Easy Cooking

Author(s): Jeanne Besser, Colleen Doyle
Publisher: American Cancer Society
Publication Date: 2007-08-14
Pages: 208
Review: Delicious and cook friendly recipes. Highly recommend to anyone on a campaign to a healthier self.As a cancer survivor looking to stay healthy this cookbook has been a huge help. It has easy to prepare recipes that are delicious and very healthy. I have lots of cookbooks and this is the only one I use consistently. I would recommend it to anyone.I found out about this book when I was googling for a “greek chicken” recipe. It looked interesting so I got the book out of the library. It is so fantastic - SO many recipes are very appealing and it is very well written. I’m placing my order today. I have lots of cookbooks and love getting recipes off the web but can totally see this book becoming my “go to” source for most meals.Healthy Eating can prevent cancer deaths, which is why the American Cancer Society is involved with the publication of The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook, a gathering of over a hundred tasty recipes paired with color photos. From Poached Salmon with Mango Salsa to Pepperonhi Tortilla Piza and Mushroom-Barley Soup, the collection surveys the basic elements of healthy eating, then provides jazzy, innovative new dishes to support healthier habits. Any general-interest collection strong in cookbooks and health will want this.We have tried about 8 recipes so far in this cookbook, and to my surprise, they have all be excellent. In addition to healthy, they are very easy to make, and it’s amazing how simple it is to change up a few things to make a normal dish even healthier.
Price: $29.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: 2002-11-05
Pages: 368
Review: Healthy heart recipes shouldn’t include fatty meats like lamb and pork or other cholesterol laden foods. I’ve done better on my own diet.

I’m giving the book back to my physician who recommended I buy it.This book has a ton of great low-fat recipes that can be made in just a few minutes. I definitely recommend this to anyone. I decided to buy this book after my husband had a stroke and we had to start eating better. I tend to avoid cooking (my husband has handled almost all dinners for 13 years), but I knew that if I bought this cookbook, I would be the one using it. To say I am pleasantly surprised is an understatement. We have tried over a dozen recipes and we have liked them all. It feels great that we know we are cooking healthy and we are loving the meals. As for the comment that says there is too much fish - I don’t know how they missed all of the chicken, pork, beef and vegetarian recipes. We don’t fix the fish either because my husband doesn’t like it and I avoid the bell pepper recipes because I’m not a big fan of that but there is still PLENTY to chose from. On top of all of that, I can attest that for a novice cook the recipes are clear and easy to follow. Definately a GREAT buy!This book was so helpful in trying to create great tasting yet lighter and healthier meals for myself and my family. My husband, who is a food-aholic actually loved several of the recipes I have made from this book so far! My two year old enjoyed them also and she can be finicky!

I have MANY cookbooks, but this one is by far the best and healthiest I own. I started my weight loss and life changing eating habits on December 19th, almost a month after I gave birth to a baby girl. Needless to say, I needed something easy, fast and good to cook. Also, I NEEDED recipes that have the nutritional information listed for each recipe, since my “diet” implies counting calories (I follow Jillian Michaels - Biggest Looser- program). Using this cookbook since that day (3 months later) I’ve lost 16 lbs (I am also exercising!).

I love this book because it has everything I needed. Recipes are super easy and fast to make. The desserts are awsome too. Now I don’t feel guilty for eating chocolate cake My husband and preschooler also like the recipes (with some exceptions).

One word of “caution”: if you buy this book make sure you have a Dutch oven, since many recipes require one.

I highly recommend this cookbook. I agree with all that said this is “the bible” for cooking healthy.
Price: $15.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: 2002-11-26
Pages: 403
Review: The book is a bargain. It’s a few years old and doesn’t reflect the latest culinary trends, but its recipes call for readily available basic foods that are easy to prepare. I find it an excellent resource when searching for new meal ideas. For example, I made the pork and tofu stir-fry recently omitting the pork in order to reduce the fat in the meal. It turned out very well. There are lots of hybrid recipes in the book that involve marrying animal and plant proteins to generate meals that are delicious, nutritious, and heart healthy. Such recipes can be adapted easily to a vegetarian palate or seasoned to satisfy an exotic taste. In sum, the book celebrates healthy cooking and eating as creative, pleasurable, and rewarding. When it comes to cuisine, the American Heart Association has its heart in the right place.First, my biases. I’m starting a new diet that’s along the lines of Esselstyn, Ornish and McDougall (emphasis on plant-based diet and excising meat, eggs, dairy, oils and other forms of fat). So, I’ll say that if you think that “low-fat” means vegetarian, not-so. There’s a pretty wide variety of meat-based dishes in this book. That said, I wasn’t expecting this to be vegetarian (it does seem to have a “vegetarian” section, however, though it must be lacto-ovo-vegetarian as it generally still includes dairy; not sure on eggs).

