I’d like to congratulate the winner of my latest giveaway, who has won a copy of “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook” by Angela Shelf Medearis. That winner is Jennifer. Here is what Jennifer had to say:

“I would love to have this cookbook on my shelf! My grandfather is a diabetic in complete renal failure (dialysis 3 times a week, insulin 3 times a day). We recently lost my grandmother, his wife, and so he had to make the move from his home in South Carolina, to Roanoke to live with my mother. We have a very hard time trying to feed him things that taste good, but are also good for him. It is a source of constant stress in my family and many fights between my grandfather and my mother. This cookbook may be a great source for recipes he will actually enjoy eating. Especially any desserts as he really deserves a treat every once in a while!”

Jennifer, for some reason when I read your comment I thought of my own grandfather. He didn’t have diabetes but he did struggle with illness and the one thing he always craved was a good chocolate dessert. It sounds as if your grandfather deserves a chocolate dessert such as the Fudge Pudding Cake (below). And it sounds like your mother could benefit from some new ideas in the kitchen – bless her for trying to take good care of your grand-daddy.

For the rest of you, I’ve transcribed two recipes from the book. One is for chicken with apples and lemon balsamic sauce, the other is for that cake. I hope you enjoy. If you’d like to purchase a copy of the book for yourself or someone else, here’s a link to one source.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Chicken and Apples with Lemon Balsamic Sauce
Serves 4

4 boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 1/2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. agave syrup (available next to other sweeteners at the grocery store)
1 Tbsp. whipped butter
1 large Jonagold or Mutsu apple (8 oz.), halved, cored and thinly sliced

Season the chicken on both sides with 1 tablespoon of the poultry seasoning, the salt and pepper. Spray a large skillet with cooking oil spray and heat over high heat until hot; reduce the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin side down. Saute for 6 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil.

Turn the heat to high. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of poultry seasoning, the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, broth, and syrup and stir until well-blended. Bring the sauce to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add the butter, stirring until it melts. Stir in the apples. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the apples soften and the sauce slightly reduces.

Return the chicken, skin side up, along with any juices from the plate, to the pan. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes over medium heat, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Divide the chicken among 4 plates and top each serving with some of the sauce.

Serving size: 1 chicken breast and 3 Tbsp. sauce
Calories: 322
Fat calories: 141
Total fat: 16 g
Saturated fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 96 mg
Sodium: 540 mg
Total carbs: 13 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 31 g

Fudge Pudding Cake
Serves 12

1/4 cup pecan halves
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Splenda no-calorie sweetener, granulated
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup firmly packed Splenda brown sugar blend
1 1/3 cups hot, strong coffee

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray.

Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Pour into a bowl to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, Splenda, the 1/4 cup of cocoa, the baking powder, and salt and stir with a whisk to blend. In a glass measuring cup, combine the milk, egg, canola oil, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the milk mixture until combined. Stir in the pecans. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Dissolve the brown sugar blend in the coffee and spoon it over the batter.

Bake until the cake is almost set, 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Dust with the remaining 3 Tbsp. of cocoa powder. Serve hot or warm.

Serving size: 1/12 of cake
Calories: 159
Calories from fat: 42
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 16 mg
Sodium: 175 mg
Total carbs: 23 g
Fiber: 1 g
Total sugars: 13 g
Protein: 3 g

Source: “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook” by Angela Shelf Medearis