La Buona Forchetta di Mezomiso

My last blog update was in November 2011; and you will say, so what. Well, there is a reason. In 2011 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Like many people my first reaction was – why me! I don’t know, but I have come to grips with it and its either I control it; or it will make my life miserable and short.

So, I will be re-working my recipes to make them diabetes friendly and acceptable. Naturally, there are a few steps that must be taken, and acceptances to be placed in one’s brain and life prospect for things to improve. Don’t fool yourselves, it does not go away, it can get better – but once you have diabetes, type 2 in this case, it stays, just learn to control it.

Those of you that know me – you can imagine that I have done quite a bit of research. And a lot of sole searching and I have come up with a few realities that I will pass on to you, because I am learning to manage my Blood Sugar Level well. Please understand these are guidelines, they work for me and may work for others, but not necessarily so.

Why do I say this, because a year ago I had problems with my eyes, I was not seeing clearly, even with my glasses on and especially at night! So I have taken steps and in specific the following steps to improve my life, and its working.

1. I have curtailed the eating of Sugar or Wheat products. Out with sugar and flour

2. I eat no more than 3½ - 4 ounces of Fish or Chicken alternating days

3. I eat lots and lots of salads, fruit and nuts (walnuts, almonds and the occasional peanuts)

 

My research has further helped me find the following information which I have adopted as a guide, and is reinforcing that which is working for me:

 

If frozen or canned foods have complex and confusing labels, don’t eat them
If you must eat canned or packaged food, choose appropriate food with 5 ingredients or less
Totally avoid flour and sugar products
Avoid all food with fructose and corn syrup solids
If you see the word hydrogenated, avoid it
Use and eat only Olive oil and Coconut oil
If you don’t recognize the ingredients – stay away from them
Stay away from Preservatives and Additives
Stay away from artificial sweeteners

And finally

If it’s made by mother Earth – eat it, if it’s not, read the label carefully

So this Spring I star with a simple but delicious Greek - Sicilian farmer’s dish

 

Chicken with Fava Beans

For 4 persons

A roast chicken from the supermarket (skin and fat removed)

2 lbs Fava Beans – which when removed from husk leave you 1 pound if lucky

½ bunch scallions (green onions) or 1 small onion cut into slices

3 tablespoons Olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1½ cup light chicken broth

These days when a supermarket roast chicken costs $4.29 and a raw chicken also costs +/- $ 4.00 the choice is simple; go with the cooked chicken

Clean the fava beans by twisting and removing the beans from the husk, tedious but therapeutic. If you want to remove the inner skin (as you can see from the photo I do not, I like the taste) of the beans do as follows:

Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil drop the beans and cook for 3-4 minutes. Immediately place into ice water and start to remove the skin by using a small knife or you nails to loosen. Once you remove all the skins reserve the beans.

Place olive oil in the Dutch oven and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the scallions or cut up onion, sauté for 3-4 minutes and add the fava beans and sauté for 2-3 minutes and add your chicken stock.

 

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the beans are firm to the tooth.

 

Cut up chicken into portions (I only use 3½ ounces, usually from the breast) but I give a quarter chicken surrounded with fava beans.