Diabetes Friendly Summer Recipe from Master Chef Tell

Long before there was Bobby Flay and all of the other Food Network celebrity chefs, there was Chef Tell, Master Chef, entrepreneur, entertainer, restaurateur and Diabetes educator.

Chef Tell (born Friedemann Paul Erhardt) achieved national recognition through TV appearances on Evening/PM Magazine, the internationally syndicated favorite tv show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, LIVE! with Regis and Kathie Lee as well as TNN. He hosted several specials on the QVC network and his own syndicated show,  “In the Kitchen with Chef Tell” aired nationwide on PBS stations to approximately 100 markets before his passing in 2007.

In the later years of his life, Chef Tell spent the majority of his time doing numerous personal appearances, donating his time to local schools and hosting cooking demonstrations for area children, and rounded out his final schedule with demonstrations for large hospital groups and HMOs about Heart-Healthy and Diabetic Cooking.

We are proud to bring you one of his out of print diabetic friendly recipes for your summer enjoyment – Stuffed Cucumber.

Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamin K (Vitamin K regulates normal blood clotting, transports calcium throughout the body, reduces bone loss, and decreases risk of bone fractures), molybdenum ( molybdenum acts as a catalyst for enzymes and helps facilitate the breakdown of certain amino acids in the body, vital for human health), pantothenic acid (also known as Vitamin B5, assists the body to convert food (carbs) into fuel (glucose), which the body uses to produce energy), copper (helps your body make red blood cells and keeps nerve cells and your immune system healthy. It also helps form collagen, a key part of bones and connective tissue), potassium (the heart muscle needs potassium to beat properly and regulate blood), manganese (helps the body form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. It also has a role in fat and carb metabolism, calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation. It is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function), vitamin C (helps the body form and maintain connective tissue, including bones, blood vessels, and skin), phosphorus (works with calcium and magnesium to form strong bones and teeth), magnesium (invovled in over 700 enzyme reactions in the body, it helps regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and makes protein, bone, and DNA), biotin (helps the body metabolize fats and carbs, improves hair health and maintains proper nervous system function), vitamin B1 (helps the body convert food (carbs) into fuel (glucose), which the body uses to produce energy), and the nail health-promoting mineral, silica.

STUFFED CUCUMBERS

3 large Cucumbers

1-8oz. package Cream Cheese, softened

3 Tbsps. minced Onions

1/2 tsp. Paprika powder

White Ground Pepper (to taste)

1 Cup finely chopped Dill

Lettuce leaves for garnish

Trim the ends of the cucumbers and cut the cucumbers in 1 l/2 inch lengths. Peel the skin off one half of each segment. Remove the seeds from the center of each section about 2/3 of the way down leaving the bottom intact.  Turn upside down to drain.

Whip the cream cheese until it is fluffy. Add the onions, paprika, and pepper. Form the mixture into enough balls to fill the cucumber shells. Roll the balls into the chopped dill and place in the cucumber shells.

Line small serving plates with lettuce and distribute the cucumbers.

Serve very cold.

To learn more about Chef Tell and his amazing life, read his new biography …