The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook

Barbara Seelig-Brown, a television cooking show host, has teamed up with the American Diabetes Association to bring you The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook. Seafood is the perfect choice for healthy diabetic and non-diabetic meals but many people shy away from it because they don't know how to buy, store or prepare it. This cookbook shows you how to do just that with basic safe seafood handling tips and easy recipes.

The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook contains over 150 recipes that are naturally low-fat, packed with protein and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Recipes range from party appetizers such as Scallop Seviche Martini, to everyday family dinner entrées like Roasted Salmon with Vegetables. There's even a section devoted to wholegrain side dishes and vegetables making this cookbook your one-stop resource for a healthy and delicious meal.

Each recipe meets the nutrition guidelines of the American Diabetes Association which aim to support people with diabetes in their day-to-day challenge of improving blood glucose control. The ingredient lists are short (under 10 foods) as are the preparation instructions. Best of all, nutritional analysis is provided along with diabetic exchange values to assist with diabetic menu planning.

The Taste Test

First, I tested Radicchio & Shrimp Salad Cups, a first course or light lunch that's low in calories and fat and high in protein. This quick recipe dresses pre-cooked shrimp with white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pomegranate seeds, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Served on round leaf of purple radicchio, this colorful salad is an elegant dish that I look forward to serving again. This salad serves up only 65 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 180 milligrams of sodium along with 10 grams of protein.

Next, I tried a main entrée, Chili Garlic Tuna with Peanut-Sauced Veggies, which calls for common Asian ingredients (chili garlic paste, peanut sauce and water chestnuts) available at the local grocery store. While the chili-basted tuna cooked on the grill, I sautéed baby spinach, carrots, onion, sliced water chestnut in canola oil, broth and peanut sauce. This dish is tasty combination of nutty vegetables and mildly spicy fish that deserves an encore! One serving (about ¼ of the recipe) provides 270 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of fibre and 30 grams of protein.

Finally, I made a side dish called Barlotto with Pesto Ribbons, which is risotto made with wholegrain barley instead of rice. Because it's higher in fibre, barley has a lower glycemic index than white rice which means people with diabetes will enjoy more stable blood sugar levels after eating this barlotto. (The glycemic index ranks foods by how quickly they raise a person's blood sugar after eating them.) White wine, onion and olive oil are added to vegetable stock to flavor the barley while it simmers on the stove. Then, fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and parsley are pulsed together in the food processor to make pesto. This pesto mixture is swirled into the barlotto for a beautiful presentation any guest would enjoy.

Final Word

The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook features fresh, healthy, low-fat recipes that everyone can enjoy. People with diabetes will appreciate the diabetic exchange values and use of low glycemic index ingredients. I highly recommend it as an addition to any health-conscious cook's library.