A Diabetic Thanksgiving Menu

Gone are the days when the diabetic had very little choices of food with flavor. Gone are the days when anything that tasted sweet was off limits. Today you'll find a variety of items suitable for the diabetic diet and loved by your taste buds.

Below you will find an entire Thanksgiving menu with the diabetic in mind. Low in carbs and even low on sodium.

Let's get it started off with an appetizer.

Appetizer

Mushroom Caviar - This is a topping for crackers and bread made with portobello mushrooms, button mushroom, scallions and garlic.

11/2 Cups of portobello mushrooms
11/2 Cups of button mushrooms
1/4 Cup chopped scallions
4 medium garlic cloves, dry roasted
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp basalmic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
a pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Directions - Begin by cutting the portobello mushroom into quarter inch cubes and the button mushrooms into halves or quarters. Place mushrooms and scallions into a covered microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Continue to microwave the mushroom until tender, in 30 second intervals.

Next transfer the scallions and mushrooms to a food processor or blender. On processor pulse a few times until mixture is chopped. With blender use chop option until chopped finely. Scrape sides down and continue to chop. Add remaining ingredients and pulse a couple of times with food processor until mixed well. Use mix on blender until mixed well.

Serve in serving bowl. It's best to serve warm.

Note: Make sure to save liquid of mushrooms when putting into processor/blender to use in case you need to moisten the mixture.

Side Dishes

Asparagus and Cashews - Fresh steamed asparagus tossed with sesame oil and roasted cashews.

11/2 lbs of fresh asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tbsp of sesame oil
3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp of dried marjoram
1 oz of cashews toasted and chopped

Directions - Steam the asparagus in a metal steamer over boiling water for 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and combine asparagus with remaining ingredients.

Herbed Green Beans - Green beans tossed with tarragon, scallions, garlic and vinegar.

8 oz of fresh green beans
olive oil cooking spray
1 scallion (all of white and an inch of green finely chopped)
1 medium garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp of chopped tarragon
pinch of black pepper
1 tsp of white wine vinegar

Directions - Boil water in a saucepan. Cook beans for 3 minutes, drain and put back into saucepan.

Spray the beans with cooking spray. Add scallion, garlic, tarragon and vinegar. Toss to mix.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes - Potatoes mashed with buttermilk and butter.

3/4 lbs of cooked and diced potatoes
1/4 cup warmed buttermilk
pinch of salt and pepper for taste

Directions - Begin by partly mashing potatoes in large bowl. Add buttermilk and mix well and continue mashing potatoes.

Add butter, salt, and pepper.

Main Course

Rosemary Roast Turkey - A fragrant and moist turkey.

6 medium garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh rosemary (coarsely chopped)
1 whole turkey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium lemon cut in half
5 4 to 6 inch sprigs of rosemary

Directions - Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and mix with rosemary.

Clean turkey and take out giblets from turkey, pat dry with towel.

Massage oil into surface of bird. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon into body cavity and leave peel inside cavity. Squeeze the juice of other 1/2 onto surface of turkey.

Gently loosen skin of turkey, beginning at neck and gently pushing.

Rub rosemary mixture between skin and meat of turkey. And place rest of rosemary mixture inside cavity.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place turkey in oven breast side up and cook for 2 1/4 hours or until thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

Let turkey rest 30 minutes before serving. Use juices as a gravy.

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie - A delicious pumpkin pie for the carb conscious.

1 frozen 9" pie crust
16 oz canned pumpkin
12 oz canned evaporated skim milk
3 eggs
3/4 cups of Splenda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
Lite whipped topping

Directions - Beat pumpkin, eggs and milk in medium bowl using medium speed on mixer until well combined. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven of 400 degrees. F for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

Remove and sit on wire rack. Let cool and serve with whipped topping.