Herbed Chicken Drumsticks - Julie Buckley

A tasty marinade for chicken the whole family will love. Use plenty of herbs and swap around to vary the flavour depending on what is available.

Herbed Chicken Drumsticks

2 Chicken drumsticks per person
Marinade:
A handful each of fresh parsley, mint and oregano 
You can also add other herbs depending on what you like or have on hand such as rosemary, sage, basil, thyme, lemon balm etc - the more the merrier
1 small red onion diced
2 Tbsp Fish sauce
Juice of a lemon
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 small red chilli seeds removed and finely chopped
1 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

Place all of the marinade ingredients into a blender and pulse until a paste is formed.

With a knife cut slashes into the meaty part of the chicken drumsticks. Place in a roasting dish and spoon over the marinade and with gloves on massage the marinade over the chicken making sure you get it right into the cuts.

Cover the chicken and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Pour ½ cup of water into the baking tray to make sure the marinade doesn’t burn. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is golden and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a knife.

This chicken is also great on the barbeque but make sure it is cooked more slowly. Always check it is cooked right through and is not pink in the middle.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Zucchini and Feta Tart - Julie Buckley

Zucchinis are abundant in my garden at the moment so are going into a lot of meals. This is a lovely option for lunch or dinner with a green salad. It can also be made without the pastry to make a lovely frittata which could be made in muffin tins for a great breakfast or lunch option.

Zucchini and Feta Tart

Serves 4-6 people

Pastry
3/4c ground almonds
1/2c coconut flour
1/4c coconut oil melted
3Tbsp psyllium husks
1 egg
1tsp sea salt
2-3 Tbsp cold water

Filling
6 eggs
1/2c cream
2 zucchini sliced thinly lengthwise
1 red capsicum, seeds removed and sliced thinly
75g feta cheese
½ tsp sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celcius. To make the pastry mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Mix in the beaten egg and melted coconut oil. You may need to gradually add in enough cold water to help form a stiff dough. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Prepare a round or rectangle flan tin by lightly greasing with coconut or olive oil (mine is a loose bottom tin to make removal easier). Roll out the pastry until 2-3mm thick between 2 sheets of baking paper. Remove the top layer of baking paper and gently flip the pastry over. It is likely to break but patch up any patches or cracks by pressing the pastry together. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool before adding the filling.

Thinly slice the zucchini with a mandolin or vegetable peeler into thin strips and roll up. Stand the zucchini rolls on their ends and scatter the red capsicum and crumbled feta over. Beat together the eggs and cream with the salt and pepper and pour evenly into the pastry case over the vegetables.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is puffed and golden and set in the middle.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Are supplements necessary?

Photo by Angel Sinigersky on Unsplash

Do I take supplements or should I be trying to get what I need from food?

Nutrition surveys tell us that more and more people are not meeting the bare minimum recommended daily amounts (RDAs) of more and more nutrients. Common examples are magnesium, selenium, zinc and vitamins A, C and D. Government response is often to drop the RDAs further!

Ideally we get our nutrients from real food. The quality of our food has changed dramatically so it is no longer as simple as this. Our depleted soil, the types of seeds, processing and additives are all not helping. Sugar depletes nutrients from the body, as the body works to handle it, but brings nothing to the party in return, a ‘minus-sum game’.

Chemicals are disrupting our chemistry, overworking our elimination pathways and provoking the immune system. Sometimes the body will need a therapeutic dose of something and additional supplement support may be appropriate. Fish oil is a good example for the diabetic person. The body tries to tell us that it needs something additional - this message is often met with a medication! Which of course can also cause negative side effects.

It is interesting to note that the 60 mg or so of vitamin C is in an apple, with all its cofactors, equals the effect of around 1500 mg of “pure” vitamin C in the body. So you can see that eating real food is important. Nature is designed perfectly but the marketers have got too clever!

So the definitive answer is YES you are most likely going to need some help from supplements. generally a change in diet is essential for most people. Supplements will help us all.

If you feel you need help please feelf ree to reach out the a Health Coach at the Diabetes Clinic. Contact us via our Facebook page via messenger.

https://www.facebook.com/diabetesclinicnz/

Have a healthy day

Tony Cutting
Blog written on behalf of the Diabetes Clinic.

www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Lettuce Lunch Wraps - Julie Buckley

This is a versatile recipe where you can use up leftovers from your fridge or whatever vegetables you have on hand. Iceberg lettuce or cos lettuce leaves work well for the wrap

Ingredients
1 cos lettuce washed, remove thick stems 
Leftover cooked chicken, ham, bacon
1 ripe avocado sliced
2 tomatoes sliced
½ cup roasted capsicums drained
1 cucumber thinly sliced
½ cup sprouts
Smokey almond hummus:
½ c ground almonds
1 Tbsp tahini
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic crushed
¼ c water
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes in oil finely chopped

To make the hummus combine the ingredients together to make a thick paste using half the water initially then add a little more water to make it more spreadable if needed as the almonds soak up a lot.

