Diabetes Diet #34: Frozen Favorites

Diabetes Diet #34: Frozen Favorites

Diabetes Recipes:

Frozen Grapes
Sugar Snap Beans With Toasted Nuts
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Roasted Garlic
Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Frozen and Thaw

Along with the arrival of spring comes spring cleaning. I organized a brilliant plan to whisk through the house and get the job done quickly and thoroughly. That was 2 weeks ago and I'm still in room #1, the kitchen. At first it was the banter and debate over whether to keep or get rid of precious items like my darling cherry pitter and the radish flower gizmo I used in the 80's. Once I got over the emotional tug of war with such possessions, I felt free and ready to move on with intrepid determination and tenacity. I headed for the fridge and freezer. Truth be told, it has been rough. Cleaning out a refrigerator is grueling enough but the freezer is a real challenge. However I unlocked some mysteries, like discovering the wonton wrappers I bought to make butternut squash ravioli, and finding many small individually wrapped cubes of arugula pesto I made last summer. With a sparking clean and empty freezer, I promised myself this would never happen again. To this end I did some research on freezing and thawing foods to pass on to you.

To freeze or not to freeze ---- is a question I am often asked. The answer is yes, freezing is good, BUT there are guidelines and suggestions for successful freezing and, more importantly, for thawing. When you freeze foods, the pathogens which cause food-borne illnesses, cannot grow. These illnesses can play havoc with diabetes when they occur, causing vomiting, diarrhea and weakness, thus throwing blood sugar numbers off the charts. Freezing preserves quality by slowing down the chemical processes that destroy foods. However, if foods are frozen for too long a period, the color, texture and flavor will deteriorate. Best to follow any labeling directions or expiration dates on all packaged foods you stash in the freezer. Consider that foods you buy from the freezer department in your supermarket are usually "flash-frozen" or IQF (individually quick frozen) in industrial machines that freeze food in minutes. Your home freezer does not have the capability to drop to the low temperatures of commercial freezers. It's a good idea to buy a freezer thermometer (sold in any supermarket) and keep it in freezer. Check it periodically to be sure freezer temp doesn't go above 0 degrees.

Tips for Packing Foods to Freeze

  • When placing fresh foods in freezer, arrange on a single layer until they freeze. Small amounts freeze faster. Faster is better because it gives less of a chance for destructive ice crystals to form. As the water in food freezes, these crystals form and rupture cell walls resulting in changes in flavor and texture of food. For example, it is better if you freeze 2-cup portions of stock instead of a 1-quart container.
  • Since oxygen is the enemy of stored food, choose air-tight containers, heavy duty freezer bags or freezer paper to store foods and avoid "freezer burn", a condition that occurs when water molecules move from one area to another causing the surface of the food to dry out. It's best to match container size to volume of food.
  • Foods placed on freezer floor or near walls chill more efficiently.
  • Freezers work best when full, although jamming packages and containers into the freezer is not the best way to go. You can fill a plastic jug with water and freeze to fill space.
  • Refrigerator freezers are not meant for long term freezing because of temperature fluctuations through opening the door. The self defrost feature in your freezer heats and cools to melt frost causing more temperature irregularities. Short terms of 1 - 2 months are a reasonable window.

If you keep a home freezer in the basement or garage, here is a time line for foods that freeze well and those that don't. Flour and egg whites are good for up to a year. Bread and dough = 8 months, peeled bananas = 1 month, nuts and butter are safe up to 9 months, soups, stews and stocks = 4 months, red meat = 4-12 months, poultry = 9-12 months and seafood keeps safe 3 -6 months.

Certain foods rebel with taste and textural changes when banished to the freezer. Cream and custard filings, sour cream, yogurt, milk, high moisture vegetables like cabbage and lettuce, all let it be known they do not want to spend time in the freezer.

Then again there are foods that travel quite nicely direct from freezer to oven or microwave or boiling water. If time is of the essence to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes, these foods are your treasure troves.

Safe Thawing

Resist the temptation to dig around for the old ice pick when you are looking for a quick thaw. Instead, thaw meats, fruits, vegetables, prepared foods and dough in the refrigerator to avoid growth of microbes and other unwanted visitors. It may take time, possibly a few days, when you are looking at a 15 pound turkey or large roast to thaw, but it really is the safest method. In some cases, frozen shrimp for example, a soak under cool running water will coax thawing. SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR. So be patient and do some simple creative cooking for a few days and leave it to the refrigerator to thaw frozen foods in a safe way. As for breads, cakes and cookies, they can be defrosted safely on the kitchen counter.

