Slow Cooked Beef Brisket

I bought my first slow cooker a few weeks ago. In the past I used stove-top large saucepans for slow cooking and braising. The method worked but needed regular stirring to prevent sticking. When a post-Christmas special appeared for a very cheap large slow cooker I decided to give it a try.

I wish I’d bought one years ago! I have experimented a few times now. I prepare the veges and meat after breakfast, toss them and some stock and liquids in the cooker and lift the lid eight or nine hours later for a delicious dinner.

This is my favourite of the recipes I have tried so far. It didn’t occur to me to take pictures last night; I will add them next time I cook it.

Beef Brisket

Ingredients

Portion sizes, herbs etc are flexible. Adjust to suit your own taste.

• 1-1.5Kg (2-3lbs) beef brisket or any similar cut. I prefer a piece at least 2-3cm (1”) thick and roughly rectangular which fits comfortably in the cooker.
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced.
• 1 large or 2 medium carrots.
• 1 cup chopped celery
• Chopped herbs to taste. I used parsley, thyme, rosemary and mint from my garden.
• 2 or 3 bay leaves.
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika.
• 1 cup red wine.
• 1 can (400gm, ~1lb) chopped tomato.
• 1-2 cups beef stock (or pork or chicken; I make my own from bones and herbs).
• 2 cloves garlic.
• Salt and pepper.

Optional: 3-5cm (1½ “- 2”) chunks of potato.

Method

Serves 4 or more  depending on appetites and portion sizes.

Slice the carrots lengthways, cut them into rough chunks and place them on the floor of the cooker to become a base for the meat.

Roughly trim excessive fat from the beef. Leave some on for flavour. Lightly salt both sides of the meat and place it in the slow cooker. Grate some pepper over the meat to taste.

Fry the onions in oil in a skillet until soft, add the chopped celery and minced garlic and continue frying until the onions are starting to brown then transfer the cooked veges to the slow cooker.

Deglaze the skillet with the cup of wine and add the liquid to the cooker. Add the paprika, chopped tomato and stock. Stir to mix the liquids and settle the meat among the veges. If necessary add water sufficient to come just level with the meat.

Cook on low for 8 or more hours (my cheap cooker has only three heat settings: low, high, keep warm). As my spouse likes potatoes I added some chunks into the liquid around the meat at the 4 hour mark. Possibly those could be included at the start.

Serving.

Gently remove the meat from the cooker, trying not to remove too much attached liquid and veges as you transfer it to a cutting board.

Using a slotted spoon remove the carrots (and potato if added) from the sauce and transfer them to a serving dish. Don’t get too fussy if some liquid and other ingredients stick to the carrots or potato.

Remove the bay leaves and blend the remaining liquid and contents with a stick blender to become a smooth sauce. Use a potato masher if you don't have a stick blender. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Carve the meat across the grain into roughly 6mm (1/4”) slices and transfer to a serving dish. Pour the sauce liberally over the meat.

Diners serve themselves from the dishes.

I have not worked out the carbs, fat etc but the main carbs are in the onions, carrot and potato if added. This did not even cause a blip in my 1hr post-meal blood glucose test.

Bon Appetit

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

There is Nothing I Could Eat I like More Than my Eyes

Catering For Different Tastes When Cooking

I see variations on this question asked many times on the various forums I am on:

Being head cook and bottle washer, I have a question. Having D, I need certain foods, my son has become a meat and potatoes guy, my wife eats most anything, except a variety of veggies. I do not want to have to cook 3 separate plates to satisfy all. How do you cater to each taste, or do you? Is there a happy middle?

The same problem occurs for the person who is not the cook but does not want to offend the person who is. This may help those people: Cooking as a Survival Skill. But I realise that is not possible or practical for some.

Here is my own method for dealing with the situation. I am the cook in our household, mostly just for the two of us. Mum is invited for dinner a couple of times a week.

It is important to keep in mind that I am the only person with diabetes. Although I may believe others would benefit from my way of eating it is not my role or place to force them to eat as I do. We each have our own food likes, dislikes, aversions or allergies.

