spaghetti squash with cinnamon

autumn and spaghetti squash are a wonderful pair. in autumn I like to bake a lot, and get good smells going around the house. unfortunately, I can't eat a lot of what I like to bake because of my diabetes. that's where spaghetti squash comes in.

it's a battle. I heave this heavy, smooth squash up out of the bag and onto my countertop. thud.

i grab my longest and biggest knife. after microwaving for about a minute to soften the skin (not really), I brace myself for a possible bloodbath in the kitchen.

one is supposed to slice off one end of the squash to form a flat base. then, standing the squash upright, slice it lengthwise in half. it is very easy at this part to slip the knife off the skin and into one's hand or arm. I imagine this in my head every time I do it. i don't think it makes me more careful, but maybe a bit calmer to pre-image this in my head so when and if it does happen  i am ready.

once you have two halves, place them one at a time in the microwave in a dish that has some water at the bottom. also put about 1/4 cup of water in the hollow of the squash to keep it all steamy and moist in the oven. microwave oven.

when it comes out let it rest about 5 minutes and then it is ready to eat. I eat mine right out of the shell with a fork.

I prefer mine sweet with cinnamon and a little earth balance butter and liquid splenda drops on top. stevia powder would work here too.

spaghetti squash is full of water and fiber, which is good if you are trying to lose a few. like me ;) it is also high in B vitamins and vitamin C. it is considered a 0 point food if you are on weight watchers. enjoy.

Mexican Raw Veggie Bowl

 This recipe is adapted from Cafe Gratitude's book. It is called Yo Soy Mucho.

It is a multi-item recipe, which seems complicated, but once you get going, doesn't take much time. One tool I used was a Cuisinart mini-prep which greatly reduced chopping time for me.

The bowl is a layering of shredded kale, a raw veggie "rice," salsa, guacamole and a Brazil nut topping.

I started with the Brazil nut topping first:

Chop together:

a handful of Brazil nuts

a clove or two of garlic

pinch of sea salt

set aside

next I made the  guacamole

I used:

2 avocados

1 T chopped jalapeno

pinch of salt

juice of 1 lemon

handful of cilantro

mix together in a bowl using a fork

cover and set aside

 

Instead of making the salsa I bought some fresh at Whole Foods. It had the same ingredients I was looking for (tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno and garlic) and I saved a little time.

The kale I used came from Capay farms. I know them well and have used their home delivery organic boxes from time to time. They supply Whole Foods in the  SF Bay Area with kale and week to week I look forward to their different varieties that come in. This week was a red kale that looks like an heirloom variety. The leaves were almost an arugula shape with gorgeous purple tips. Instead of needing to shred it with a knife, I just tore pieces with my fingers.

 

Final prep was the veggie rice.

Ingredients:

2 parsnips
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
pinch of salt

Chop up parsnips into 1 inch pieces.
Chop together in mini prep or food processor all ingredients briefly until you get a "rice" size.

Spread on teflex sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees 20 minutes to soften.

Assembly:

Lay a handful or two of shredded kale on the bottom of bowl or dish. Add veggie rice on top. Next add guacamole and salsa to taste and finally add the Brazil Parmesan sprinkled all over the dish.

This is something I will make again and again. The Brazil nut Parmesan is definitely a must for lots of salads.This whole dish is not only colorful and tasty, but great for my diabetes due to its very high fiber and low glycemic nature. I am getting something good for me in every bite whether it's good fats from the avocado, Selenium form the Brazil nuts or calcium from the kale.

Enjoy!

my granola

claire's granola

I am a  type 1 diabetic and require insulin to live.

My days are spent monitoring my blood sugars at least 8 times a day and carefully counting and measuring my food so I can adjust my insulin to mimic what my body would need if I were normal.

Foods like granola are very tricky. They are usually packed with sweet and sticky and chewy with little nuggets of even sweeter and stickier. Granola tastes great but I have avoided the "regular" kind for a long long time thinking I couldn't ever get my insulin needs to match up with it.

The raw way of eating has allowed my food choices to include things I had previously excluded. Eating raw I can tolerate carbohydrates much more efficiently than before. I need less insulin, which creates a smaller margin of error. That is a good thing. I find myself eating raw desserts and other sweet treats with the confidence that I am not only eating healthy, but I am also giving my whole digestive and endocrine system a break so I don't have to fight as hard. Eating sweet things. I think that is really cool for a diabetic.

In my epicurean adventures with raw foods, I tried making a granola recipe that turned out really well. It tastes sweet but not too sweet, and has a hint of salty. It is crunchy and chewy. It is also raw so I can eat it and deal with my insulin needs easier- much easier than if I ate conventional granola.

What I like about this recipe  is that it is complex, like most, but it is deeper than most. I think adding in coconut oil brings to it a richness that I don't find in others I have tried. 

Here goes:

Mix together in these amounts:

2 cups soaked almonds

1 cup soaked sunflower seeds

1 cup soaked buckwheat ( keep it to 30 minutes and rinse well!)

1 cup coconut shreds

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tsp Himalayan sea salt

2 tsp vanilla powder

1/4 cup raw honey

1/2 cup raw agave

all ingredients should be raw and organic if you can manage it.

dehydrate at 108 degrees at least 12 hours but more like 18 for crunchy. I start it on teflex and then flip it over 12 hours into it.