Long story short, I’ll probably end up adapting some of the recipes to a vegetarian pantry. Just wanted the range of dishes this offered. Looks good so far. Can’t wait to start trying recipes. Many of which won’t even need adaptation.

It seems pretty straightforward in arrangement. It has an intro with some diet advice and several appendices on various health-related topics. The recipes are divided into sections, seem legible on the page (though I haven’t tried it in the kitchen while cooking yet). The recipes also seem to have basic nutritional information breakdowns.

I assume this book should be a good addition to the typical chef’s repertoire of cookbooks and recipes. For those looking toward vegetarian / vegan cooking, or toward non-fat diets, quite a few of the recipes are a bit too “standard” and may require some tweaking or adaptation to remove oils, dairy, etc. But since that’s not what the cookbook is about, I won’t fault the authors on it. The average user should find it a useful book for preparing more healthy meals.

Those wishing to know more about health or heart disease may want to do some additional reading, such as The China Study, and books by Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Ornish and The Mcdougall Quick and Easy Cookbook: Over 300 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes or Less.My husband was recently told he has high cholesterol. His doctor told him to make life changes if he wanted to see 50. We have tried several recipes and have liked all of them. They use simple ingrediants. If you have to add something to your cabinet, more than likely you will use it in more than one of the recipes.As a diabetic with a number of health issues, I found this cookbook to be most helpful in my fight to maintain good health. They are varied and simple to make. This is a very informative book. As soon as my Dr. told me my cholesterol was too high, I bought it. After 2 months of reading how to change my eating habits and using the recipes, I was able to lower my cholesterol by 55 points! It would have received 5 stars if there were some pictures (there are none).
Price: $7.99   Buy This Book

Author(s): Carolyn Quick Tillery
Publisher: Citadel Press
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Pages: 224
Review: I specifically searched for this book on Amazon after reviewing it in the library at the culinary school that I recently graduated from. I thought it would be a very useful cookbook to add to my collection and the heritage part was an added bonus. I had recently read an article on the author of the book in one of the military publications I picked up on Nellis Air Force Base and was thrilled to actually get to purchase the book. Although I’m southern born and bred there are some recipes in the book that I have never heard of in my life and I love having the history there to go with some of the recipes.I have this book in my collection. Some of the recipes are just fabulous.

I love making desserts a lot, and there are some wonderful, old southern style ones like bread pudding and banana pudding recipes that I just adore.

If you’re interested in cooking the old style southern way, this is the book to have on your shelf.

There are a lot of memoirs also that really take you back in time…good reading and good eating!This is not only a cookbook filled with good, heartwarming foods; but a history lesson of the rich heritage of African Americans and the Tuskegee Institute.The stories that go along with the recipes in this excellent book give you a look into a time and place in America that is vitally important to our American culture. The stories are entertaining and informative, while the recipes are authentic and tasty! You can’t go wrong with this book, there are recipes in this book that need to be preserved for history, before they fall from our memories.This book is so reminiscent of my childhood; it makes me tear up at times! Excellent recipes…
Price: $16.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: 2001-11-13
Pages: 288
Review: Great book, well organized with the shopping list in the intro and the meals are very good and fast. This is a very helpful book with vivid pictures. The Recipes are very easy and not to time consuming. I wish that there were more for sither a single or double portion. At any rate, it is a very good book!The recipes in this book are so delicious that it is hard to believe that they are healthier for you.This book has really great ideas, but you need to remember to watch the amount of carbs… The American Heart Association does recommend a diet that is higher in carbs…The recipes I have tried have been wonderful, and fast and easy. The Fitness Flan has become a family favorite
Price: $15.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: 2007-09-11
Pages: 352
Review: Bought this book for my mom who has very high blood pressure. She has trying the different recipes and not only has she reduced her blood pressure readings, she has also trimmed the fat out of her diet.This cookbook is so much better than I expected. The recipes are modern and easy to follow. The ingredients called for are items we’ve all heard of and our families would eat. I am a big fan of the Food Network and was worried a low sodium diet would be tough to follow and would be boring. I am very encouraged by this book. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to eat healthy. My diet is limited to 1500 mg of sodium per day. Its easy to exceed that, but rarely worth it with a condition like Meniere’s. I trust this resource for my very quality of life.Note that this book is “low salt,” not “no salt.”