I am diabetic and careful about carbohydrates but otherwise omnivorous. My wife has a very limited menu, by choice, and a long list of foods she detests. For example, she will not eat fish or seafood, eggs, steak, many vegetables, milk, the list goes on. Her likes are basically meat (other than steak), starchy vegetables, peas, tomatoes and silverbeet (chard). My mother is omnivorous but, like most people, has a few foods she prefers to avoid.

If I restricted myself to cooking only the foods we all like my menu would become very limited and boring. I also actively seek to include fish and a wide range of seasonal vegetables in my diet. Therefore, at most meals for the two of us I cook three types of foods. Those I can eat, those my wife will eat, and those we both eat. The other night was a typical example. In the steamer I had potato and pumpkin (winter squash) simmering in the bottom section with silverbeet, carrots, cabbage and broccoli in the top. I cooked two loin lamb chops under the grill (broiler) for her and when they were almost cooked I seared and fried a fillet of Atlantic Salmon in a small skillet for myself.

At the table I put the salmon on my plate, the lamb chops on hers, and all the vegetables on a platter in the middle. We served ourselves from the platter. She had most of the potato and silverbeet; I took most of the rest.

When my mother or other people are dining with us I use the same method. I find out whether anyone has specific protein likes or dislikes and serve that appropriately, letting them select their own vegetables and starches from the centre of the table. For major feasts such as Christmas dinner everything is served buffet-style for diners to select as they wish.

It really isn't as difficult as it sounds, with a small amount of extra thought and effort keeping everyone at the table happy and healthy.

It Must Be OK - It's Sugar-Free! Wrong!

A very brief post to emphasise an important point.

When we as diabetics are choosing foods for the menu or checking the ingredients of a recipe, sugar should be treated as just another carbohydrate. It is more concentrated than most carbs but my meter has repeatedly shown me it is the total carbs that count, not just the sugar content, when I test my blood glucose after eating.

Food products which are marketed as sugar-free are very rarely carbohydrate-free. In fact, more often than not they have just as many carbs as the sugared versions. I encountered a classic example of this a couple of days ago when I saw a large display in my local Aldi store promoting 'healthy' sugar-free products. 

These are photos of just some of the products. Sorry about the smart-phone quality of the pics; the carb counts are clear enough. I'll let them prove my point.

99.5% Sugar-free Shortbread = 67.9% carbohydrates

 

99.5% Sugar-free Chocolate Digestive Biscuits = 61.3% carbohydrates

99.5% Sugar-free Wafer Biscuits = 62.4% carbohydrates

99.5% No Added Sugar Dark Chocolate = 57% carbohydrates

 

The piece-de-resistance. Sugar-free Mixed Fruit Drops:

  

I could not believe this one when I turned the can over. There was no added sugar, so it must be healthier than other fruit drops...yeah, right. 

It is 93% carbohydrates.

  

Always read those labels, folks.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Simple Low Carb Soups II - Asparagus

My Simple Spargelsuppe. 

I call it that because I never ate asparagus soup until I wandered around Germany in spargel season in 2003. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but one day we stopped in a village where it was the only thing on the lunch menu, with crusty bread. I discovered I loved it. We don't get those big whitish German asparagus, but our local green ones with the purplish heads aren't bad either.

This is very similar in technique to the mushroom soup. I usually buy my asparagus in small bunches, which is the way they appear in our supermarkets:



I buy three bunches, eat a couple and reserve one for soup. Soup preparation is almost identical to the mushroom soup. This makes two or three serves.

Fry an onion in olive oil and butter until caramelising. Add the roughly chopped asparagus spears, reserving the tender tips, and cook until they start to sweat. Add about a litre/quart of stock (chicken or vegetable) and simmer for about 30 minutes. If you aren't sure how much stock to use, begin with a little less. You can always add more later. Season with salt and grated pepper.

When the asparagus is tender purée the soup and return the reserved tips to it. Return the soup to the stove for five minutes to cook the tips, stirring if necessary to ensure the thicker soup does not stick. Adjust for consistency; second time around you will know exactly how much stock to use.

