Diabetes-Friendly Cooking

April 14, 2012 (WLS) -- TV chef Paula Deen has been known and criticized for a lot of things. Her recipes are often high in fat and sugar. And recently, she revealed she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years ago, but kept it a secret.

Her critics questioned why Deen announced her condition the day she began a paid campaign to endorse a diabetes drug. Deen claims she waited in order to get a better understanding of her diabetes. Now she's vowed to help educate the public about the disease, and she's getting support from her sons.

In fact, son Jamie Deen was in Chicago for the Diabetes Expo (link: http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/expo/2012/chicago-expo-2012/) at McCormick Place. ABC7 is a media sponsor of the event. Jamie Deen came into our ABC7 studio kitchen to show us how to make a diabetes-friendly vegetarian gumbo. We should point out that Jamie and his mother Paula Deen are paid spokespersons for Novo Nordisk's Diabetes in a New Light program. Jamie also talked about his upcoming Food Network show, "Home for Dinner."

Jamie's Recipe: Vegetarian Gumbo

Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:
2 tblsps Canola Oil
4 tblsps All-Purpose Flour
1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Large Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
2 stalks Celery, Chopped
8 oz. Sliced Brown Mushrooms
3 tblsps Chopped Garlic
4 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 (14.5-oz) can Low-Sodium Diced Tomatoes, with juice
6 oz. Vegetarian Spicy Sausage
1 cup Chopped Okra, Fresh or Thawed Frozen
1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper
1 1/2 tsps Cajun Seasoning
Black pepper, to taste
4 Green Onions, Chopped
1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Hot sauce, for serving

Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat.
Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, until flour turns golden-brown and smells toasty, about 5 minutes.
Add onion, bell pepper, celery, mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes, sausage, okra, roasted red peppers, Cajun seasoning and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until gumbo begins to thicken and the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the green onions and parsley.
Pass hot sauce at the table.

*Gumbo is traditionally served over rice. You might try whole grain (brown) rice or barley. This has not been accounted for in the nutritional information listed below.

Per serving (1 cup): 140 calories, 6 g fat (.5 g saturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.

American Diabetes Association EXPO
Saturday, April 14th
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

McCormick Place, Lakeside Center
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago
(Parking in Lot C West side)

Jamie's Cooking Demo: 1:15 p.m., Novo Nordisk Booth

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