Breakfast breads

If I was unclear, let me be clear that this project does have me tracking cost. I am not trying to do a per meal but rather discover what the true cost of diabetes is as I develop recipes that fit the guidelines.

All products made for diabetics cost more than their traditional counterparts, even when there are few differences in ingredients.

I was told that the Quinoa based pasta is really excellent and half the carbs of regular, it is however 4 times the price.

When I did the food stamp diet I relied heavily on pasta and rice. My carbohydrate most days was well over 50% of my diet during that period.

Being poor and diabetic is a double whammy.

I admit that I crave carbohydrate in a big way.I love popovers. I woke up wanting them, just as badly as I craved rice last night.

I decided to give in but adapt the recipe so that it would be somewhat better.

1 cup bread flour
3 eggs
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup Alba
Dash of salt. This made 8 light crisp popovers, 4 of which I ate.

They worked, they popped and tasted great. I had them with butter and my coffee with goat milk, a few grapes and my carbs came in at exactly 33%.

If you have not used Salba it is a very high fiber seed loaded with omega 3 and fiber. Ask at your local health food store. It is NOT cheap.

As a snack before I went to work I had two slices of bacon. Dr. Atkins would be proud.

At work I was making 'Sunday Gravy' a tomato sauce rich with flavor, this one contained carrot, cabbage, mushrooms, onion, garlic, capers and a lot of tomato. For our diners the sauce could either be vegan or have the meat version with sausage and beef.

I could resist I had a small bowl with sausage. (no beef) and it was okay...50 carbohydates but in good proportion.

At home I had one of those dreaded chicken breasts the dietician suggested I buy, I seasoned the heck out of it and did a quick roast with some broccoli.

The broccoli was great. I added a bit of olive oil to the boring breast, all the seasoning in the world cannot make baked or broiled breast into something that makes me happy. I have to go further to find the right food.

I had my glass of wine and calculated that for the first time since I began this diet I hit my calorie goal of 2,200 for the day. With 28% carbohydrate I had 2,300 calories.

Less Rigid, more mistakes

I had a smaller amount of Lavash with sausage this morning alongside my coffee and slightly more than a cup of spicy pinto beans. I thought it was a great breakfast.

While beans are 'good carbs' I still came in at 60 grams which is my absolute maximum for a meal; 38% of my total calories.

This was followed by a kid's birthday party (dont' ask, but I ate nothing) and then a snack of a cup of chicken noodle soup one apple and 2 ounces of cheddar.

At work I grazed.1/4 cup of chicken chili, and 1/4 cup of cole slaw, of course that made me hungry when coming home.

I REALLY wanted to get one of my favorite rice plates at ABC my local Chinese restaurant, in my mind I could taste those spicy shrimp over rice. However the rice plates serve a lot of rice, about 3 cups and I knew that if I ordered I would eat it all. It took every ounce of willpower but I ordered congee.

Congee or jook is a very small amount of rice cooked in a broth until it breaks down and the broth is thickened. This Congee had preserved egg and dried oyster. I had half of the order by which time my sauteed big oysters were ready. I still wanted a plate of rice but I resisted. I had a small glass of wine, which helped.

My day had a decent ratio for the day with carbs coming in at 34% and calories 1,842.

Living as a Diabetic, playing with my food

Think breakfast sausage, the kind with a lot of sage and fennel and a blast of hot pepper. I had made some a while back and had a couple of packets in my freezer, last night I pulled one.

While having my coffee and goat milk I read the lavash package (one thin slice has 10 grams of carb)and the package directions suggested using it as a pizza crust...hmmm.

I ended up with this.

1 Lavash
5 ounces of sausage

I spread the lavash thinly with the sausage s if I was fingerpainting. It was kinda fun.I popped it in the oven at 45 and very soon it had curled and crisped the the sausage was cooked with a touch of brown on top.

What a great breakfast base. I can see adding chopped tomato, or a poached egg, but today it was delicious on it's own. Along with a grapefruit. I kept my carbs at 22% and feel great.

At work my eating was more sloppy and less focused. I kept popping bites; a little puff pastry with cheese, 1 grape, two strawberries, a mushroom, A cup of spinach with a touch of blue cheese dressing, a cup of mashed potatoes (skin on)and a piece of tilapia.

This sloppy eating did not raise my carbs particularly high but unplanned eating can be the nemesis of the diabetic.

It was a long day and I had stops to make on the way home. I was not going to cook again so once in my own kitchen I had a tomato with some salt and olive oil and two ounces of cheddar with a glass of wine.

My carbs were again at 22%, I've not found the happy medium yet. 1,775 calories.

Living as a Diabetic and managing calories

Any time I change my eating pattern I have a difficult time sustaining my calories. When I can't eat what I want, when I want I have less interest in food.

It is really hard to analyze bite after bite to determine breakfast.

I've had half of my allotment of blackberries and 1/2 lavash with 1 ounce of cheese thus far and it is coming up on lunchtime.

I did make the switch from half and half to goat milk in my coffee, and still have to analyze my goat milk.

Thus far 38 grams of carb.

Lunch was a feast. I did it, I made an extraordinary satisfying and nutritious dish that included pasta and brought it in at 47 grams of carbohydrate.

A Sicilian Feast
1.5 ounces of pasta
1 tablespoon of olive oil
15 small black olives
1.5 cups of broccoli
Salt
Black Pepper
Red Pepper

Put a pot of salted water onto boil for your pasta. 

Finely chop the garlic and saute in the oil, when it softens add the broccoli and a touch of the pasta water. You want a little steam. Ideally broccoli should be crisp, not hard or mushy. Sprinkle lightly with seasoning.

When pasta is almost done, drain and finish in the skilled with the broccoli and oil. Know you are getting a lot of vitamin C and enough of everything else to make this a healthy dish.

Diabetics can have pasta, just not very much.

Dining out can be a mystery card for all of us. We just have to adapt with what is served.

Tonight I was at a graduation. Star Bosley of the C.H.E.F.S. program graduated tonight. She is an intern I have been working with and she has become a very good chef in her own right. The chefs who have no completed an internship prepare the food for the graduation of those who are ready (or in the case of Star)alreayd have moved onto jobs.

We began with finely chopped tomato and basil on sliced french bread served alongside 2 shrimp and 3 grapes. Odd composition, yes, but tasty little breads. I had my two and one off of another plate.

The main was a half cornish game hen with a pomegranate glaze. I had half, just the drum and thigh. The glaze was delicious. It was served alongside bulgar (I avoided it) and grilled asparagus which I ate.

When I did not eat my bulgar they brought out a small portion of the kid's meal, macaroni and cheese and my strong resolve dissolved.

I did manage to avoid dessert, but then they handed out goody bags of biscotti. Two are currently in my backpack taunting me.

I am jonesing for a snack but I will have a small bit of wine and try to resist. My calories are fine but my carbs are a little bit high in the total proportion of my diet coming in at 37%. Not in the danger zone, but time to stop.

...and I could not resist a snack. I chose well. I had some dried anchovies with chili peppers in the house. You can find them in Chinatown, sometimes with peanuts mixed in as well. Great snack.

Calories 1,880. Carbs 33%.