I am a parsimonious type that hates waste. When I eat the other bunches I snap off the "woody" ends. I keep those woody stubs in the fridge for the soup. When I make the soup I slice off and discard the really woody ends from the stubs and simmer the slightly softer remainders in some chicken stock while preparing the main soup. Just before I return the reserved asparagus tips I purée the "woody" part thoroughly so that any stringy bits disappear. I add that purée to the main pot.

Add a dollop of cream to each bowl when serving.

I have a few variants of this recipe. My favourite is to add an equal portion of broccoli, reserving some small florettes in the same way that I reserve the asparagus tips, for an asparagus and broccoli soup. I adjust the stock quantity accordingly. I also vary flavour using nutmeg and/or garlic.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter 

Simple Low Carb Soups I - Mushroom

Mushroom Soup

This is based on about 250gm or 8oz mushrooms. It's hard to be precise on the quantity, because I usually make soup when the mushrooms have been left in the fridge or pantry too long and have dried out, so they weigh less than when bought. If they aren't dried out, they become a breakfast omelette instead. I make soup with leftovers as I don't like waste.

For soup I don't bother peeling the mushrooms. If the mushrooms are very dry, soak them in enough chicken stock to cover them for a while until they are soft again; if not don't bother. Strain the liquid off and retain it.

Fry a medium/large sliced onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a nob of butter until just starting to caramelise. Sometimes I add a clove of garlic, but not always. Chop the mushrooms roughly and add to the onions, frying gently. Cook briefly, then add about a litre/quart of chicken stock (including any reserved liquid) and bring to a simmer. Season with salt (mushrooms need a little extra salt), grated black pepper and the secret ingredient: some grated nutmeg to taste.  Simmer for about half an hour; longer if the mushrooms were originally very dry. I like some texture; before I use the stick blender I strain out about a half cup of the mushrooms and reserve them.

I blend the soup, not quite to puree, and return the lumpy bits. If the result is too thick, add more stock and cook it in for a little while. If it is too thin, simmer a bit longer to reduce it. When serving add a large dollop of real cream in the centre of the soup in each bowl.

The only significant carb content is the onion. That allows me to have a slice of buttered bread with it. 

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter 

Konjac and Shiritaki Noodles

I have heard and read this question many times: "what food can I eat to lower my blood glucose levels?"

My standard answer has always been to advise that there is no such food and the dietary way to lower blood glucose levels is to select carbohydrate portions that do not raise blood glucose levels excessively. 

I may have to add a caveat to that response in future. For the past three years I have been making occasional experiments with an unusual food called Konjac. This food has several other names in different parts of the world.

Scientific: Amorphophallus konjac. Also known as:

• Konjac
• shiritaki
• Glucomann
• devil's tongue
• voodoo lily
• snake palm
• elephant yam

You can read more about the plant and its variants here on wiki: Konjac and Shiritaki noodles.There are several forms: powder, noodles, gel and cake. The version available locally to me is noodles, which are packaged in a brine solution.

 

The noodles look like pasta but are quite different in texture. After draining, separating and rinsing to remove the slightly fishy odour they have a slippery feel and are more chewy than the equivalent spaghetti or fettucine. They do not soak up sauce juices in the same way as pasta, consequently I have learned to reduce my sauces more when preparing konjac dishes.

Despite those differences, my experiments show that for me they are a taste worth acquiring.  These are extracts from posts on the ADA forum since I started experimenting with konjac. 

1.

I rinsed 120gm (4oz) Konjac several times and then let it drain in a sieve for 30 minutes. In my wok I stir-fried 2/3 cup of shredded cabbage and half a medium sliced onion in a splash of peanut oil. When the onion was starting to caramelise I added 50gm shredded ham, warmed it through and then transferred the ham and veges mix to my serving bowl.

I fried the Konjac in a tablespoon of peanut oil until the noodles started to separate and dry out and occasionally "popped". They never went hard or dry, but became a little more springy and less moist. I returned the veges and ham to the mix. I continued to stir as I cooked for a couple of minutes until the veges were softened and thoroughly mixed with the noodles. I transferred it to the bowl, adding 15gm (1/2 oz) of shredded cheddar and a splash of cream, stirring it well. 

