If you’ve seen the recipes I typically post, you obviously know that I’m not Diabetic. But the Virtual Potluck group is celebrating World Diabetes Day and our challenge was to share a diabetic friendly recipe! We’re also working with two great companies, Anolon and Microplane so that made the challenge even more interesting. Best part is, you’ll be able have a chance at winning the tools that we used for this dish!

First, I had to better understand the requirements of a diabetic-friendly recipe. Our resident expert, Shelby from the

Diabetic Foodie provided me the following tips:

use fresh fruits and non-starchy veggies
use olive oil as your fat
use whole grains and avoid white starchy foods
use beans and legumes
use lower fat proteins (fish, seafood, skinless chicken or turkey breast, tenderloin)
limit use of sweeteners and salt
limit use of high-fat dairy (cheese, cream, sour cream, etc.)
use nuts and seeds

That’s not so hard is it? Did you know that 371 million people have diabetes and half of them don’t even know it yet? It’s a very serious thing but it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t eat well, and I’m going to prove it to you today! I’ve got a fantastic recipe here and then our whole team has even more delicious recipes for you to try.

I went with an adaptation on this potato and zucchini pancake recipe. The original recipe had russet potatoes and regular bread crumbs. I subbed those out for sweet potatoes and some whole wheat bread crumbs. I kept the parmesan cheese in since it was a smaller amount and then instead of putting mascarpone spooned on the top, I made a chunky mash of avocados and scooped that on instead.

I used the Microplane adjustable slicer on the smallest setting the julienne the zucchini. I liked the small strips it made instead of shredding them and the hand slicer was a nice smaller alternative to my traditional slicer that takes up half the counter top.

Once you mix all the ingredients together, you spread it across the hot skillet, creating one large pancake. I loved the Nouvelle Copper Stainless steel skillet and 12 inches was the perfect size. After cooking the bottom to a crisp brown you can put the entire skillet directly in the oven to get the top nice and crispy. If you’re not diabetic or just need to splurge, sprinkle the top with even more parmesan to create a beautiful cheesy crust as it bakes.

It comes out perfectly crispy and with a dollop of fresh avocado on the top it can make an entire meal or cut it into smaller squares to serve as an appetizer.

Ready to enjoy some of the other recipes and enter to win? I’ll be giving away the Microplane Adjustable Slicer with Julienne Blade plus the Anolon Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel 12 inch skillet! Enter at the bottom of the post!

Diabetic Foodie – Quinoa, Sweet Potato & Avocado Timbale with Roasted Tomatillo Dressing
Miss In the Kitchen – White Chicken Chili
Food Hunters Guide – Chicken with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes
Cookistry – Turkey and Vegetable Crepes
30A Eats – Indian Spiced Chicken with Raita

Crispy Sweet Potato and Zucchini Pancake

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
2 medium zucchini, julienned
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
Olive oil, for drizzling
2 avocados, mashed

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Lay the potatoes and zucchini on 2 kitchen towels. Bring the corners of the towels together and squeeze out the moisture from the vegetables. Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the garlic, chopped rosemary, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetable mixture to the pan. Using a spatula, press the mixture evenly into the pan. Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Cook for 8 minutes or until the edges of the mixture begin to brown. Place the skillet into the hot oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top of the pancake starts to brown and the edges are crispy.

Cut the pancake into 1 1/2-inch squares and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the avocado on top and garnish with a few fresh rosemary leaves.

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Foodplayer Linda

I am sure you love food. Otherwise, you won’t be here. As a full-time and a part-time chef at a local restaurant, I know my way around food. Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen.

We would often experiment with the spices, ingredients, and flavors and create great meals for my brothers and dad. Since cocking was my first passion, I decided to go in that direction. I finished culinary school, got my first job, and started developing my skills.

Later when kids came, I had all the liberty in the kitchen to combine some of the unique flavors. A lot of them were a success, but now and there I would make a couple of mistakes.