Diabetic Foodie

Peach Mango Crisp

diabeticFoodie — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:44 +0000

One night we invited some friends over to dinner and, at the last minute, I decided I wanted to make a dessert. In the freezer, I found some peaches from last summer’s crop and a bag of mango chunks. I also remembered that box of thin almond cookies in the pantry left from a neighbor’s visit and decided they would make the perfect quick topping for a peach mango crisp.

This dessert could not be easier to throw together – basically all you need to do is place the fruit in a baking dish, crush up some cookies and add a few other ingredients. Simple, delicious and impressive enough for guests! Serve with a dollop of vanilla yogurt or whipped cream if you like, but it’s perfectly fine without any adornment.

Recipe

12 oz frozen sliced peaches, thawed
5 oz frozen mango chunks, thawed
3 oz. thin almond cookies
2 tablespoons egg substitute
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 9 cubes

Preheat oven to 35°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray (butter-flavored if you have it). Combine peaches and mango in dish.

Crush cookies. You can use a food processor or a plastic bag and a rolling pin. (I recommend the latter if you have a lot of stress in your life.) Place crushed cookies in a bowl and add egg substitute and almonds. Drop clumps of the cookie mixture on top of the fruit and dot with butter.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings
Per serving: 146 calories, 7g fat (3g sat), 5mg cholesterol, 68mg sodium, 19g carb, 2g fiber, 13g sugar, 3g protein

Build a Better Me, Month 4: Get Motivated

diabeticFoodie — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:45:11 +0000

I’ve been having a problem with motivation lately. I guess that’s obvious since it’s month FIVE of the Build a Better Me Healthy Blogging Challenge and this is my post for month FOUR. Sigh.

My only excuse is that The Grillmaster and I have been on the road quite a bit over the last couple of months. In fact, we took four trips in five weeks, which is excessive even for us. The good news is that we got to see our nephews (ages 9 and 7) play soccer, I enjoyed hanging out with our four-month-old niece (and took her outlet mall shopping for the first time – she got an adorable bathing suit, I wasn’t so lucky), I celebrated my 50th birthday surrounded by friends and family and we explored a great new city that neither of us had ever visited before – Austin, Texas. The only downside? I got stomach flu after my delicious Turkish birthday dinner. Fortunately, it only lasted a few hours.

My niece watches her brothers play soccer

But back to my motivation problem. Ever since we’ve gotten home, I haven’t had much of an appetite and I have not been inspired in the kitchen. Either The Grillmaster has taken on the task of feeding us, we’ve gone out to eat or I’ve been defensively cooking trying to use up food in our pantry and freezer. Trust me, nothing I’ve made over the last couple of weeks has been blog-worthy.

I’m trying to work my way out of it. I received two new cookbooks to review and plan to thumb through them tonight. My bi-weekly veggie box showed up today with fresh NC strawberries, asparagus, baby bok choy and lots of other goodies. I just posted the new menu for a local restaurant, Ketch 55 Seafood Grill, on their website and was STARVING by the time I was done. Things are looking up.

Please let me know what you do to get yourself out of a cooking funk. I need all of the help I can get!

Quick reminder: Those of us involved with Virtual Potluck are working to make ourselves healthier in 2012, but we aren’t focusing exclusively on losing weight. Once a month, we’ll each be posting what we are doing to improve our health and well-being. Thanks again to Foodhunter’s Guide to Cuisine for coordinating this project.

Savory Spice Winner Announced

diabeticFoodie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:33:54 +0000

Congratulations to Kate A. from Powhatan VA, who won the Savory Spice Shop Curry Lovers gift set giveaway. We’re hoping Kate will share some of the dishes she creates with the Zanzibar Curry, Thai Green Curry, Medium Yellow Curry and Tikka Masala.

Thanks to everyone who commented. Hope you’ll stick around and keep reading Diabetic Foodie.

Chickpea and Raisin Salad

diabeticFoodie — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:58 +0000

There is a community garden on the island where I live, sponsored by an organization called Coastal Harvesters. Last winter, The Grillmaster worked with a group of Master Gardeners and Home Depot to grow cabbage, collards, lettuce, broccoli and other vegetables to donate to our local food pantries to help out folks who were impacted by Hurricane Irene.

On the day the garden was planted, I made lunch for the workers. I included this Chickpea and Raisin Salad just in case there were vegetarians in the crowd. Even the meat-eaters seemed to love it!

Packed with protein and fiber, it makes a great side dish or a light vegetarian lunch. Cook your own chickpeas if you have time – the flavor is so much better than canned. Make a big batch and freeze in quart-sized bags so you can defrost whenever you need them.

Recipe

Adapted from Real Simple

1 cup raisins
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups Home-Cooked Chickpeas or 3 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

In a small saucepan, combine raisins, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from heat and let cool.

In a small bowl, combine oil, cumin, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, scallions, raisin mixture and oil mixture. If serving immediately, add cilantro/parsley. If making ahead, refrigerate, then bring to room temperature and add cilantro/parsley just before serving.

Makes 12 servings
Per serving: 236 calories, 8g fat (1g sat), 0mg cholesterol, 108mg sodium, 36g carb, 7g fiber, 13g sugar, 8g protein

Nutritional Analysis: If you want to cut back on the sugar in this recipe, use fewer raisins and/or skip the sugar. Almost all of the carbs, protein and fiber in this dish are coming from the chickpeas. If you are watching sodium, you may want to reduce the amount of Kosher salt.

Zanzibar Carrots

diabeticFoodie — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:00:15 +0000

I first heard of Ras el Hanout when I reviewed the 600-page cookbook How to Cook Indian by Sanjeev Kapoor. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but I knew I’d have trouble finding it locally. When Savory Spice Shop offered me some to try, I didn’t hesitate.

Ras el Hanout (“head of the shop”) is a Moroccan spice blend that is very popular in North African dishes. It doesn’t refer to a particular combination of spices, but rather to a blend of the best ingredients a spice vendor has to offer. As soon as I opened the pouch from Savory Spice Shop, a shot of nutmeg hit me. Then came the notes of black pepper, sea salt, ginger, cardamom, mace, cinnamon, ground allspice, turmeric and saffron. The first thing I thought of was how great the blend would be with carrots.

Zanzibar Curry Powder, inspired by the island of the same name off the eastern coast of Africa, is a salt-free blend containing coriander seeds, cumin seeds, yellow mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, turmeric, brown sugar, Hungarian sweet paprika and cayenne. Again, something that would be terrific with carrots.

I put the two curry blends together in a simple dish with carrots, olive oil and chicken broth. The result was extremely spicy, but not hot. It would be perfect alongside a grilled chicken breast and Cucumber Raita or Tzatziki to cool things down.

Would you like to win a sampler of curry blends from Savory Spice Shop, including Zanzibar Curry Powder? Enter the giveaway by making a comment on my Vadouvan Curry-Dusted Scallops with Apple Broth post before midnight tonight (Friday, April 20, 2012).

Disclaimer: I received free samples of Ras el Hanout and Zanzibar Curry Powder from Savory Spice Shop.

Recipe

Adapted from Bon Appetit

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Ras el Hanout (from Savory Spice Shop)
1 teaspoon Zanzibar Curry Powder (from Savory Spice Shop)
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut on diagonal into 1/8-inch slices
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add Ras el Hanout and curry powder. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add carrots and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, until cooked but still slightly firm to the bite. Add broth and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and carrots are tender, another 10 minutes or so.

Makes 6 servings
Per serving: 75 calories, 5g fat (1g sat), 1mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 8g carb, 3g fiber, 4g sugar, 1g protein

Nutritional Analysis: Reduce the sodium even more by making your own chicken stock.

Green Curry Chicken with Mango

diabeticFoodie — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:23:48 +0000

Many years ago I worked for Sun Microsystems in Burlington, Massachusetts. There was a terrific little Thai restaurant called Lemon Tree within walking distance of my office. I went there often, usually by car (do you know how COLD it gets in Boston?) and one of my favorite meals was chicken with mango. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Lemon Tree but this green curry chicken with mango reminds me of theirs. Another thing I loved about Lemon Tree was the nutritional information their menu provided. Next to hot and sour soup, it might say “Have a cold? Pick this soup.” If you were unfamiliar with tamarind, they offered this: “Tamarind is an excellent source of potassium, magnesium, and thiamine and iron. It contains phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and vitamin C, as well as fiber. It is said to be laxative, to stimulate biliation, and to aid the liver. Try our Tamarind Pork.” I love this kind of information on a menu!

I enjoy Thai food but don’t have many opportunities to eat it unless I’m on the road. When I try making it myself, I have trouble finding individual ingredients such as galangal and lemongrass. When Savory Spice Shop sent me a sample of their Thai Green Curry, I decided to try recreating Lemon Tree’s chicken and mango dish. This one spice blend contains galangal, cumin, coriander, lemongrass, red Thai chiles, Lampong peppercorns, cilantro, Kaffir lime leaves, jalapeño, shallots, garlic and mild green chile powder. It’s also salt-free.

In this version of green curry chicken, the mango offers sweetness, the curry blend is spicy, the vegetables are slightly crunchy and the coconut milk and half and half lend creaminess. I thought about throwing in some hot peppers, but I’m glad I didn’t. The curry blend had plenty of heat. The one ingredient I will add next time is basil, preferably Thai basil if I can find it somewhere or grow it myself.

Would you like to win a sampler of curry blends from Savory Spice Shop, including Thai Green Curry? Enter the giveaway by making a comment on my Vadouvan Curry-Dusted Scallops with Apple Broth post before Friday, April 20, 2012.

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Thai Green Curry blend from Savory Spice Shop.

Recipe

1 recipe Green Curry Paste (see below)
1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups light coconut milk
1-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/3 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/3 green bell pepper, cut into strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 cup fat-free half and half
2 teaspoons tapioca starch or flour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
4 ounces fresh or frozen mango chunks (if using frozen, thaw first)

Combine half of green curry paste with chicken cubes; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a wok over high heat. Add onions and garlic and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add coconut milk and remaining green curry paste. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add fish sauce and bring to a boil.

Add chicken, bell peppers, carrots, half and half and tapioca starch mixture. Bring to another boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Add mango and heat through.

GREEN CURRY PASTE
2 tablespoons Thai Green Curry blend (from Savory Spice Shop)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water

In a small bowl, mix curry blend, oil and water together to form paste.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 491 calories, 21g fat (7g sat), 65mg cholesterol, 628mg sodium, 19g carb, 3g fiber, 11g sugar, 29g protein

Nutritional Analysis: Almost all of the sodium in this recipe is coming from the fish sauce. If you are watching sodium, you may want to use less fish sauce. The fat, especially the saturated fat, is coming from the light coconut milk. Even “light” has a lot of fat. If fat is a concern, you may want to replace some of the coconut milk with coconut water or water plus a bit of coconut extract.

Vadouvan Curry-Dusted Scallops with Apple Broth

diabeticFoodie — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:00:12 +0000

I love curries! Note the plural. Lots of folks think there is only one type of curry and it’s labeled “curry powder” in the spice aisle of your grocery store. Wrong! Curry blends originated in India and Pakistan as a way of preserving meat. In the oppressively hot weather, meat would spoil almost immediately, even if cooked. The resourceful natives of India and Pakistan learned that meat would keep longer if it had been cooked in spices such as coriander, cumin, hot peppers, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, paprika, turmeric, cloves, fennel, fenugreek, anise seed, cardamom, mustard seeds, allspice, curry leaves, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and lemongrass. Different curry traditions started to emerge around the world as families started developing their own secret blends.

When Savory Spice Shop, a company based in Denver, Colorado that sells spices online, offered to send me a bunch of their curry blends, I jumped at the opportunity to try their products as several friends in Colorado had mentioned them to me before. Savory Spice Shop sent each member of the Virtual Potluck gang products from different areas of their store; check out our host blog for this party, Cookistry, to see the fabulous dishes everyone created. Each VP blog is featuring a different spice set, so be sure to enter all of the giveaways (including mine below).

So which curry blends did I get?

Vadouvan – a smoky French curry blend containing onion, salt, shallots, cumin, turmeric, garlic, black mustard seeds, cardamom, black pepper, fenugreek, sugar and hickory smoke. Featured in the recipe below.
Thai Green Curry – a spicy Thai blend containing galangal, cumin, coriander, lemongrass, red Thai chiles, Lampong peppercorns, cilantro, Kaffir lime leaves, jalapeño, shallots, garlic and mild green chile powder. Featured in Green Curry Chicken with Mango.
Zanzibar – a sweet African blend containing coriander seeds, cumin seeds, yellow mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, turmeric, brown sugar, paprika and cayenne. Featured in Zanzibar Carrots.
Ras el Hanout – meaning “top of the shop,” this Moroccan blend contains nutmeg, sea salt, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, mace, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric and saffron. Featured in Zanzibar Carrots.
Baharat (salt-free) – slightly spicy Middle Eastern blend containing paprika, Lampong pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cloves, ginger, cayenne, cardamom and nutmeg. Will be featured in Sweet and Spicy Mini Meatloaves sometime in the future.
Chat Masala – Americanized version of an Indian blend containing mango powder, sea salt, cumin, black pepper, ajowan, guajillo chiles, peppermint, garlic, onion and citric acid. Will be featured in a recipe to be named later, probably a vegetarian one.
Harissa Spice Mix – a fiery North African blend containing japone peppers, cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic, salt and caraway. Will be featured in a recipe to be named later, but I have used it mixed with oil and water to create a paste for marinating beef. Yum!

Now it’s time to talk Vadouvan curry blend. And scallops. And apples. Vadouvan is a French-inspired curry powder with a bit of a hickory smoked-onion taste. It’s milder than a lot of curries and marries well with seafood, poultry and vegetable dishes. I just checked the Savory Spice website and they say not to use Vadouvan in a high-heat cooking process, that it’s better in sauces and marinades. It’s a good thing I used medium-high heat for my curry-dusted scallops!

Don’t overcook your scallops or they will be rubbery. Just watch the sides of the scallops as they cook. You’ll see them go from translucent to opaque from the bottom up. When they are opaque halfway up the side, flip them. When they are opaque all the way up the side, they’re done. The broth contributes a very intense apple flavor and the celery and apple chunks lend texture to this mouth-watering dish.

Giveaway

Ready to get your curry on? I’m giving away the Curry Lovers gift set from Savory Spice Shop which includes Zanzibar Curry, Thai Green Curry, Medium Yellow Curry and Tikka Masala. To enter, visit the Savory Spice Shop Facebook page, click About, then come back here and leave a comment about any spice in the curry section. I’m sure they would also appreciate a LIKE while you’re there! The contest will run through Friday, April 20, 2012. The winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, April 21, 2012. You must be at least 18 years of age with a U.S. mailing address to win. No purchase is necessary; void where prohibited.

Disclaimer: I received $30 worth of spices and the Front Range four-jar gift set free from Savory Spice Shop. I also received a Curry Lovers four-jar gift set to give away on my blog.

Vadouvan Curry-Dusted Scallops with Apple Broth

Adapted from Bon Appetit

APPLE BROTH
2 stalks celery, with leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tart apple, coarsely chopped with skin, core and seeds (I used Granny Smith)
5 cups unsweetened apple juice
2 shallots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 star anise

SCALLOPS
12 large sea scallops, patted dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2-1/2 teaspoons Vadouvan curry blend from Savory Spice Shop or curry powder, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tart apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch cubes (I used Granny Smith)
1 stalk celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Make the broth: Place celery, apple, apple juice, shallots, mustard seeds and star anise in a large heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until liquid has reduced and is syrupy. Strain and set aside. Discard solids.

Make the scallops:

Preheat oven to 250°F. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Place 2 teaspoons of Vadouvan curry blend on a small plate. Dip both flat sides of scallops in curry; place on large plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in heavy large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until seared on first side, about 2 minutes. (Do not crowd the scallops in the pan or you won’t get a nice sear. You may need to do more than one batch, depending on the size of your pan.) Flip scallops and cook another 2 minutes or so, until seared on second side and barely opaque in the center. Transfer to a small baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet. Add apple and celery. Sauté until apple begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add apple broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Vadouvan curry blend. Increase heat to high and boil until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt, pepper and more vinegar, if desired.
Divide broth mixture among 4 shallow pasta bowls. Add scallops and garnish with chives.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 296 calories, 8g fat (1g sat), 15mg cholesterol, 121mg sodium, 50g carb, 2g fiber, 41g sugar, 9g protein

Nutritional Analysis: Almost all of the carbs in this dish are coming from the apple juice. If you’d like to reduce the amount of carbs/sugar, use a mixture of apple juice and water for the liquid in the broth. The apple flavor won’t be quite as concentrated, but the scallops will still be delicious.

Lodge Cookbook Winner Announced

diabeticFoodie — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:00:02 +0000

Congratulations to Jessica at Oh Cake, who won the Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook giveaway.

Thanks to everyone who commented. Hope you’ll stick around and keep reading Diabetic Foodie.

Tortellini Soup with Cannellini Beans and Spinach

diabeticFoodie — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:00:28 +0000

My stepdaughter passed along this recipe from one of her friends. It’s been sitting in my cookbook stand waiting for a cold, rainy day. We finally had one.

This soup has it all – pasta, veggies and beans. I had a hard time finding the fresh tortellini at my local grocery store; I could only find a frozen variety. We are a tourist town and our visitors usually rent large homes that they share with family and friends for a week’s vacation. Most of them cook some while they are here to save money. Can you explain to me why the grocery store doesn’t have a boatload of fresh tortellini, ravioli, etc. from a company like Buitoni? I would think our tourists would snap up that kind of stuff. But I digress …

If you’re trying to eat a few vegetarian meals here and there, this soup should work well for you. It can be prepared from things you probably have on hand and it’s really easy to throw together after a stressful day at work.