It was surprisingly good. The noodles shape was similar to thin spaghetti but the texture was chewier and springy. The noodles seemed to have no flavour of their own but took on the flavours of the other foods in the recipe.

Here comes the good news.

• Pre-meal: 5.8 mmol/L (105 mg/dl)
• 45 minutes post-meal: 5.3 mmol/L (96 mg/dl)
• 75 minutes post-meal: 5.3 mmol/L (96 mg/dl)

The post-meal numbers may have been aided by 150ml (5oz) of Shiraz between the end of the meal and the 45 minute test.

2.

The next experiment with Konjac was not quite as successful. But it was educational.

I made up my usual bolognaise sauce, using some mince steak (ground beef to the trans-Pacificans). I browned the meat, then added a cup of my Napoli Sauce and cooked it for a while to incorporate it. When used as a sauce with pasta it is delicious with a dusting of grated parmesan.

I prepared 200 gm of the Konjac noodles in the same way, rinsing, draining, separating and lightly frying in olive oil. However, when I added the sauce and tried to “cook it in” as I usually do with wheat pasta the mixture stayed too liquid. Unlike pasta, Konjac noodles do not absorb the sauce liquid.

The result was edible but chewy and not terribly appetising. Next time I will cook the Konjac longer and reduce the sauce a lot more, to thicken it and remove a lot of the liquid. After the meal I drank my usual glass of Shiraz.

On the other hand, the good news was:

• Pre-meal: 5.7 (103)
• 1hr post-meal: 5.5 (99)

3. 

Two days earlier I bought a Thai green Chicken curry for dinner. It was a large serve and I only ate half of it, followed by my usual glass of wine post-dinner. I was 5.4(97) pre-meal and 6.9(124) after. I expected that because there is always some starch in the local Thai curries.

We decided to have the leftover Asian meals for dinner two nights later. This time I prepared about 125gm of Konjac noodles first by rinsing, draining and pan-frying until they were dried out but still supple. I added them to the re-heated Thai chicken curry, which was exactly the same size as the previous serve. The resulting dish was quite tasty, although I still prefer other noodles for taste and texture at the moment. 

I was a little high before the meal at 7(126); I can't recall why but presumably had a forgotten snack. Or maybe it was gremlins. Here is the surprise:

• 1hr: 5.8 (105)
• 2hr: 6.3 (114)

4.

Continuing the trial...

I had leftover meatball casserole for lunch. It is a fairly low-carb recipe, but I had it on a slice of toast which added about 15gms of carb. On past experiments at that time of day I would have expected that combination to raise me from my usual pre-meal of 5.5-6 (100-108) to somewhere between 7(126) and 8(144).

I added 120 gm of Konjac noodles, preparing them in the same way as before.

• Pre-meal: 5.8 (105)
• 1hr Post-meal: 6.8 (123)

I still can't form any definite conclusions, beyond the fact that Konjac definitely does not increase my blood glucose levels and may limit or even decrease the effects of other foods. But still only "may".

Since those early experiments I have continued to use konjac once or twice a month together with low-carb ingredients. In almost every case my post-meal blood glucose was equal to or lower than my pre-meal. 

Last night I ate the same recipe as experiment #1, using 150gm of chopped bacon instead of ham. I also added a few strands of my wife's wheat fettucine to provide a better texture; probably about 15gms of extra carb. I probably made the portions too large, we were very "full" when we finished the meal. My pre-meal level was a little high at 7.6 (134) as I had indulged in a cookie half an hour earlier. My one-hour post-meal was 6.7 (120).

I emphasise that these experiments were personal and may only apply to me. My only recommendation is to do your own experiments if you are interested in trying this food. I have no commercial interest in any firm selling konjac in any of its various forms.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter 

Large New York Baked Low Carb Cheesecake

I owe thanks for this recipe to a great cook on the ADA forum who posts as Granny Red. She attributed her source as LowCarbLuxury.com. After baking it several times I have modified it slightly by experimenting. 

