glucose instead, much slower - which is nicer for our BGs! Though I don't think that counts so much for one meal, I think it has to be a longer term diet change (Can anyone confirm that?)

Anyway I'm not worried about fat so much these days - it seems to me that carbs are the bad guys. (she says, stuffing a bit of toast in her gob lol)

I cannot remember how many carbs exactly except that it was high Em-nz, probably because of the short grained white rice included.

I do think about fats/saturated fats. Having D makes us much more likely (than other people) to suffer from heart disease particularly after menopause. Unfortunately carbs are not the only enemy!

It's so unfair that chocolate cake, cheese and pork chops are so high in fat and calories and yet silverbeet and lettuce have hardly any in them - unfair, unfair !!!!

Soleil, I quite agree that it's important to read the package. And some curries are better options than others. Obviously the ones that don't come with rice are better (since we skip the rice anyway!). As an example, Aashiayana chicken tikka masala is 11.5g carbs and 12.5g fat per 500g. And the other curries in that range aren't much more. I did find an even better list of frozen curries you can buy online but I can't recall the name of them. Arrgh!

Ah, I found it! Here's the nutrition info for Elliott Bateman curries: http://www.menumaker.co.nz/page.asp?PageID=1318#Nutritionalanalysis

There are also a lot of 'potato' type foods in the freezer dept. of supermarket like frozen mashed potatoes (with added butter, milk fat and of course, additives); hash browns (which are fried) and the latest - potato balls rolled in breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese added. Quite a trap for busy working people!

I eat the occasional 'nuked' spud in it's jacket but can anybody help me with low fat/low calorie toppings? as I find it difficult without sour cream, cheese and butter.

Hi Soleil,

Want to ditch the sour cream? Use plain YOGHURT instead. We have used it for years at home, and when we are in restaurants, etc., where we have to use sour cream, I find it still very hard to distinguish the difference (and yes there is a small difference, the yoghurt has a little different texture).

Onions or chives, and some simulated bacon bits overcomes the need for butter or margerine and keeps the fat at a minimum.

The nutrition in a potato is indeed the jacket, so I often carve out some, or most, of the white centre and put the yoghurt, chives, and bits on the jacket.

Happy day, Gus

Thanks for that Gus. The jacketed potato made with natural yoghurt (Easy Yo, the stuff we can make ourselves) tasted just the same as having light sour cream in - great! Actually I thought the yoghurt would taste sour, but it wasn't at all.
And I used an older, red potato. Somone said that the older, waxier potato has less starch in that a fresh new potato such as a Nadine. Wonder if that's true?

Ho Soleil,

I hadn't heard that older red potatoes were better one way or the other, I have just always had a preference for them over whites.

The older potatoes may have less starch (hadn't heard that one either), but whether it is starch, sugar, or one of the sugars ending in -ose (fructose, lactose, sucrose, glucose, etc.), they are are all sugars metabolizing at far faster rates than say proteins.

So less starch may mean more sugars, which would be a saw-off IMO.

Happy day, Gus

LINSEED AND PEANUT BUTTER HOT CEREAL (for 1 person)

2 tablespoons Ground Linseed
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour boiling water over linseed and stir well. Stir in peanut butter and cinnamon. Variation - add a drop of liquid splenda or frozen berries or a little bit of milk/cream.

Recipe for: Mexican fajitas or taco lettuce wraps

Choose and prepare one or more of:
chicken breast, cut into small strips
steak (scotch fillet is fantastic for this - anything you can cook fast and it stays tender), cut into small strips
raw shrimps (frozen is fine; thaw before use, and split in half for even cooking)
low-fat beef or chicken mince
refried beans (you get these in a can)

Wash iceberg lettuce and drain (this is for wrapping)

Prepare small plates of any of the following:
grated cheese
chopped tomato
sliced jalapenos (buy them sliced in a jar)
chopped salad/greens
guacamole (mashed avocado with lemon juice, a dash of tabasco and a sprinkle of fajita powder)

Quickly stir-fry the meat/chicken/shrimp pieces - don't overcook. In the last few seconds, sprinkle with fajita or taco powder and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice - put into a small bowl when cooked. With the mince or refried beans, add to a pan and cook, then add the same flavourings above.

If you are eating with non-diabetics as well, microwave 3-4 soft tortillas each for them to wrap (you can buy white or wholemeal; corn tortillas are available for those on a gluten-free diet); those on a low-carb regime use lettuce as the wrap. Kids love this too!

Put all the bowls/plates of lettuce, tortillas (if any), veges and meat on the table. Everyone builds their own wrap. Enjoy!