I am finding good usable recipes in this book.

It also gives sources for finding low or no sodium ingredients that I do not have available in my small town.

Some recipes do have more sodium in the finished product than I want due to severe heart disease and pulmonary edema. Good book for the average person who is trying to prevent my intensity of disease.

There are recipes for low sodium spice and herb mixes that have turned out to be very good.

Very pleased with the book.

Note that this book is low sodium recipes, not no salt recipes. There is salt used in some recipes and more baking powder than I think is safe for me.

Once we get used to knowing how to plan low or no salt recipes, we can use these recipes by changing the ingredients slightly with still good results.I recently suffered heart failure and as a result was put on a low sodium diet. I found this book to be a wonderful source of recipes and information that is necessary to my maintaining a healthy life style. The recipes are “legal” and taste good too!
Price: $15.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: 2005-09-13
Pages: 384
Review: Very limited in scope and number of receipes. Save your money. Many free receipes on good internet sites like American Heart Association and Cooking light.I’ve been learning to cook with several cookbooks and have done fairly well. This book is 0 for 2. Without the pictures, anywhere, it is difficult to decide what looks delicious enough to cook after a long day at work. The wording in the directions are also a bit confusing. For example, “In a large saucepan bring the asaparagus, salt, pepper, broth and peppers to a boil..” Now, wouldnt you see asparagus and think, oh that needs water..?? Well no. It means to put it in the broth and bring THAT to a boil. It would have been better if it named the broth FIRST! That way you know that the liquid is the broth and therefore NO NEED FOR WATER…Which of course, made my meal bland, my husband laughing at me, and 3 hours wasted FORRRR NUTTIN!…Now I have to spend the rest of my night hungry, and annoyed!! BOO. For those learning to cook, I suggest the Martha Stewart book. Now those are pictures and well directed instructions! ….hiss…hiss…I have used several recipes from this cookbook. I have found them to be fairly easy and all that I have tried have tasted really good. The taste is so good you would never know that you were missing all the yummy fat or cholesterol.This is a very helpful cookbook with lots of delicious recipes for those who want to prepare foods that are low in fat, and low in cholesterol. Thank you American Heart Association. American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook, 3rd Edition: Delicious Recipes to Help Lower Your Cholesterol (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))good book. i purchased it for my mom and she seems to like it
Price: $15.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Institute for Cancer Research
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication Date: 2005-03-08
Pages: 312
Review: This book is full of healthy dishes that are sure to please! You can try something new everynight and be pleased with the results!ON 12/30/08, at age 43, I was diagnosed with choroidal melanoma, an eye cancer that only hits 8 our of every million people. My particular survival prognosis is pretty good, but I’m not taking any chances. Using this cookbook as a foundation, plus 14 miles a week on the treadmill, I’ve dropped 40 lbs, slashed my triglycerides 150 points, and hopefully revamped my immune system so that should I every have to battle a metastic recurrence of my cancer, I’ll be in much better shape to do so.

Until my diagnosis, my sole intake of vegetables was through salads, and I ate quite a bit of grilled meat. No more. This book has transformed my diet so completely and so quickly, it’s like being in a different person’s body. Almost all of the recipes from this book are super, and even those that are less than super can become so with minor tinkering. You will spend more time prepping food; veggies are just that way. You will probably spend more time shopping, and more money on organics, but I suppose you can pay for them now, or pay for more healthcare later.

Excellent cookbook. The recipes are very flavorful. We have liked all dozen recipes we have made.As someone who loves to cook, but doesn’t have a ton of cooking skills or time, I found this book to be extremely easy to follow and fast. Most of the time put into these recipes is in washing and cutting produce. Every recipe I’ve tried has been delicious, with a huge range of flavors for every palate: Sesame Ginger Asparagus, Greek Style Scallops, Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Pine Nuts, Brazilian Style Seafood Stew, Quinoa with toasted pecans, fresh thyme, and dried apricots and cranberries, Yummy frittatas, Stirfrys, recipes for chicken, pork, lamb, beef … Desserts and breads like, Gingerbread or Raspberry & Nectarine Cobbler & so much more.

