Cookbook Review: So Easy by Ellie Krieger
Posted by Moira on Nov 7, 2013 in Nutrition | 0 comments Cookbooks are some of my favorite books. Even though you can find so many recipes online these days, there is something exciting about leafing through a cookbook, looking at the pictures, seeing the splatters on the much loved pages, and picking out a recipe for the day that is intrinsically appealing to me. I am a Food Network lover but have found that so many of the recipes are not healthy. They are loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar. This isn’t true of all of the recipes, but a fair portion of them are this way. Ellie Krieger, who became well known after her show on Food Network Healthy Appetite, is different. She is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition from Teacher’s College, Columbia University (Ellie Krieger Bio). So you know that the recipes she provides are going to be well balanced and include lots of colors and nutrients. She isn’t a big fan of packaged products, but is a big fan of healthy eating made easy. With a toddler at home, a husband who works outside the home, and too many commitments of my own we need easy, fast, and delicious meals. So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week delivers. The cookbook begins with an explanation of nutrition as well as what the general breakdown of fat, protein, carbs, etc. should be in a typical 2000 calorie diet. Ellie emphasizes that you don’t need to count every little calorie, gram of protein, or carb however. She emphasizes eating lots of fruits and veggies, eating lean proteins, and making sure your plate is colorful. After this informative intro she goes on to provide a list of suggested items for your pantry. I have a fairly well-stocked pantry and find that I agree with her suggestions. They keep my options open during the week if I suddenly decide I want to deviate from our weekly plan and make weekly shopping simple. All of this information is great, but you may be wondering about the recipes. A lot of times when you see “healthy” and “recipe” together all that comes to mind is BLAND. The recipes in this cookbook are well-seasoned and flavorful. They range from really simple – cheddar-apple quesadilla with only three ingredients – to spaghetti frittata with salad presto. It doesn’t matter your level of cooking competence, you can easily...read more