In March, we’re spotlighting ‘Cubans & Diabetes’ with musical inspiration from ‘La Reina de la Salsa’, Celia Cruz on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 6 PM, EST.

Our musical inspiration, Celia Cruz did not have diabetes but her late husband, Pedro Knight, who was an accomplished Cuban-American trumpeter who managed the career, had type 2 diabetes.

Mr. Knight’s physical and mental health declined after his wife’s death in 2003 reports the Mercury News. He fainted and required hospitalization after a July 2004 cancer fundraiser in Miami in Cruz’s honor, and doctors described it as a combination of diabetes-induced low blood pressure and emotional breakdown.

Best-Selling Cookbook author Holly Clegg, who will be joining us on March’s Diabetes Late Nite,  shares her wonderful Cuban recipe to help you add some flavor to your menu without compromising your health.

“Cuban chicken soup takes a short cut using Rotisserie chicken,” says Holly.  “What’s great about chicken soup is you can adjust the recipe adding whatever you want according to how you feel and what you like!”

Cuban Style Chicken Soup (Sopa de Polla) by Holly Clegg from  Alimentándose bien durante el cáncer: Recetas fáciles y recomendaciones durante y después del tratamiento.

Makes 8 (1-cup) servings

Ingredients: 
1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped

1 yucca, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes (about 2/3 cup)

1 cup peeled red potato small chunks

1 plantain, peeled and diced

6 cups fat-free chicken broth  

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

4 cups skinless rotisserie chicken chunks
2 tablespoons lime juice

Cilantro, optional
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: 

1.  In large pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, add green onions, red pepper, yucca, potato, plantain, chicken broth, garlic, cumin and oregano; bring to a boil.

2.  Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes or until vegetables tender.  Add chicken, stirring, until well heated. 

3. Add lime juice and cilantro if desired and season to taste.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 216 kcal, Calories from fat 24%, Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 78 mg, Sodium 947 mg, Carbohydrates 21 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Total Sugars 6 g, Protein 21 g, Dietary Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat

Terrific Tip: Fresh On average, one medium lime produces about 2 tablespoons of lime juice; but you can also look for lime juice in the grocery to keep on hand at all times.

Nutritional Nugget: Yucca is a good source of the mineral, potassium, which aids the body in building muscle and electrical heart activity.  To reduce the sodium for diabetic friendly, use low-sodium chicken broth.

With over 1 million cookbooks sold, Holly Clegg has become a culinary expert on easy healthy everyday recipes through her nationally recognized best-selling trim&TERRIFIC® and Eating Well cookbook series, including Eating Well Through Cancer, (English, Spanish and Chinese editions), Eating Well to Fight Arthritis and Diabetic Cooking with the American Diabetes Association.

This newly revised and expanded 15-year anniversary edition of Holly’s Eating Well Through Cancer includes chapters on nourishing foods that are best tolerated to ease common side effects such as nausea, sore mouth and throat, taste changes, neutropenia and weight loss. With easy everyday recipes using familar ingredients, you’ll find this book an invaluable recipe resource for cancer prevention

Holly Clegg attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School, London. For more information, visit About Holly or The Healthy Cooking Blog for more recipes and tips.

LISTEN NOW: Mr. Divabetic shines the spotlight on author and chef, Holly Clegg, in this half-hour special edition of Diva Talk Radio. This fun-filled food frenzy will feature expert advice on quick, flavorful and healthy eating from Holly’s latest book, ‘Too Hot in the Kitchen:  Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age’