Diabetic-friendly cooking by Latina Chef LaLa

Diabetic-friendly cuisine is especially important to me as diabetes has had a major impact on the health of the latino community. Chef LaLa, our favorite Latina celebrity chef and a certified nutritionist, is helping to educate Latinos about type 2 diabetes by participating in a food and health tour in Southern California and showing how to prepare a diabetic-friendly meal.

Meet Chef LaLa

Chef LaLa encourages Latinos to make healthy lifestyle changes via the new program Sazone Su Salud (Season Your Health)

Sazone Su Salud; Photo Credit: journeyforcontrol.com

Sazone Su Salud (Season Your Health) is an educational campaign that showcases food recipes to help Hispanics to create a healthy, diabetic-friendly lifestyle. Chef LaLa engages Latinos in live demonstrations of diabetic-friendly cooking in three California communities – Bakersfield, Los Angeles, and Orange County.

Chef LaLa said: “I’m excited to be a part of Sazone Su Salud to help educate Hispanics about easier ways to prepare healthy meals as one way to help manage their type 2 diabetes.”

Type 2 diabetes is a very serious problem among the Latino community in the U.S.  One out of five adult Latinos of age 50 or older has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. California has the highest rate of type 2 diabetes among Latinos aged 18 to 44 years.

Here is one of the healthy diabetic-friendly Chef LaLa’s recipes for Carnitas Tacos.

Prep: 15 minutes    Roast: 25 minutes at 350°F    Stand: 5 minutes

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin
• 1 medium orange
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 recipe Pico de Gallo
• Snipped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges (optional)

Pico de Gallo

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño chile pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim fat from pork. Juice orange over a bowl (you should have about 1/4 cup orange juice). Brush orange juice evenly onto pork tenderloin. Sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper; set aside.
2. In a large oven-going nonstick skillet† heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tenderloin. Cook tenderloin for 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown on all sides, turning to brown evenly. Drain off fat.
3. Roast tenderloin for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center registers 155°F. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
4. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil. Heat in the 350°F oven about 10 minutes or until warm, turning once. Chop roasted pork or cut into bite-size strips. Serve in warm tortillas; top with Pico de Gallo and cilantro. If desired, serve with lime wedges.

Pico de Gallo Instructions:

1. In a small bowl combine 1 cup chopped tomatoes; 2 tablespoons chopped red onion; 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño chile pepper;* 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon); and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Click here for more diabetic-friendly recipes by Chef LaLa.

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