Dr. Sapna Parikh teamed up with a chef to create a sugar-free thanksgiving menu.
Thanksgiving is all about overindulging, but if you have diabetes, you don't always get to enjoy it.
Dietician and diabetes educator Alenka Ravnik says you don't have to give up everything. She and George Russo, Executive Chef at Mount Sinai Medical Center, created a diabetic friendly Thanksgiving menu.
Russo says you don't have to give up flavor to be healthy.
First the butternut squash soup, made with low fat yogurt instead of cream. A low sodium base is used and no sugar or salt is added.
The green beans are steamed with a citrus mustard glaze and the mash potatoes, aren't really potatoes, they're pureed turnips. You put them into a food processor with roasted garlic and fresh pear to give it the same texture as mashed potatoes, but with fewer carbohydrates.
For the main course, a turkey roulade made with skinless, all white meat turkey breasts served with a stuffing made from seasoned whole wheat bread and dried cranberries. There isn't any add sugars, just the cranberries. Roll it, tie it, bake it and slice it.
And apple cider gravy finishes the whole thing.
For dessert is a blue berry lemonade pie. The filling is fat free vanilla pudding with crystal light lemonade mix, fat free cool whip and blueberries.
Recipes for a diabetes-friendly, delicious Thanksgiving dinner menu from hotel, restaurant and corporate dining chef George Russo, Executive Chef at The Mount Sinai Medical Center who developed the menu along with Mount Sinai Diabetes Center's dietitian Alenka Ravnik-List.
The Menu:
Butternut Squash Soup
Yield 8 8oz serving
Preheat a medium size sauce pan over medium high heat. Add 2 T olive oil. Slowly add onion and celery. Stir and lower heat to medium. Sweat vegetables for 10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Mix well and cook 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce to dry. Add squash and broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes covered. Transfer to blender or use a hand held blender. Puree until smooth. Add yogurt, nutmeg and pepper.
Mix well. Add hot water or vegetable broth in to thicken.
Turkey Roulade with Whole Wheat Stuffing and Cider Gravy
Yield 8 servings
tuffing- Prepare in advance and cool.
Heat oil in medium non stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add bread and cranberries and cook until bread is softened. Remove from heat and add parsley, thyme, sage and pepper. Mix well. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Turkey Roulade
Lay turkey on cutting board. Start from rounded side and make a horizontal cut at the middle of the breast to within 1 inch of other side. Open breast and cover with plastic wrap. Pound turkey with a mallet or a small sauté pan. Turkey should be even thickness all around. Remove plastic and spread stuffing over breast leaving a 1 inch border all around. Roll the breast tightly tucking under as you roll. Tie breast with kitchen string in 1 inch intervals.
In a medium sauté pan heat butter substitute over medium high heat. Add turkey and brown on all sides. Transfer pan to a preheated 350* oven. Cook turkey for 40-60 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160*. Remove from pan and transfer to a holding tray. Tent with foil and hold. Reserve pan with juices and let cool.
At time of service remove string and slice turkey into 1 inch slices.
Cider gravy
Heat reserved sauté pan from turkey over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes stirring often. Add cider and deglaze pan. Scrape pan to loosen any browned bits. Add broth and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer. Add water to cornstarch stirring constantly. Mixture should be thick and tacky to touch. Slowly add slurry to stock stirring constantly with wire whip. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream, mustard and lemon juice. Strain and serve with turkey.
Green Beans with Citrus mustard
Yield 8 servings
Bring 1 gallon of water to boil. Add green beans and return to boil. Lower heat and simmer 5-7 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. When beans are cooked drain in a colander. Add beans to bowl and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.
Mashed Turnips with Roasted Garlic
Yield 8 servings
Wrap garlic in aluminum foil and cook 20 minutes in a 375* oven. Garlic should be very soft. Place turnips in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. When turnips are done drain well and transfer to food processer. Add pears and garlic. Pulse to mix all together. Add butter substitute and pulse to incorporate. Turn on machine and slowly add milk and puree until smooth.
May be made in advance and reheated in microwave.
Blueberry Lemonade Pie
Yield 10 slices
In a mixing bowl combine pudding, lemonade mix and milk. Beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape bowl as needed. Beat for 2 minutes or until mixture is well blended and thickens slightly. Add whipped topping and beat on low speed until well blended. Fold in blueberries. Spoon mix into pie shell and spread evenly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. May be made 1 day in advance.
Total meal nutritional information:
