Diabetes Recipes - Cooking with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

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Whether it was because I'm a pretty good food writer or a hungry writer in need of free food, a gift basket of gastronomic delights showed up before my door last week. Among all the goodies stood three bottles of aged balsamic vinegar from Tavern On The Green. Soon enough, my curious palette urged me to open each bottle and have a taste of those gourmet vinegars of different flavors. The result was yum, yum and yum! Honestly, if I hadn't been afraid of massive acid reflux and heartburns, I would have gulped them down like soda. Yeah, those flavored vinegars were that good, and I was almost that gluttonous!

What is aged balsamic vinegar?

A luxury for the palette is what it is. Unlike a commercial-grade vinegar, it was allowed to age in wooden barrels for several years to develop a deeper and more penetrating flavor. Typically, an aged balsamic vinegar is dark, thick, intensely flavorful and more like a sauce than a normal vinegar.

Balsamic Vinegar and Diabetes

Does aged balsamic vinegar contain sugar? Yes, it contains a little bit of sugar just like many other condiments. In fact, it's probably one of the sweetest vinegars on the market. But ironically, many research studies have found that adding 1 - 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to your meal can help certain diabetics improve their blood sugar control. The reason for that lies in one key nutrient: acetic acid. The acetic acid in vinegar tends to slow down the work of several carb-digesting enzymes in our intestine. Accordingly, some sugars and starches will pass through the system without being ingested into the bloodstream. So diabetics can enjoy the sweetness of balsamic vinegar without worrying about a sugar spike. Isn't it a win-win situation?

Instead of brown-sugar or honey glazed shrimp, try this low-carb and low-sodium version. The sweetness is there but the high amount of carbs is not! Diabetic cooking isn't all about cutting the sweetness but choosing a smart substitute. I use the "autumn fig" balsamic vinegar in this recipe because it tastes pretty close to honey. Besides, there's a faint aroma of vanilla in it, which makes these balsamic glazed shrimp a very unique dish.

Ingredients(for 2 servings) - 20 medium shrimp (peeled and and deveined), 2 tbsps. olive oil, 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic, 2 tbsps. "autumn fig" aged balsamic vinegar, a pinch of pepper and onion powder, a few sprigs of parsley (optional)

Preparation

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.
• Add shrimp, onion powder and pepper. Stir constantly.
• When the shrimp start to turn pink, add balsamic vinegar and stir together well. Make sure the vinegar coats every shrimp. Cook for another minute or until the shrimp are completely cooked.
• Serve with your choice of salad or steamed vegetables. (I served mine on a bed of baby spinach.) Garnish with sprigs of parsley.

As you may know, vinegar is a natural meat tenderizer. Yet, this "blackberry ginger" balsamic vinegar not only makes the meat more tender but also adds a wonderful flavor to it. Mix it with a little bit of light soy sauce and a pinch of ground ginger to create an easy balsamic vinegar marinade. For a diabetic-friendly meal, pair this stir-fry dish with brown rice or whole-grain noodles.

Ingredients (for 2 servings) - 1 lb. lean pork loin (sliced into about 1-inch strips), 1 cup bean sprouts, 1 small Italian squash (peeled and diced), 1/2 medium onion (thinly chopped), 2 tbsps. canola oil, 1 tbsp. light soy sauce, 2 tbsps. "blackberry ginger" aged balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Combine soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and ground ginger in a bowl. Add pork and toss together thoroughly. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until it becomes soft and slightly yellow.
• Add the marinated pork and all the liquid from the marinade. Stir fry for about 2 minutes.
• Add Italian squash and bean sprouts. Continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with a small bowl of cooked brown rice.

The flavored balsamic vinegar in this recipe has a pretty fancy title; "citrus on the green." It's basically an aged balsamic vinegar with zesty tanginess of lime, orange and tamarind. This simple diabetic recipe is perfect for a quick lunch or a diet dinner. One tip for a better presentation of this dish is that you shouldn't put the balsamic vinaigrette on the salad long before serving. This dressing has a dark brown color, which could alter the look of the vegetables a little bit if allowed to sit in the salad bowl for too long.

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

For the salad - 1 medium carrot (peeled and cut into 1-inch matchsticks), 1 small cucumber (peeled and cut into 1-inch matchsticks), 1 medium ripe mango (cut into bite-size pieces), ½ cup chopped Thai parsley

For the balsamic vinaigrette - 2 tbsps. "citrus on the green" balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. garlic salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation

• Combine the mango and vegetables in a large salad bowl.
• Combine all the balsamic vinaigrette ingredients in another bowl and stir together well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together before serving.