Secrets from the Deep Freeze

  1. Keep frozen food inventory by labeling and dating or marking with a permanent marker.
  2. Foods that will be stored for a long period require extra wrapping. After they are wrapped in plastic or foil, insure them with a zip lock freezer bag.
  3. Frozen foods are more nutritious then canned food because there is less processing.
  4. Make up your own TV dinners from leftovers. They will surely be more interesting.
  5. When going away on vacation, place bags of ice cubes around the freezer in case of power loss.
  6. Freeze fish in clean milk cartons filled with pure water. When you thaw fish, use water to fertilize plants.
  7. To prolong freezer time for roasted or cooked meats, cover with gravy.
  8. To make clean up ant easy task, line the bottom or floor of refrigerator freezer with plastic wrap, but be sure not to cover fan vent.
  9. Always cool food to room temp before freezing. Chilled food freezes faster and tastes fresher when reheated. Putting hot or warm food into freezer lower the machine's temperature.
  10. When you see freezer burn, frost, color or textural change, it means that item has spent too much time hibernating in the freezer. Dump it.

Cyber Kitchen Recipes From The Freezer - Make Your Own TV Dinners

Frozen Grapes
1 pound seedless red or green grapes or a mixture
  1. Wash grapes thoroughly under cold water. Remove all stems and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Lie out in a single layer on a platter or tray and freeze about 1 hour. Transfer to heavy duty freezer plastic zip-lock bag.
  3. Enjoy these frosted delights for dessert or snack directly from freezer.

Nutritional Value: 3/4 cup = 85 cal, .8 grams protein, .7 fat grams, 21 carb grams

Sugar Snap Beans with Toasted Nuts (Serves 6)
1 lb. bag frozen sugar snap beans
1 T. walnut oil
1 T. toasted pignoli nuts
  1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Submerge beans and cook until crunch tender, 3 or 4 minutes.
  2. Toss with oil and sprinkle with nuts.

Nutritional Value: 3/4 cup = 65 cal, 3 grams protein, 8 carb grams, 4 fat grams, 2 grams fiber

Stuffed Chicken Breast (Serves 4)
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated
1 red onion, chopped
1 t. each: dried oregano and basil
½ cup part skimmed Ricotta cheese
¼ cup Parmesan
½ cup fresh toasted bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 4 oz. each, trimmed and pounded or flattened to ¼" thinness
  1. Spray a large skillet with olive oil cooking spray and sauté the vegetables and herbs for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients, except for chicken, and stir well to combine.
  3. Lay out chicken pieces and fill center of each with vegetable mix. Roll up each into a bundle and tie with kitchen string. Sprinkle with additional herbs and seasoning.

OPTIONS: You can cook, cool and freeze or go directly to freezer. For freezer, wrap individually in plastic wrap, then heavy duty foil, then plastic zip lock bags. When ready to use, thaw in fridge and follow cooking directions below. OR, warm oven to 425, place chicken on olive oil sprayed baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes. Lower oven to 350 and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let come to room temperature, and then freeze as above. When ready to defrost, thaw in fridge and bake in 325 oven 15 minutes to warm through.

Nutritional Value: 1 portion = 265 cal, 35 protein grams, 5 fat grams, 18 carb grams, 2 grams fiber

Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Roasted Garlic (Serves 4) Stuffed Turkey Burgers
(Serves 4)
Roasted garlic is a handy kitchen "tool". Besides adding to many meat, poultry, fish, grain and vegetable dishes, it is delicious as a butter or oil substitute to spread on toasted bread. Cut off top quarter of a garlic head, wrap in kitchen foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350. I usually bake 6 heads at once for later use. They keep well in fridge for 2 weeks.

1 lb. sweet potatoes, scrubbed and trimmed
4 t. butter
2 or more cloves roasted garlic

  1. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks, place in saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and lower heat to medium and cook until soft. This usually takes about 20 minutes.
  2. Drain and add butter. Squeeze garlic out of skin into mixture and smash with fork or potato masher to a smooth/chunky consistency.
  3. Let cool to room temp and divide into 4 freezer containers or plastic zip lock bags and freeze. No defrosting necessary. Simply microwave or immerse plastic baggy in boiling water to heat through.

Nutritional Value: 130 cal, 1 gram protein, 4 grams fat, 20 carb grams, 2.5 grams fiber

1 large jalapeno or other hot chile pepper, toasted slowly in skillet to blister skin. With rubber gloves on, peel, seed and stem pepper.
1 ¼ pounds low fat fresh ground turkey
4 slices jalapéno jack cheese
4 stuffed green olives
salt and pepper to taste
  1. Form meat into 8 patties. Press into a 4" diameter. Divide remaining ingredients evenly and set on top.
  2. Place remaining patties on top and press to seal well.
  3. Freeze now by wrapping each in plastic wrap, heavy duty foil and seal each in plastic zip lock bag. Or if you prefer to cook now and freeze for another time, spray a grill with cooking spray and cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes on each side. Lower heat to cook through for another minute. Come to room temp and freeze as above. When ready to use, defrost in fridge and reheat in skillet or oven for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Value: 1 burger = 350 cal, 40 grams protein, 20 grams fat, 1 carb gram