I love just thumbing through this book just to gather more nutritional tidbits of information, and get inspired for the next meal. The pictures are enough to get to motivated. I also might add that I LOVE that this is a healthy cookbook, but there is nothing “diet” about it: they use butter, cheese, coconut milk, sauces, healthy oils and seeds and nuts, just in proper portions. And it’s all about variety of flavors, textures, colors and the foods you regularly eat.

For anyone wanting to add delicious and good for you food to their plates BUY THIS BOOK! I’m buying a bunch of copies as gifts!I got this book based on the positive community reviews I read and I was not disappointed. There are so many recipes in this book that I want to make. The Chunky Tomato-Vegetable Sauce on page 109 was absolutely yummy! It is now my husband’s favorite pasta sauce! I thoroughly enjoyed the Vegetable Chili recipe on page 185. And everyone loved the Shrimp Curry with Asparagus and Snap Peas on page 94. In addition to the great recipes, the book has great informational sections on recommended portion sizes for the average adult (which is really important re-learning that I have had to do) as well as really important background data behind the science of the diet recommendations (look for this in the back starting on page 286). This is now my favorite cookbook and the first cookbook I consult when I am looking for ideas for what to make for dinner! I have enthusiastically recommended this book to both family members and friends!
Price: $25.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: 2007-06-05
Pages: 720
Review: Large variety of recipes which is good. All the ones I have made so far have been very good. Some of the recipes have called for ingredients that aren’t always readily available but otherwise the recipes have been easy to follow.I recieved the book on time and in good condition. The table of contents

shows the value of this book. Many good recipes–especally the treatment of fish preparation,this was of interest to me.

On the whole it I believe it was a great purchase.

Bill MackayI recently purchased this book since I was out of ideas when it came to healthy, good tasting recipes. I do not believe in no-carb diets, diet pills, etc… I belive in doing it the hard way - eating well balanced meals and exercising.

The book is amazing. Unlike other “diet” books, there are normal meals in this one… for example, hamburgers, 3 cheese pasta, etc… the meals you normally can’t eat on a diet have been converted into nutritionally sound meals! The best part of all, the food tasts great!

A word of caution however, these recipes are not good for people who don’t want to chop vegtables. Many recipes use finely chopped veggies to reduce calories/fat in meal, while still being filling. If chopping isn’t for you, invest in a food processor. It will make all the difference. I bought this book for my Mother because she does the cooking for my father whom has had a heart attack in the past. She uses it just about everyday and we all wouldn’t even know it was diet food. We honestly have enjoyed the receipes she has used. Thank you for amazon recommendations that I saw it in. it is a good read also.Lots of good recipies and easy preparation. Worth ordering. Great help for newly diagnosed heart patient.
Price: $19.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): American Heart Association
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: 2008-09-09
Pages: 384
Review: My husband was put on a low-fat diet so I picked up this cookbook because I liked that it was by the American Heart Association. Every recipe I’ve made has been delicious! (with the exception of one dessert which was just okay, but low-fat desserts are tough) I will say though, that this cookbook can’t be called quick and easy. As someone else mentioned, I have to plan in advance so I can pick up all the ingredients at the grocery store. You also have to make sure to allow plenty of time for cooking the meal. Nothing has been very fast, although it’s nothing overly complicated for this basic chef.

All-in-all, I would recommend this cookbook to anyone trying to eat healthier as I think it’s an easier transition when the food tastes good, and these recipes definitely do!As with the 3rd edition, the recipes are truly fantastic. For someone on a diabetic diet, this makes me a VERY happy camper.I think the book is good. It’s not the best but there is alot to choose from. Being healthy is tough. I am hoping to find a book that has more things found in the kitchen rather than making trips to the store for each dinner.Grrreat!! New diagnosis for my husband and I with slightly elevated cholesterol — rethinking our eating a bit and these recipes fit into our lifestyle and choices very, very well. Great pics too!I received this book yesterday and It has all the recipies plus tips on how to eat when you go out! I am going to take this book everywhere I go! I Love It!
Price: $25.95   Buy This Book