Hi Donna,

To be honest with you, I'm more familiar with Splenda, since that was what Dr. Atkins recommended along with his low Carbohydratre Diet. Been using Splenda for years. Of course, I still use a lot of Honey to sweeten both in cooking and in beveridges.

Truvia or Stevia is relatively new to me, so the jury is still out, at least for me, on how it compares when cooking. I will get back to you on that.

I do know that Splenda is a cup for cup or tsp. for tsp. substitution when cooking. You use the same amount of each as called for in the recipe. Baking times tend to be shorter by five to ten minutes with Splenda, and you can't cook anything on the stovetop, such as Fudge, with Splenda. Your Fudge will simply not ever set up properly. I use one of the liquid Sugar Substitutes whenever I am cooking anyting on the stovetop.

Also, Pillsbury now has two Brownie mixes, Chocolate Fudge & Milk Chocolate, as well as a Chocolate and a Yellow Cake mix, all of which use Splenda as the primary sweetener. In addition, they have a Chocolate Fudge and a White Frosting mix which are both Sugar Free. I have tested all of the mixes and the Frostings and they were all delicious.

If I'm able, I'll try to start a Forum Thread with a few Sugar Free or at least some Diabetic Friendly recipes soon.

Hope this helps.

Have A Terrific Evenig,

Phil

Hi Donna,

Here's a little something different to the usual everyday Grilled Chuicken Salad. Crisp salad greens are tossed with hot and spicy Buffalo-style chicken bites and a creamy blue cheese dressing. If you like Buffalo Chicken Wings, you'll love this take on it.

Hot'n'Spicy Buffalo Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon salad seasoning mix (such as McCormick® Salad Supreme Seasoning)
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine crumbled blue cheese and Ranch-style dressing; set aside. Season cubed chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat, and pour in the vegetable oil. Just before the oil starts to smoke, add the chicken. Cook to brown evenly, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add butter, hot sauce, and salad seasoning mix. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Toss together the lettuce and Ranch-style dressing mixture in a large bowl. Top salad with chicken, and serve.

Have A Great Weekend,

Phil

Thanks for the information on Splenda Phil. That is helpful since I never cooked with it.

I may try it and see how well my body digests it. I know some artificial sweeteners wreak havoc with my IBS so I am very leery about using them.

DonnaZ

The buffalo chicken salad sounds like another winner winner chicken dinner ( a favorite saying of Guy Fieri of the Food Network).

DonnaZ

Hi Donna,

Sorry I've been away for so long, but I've had a few more health problems of my own, so I haven't been posting as widely as before.

I'm glad you mentioned your problems with artificial sweeteners and IBS. I actually had not heard that before, so you know me, I had to do a little research on the subject. I'm afraid the answers are not promising. There's an interesting article here at HelpforIBS.com on Splenda and other Artificial Sweeteners and IBS. Long story short, you probably should refrain from using any of the popular arificial sweeteners. I myself am taking a harder look at Stevia as a Sugar substitute, however for right now, I'll probably still rely on my Splenda, at least until I can learn more. By the way, there's also a variety of valuable information on IBS here at The IBS Diet Pages.

Now back to the main Subject of the Forum. This is a great salad for a buffet, with interesting textures and southwestern flavors combined in one delicious salad. Leftovers store well refrigerated for several days.

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
3. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hope Your Weekend's Terrific,

Phil