Gourmet Dining with BCH

About 30 guests attended the Gourmet Dining on a 400-calorie Budget luncheon on November 1. This event started the activities for National Diabetes Awareness Month in November.

The idea for a lunch and cooking demonstration was a collaborative effort from members of the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Diabetes Education Team. Kyle Schwann, a registered dietitian, developed the diabetes-friendly recipes and worked with the BCH Dietary Department to scale up the size to feed a bigger audience.

On the menu: pork tenderloin with apple stuffing and a raspberry glaze, roasted seasonal vegetables, a brown and wild rice medley, and pumpkin cheesecake bites for dessert.

Schwann had the ingredients prepped and ready for the demonstration, while Chef Linda Hamblin worked in the Concord Senior Center kitchen to cook the pork and rice, and roast the carrots, potatoes, parsnips and kale.

Most crucial to the demonstration was the concept of portion sizes. Each guest received a set of BCH-branded measuring cups to assist with food preparation and portion size.

Questions from the diners included whether they should cook with butter or margarine, and if diabetics could eat rice. 

The answers, from Schwann, were that in moderation, you can cook with butter or margarine, but that butter burns at a lower temperature, so watch it closely! And as for eating rice, that comes down to portion size. Brown and wild rice have more fiber than white rice, and a standard portion size of rice would be 1/3 cup – much less than you would expect!

Schwann also talked through possible substitutions for ingredients and techniques for prepping the meat. She also had on display a plate where the approximate portion sizes were draw out as in a pie chart. Liz Cappola set a “1500-calorie” table, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and a healthy snack displayed with realistic food models.

Next on the calendar for BCH: the Ask-an-Expert night on November 16 starting at 7 p.m., presented by the Buffalo Chapter of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). This will also be held at the Concord Senior Center, and a panel of experts will be available for questions, large and small, about diabetes, medications, devices, recipes and healthy behaviors. The event will be moderated by Kathleen Hebdon, RN, who coordinates the BCH Diabetes Education Program. Hebdon also is active in the AADE, and was recently elected the vice president for New York State.

Gourmet Dining on a 400-calorie Budget: Recipes

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Stuffing and Raspberry Glaze

6 Servings—2 oz. Pork w/ 4 oz. apple stuffing & Raspberry Sauce

Roast 2 hrs. 15 min @ 325˚F

Ingredients

  • 1 Stalk Celery
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped onion
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. butter or margarine
  • ½ cup tart red apples
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • ¼  tsp ground cardamom
  • 4/5 cup dried bread cubes
  • 14 oz. boneless double pork loin roast (tied)
  • Dash salt
  • Dash garlic powder

Directions

  • Cook celery and onion in a large skillet w/margarine until tender, but not brown. Stir in chopped apple, allspice and cardamom. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
  • Add bread cubes to mix. Toss gently to coat bread, but don’t overmix. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 325˚F.
  • Untie Roast and separate in halves. Trim excess fat. Spoon about ½ apple stuffing mix over half the meat.
  • Re-assemble roast. Tie with string to secure. Place on a wire rack in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  • Roast stuffed meat uncovered in the preheated oven for 2 ¼ to 2 ¾ hours or until meat thermometer registers 160-170˚F.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
  • 6 Servings- 1 Tbsp.

Raspberry Glaze

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cups undrained frozen raspberries, thawed
  • 1 Tbsp. red currant jelly
  • 2 Tbsp. apricot juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp. cold water

Directions

  • Combine raspberries, currant jelly, apricot nectar and sugar in a medium sauce pan.
  • Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil.
  • Strain through a sieve. In the same sauce pan combine cornstarch and water. Stir in raspberry mixture.
  • Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
  • Nutrition facts per serving: 165 calories, 6 gm fat, 91 mg sodium, 12 gram Carbohydrate, 14 gram Protein.
  • (1 Carb, 2 Meat)

Brown and Wild Rice Mix

6 Servings – 1/3 cup—45 minutes on stove top

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. Canola Oil
  • 1 Shallots finely chopped
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 1/3 cup Brown Rice
  • 1/3 cup Wild Rice, rinsed
  • 2 cups Vegetable Stock
  • Dash Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • ½  cup Parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp. Orange Zest

Directions

  • In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil.
  • Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the stock, salt and red pepper; bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the rice mixture is almost tender, about 30-40 minutes, but still chewy.
  • Add orange zest and parsley; toss lightly.

Nutrition facts per 1/3 cup serving: 88 calories, 1 gm fat, 158 mg Sodium, 16 gram Carbohydrate, and 1 gram Protein.  (1 Carb)

Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

6 Servings- ½ cup
Roast 30 minutes in 450˚F oven

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb. Red Skin Potatoes, sliced
  • 1 cup Butternut Squash Cubes
  • 1 Large Carrot, peeled and cut into ½” thick slices
  • 1 Parsnip, peeled and cut into ½ “thick slices
  • 2/3 cup Kale, rinsed and chopped
  • 1 ½ Tsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 clove garlic minced
  • Salt (sparingly) and Pepper to taste

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 450˚F.
  • Lightly oil baking sheets.
  • Combine the vegetables, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt/pepper to taste in a large bowl.
  • Toss by hand to coat vegetables.
  • Spread the mixture evenly onto baking sheets.
  • In 450˚F oven, bake vegetables for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, stir vegetables and return to oven.
  • Bake an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and brown.

Nutrition Facts per ½ cup:  83 calories, 0.4 gm Fat, 42 mg Na, 15 gm Carbohydrate, 2 gm Protein.

(1 Carb -Starchy Vegetable)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

6 servings – 2 cheesecake bites per serving

Ingredients

  • 6 Gingersnap cookies (2”diameter)
  • 3 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup Skim milk
  • 1/2 package cheesecake flavored fat-free instant pudding mix (sugar free if available)
  • 1/2 package pumpkin flavored fat-free instant pudding mix (sugar free if available)

Directions

  • Line mini-muffin cups with paper liners. Break gingersnaps into pieces; process in food processor to make about ½ cup fine crumbs.
  • Place 1 tsp crumbs in each paper liner.
  • Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer at low speed until smooth.
  • Add pudding mixes and milk. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Spoon 1 ½ Tbsp. cream cheese mixture into each paper liner. Place bites in refrigerator to chill until served.

Nutrition Facts per 2 bites: 85 calories, 1 gram fat, 305 mg Sodium, 18 gram Carbohydrate,  4 gram Protein. (1 Carb)