Ingredients 

Crust

1 1/2 cups Almond Flour

6 Tbsp Splenda

5Tbsp butter, melted 

Filling

24 oz (750gm) cream cheese

¾ cup Splenda

One tablespoon of sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon extract or a good squeeze of lemon

16 oz (600ml) sour cream

Note: the eggs, cheese and sour cream need to be at room temperature. If the cheese is too stiff to beat easily sit the containers in warm water for a little while until the cheese softens. 

Method

Crust Base 

Use extra butter to grease an 8 or 9 inch (20-25cm) springform pan. I also put a circle of greased brown paper on the bottom to be certain the cake does not stick; this step may not be necessary if you use a non-stick pan. 

 

Mix the splenda and almond flour (sometimes I make my own coarse version from almonds in the blender; it works just as well) with melted butter, press evenly onto the bottom of the pan for a thin layer without holes and press any excess up the sides of the pan. If you don't have enough almond flour to go all the way up the sides don't worry, just go up as high as you reasonably can. It's not really critical as long as the base is covered. In that situation I use greased brown paper around the sides to minimise sticking. Set the pan aside while mixing the filling. 

Filling 

Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, keeping the mixer on a low-medium setting throughout the beating and mixing process. Add the mixed splenda and sugar a little at a time and continue beating until creamy. The original recipe had more Splenda, but I found that a tablespoon of sugar with less Splenda improved the flavour for my non-diabetic wife without raising the carbs too much. You can adjust that to your own taste. 

Add one egg at a time and beat very briefly after each egg. When the eggs have been mixed into the cream cheese add vanilla and lemon extract or lemon juice and mix briefly until just combined. Add the sour cream last and beat briefly until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Bake at 300 F or 150C for about 1 hour, then check to see if it is nicely brown on top. If not, let it cook for another 15 minutes. When it is cooked, prop open the oven door, turn off the heat and leave it in the oven for at least an hour. Then remove it from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge until the next day. 

Don't try to serve it on the day of cooking; it will not be set properly if you do. Do not be disappointed if it sinks slightly in the middle. That is normal, or, at least, it was for the ones I made. 

The result is 16 satisfying slices. I individually wrap some in clingwrap for the freezer; they freeze and defrost well.

Calories	340
Fat	32 gm
Protein	8 gm
Carbohydrates	6 gm

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Kitchen Essentials: Steamer Saucepan

For those who are discovering cooking as a survival skill for the first time this is the first in a short series of tips for new cooks.

I first started using a steamer saucepan set when I was wandering around in a caravan in 1997-98. I discovered a set in an op-shop while we were wandering and found it to be a wonderful tool for cooking a full balanced meal with several vegetables on a tiny two-burner caravan stove.

After I was diagnosed I found it became an essential tool in my kitchen as I increased the range of vegetables on my menu. I use it daily; often cooking five or more different vegetables at a time. I believe in the KISS rule (keep it simple) in most things; for cooking there are few things simpler than steaming. You really have to try hard to over-cook steamed veges, so you can concentrate on other foods where timing is more critical.

Apart from the obvious advantages of steaming vegetables to retain most of the vitamins and minerals, a steamer takes a lot of the work out of cooking regular meals.

I thought about polishing mine up for the pictures, but decided to show it as it is, because this battered old saucepan set has been in constant use for many years now:

Over the years we have added bits to it; not all match:

We use those extra sections for big family dinners. Usually we only need the base and one steamer section when cooking for three or four. For example, for dinner last night I put potato and Aussie pumpkin (Winter Squash) to be boiled in the bottom in just enough water to cover them; in the steamer section was 1/3 cob corn, peas, sliced carrot, broccoli and cabbage with chopped bacon. Each vegetable was placed separate from the others so that they could be easily served later without mixing together excessively. Here is how it looks with the boiled veges moved to the top section to keep warm while my fish cooks beside it and my wife's chops cook under the griller:

Some tips when using one.

1. Put root vegetables that need to be boiled, such as potatoes, in the bottom section and leafy/watery veges in the top for steaming.

2. If the veges in the bottom section cook before the rest of the meal is ready, transfer them to the top section to remain warm without over-cooking.

