Bon Appétit: Broccoli and Cauliflower Creole Pasta

I have decided to showcase some of the delicious meals my wife and I make in a new segment called Bon Appétit. In addition to sharing recipes, I will list serving sizes, number of carbohydrates, and how I bolus for the meal.

The first dish that I want to share with you is broccoli and cauliflower creole pasta. The main spice used in the dish is Tony's creole seasoning, which is very popular along the Gulf Coast where we live. Tony's gives the dish a little kick and makes it very flavorful!

Below are the ingredients and a step-by-step list of how to prepare the dish.

Ingredients

Broccoli and Cauliflower 
Creole Paste

1. Whole grain thin spaghetti (1 serving size = 56g of dry pasta)
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. Italian cheese
6. Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning

Directions

1. Chop and wash broccoli and cauliflower. Steam it for approximately 12 minutes on medium heat. 
2. While steaming the vegetables, measure out the number of servings of pasta you want to cook. Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta for 6-7 minutes until al dente. 
3. Pour extra virgin olive oil on the cooked pasta and toss. Amount depends on how much pasta was cooked.
4. Place pasta and vegetables in serving dishes. Sprinkle Italian cheese and *Tony's on the pasta.
5. Serve!

*Tony's is relatively high in sodium, so be mindful if you have high blood pressure or are at high risk of kidney disease. You can buy sodium-reduced or sodium-free Tony's.

Nutritional and Bolus Information

Each serving of the dish has ~41 carbohydrates. I usually measure out 1.5 servings (84g of dry pasta) for myself when we make this dish. Whole grain pastas are higher in fiber and digest slower than white pastas. Therefore, I always use a 30 minute square wave bolus. I have found that I actually need to give a little less insulin for this dish than the number of carbs would suggest likely because of the fiber, but this might not be the case for everyone. My CGM always shows a very small spike over a 30 minute period for this meal and then a gradual decline to normal levels within 1.5-2 hours. Whole grain pasta is low on the glycemic index, which makes it a great choice for people with diabetes.

Bon appétit!

Exercise and BG Now - January 4 @ 6:15pm

Heart-rate monitor (L) and BG

meter (R)

Just finished cycling. I was on the saddle for about 1 hour, burned 697 calories, and my blood glucose levels are currently at 157. I checked my blood sugar at 4pm and was sitting at 98. I ate half of a cliff bar and half of a banana and waited about 1 hour before hopping on the bike. 157 is a little higher than usual after an hour of cycling and the CGM shows me sitting steady, so I gave a small bolus (0.7 units) and am getting ready to eat dinner. I love cycling because once it comes back down into range, it'll be solid the rest of the night!

My 2013 New Year's Resolutions

Well, we survived the Mayan apocalypse and, for the time being, a fiscal cliff has been averted, which can only mean one thing: 2013 is here, y’all! This year is going to be full of new things as Mary and I move to Jackson, MS and I begin medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In addition, we are taking high school students to Ireland and Scotland in June. Though it may be a bit cliché, I decided to write a post listing my top 5 New Year's resolutions for 2013. Some are obviously serious and some are, well, not. Regardless, here they are (drumroll please):

5. Be a good friend. I have a tendency to get busy with numerous side projects and forget to call, email, text, etc. good friends from high school and college. Our relationships with other people define us, and I know that I need to be a better friend.

4. Determine whether or not there is a cure for Bieber Fever. If there is, then surely they will teach us about it in medical school, right?

3. Continue to maintain a good HbA1c. This next year is going to be replete with challenges – moving, traveling, medical school. All of these events will pose their own unique management challenges for controlling my diabetes along the way. I intend to use my own knowledge as well as the support of the DOC to steady the ship and stay healthy.

2. Complete an ADA Ride for the Cure. I recently fell in love with cycling. I have completed a few organized rides, though none of them have been for a cause. My brother and I have talked about doing an ADA ride together, and I want to make this happen!

1.    Be the best diabetes advocate I can be. I’m excited to move to Jackson, MS because the only JDRF and ADA offices in the state are located there. This seems a little outrageous considering the high rate of diabetes (mostly type 2) in the state. Nevertheless, I hope to volunteer at a few events and connect with other people who are affected by diabetes.

Well, there you go, my 5 resolutions for 2013. What resolutions do you have for the new year?