In a recent thread Ron asks, “What kind of cuisine sends your sugars high?”
For me it’s Chinese take out, which is a pain in the patootie because I love the stuff. But I really hate the next 8-10 HOURS of trying to get my bgl’s under control!
So when I have the craving, I cook a quick and easy home made version. It’s pretty simple to make in a hurry.
Defrost/steam one bag of frozen mixed veggies in a large bow in the microwave (California or Oriental style works well). Drain.
Stir fry in a non-stick pan with a bit of cooking spray:
1 or 2 sliced, boneless chicken breasts
or
1 or 2 cups prawns/shrimp
or
1 or 2 cups of leftover roast beef or pork
Add the drained, steamed veggies & stir fry a bit more
Add 1 small can drained mandarin orange segments or 1 small can drained pineapple chunks
Add 1/2 cup or to taste of your favorite sauce (hoisin, black bean, teriyaki etc.). Mix through until everything is smelling great
Serve with steamed, converted rice or cooked duram noodles, or cooked whole wheat couscous.
Enjoy! All the flavour, none of the all-night-long fight to get control of your bgls!
Maureen, Understand wjere you are coming from I also love Chinese also and have the same problem. I am going to print off your rec. looks wonderful.
Thanks
Andy
When I cook Asian at home, I rarely use rice or noodles. Instead, shortly before finishing, I add in a couple of cups of soybean sprouts (I buy them fresh at the greengrocer, but I can also get them bagged in the supermarket’s chilled produce aisle). Low carb, lower-calorie than rice, high fiber, high protein, similar texture to noodles, doesn’t spike my blood glucose. Another option is to use Enoki mushrooms – the thin, spaghetti-like mushrooms we often see in Japanese cuisine.
I don’t add fruit in unless I’m making sweet-and-sour or Teriyaki – and when I do add them, I add fresh rather than canned. But then again, I only use frozen veggies when I’m out of fresh.
While I do use a number of pre-made Asian sauces (hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, peanut sauce, Asian hot sauce), I tend to be cautious with them because they are extremely high in sodium, and many have a lot of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. I do look at the ingredients to see if there is a way I can create healthier versions of them from scratch. A basic “oyster-style sauce” can be created from a tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce, a half-teaspoon of five-spice powder, a teaspoon of cornstarch (or arrowroot!), a tablespoon of (unseasoned) rice-wine vinegar, and no more than a quarter cup of water. Mix the dry ingredients together, slowly mix in the wet ingredients until smooth. Add while the the stir-fry is still on the stove, and toss until the sauce is thickened.