3. If the veges are cooked before your other foods are ready, remove the steamer set from the heat and transfer any veges in the bottom section to the steamer section. The residual heat in the hot water will act as a bain-marie and keep the veges warm without over-cooking them.

4. Don't overfill the base with water; use just enough to do the job with a little extra for safety so that you never boil dry. When the water comes to the boil, reduce the heat until it is just simmering. Retain that water after cooking for an excellent stock if you like to cook vegetable soups or stews.

5. As you gain experience, don't restrict the concept to just vegetables. Experiment with other foods, especially fish and seafoods.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia

Everything in Moderation - Except laughter

Low Carb Crustless Quiche

I experimented for a while with various quiche recipes, but almost all included either flour or milk leading to carbohydrate content higher than my goal .

Eventually I made this simple version myself tonight from basic ingredients. It was intended to be the next in a series of new experiments. I was quite surprised to find that it set well and tasted delicious. Even better, my spouse, who will not eat eggs in any other form, loved it.

Ingredients.

4 whole eggs, free range if possible
200ml reduced cream
¼ tsp baking powder
2 rashers bacon, chopped (one rasher is 3 or 4 American strips)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup sliced swiss chard or spinach (1/4 cup if frozen)
30gm (1oz) of grated or sliced cheddar cheese
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
A grating of black pepper
Salt to taste – remember that the bacon will add salt too.

Method.

Four eggs and 200ml cream was the right quantity for my quiche dish, but if you have a larger dish add an extra egg and cream in proportion. Beat the eggs with a whisk until smooth. Add the cream, cayenne and baking powder and beat again until smooth. Set aside.

If you do not have reduced cream use your local equivalent. The cream I used is 35% milk fat, which is a little less than UK double cream or US heavy cream. I will try it with fresh cream next, which is a little lower in fat but I see no reason why that should not work OK. The fat content will be slightly lower and the carb content slightly higher.

Turn the oven on to let it heat up to 170C (340F) . In a suitable pan or skillet cook the bacon and onion until the onion is starting to caramelise. Add the chard or spinach, remove from the heat and set aside for a moment for the chard to wilt while you prepare the dish.

Use olive oil or butter to grease a suitable quiche baking dish well. Place it in a larger baking tray and add enough water to that tray to surround the quiche dish without causing it to float. Drain any excess liquid from the vegetable mix then spread the vegetables over the base of the quiche dish. Pour the egg and cream mix over the vegetables and spread the cheese over the top. I pressed the cheese down, but if you prefer a crusty top leave it on the surface.

Bake for about 30 minutes, but test with a skewer in the centre at 25 minutes in case your oven cooks more quickly than mine. When it is almost, but not quite, set in the centre it is time to remove it from the oven; it will finish cooking from residual heat.

Let it sit for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven. Don’t be disappointed if it goes flat – that is normal, it is a quiche, not a souffle.

We cut it into four serves, but double that would still be a very low carb meal. This is not a low fat meal. We had a simple lettuce, cherry tomato and onion salad with it. Delicious.

Nutrition Table
for one serve:

Energy 340 kcal
Protein 11 gm
Carbs 5.5 gm
Fat 31 gm

Bon Appetit

Up-date added 14th January 2011. I now use 5 eggs and cook it a little longer, about 40 minutes. It provides four substantial main meal serves.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Serendipitous Cajun Chicken

Last night I had some chicken pieces to cook but I didn't feel like baking them, so I made the following up as I went along. I'm not sure this could really be called a recipe because the quantities and directions are not exactly quantified or normal, but the result was delicious.

I started with a chicken maryland (drumstick and thigh) and two wings. I jointed all those and ended up with eight small bits of chook, to be cooked for two.

I browned all those in a wok in a decent splash of peanut oil. When they were browned but not fully cooked I removed them to be returned later.

I sliced or chopped one red onion, a stalk of celery and a medium carrot and sautéed those in the chicken-flavoured oil; adding a minced clove of garlic when they were nearly cooked. Then I added a half teaspoon of cayenne, a half-teaspoon of turmeric, a half-teaspoon of paprika, a half-teaspoon of salt and a grating of pepper. The measurements were by calibrated eyeball. I also added just a few flakes of my ultra-hot dried birds-eye chili from the garden and some dried oregano, also from my garden.

I returned the chicken to the veges in the wok, gave it a good stir, then covered it all with chicken stock. I brought that to the boil and then reduced it to simmer and went off to upload some movies to my travel blog. That turned out to be an essential and serendipitous part of the cooking technique.

The up-loading took a little longer than I expected. Some time later (probably about a half-hour) I returned to find the wok had boiled almost dry and the veges on the bottom were starting to stick to the pan and going rather black. On tasting, the flavour had developed a slightly charred characteristic (hence the cajun tag) but still seemed edible.

I added a little water and gave it a good stir to de-glaze the wok and to mix the black flecks into the mass of veges; just enough water to result in a nice gravy consistency. I did not use any thickener in the recipe; no flour or guar gum. Then I returned it to the simmer for about ten minutes; this time under supervision.

I served it with some trepidation. The tasting judge, my better half, thought it was wonderful. She claimed it was the best chicken she had eaten for a long time. Surprisingly, so did I. Of course, she may have just been trying to ensure that the cook continues to cook for her...

I'm not quite sure how to write that down as a recipe technique: "cook until just charred but not burnt".

I haven't worked out a nutrition count but the only significant carbs would have been the carrot. It hardly caused a blip on my peak post-meal BGs.

Bon appetit,

Alan

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Food, Farmers and Factories

When I offer suggestions on foods for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics on various forums such as the ADA forum or the dLife forum I am occasionally accused of concentrating far too much on blood glucose levels and ignoring other aspects of nutrition. That is not true because I am very aware that our bodies need a wide range of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals for good health. I may post at some future time on that subject in general. I mention it in passing in several past posts such as Analysis of a Day's Meals and Cinnamon, Spices, Herbs and Similar. However, I agree that to me the first priority is to get those blood glucose levels under control. After that has been achieved is the time to fine tune the resulting way of eating for other aspects of good nutrition.

Today I want to look at another aspect of the foods we eat: processing, chemicals and sources.

When they go to the market or, more likely, the supermarket to buy food and groceries most new type 2 diabetics learn fairly quickly to read the nutrition labels to check on the carbohydrate, fat, and protein content of the portions they intend eating. However, I’ve noticed that very few go beyond that label to look at the actual ingredients list.

When you start doing that, it becomes clear that many of the foods in the packets on our shelves have a lot more in them than the foods mentioned on the front of the package.

The first one that stands out to me is trans-fats. Because many countries allow manufacturers to ignore an ingredient below a minimum threshold on the nutrition table you will often find "0 gms" listed for trans-fats but “partially hydrogenated oils” listed on the ingredients list. That means the product contains trans-fats, just less than that threshold for labelling laws. So my first suggestion is to avoid all products which do that. I know of no safe minimum level for trans-fats.

On other ingredients, I have slowly formed the opinion that simpler is better. Every day we see a new scare story on a food additive that is harming us, and every other day we see a refutation of past scare stories and find that foods we thought were harmful are not. It gets confusing, doesn’t it? What is a simple guy to believe?

I am not a chemist, just a type 2 diabetic struggling to find a reasonable way of eating that not only helps manage my blood glucose levels but does not jeopardise my health in other ways. Because I am not a chemist, I err on the side of simplicity. I am a firm believer in applying KISS (keep it simple, stupid) to my food choices.

Allied to that I have absorbed some basic principles from various writers on nutrition, particularly my friend Quentin Grady who is the author of Nutrition For Blokes. Probably the most important one is that there are many different foods, especially certain vegetables, which can provide some important specific benefits; too many to list here. My way of applying that information is to include as wide a variety of fresh vegetables and protein sources in my menu as I reasonably can, with an emphasis on local seasonal produce.

