Diabetes-friendly Summer Recipes

With the long-awaited warmer days fast approaching, many of us will have made plans to see family and friends in the garden – perhaps for a good old-fashioned barbecue.

If you’re cooking for a family member or friend who has diabetes and you don’t know where to start, fear not! We’ve put together some nutritious summer recipes that everyone can enjoy.

Three things to keep in mind when preparing a meal for a person with diabetes are the type of carbohydrate, the amount of protein and portion sizes. Getting these things right can help to keep blood sugars within a normal range, which is the ultimate goal in diabetes management.

Spanish Chicken and Lentils

Serves 4 | Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion (diced)

• 4 carrots (diced)

• 1 red or green pepper (diced)

• 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• ½ low-sodium vegetable stock cube

• 400g green or red lentils (cooked and drained)

• 3 medium tomatoes

• 3 chicken breasts

• Bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)

• Ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6.

2. Sprinkle some smoked paprika and pepper onto the chicken breasts and place on a foil lined oven tray – place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes.

3. In a large pan, heat up the olive oil and add in the onions, carrots, red or green pepper and garlic and fry until tender, around 10 minutes.

4. Crumble in the ½ stock cube and smoked paprika into the pan. Add in the drained lentils.

5. Chop the tomatoes into small chunks and stir into the lentil mixture – simmer for around 10 minutes.

6. Remove the chicken from the oven and slice.

7. Dish up the hot lentil mixture and top with the sliced chicken.

8. Finish with sliced parsley – delicious!

Prawn and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Serves 4 | Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

• 3 garlic gloves (finely chopped)

• 1 red chilli (de-seeded and thinly sliced)

• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

• 1 large bunch of asparagus

• 400g long-stem broccoli

• 1 large red pepper (sliced)

• 500g raw prawns

• 1 lemon

Method

1. Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them and snapping off the ends (they will naturally snap in the correct place).

2. In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining soy sauce, chopped garlic, sliced chilli, minced ginger and the juice of 1 lemon.

3. Heat the olive oil in a wok (or a large frying pan) and once hot, add in the prawns and the sauce you’ve just mixed together.

4. Stir fry for around 2-3 minutes, until they look pink. Once cooked, remove from the wok and set aside.

5. In the same wok, add in the asparagus, sliced pepper and long-stem broccoli and stir-fry until tender.

6. Add the cooked prawns back into the wok and combine with the vegetables. Serve piping hot!

Warm Roasted Vegetable Salad with Goat’s Cheese

Serves 4 | Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes (cut into small chunks)

• 1 cauliflower (cut into small florets)

• 2 large handfuls of washed spinach

• Bunch of flatleaf parsley (chopped)

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 lemon

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 150g soft goat’s cheese (optional)

• Ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 7.

2. In a large roasting tray, add in the chopped sweet potatoes, drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and then roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and toss in the cauliflower florets.

3. Return the tray of sweet potatoes and cauliflower back to the oven and roast for a further 15-20 minutes.

4. Whilst the veg is roasting, you can make the salad dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the zest and juice of the lemon, the balsamic vinegar, the rest of the olive oil and pepper to taste.

5. In a large serving bowl, stir together the roasted veg, spinach, chopped parsley and salad dressing. Top with the goat’s cheese and enjoy!