Robyn Webb - The Perfect Diabetes Comfort Food Collection: 9 Essential Recipes You Need To Create 90 Amazing Complete Meals

Director, Book Publishing, Abe Ogden; Managing Editor, Project Manager, Rebekah Renshaw; Acquisitions Editor, Victor Van Beuren; Production Manager, Melissa Sprott; Composition, pixiedesign, llc; Cover Design, Vis--vis Creative; Photography, Renee Comet; Printer, R.R. Donnelly.

2016 by Robyn Webb. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including duplication, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the American Diabetes Association.

Printed in the United States of America
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The suggestions and information contained in this publication are generally consistent with the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes and other policies of the American Diabetes Association, but they do not represent the policy or position of the Association or any of its boards or committees. Reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the American Diabetes Association cannot ensure the safety or efficacy of any product or service described in this publication. Individuals are advised to consult a physician or other appropriate health care professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program or taking any medication referred to in this publication. Professionals must use and apply their own professional judgment, experience, and training and should not rely solely on the information contained in this publication before prescribing any diet, exercise, or medication. The American Diabetes Associationits officers, directors, employees, volunteers, and membersassumes no responsibility or liability for personal or other injury, loss, or damage that may result from the suggestions or information in this publication.

The paper in this publication meets the requirements of the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 (permanence of paper).

ADA titles may be purchased for business or promotional use or for special sales. To purchase more than 50 copies of this book at a discount, or for custom editions of this book with your logo, contact the American Diabetes Association at the address below or at booksales@diabetes.org.

American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22311

DOI: 10.2337/9781580406024

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Webb, Robyn.
Title: The perfect diabetes comfort food collection : the 9 essential recipes
you need to create 90 amazing complete meals / Robyn Webb.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016014828 | ISBN 9781580406024 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Diabetes--Diet therapy--Recipes. | Diabetes--Nutritional
aspects. | Cooking. | BISAC: COOKING / Health & Healing / Diabetic &
Sugar-Free. | COOKING / Health & Healing / Weight Control. | COOKING /
Health & Healing / Heart. | HEALTH & FITNESS / Nutrition.
Classification: LCC RC662 .W34 2016 | DDC 641.5/6314--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016014828
eISBN: 978-1-58040-668-0

This book is dedicated to my late mother, Ruth: for me, it was and always will be, about her.

Im often asked what it is like to write a cookbook. After penning quite a few, I always say it is usually solitary work that takes every ounce of concentration, a strong vision, and a healthy sense of humor. It also takes enrolling others in your project, for even though I work alone most of the time, without the following people, this book would not have been possible.

To my long-time agent Beth Shepard, who is probably at this point more like my sister than agent, as she truly knows how I think and can center me when Im off in different directions. Her wise words always help to make each project shine with my signature.

To my two long-time testers Ramzi Faris and Cecilia Stoute, and new tester chef Kara Hunt, your feedback and meticulous testing is what inspires me to make each book better than the one before. Your enthusiasm for this book is appreciated more than you know and your honesty is something that keeps me on my toes.

To food photographer Rene Comet and food stylist Lisa Cherkasky, Im not sure where Id be without you both. Your talents far exceed any words I can express here and I hope you both know how much I love working with you. May we continue to have many years and projects together!

To Abe Ogden, Rebekah Renshaw, and Lyn Wheeler, thank you once again for the opportunity to serve the diabetes population, their caregivers, relatives, colleagues and friends. Thank you for all the support youve bestowed upon me for so many years.

To Kelly Rawlings for your creativity and your collaboration to produce my column The Plate in Diabetes Forecast magazine, which was the inspiration for this book. Thank you for always listening and allowing me to spread my wings and try new things under your masterful direction.

And finally, thank you to the loyal readers of my books. It is my hope and wish that I can support the diabetes community with healthy, delicious, and easy-to-prepare foods, and ease the burden of diabetes in some small way. I wish all of you the strength to face the challenges along the way and enjoy my creations with every bite.

Robyn Webb

Table of Contents

As I began to write The Perfect Diabetes Comfort Food Collection, a neighbor of mine who is always supportive of my cookbooks, said to me: This is the one Ive been waiting for, Robyn. She explained that despite having hundreds of cookbook, she was relieved when I shared that the theme revolves around only needing to know 9 solid techniques to create infinite wonderful meals. Despite her huge collection of books and insatiable thirst for more recipes, she admitted that she only prepared a handful of the same recipes over and over again. She is also a person with diabetes, so she really needed a cookbook that was streamlined for her needs.

My friend is not alone in her sentiments. Its more than okay to rely on a few foods and recipes that you know you can prepare well. But if you long to have a small but great repertoire, you really should strive to make your short list the best it can be. For example, if you know how to create the perfect stir fry, then you can also create hundreds of variations once you have the technique mastered.

First, let me explain that the title of this book is not implying you need to be perfect to prepare these meals. It means that Ive devised a system of meal planning that will make your life much easier. By learning the techniques, preparing a meal will become so easy that youll have more time for the other things in life that are important to you. And if thats not the perfect arrangement, I dont know what is.

When designing the concept for this book, I researched several sources. First, I remembered the cooking I grew up with. My mother was a person with diabetes, so we always ate healthy meals. As a full-time working mom, she also made simple meals and relied on a few simple techniques to get dinner on the table quickly. Second, I asked many of my clients and readers what dishes they prepare over and over again. I also looked at dishes that have stood the test of time through every culinary trend. In this book, you will learn the master techniques to prepare stir fry, lasagna, meatloaf, burgers, tacos, chicken, soups, main dish salads, and pasta.

Each chapter begins with a blueprint: a step-by-step plan to master the technique of each dish. These directions were honed through many years of trial and errorI made all the mistakes and missteps, so you dont have to. Once you learn these techniques, you can create many more recipes of your own. The first recipe in each chapter will start you off with the technique, and each subsequent recipe will be very similar in preparation, but with different ingredients. In order to build your confidence and skill level, your pantry and kitchen equipment need to be stocked as well. Fortunately,