When I started reading the labels on packets more closely I found that I needed a degree in Chemistry to even start to understand some of them. Here are a few examples. As a simple guy I thought the breakfast sandwich I bought on the AMTRAK from DC to NYC was a small bun, with a slice of odd-looking bacon and an egg. Later, with nothing better to do on the train, I read the fine print on the wrapper:

Bacon, Egg & Cheese On A Biscuit
INGREDIENTS:
BISCUIT:
BLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (MAY CONTAIN MALTED BARLEY FLOUR AND ENZYMES, CONTAINS NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, VEGETABLE SHORTENING (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OILS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BETA CAROTENE [COLOR]), DRY BUTTERMILK, DEXTROSE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, PRESERVATIVES (CALCIUM PROPIONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SORBIC ACID), XANTHAN GUM.

PRECOOKED EGG PATTY:
WHOLE EGGS, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, NONFAT DRY MILK, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, XANTHAN GUM, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL BUTTER FLAVOR (BUTTER [CREAM, MILK], PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, LIPOLYZED BUTTER OIL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS), CITRIC ACID. PASTEURIZED PROCESS

AMERICAN CHEESE:
AMERICAN CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR), WATER, CREAM, SODIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVE), LACTIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL COLOR.

BACON CURED WITH:
WATER, SALT, SUGAR, SMOKE FLAVORING, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE. CONTAINS EGG, MILK, SOY AND WHEAT

How did they get all that in that little biscuit? Incidentally, the nutrition table notes 3 gms trans-fat per serve.

Or are you one of the lucky diabetics who can still eat cereal for breakfast? Special K Protein Plus looks good, right? Here is the ingredients list, from the Special K web-site:

Ingredients
WHEAT BRAN, SOY GRITS, RICE, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOYBEAN OIL, WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SUGAR, SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, MALT FLAVOR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SUCRALOSE, ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID AND VITAMIN B12, TO MAINTAIN QUALITY, BHT HAS BEEN ADDED TO PACKAGING.

But I’m being a bit unfair, just looking at breakfasts. How about a simple, healthy, dinner from Lean Cuisine? I looked for a random example, Balsamic Glazed Chicken looked tasty:

Ingredients:
Blanched Enriched Orzo Pasta (Semolina, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Green Beans, Cooked Chicken Tenderloin (Chicken Tenderloins, Water, Seasoning (Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Spice, Onion Powder, Paprika), Isolated Soy Protein, Salt, Sodium Phosphates), Water, Spinach, Onions, Red Peppers, Yellow Peppers, Dark Sweet Cherry Juice Concentrate, Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Almonds, Dark Balsamic Vinegar, Modified Cornstarch, Balsamic Vinegar (Grapes, Invert Sugar), Soybean Oil, Butterfat, Sugar, Garlic Puree, Asiago Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Brown Sugar Syrup, Enzyme Modified Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Milk, Water, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Spices.

I am not saying any of those ingredients are bad for you. The point is that I am not qualified to know and I don’t want to discover ten years from now that I should not have been eating one of them when I get diagnosed with something nasty.

Here is just one example of late discoveries. Note in those lists that all of them include wheat and soy in one form or another. Now read Jenny Ruhl’s recent blog on that subject: Wheat May Be Sparking Autoimmune Type 1 Thanks to Soy in Our Diets

Do a little research and look up your own examples. Better still read the labels on the packets in your pantry. You will get some surprises.

Over the years I have developed a few general basic principles that I apply when choosing the foods I eat. I don’t get obsessive or religious about it, but when it is reasonably possible I apply these criteria when I am shopping:

1. I choose foods that owe more to the farmer than to the factory for their production.

2. I choose as wide a variety as I can of local seasonal vegetables, when possible, and fresh vegetables over frozen (there are exceptions).

3. I take the time (and my glasses) to read labels in detail. If I don’t know what an ingredient is, I don’t buy that product until I’ve looked it up. Usually I don’t bother to look it up, so that product isn’t bought.

4. For meat, fish and eggs, I choose range-fed over feed-lot, free-range over caged birds, wild fish over farmed.

5. I cook and eat at home more often than out.

6. When eating out I choose restaurants that cook from basics rather than restaurants that re-heat from the freezer.

Those are just the basics, obviously I include other factors such as carb content.

What criteria do you use?

Cheers, Alan
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.