Lay a sheet of baking paper on your board and arrange lettuce leaves overlapping if they are not large. Spread a layer of almond hummus or a good quality mayo over the leaves leaving a good border free for wrapping. Add the cooked chicken or ham and vegetables down the middle of the leaves. Using the baking paper roll the leaf wrap up tightly and secure with toothpicks or string to hold tight. Cut in half and enjoy.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Salmon salad with Tahini and lemon dressing - Julie Buckley

Salmon Salad with Tahini

There is nothing that says summer more than fresh colourful salads. The more colours in your salad the more nutrients you are eating. This salmon and vegetable salad is dressed with tahini and lemon dressing and is a complete meal.

Use what you have on hand in your garden or fridge. Bacon and chicken are both great options instead of salmon and vegetable options are limited only by your imagination.

Salmon salad with Tahini and lemon dressing

Salad greens - enough to cover your plate or platter
400g salmon fillet skin on and pin bones removed
2 zuchinni cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots cut into even size pieces
1 red onion peeled and sliced into wedges
1 red or yellow capsicum cut into large cubes
1/2 avocado sliced or diced
4-6 eggs soft boiled
100g green beans
100g cherry tomatoes halved
1-2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing
1/3c extra virgin olive oil
1/3c apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic crushed
1 Tbsp Tahini
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut all of your vegetables into even sized pieces. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay the zuchinni, carrots, red onions and capsicums in separate lines on the baking tray and drizzle with a little avocado or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until just tender. Leave to cool while assembling the remaining ingredients.

Place the salmon fillet onto a baking tray and drizzle with avocado oil, the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the centre is just cooked. Leave to cool before cutting into chunks or flaking with a fork.

Blanch the beans in boiling water for about 30 seconds then refresh in cold water to stop them cooking further. Peel and halve the boiled eggs.

To make the dressing blend all of the ingredients together with a stick blender.

To assemble place a bed of lettuce onto your serving platter. Place lines of your cooked and raw vegetables and the salmon and eggs in rows over the top of the salad. Alternate colours where possible. Drizzle with the dressing just before serving.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Beetroot hummus - Julie Buckley

A beautiful dip that tastes amazing without chickpeas which can be high in starch. This one contains butter beans which are much lower in carbohydrate.

Beetroot hummus

2 medium beetroot scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 400g can butter beans drained and rinsed
1/4 c tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 c water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the beetroot on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes on 180 degrees celsius. Cool and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth adding a little more water if it's too thick.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and a little more olive oil drizzled over and serve with vegetable sticks and seed crackers

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

Raspberry and Lemon Christmas Tarts - Julie Buckley

Have a very healthy Christmas from the team at the Diabetes Clinic. This recipe comes with a FREE special Christmas offer.

These little tarts are just the thing for a Christmas plate in the lead up or on the day. They have a shortcrust like shell and raspberry and lemon curd centre, sweetened with either monk fruit or stevia.

Raspberry and Lemon Christmas Tarts

Makes 24-30 bite sized tarts
Cases can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container and filling chilled in the fridge.

Pastry
1c ground almonds
½ c ground walnuts (Blitz walnut pieces in the blender)
⅓ c coconut flour
½ c tapioca starch
2 Tbsp psyllium husks
1 small egg 
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp stevia liquid

Filling
250g fresh or frozen raspberries defrosted 
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup monkfruit sweetener or stevia equivalent
4 egg yolks
75g butter chopped
1 ½ Tbsp chia seeds

Topping
100g 70% dark chocolate
75g cacao butter
25g coconut butter
20 drops stevia

To make the pastry place all of the ingredients into a food processor and combine until the mixture comes together into a ball. Turn out dough, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Place tablespoon sized balls of dough into well greased mini muffin tins and press with fingers to cover the base and up the sides of each hole. Prick the bases with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes until golden.

Melt the butter for the filling in a medium sized pot. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and sweetener and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk the egg yolks into the hot mixture one at a time to make sure they don’t scramble.

Return to the heat and cook over a low heat stirring continuously to avoid catching on the bottom until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Cool and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

To make the topping place the dark chocolate and the cacao butter into separate heat proof bowls. Place the dark chocolate bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt. Do not allow water or steam to get into the bowl. Spread the melted chocolate onto a sheet of baking paper. Place the bowl of cacao butter over pan of hot water and add the coconut butter and stevia. Stir until melted. Pour into a zip lock bag and cool until it is starting to thicken. Snip the corner off the bag and pour lines of cacao butter over the dark chocolate while it is still soft and swirl through.

Place on a tray in the fridge until set and remove and cut star or other shapes from the chocolate. To assemble spoon raspberry filling into the cases and tope with a chocolate star. You may not want to assemble until you are ready to use them as the cases are delicate without the gluten and will go soft quickly.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

To get hold of our FREE 2018 Christmas Cook Book please ‘like’ our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/diabetesclinicnz/ and tag a friend in the comments section under this recipe and then send us a message “Xmas Cook Book please”.

The 2018 Xmas Cook Book will be delivered digitally to those in our message system. It is full of great healthy recipes for the whole family. Feel free to share your book with family and friends and have a very merry Christmas.