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Cooking for special diets can be daunting. Salt, butter and sugar, the principle ingredients to enhance flavor, generally need to be reduced or eliminated. Allergies to nuts or additives necessitate eliminating the feature ingredient in other recipes. My recent foray into testing recipes suitable for diabetic diets, particularly those using exchanges, formed this observation. Portion control by the eater, and precise measuring by the cook, are most important. If the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots, don’t toss in the last couple inches of the carrot as it will alter the exchanges.

This weeks test recipe, Italian Hot Dish, from Taste of Home, features ground beef and bowtie pasta. My taste testers liked this recipe but found it lacked seasoning/flavor. Unless salt is an issue, this recipe would benefit from 1/2 tsp salt and increase of the onion powder to 1/2 tsp. This would bring the taste into the savory range without changing calories or exchanges.

Italian Hot Dish

• 1/2 cups bowtie pasta

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, or 1 can (8 ounces), well drained

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped, red or green bell pepper

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and crumble beef with 1/2 of the mushrooms, the onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Stir in seasonings and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.

Place pasta in an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with meat sauce and the remaining mushrooms. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the parmesan cheese. Bake covered, 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes. Yield: 4 servings. Diabetic exchanges 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable and 1/2 fat.

Note: spraying the skillet with cooking spray is not really nessicary, other than it is most likely factored into the fat exchange.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites are a savory, quick to fix main dish featuring beef sirloin steak. Or, you can serve these tasty bite size cubes as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauces.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

• 1 Tbsp chopped chives

Let the sirloin steak stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Cut into bite size pieces, about 1 inch. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a 12 inch heavy skillet, or cast iron skillet, over medium- high heat. Add oil and heat. Add prepared steak bites to skillet, in batches if needed, (do not crowd the skillet) cook 2 minutes on each side until well browned but still pink in the center. Remove steak bites to a platter, tent with foil and keep warm.

In same skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return steak bites to the skillet and heat through. Garnish with chopped chives. Yield 6 servings.

Note: if serving as a main dish, steamed rice or rice pilaf goes well to soak up the savory pan juices.

The season of Soup Suppers begins in March this year. Minestrone Soup is a flavorful Italian style vegetable soup that satisfies most diet restrictions. It was one of my father’s favorite recipes, which he made on the few occasions he was in charge of meal preparation while I was growing up. My favorite recipe is an Olive Garden copycat with my dad’s additions tossed in.

Minestrone Soup Olive Garden and Dad Style

• 2 medium carrots, diced

• 2 small zucchini, diced

• 1/2 large onion, diced

• 6 stalks celery diced

• 1 shallot minced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

• 32 ounces chicken broth

• 1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans , drained

• 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained

• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1 Tbsp crushed basil

• 1/2 cup dry macaroni

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 cups water, or more chicken broth

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy kettle. Add all the fresh vegetables and sauté 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the tomatoes and seasonings and drained beans. Simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken broth and macaroni and simmer 10 minutes more or until macaroni is done. Thin with more water or broth if needed. Minestrone should have enough broth for dipping bread sticks, rolls or toast. Yield: 10 servings.

Note: minestrone freezes well. Dad’s variation is the addition of the shallot, and his idea of a large onion was softball size. And, Dad always used broth if additional liquid was needed.

Next week we will be testing Turkey Leek Shepherds Pie, another suggested diabetic suitable recipe. Dear readers, do you have other diabetic recipes you would suggest I try and print in the column? Also, share your favorite soup, stew or chili recipes with your fellow readers. Send them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, Attn: Laura, P.O. Box 151, Odessa, WA 99159,or email pandl@odessaoffice .com. March 1, is a good time to start begonia tubers indoors, or in greenhouse.