Healthy Helpings: 800 Fast and Fabulous Recipes for the Kosher (or Not) Cook

Recipe If you invest in one cookbook in your lifetime, this should be it. Healthy Helpings is the most extensive cookbook I have ever owned. This book includes so many appealing recipes that I have trouble deciding what to make! In addition to the recipes themselves, Norene Gilletz explains the history of her recipes, how to work with different ingredients, what food goes well together, how to present the dishes you prepare and how to vary her recipes. She also includes many health and nutrition tips and the nutritional information for each entry! There is so much extra, interesting information that I sometimes sit and read my cookbook before bed - the way most people would read a fiction book. With the number of choices and variations offered, it would be easy as a reader to miss some of Ms. Gilletz's good ideas. However, the extensive index makes sure that you can find exactly what you're looking for. I will often choose an ingredient from my fridge and the Healthy Helpings index points me to all the recipes that include that ingredient (even if it was mentioned as a variation and not included in the basic recipe). I have a great time clearing food out my fridge this way! The recipes in this book are easy to follow, tasty and are great for both family meals and for entertaining. This book provides healthy, creative ideas that I can serve at anytime - without anyone even having to know that they are helping themselves to healthy foods!

Although I like this book a great deal, I wanted to warn unwary future customers--this is the same book as Meal-Lean-i-Yumm. I was really excited to see this title, and thinking it was a new book by Norene Gilletz, I ordered it right away. When it arrived today, imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was simply a retitled version of a cookbook I've had for four or five years already. Anyway, the book is great--just don't buy it twice unnecessarily!

Even thought I've collected probably 100 "healthy eating" cookbooks, I'm always on the look-out for new selections (especially in the "healthy eating" category) that have certain characteristics: · Captivating to read (I tend to read a cookbook as much for the margin comments, and personality, as much as for the great recipes) - Almost like reading a novel · Unique recipes (not just a new twist on recipes I've already read elsewhere) · Fresh ingredients, and interesting uses (that I never would have thought of) for easy-to-find ingredients · Lots of tips and easy-to-follow instructions · Beautiful photos · Recipes that my WHOLE family (including my children) would find appealing I was very thrilled when I found Norene Gilletz' book, Healthy Helpings. What an excellent book!! When I picked it up at the bookstore, I found myself reading it like a novel...always a good sign. Healthy Helpings is written in a nicely conversational, friendly tone. This is the first cookbook (in the healthy foods genre) that really has it all. The recipes are healthy (using lots of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc), but not too restrictive about healthy oils (using just enough to create the desired effect). I would say it offers something for just about every type of healthy eater. With 800 recipes, it's bound to!! Note that I'm not a kosher cook, but this book is quite interesting to me in that respect too. It's an education into the method of kosher preparation. I've always wanted to learn some of these things, and Norene has provided sections on holidays and celebrations that are particularly interesting reading. I believe I've found the light eating cookbook that I'll actually be using regularly. Norene has done an excellent job of researching for this book. It's full of all kinds of helpful advice for food preparation and eating well(while controlling fat and calories). A huge number of delicious sounding recipes, most of which are comfort foods with a healthy use of fresh ingredients, all of which are available at my small-town grocery. I've already made a long list of recipes I need to try. She's right up my alley with the occasional use of ingredients like quinoa, spelt and whole wheat. Don't let that scare you though! Not all her bread recipes have unusual grains. In fact, most have regular flours, or a combination of whole grain and regular. But everything I saw looked delicious and doable. The dessert section was what really got me, though. I'll have to try some of the recipes in this section first. Who was it who said, "Life is short...eat dessert first"? You really need to try some of these recipes: · No-Knead Cinnamon Babka · Honey Mustard Carrot Salad · Saucy Szechuan Pineapple Chicken · Grilled Satay Chicken Kabobs · Make & Bake Pizza with Herb Crust · Israeli Salad · Lousiana Chicken Salad This cookbook is definitely my new favorite. I'll be using it regularly to help me with feeding my family (of diverse appetites).