This Pro Chef Devised a Delicious Diabetes-Friendly Menu Thanks to a Key Ingredient

Pati Jinich is widely known as the host of PBS’s Pati’s Mexican Table, and she’s become a beloved cookbook author celebrated for her vibrant take on traditional Mexican home cooking. But the Mexico City native also loves marrying better-for-you ingredients with the big, bold flavors that make her dishes shine.

To prove that Mexican cooking can be as nutritious as it is delicious, Jinich has partnered with Avocados From Mexico and the American Diabetes Association to craft a trio of naturally sugar-free recipes that meet ADA nutritional guidelines. And these dishes are so tasty, you'll want to whip them up regularly, whether or not you're monitoring your blood sugar.

"We’re breaking the misconception that Mexican food is unhealthy, greasy, fried, and contains too much cheese," Jinich tells us. "Avocados from Mexico are naturally sugar-free and full of nutrients. They enrich every meal with flavor and texture. And when paired with carbs, they really help slow blood sugar spikes."

"There's a lot of stigma around Type 2 Diabetes," Jinich points out. And working to break that stigma is personal to her: "After I got married, my mom got diagnosed. It took years for her to realize that when you eat a good, balanced diet, you don't have to give up the things you love."

"I've spent most of my career trying to break myths and preconceptions about Mexicans, about who we are, about what we look like, and about what we eat. There's nothing inherently wrong with our diet or our ingredients. On the contrary, we need to find the power and strength in who we are and where we come from. And actually, the ingredients that our diet is based on can be very good for diabetes. I use avocados every day." To see how that philosophy plays out in the kitchen, you'll have to take a bite of one of these satisfying recipes.

Pati Jinich's Diabetes-Friendly Mexican Recipes

Lime Rubbed Chicken Avocado Tacos with Corn Guacamole

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried

For the corn guacamole

• 2 large ripe Mexican avocados halved, pitted and diced
• 1 jalapeno chile roasted, chopped, or to taste
• 2 garlic cloves roasted with the skin on, peeled and minced
• ¾ cup corn kernels shaved from corn, or cooked from thawed
• ¾ cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved or chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
• ¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste

To assemble tacos

• 16 corn tortillas homemade or store-bought

Instructions

1. To make the chicken: Mix the lime juice with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, and rosemary in a bowl. Pour on top of the chicken, in a container. Cover and refrigerate anywhere from ½ hour up to 12 hours.
2. Heat a medium-sized sauté or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add corn or safflower oil; once it is hot but not smoking, add the chicken. Sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan, place on chopping board to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice into diagonal strips about a ½-inch wide.
3. To make the guacamole: Place the jalapeño and garlic cloves in a small baking dish under the broiler, for 6 to 9 minutes, until completely cooked through, soft and skin is charred. Once cool enough to handle, peel garlic and mince along with chiles.
4. Place diced avocado in a mixing bowl. Add the charred and minced garlic and jalapeños, gently tossing everything together well. Incorporate the corn and tomatoes. Squeeze the lime juice on top and sprinkle the salt. Mix it all together.
5. To assemble tacos: In an already hot skillet or comal set over medium-low heat, heat the tortillas. It will take about 1 minute per side.
6. Place the tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or cloth napkin. Serve them together with the guacamole and the chicken at the table and assemble your tacos!

Avocado and Radish Salad 

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bunch radishes washed, stemmed and cut into thin wedges
• 1 bunch radish leaves washed and dried, coarsely chopped
• ½ English cucumber halved and sliced
• 2 ripe avocados halved, pitted, meat cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together lime and lemon juice, vegetable and sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Add the radishes, radish leaves, cucumber, and avocado, and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Avocado Egg Scramble with Greens, Chiles, Scallions, and Tomato

Makes: 5 servings 

Ingredients

• 1 pound quelite leaves and tender part of stems such as purslane, amaranth leaves, chepil or chipilín, romeritos, chaya, or huauzontle, or can substitute for tender watercress or baby spinach (it can also be a combination)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 fresh chile verde such as chilaca, Anaheim, California, New Mexico or Hatch, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño stemmed and finely chopped
• 8 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• ½ pound ripe plum tomatoes cored and finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 whole large eggs + 8 egg whites
• 10 warm corn tortillas
• 10 ripe avocado slices
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the quelites or greens, press down into the water and cook for just a minute. Pour into a large colander and completely drain.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once hot, add the chiles verdes, jalapeño, and scallions, and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking until they become a bit pasty and darken in color, about 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, press the greens with the back of a wooden spoon to press out excess liquid. Transfer to a chopping board and chop. Add the greens to the chile verde mix, along with the salt and black pepper and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is not wet anymore.
4. Lightly beat the whole eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Pour the eggs into the skillet with the greens and scramble until the eggs are set and tender, about 3-5 minutes depending on how you like your eggs. Garnish with the chives.
5. Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas and ripe avocado slices.

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Recipes courtesy of Pati Jinich.