Diabetes often means people with the condition assume they will have to stick to plain foods with little excitement, especially in terms of sweet, sugary desserts. TV chef Phil Vickery contributes so recipes that will change that!
Diabetes is heavily affected by what you eat and in what quantities. Unfortunately this often means people with the condition assume they will have to stick to plain foods with little excitement, especially in terms of sweet, sugary desserts.
The ‘Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook’ by Phil Vickery has been designed to bring the fun back into cooking and keep the flavour and joy in the recipes that have been missing in the kitchens of people living with diabetes. Below, he showcases two of the recipes from his cookbook.
Strawberries with balsamic vinegar & fresh mint
Unfortunately, many strawberries available in the supermarkets are pretty tasteless, but English (and French) strawberries are some of the best in the world and always will be, and if you can pick your own they’re even better. One good tip is to always wash strawberries before you remove the stalks, so they don’t become waterlogged and go soggy in minutes.
SERVES – 4
PREP TIME – 15 minutes, + 1 hour marinating
COOKING TIME – none
- 400g small ripe English strawberries
- 2 heaped tablespoons sweetener
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- juice of 1 large lime
- finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- a few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves only
- 100g plain fromage frais, lightly whipped
Method
- Gently wash the strawberries, then remove the stalks. Cut them in half lengthways and put in a shallow dish. Sprinkle over the sweetener, balsamic vinegar, lime juice and orange zest.
- Finely shred the mint leaves and reserve a little for decoration, then sprinkle the remainder over the strawberries.
- Set aside and leave to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- To serve, pile the strawberry mixture into sundae glasses and top each portion with a spoonful of the lightly whipped fromage frais. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped mint to finish.
ENERGY 73kcals, PROTEIN 2.3g, FAT 2.1g, SATURATED FAT 1.4g, CARBOHYDRATE 15g, TOTAL SUGARS 7g, SALT 0g
Fruity yogurt ice cream with mango or strawberries
Traditionally, ice cream is made with eggs and cream or custard. Using yogurt is a healthy alternative and makes a treat you can still enjoy. It’s best to use full-fat yogurt; it is lower in fat than cream or custard and low-fat yogurt forms large ice crystals, which gives an icy texture. If you have an ice-cream maker, then all the better to achieve a silky texture, but it’s not a problem if you don’t. Any variety of soft fruit will work just as well as the strawberries or mango.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 20 minutes, plus freezing
COOKING TIME none
- 400g prepared fresh ripe mango flesh, chopped (or use canned mango and drain it well) or 400g strawberries, hulled and chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 300g full-fat natural yogurt
- 1 tablespoon sweetener
Method
- Put the strawberries or mango and lime juice into a blender and blitz together to make a smooth purée. Put the yogurt and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together for a minute or so until light and combined. Pour in the fruit purée and stir to combine well.
- Pour the yogurt mixture into a shallow, lidded freezerproof container and freeze until slushy, about 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and stir well with a fork to break down the ice crystals, then cover and freeze again until firm. Repeat a couple of times more for a smoother texture. Alternatively, pour the yogurt mixture into your ice-cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- When you are nearly ready to serve, remove the ice cream from the freezer 15 minutes or so beforehand, to allow it to soften slightly.
- Serve the ice cream in scoops on its own or with some fresh mixed berries alongside.
ENERGY 89kcals, PROTEIN 4.2g, FAT 3.3g, SATURATED FAT 2g, CARBOHYDRATE 11g, TOTAL SUGARS 11g, SALT 0.2g
