elzora's Full Review: Brenda Shriver and Angela Shriver - Healthy Cookin...
Now that it's just hubby and I, it's a bit challenging to cook dinners. We always have so many leftovers! We do have company over once a week, but on the nights when it's just the two of us, it can be challenging knowing what to cook.
A year ago I decided to buy several cookbooks that featured recipes geared for just two people. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, because sometimes you get a great cookbook and sometimes you don't. I decided to buy them on Ebay, and one of the first ones I purchased was the Healthy Cooking for Two cookbook, by Angela Shrvier, R.D. and Brenda Shriver, (also the author of No Red Meat. R.D. stands for registered dietitian.
My husband has very high cholesterol, and healthy cooking has become extremely important for us.
About This Cookbook
The authors filled this book generously with over 250 recipes that are good for your heart. The recipes are low fat and low cholesterol, and they are geared toward working men or women - people who just can't spend several hours in the kitchen preparing a meal.
Most ingredients are ones found in your cabinets or pantry, and the recipes are simple and easy to follow.
Contents
* Food Guide Pyramid
* Appetizers
* Soups
* Breads
* Salads
* Main Dishes (Poultry, seafood, red meat)
* Meatless
* Vegetables
* Desserts
* Sauces
* Info on herbs & spices
* Measurements/equivalents/substitutions
* Healthy menus for any occasion
Appetizers
Although many of the recipes don't sound very appealing, since they use fat-free mayonnaise and fat-free sour cream, the herbs and spices that are used really do help make a difference for creating tasty appetizers. Lots of dips are included. My favorite recipe in this section is Baked Potato Skins. Although it calls for low-fat margarine, the chives and parmesan cheese make it quite appealing.
Soups
In the winter time, I cook a lot of soup. This was one of the hardest meals to cook for two people, before I purchased this book. The Ground Beef Stew is one of our favorites, and it makes two 1 1/2 cup servings - perfect! There are chowders, soups, stews, chilis, and gumbos.
Breads
We both love fresh bread! The recipes here are especially healthy, using whole grains and lesser amounts of sugar. The collection includes muffins, pancakes, casseroles, cakes, tea breads, rolls, breadsticks, and loaves of bread.
Salads
Many of the salads in this book could be used for a lunch or light dinner. This is nice when the summer months get hot and you don't want to heat up your kitchen. Some are a twist on old time favorites - the Cabbage Waldorf recipe is sooo good. It includes the regular ingredients like apples and low-fat mayonnaise, but adds cabbage, pineapple and pineapple juice for sweetness.
Besides salad recipes, there are also a nice collection of homemade dressing recipes.
Meats
This is the chapter that I refer to the most. Lean cuts of beef, white poultry meat, and pork tenderloin are the most often called for meats. Foods are baked vs. fried, and are cooked with water or broth instead of oils and fats. Other sources of protein such as eggs, nuts and legumes are included. The spicy mexican dish called Acapulco Chicken is one of my favorites.
Meatless
Complete proteins are the focus in this chapter. Favorites like lasagna are changed by substituting meat with vegetables like zucchini and yellow squash. It's amazing how good these are, and I don't even miss the beef or sausage.
Desserts
Since people who are dieting, or restricting their diet, can feel deprived, a chapter is included on desserts. However, they are still healthy! From fresh fruits and yogurts to sugar-free puddings, you can eat these without feeling guilty.
Thoughts
The style of cooking this book presents I consider "down home" cooking. For those on special diets, like my husband, each and every recipe includes analysis of:
As expensive as food is these days, I just hate wasting it! Before I bought cookbooks geared for two people, I was throwing out a lot of leftovers that were past their prime. The authors have taken many long time favorite recipes and scaled them down for two people.
When I read that one of the authors, Brenda Shriver, had a husband with coronary artery disease, it rang a bell with me. My husband's cardiologist also recommended a change of eating habits and exercise for my hubby. This situation prompted her to publish her first cookbook "No Red Meat" in 1989. Healthy Cooking for Two followed later and was published in 1994. Since it is older, some things, like the Food Pyramid, are no longer up to date, but the recipes are still great.
Some wonderful references are given, and the guide for substitutions has been very helpful. Tips are given for how to reduce fat by 1/4-1/3 by making simple changes in cooking. Instead of using whole milk, use evaporated skim milk. 2 egg whites can replace 1 whole egg (no cholesterol!). Many more are given, but you'll have to buy the cookbook if you want to know what they are!
Each recipe comes with serving suggestions, and this really comes in handy when I don't have time to plan a meal. The Vegetable Lasagna, Caesar Salad and Italian Breadsticks is an all time favorite of ours.
The book has an index in the back, but what I use more often is the great Healthy Menu's for Any Occasion section in the back. They are broken down into helpful categories like Breakfast for Hearty Eaters, Holiday Brunch, Cool Summer Lunch, Lunch for a Cold Winter Day, Dinner For The Boss, Intimate Dinner for Two, or Last Minute Dinner.
There is only one flaw in this cookbook, no pictures.
If you think that cooking for two isn't worth the effort, you need to find a cookbook like this that meets your dietary needs. I have found it very helpful!
Total pages: 387
Published by: The Summit Group
Retail price: $14.95
Ideal cookbook for health conscious singles and couples Includes accurate analysis of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, cholesterol and sod...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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