Recipe

Adapted from myrecipes.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup water
2 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
1 (14-1/2 oz) can no-salt-added chopped tomatoes
8 oz. tri-colored cheese tortellini, uncooked
1 (14-1/2 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
2 (6 oz) jars of artichoke hearts, drained
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, basil, oregano and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add water, broth or stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes (half of the cooking time the package recommends). Add beans, spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until spinach has wilted and beans are warm, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese on each serving.

Makes 6 servings
Per serving: 273 calories, 5g fat (2g sat), 8mg cholesterol, 945mg sodium, 46g carb, 8g fiber, 6g sugar, 13g protein

Nutritional Analysis: The ingredients that make this recipe convenient also make it high in sodium – canned beans, canned broth/stock, artichokes in a jar and prepared tortellini. To reduce the sodium, you could cook your own beans and make your own stock to better control the amount of salt. You could also rinse off the artichokes.

Pineapple Upside-Down Pancakes

diabeticFoodie — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:44:01 +0000

I saw this recipe and thought of my Dad. He absolutely loves pineapple upside-down cake. One year I decided to make him his favorite cake for his birthday. I had just moved into The Grillmaster’s house and was adjusting to having a miniature dachshund around. I made the cake and put it on the dining room table to cool. When I returned to the dining room, the cutest dachshund in the world had climbed onto a chair and was munching away on the cake. His little 12 pound body had consumed more than three-quarters of the cake by the time I stopped him! The poor little guy was miserable for days. His tummy was so bloated he couldn’t even climb stairs for about 24 hours. I think Dad ended up with a store-bought cake that year.

Use biscuit cutter to make slices perfectly round

To make your fresh pineapple slices perfectly round, you’ll need an apple corer and about a 3-inch biscuit cutter. (I used a 2-1/2 inch cutter because it was the biggest one I could locate without having to clean out a kitchen drawer.) Cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple, then set it, flat side down, on a cutting board. Peel the pineapple in strips, running your knife from the top of the fruit to the bottom. Then slice the pineapple. Take a slice and put it flat on a cutting board. Punch out the core with the apple corer (or a small cookie cutter). Then use the larger biscuit cutter to trim the edges off the pineapple slice. You may need to apply some force; I used a meat mallet for this task. Voilà! Perfectly round pineapple slices.

Don’t let the sugar, rum and butter in this recipe make you think these pancakes aren’t healthy enough for a diabetic diet. Everything in moderation. If you are concerned, I’ve included some tips for improving the nutritional profile below.

I think I’ll make Dad some pineapple upside-down pancakes for his birthday this year. What’s your Dad’s favorite cake?

Recipe

Adapted from Bon Appetit (March 2012)

PINEAPPLE
1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into twelve slices
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

PANCAKES
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
cooking spray

Prepare the pineapple: To make perfectly round pineapple slices, use an apple corer to punch out the core and a biscuit cutter to trim the edges of each slice. Chop trimmed bits into small pieces and set aside. In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), melt the butter with cinnamon stick over medium heat. Cook until butter browns, about 2 minutes. Add round pineapple slices and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove pineapple from pan and remove skillet from heat. Add reserved chopped pineapple, rum and brown sugar to skillet. Cook over medium heat until fruit is syrupy. Cover and remove from heat.

Make the pancakes: Preheat oven to 325°F. Place an oven-safe cooling rack over a baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk, egg substitute, melted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Remove from heat and spray with cooking spray, then return to heat. Use a 1/4-cup dry measure to pour batter onto griddle. (I can fit four pancakes of this size on my griddle at a time.) Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, then press a pineapple ring onto each pancake (into the uncooked batter). Flip each pancake and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Place pancakes on prepared rack, pineapple side up. Repeat with remaining batter until it all has been used. Bake the pancakes until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve pancakes with pineapple sauce.

Makes 4 servings (12 pancakes)
Per serving (3 pancakes): 430 calories, 11g fat (6g sat), 26mg cholesterol, 635mg sodium, 55g carb, 6g fiber, 27g sugar, 8g protein

Nutritional Analysis: The cholesterol and fat in this recipe are coming from the butter. If you are concerned that this is too much for your diet, use less or try substituting olive oil for the melted butter in the pancakes themselves. If you are watching sodium, you might want to skip the kosher salt in the pancake batter. The carbs and sugar are coming from the pineapple, brown sugar and flour. If 55g of carb is too much for you to consume at one meal, reduce your portion size to 2 pancakes instead of 3. This will reduce your carb count to 37g and the amount of sugar to 18g.