READ THIS: The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook by Jeanne Besser and Colleen Doyle Photography by Holly Sasnett Published by the American Cancer Society Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
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With the summer season upon us, many people are really focusing on eating healthy. It can be hard to do that, especially when eating out. The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook, by Jeanne Besser and Colleen Doyle, is here to help! This book features healthy recipes you can make at home that taste great and will help you stay in shape and live a long happy life. Recipes range from appetizers to main courses to desserts. So far, I have tried out two of the recipes, and I was really amazed and how tasty these healthy treats were!
First, I baked the Chocolate Chip-Sour Cream Coffee Babycakes. I would never guess these mini muffins were actually healthier than regular muffins, and good thing they were! I could not stop myself from eating them!
I also tried the Raspberry-Peach Yogurt Smoothie. It was so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day! This book proves that it really is possible to eat healthy food that tastes great too!
The Arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano Salad recipe in Great American may seem basic, but if quality ingredients are used, it is a wonderful and quick side dish. Composed of just arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, parmigiano and salt & pepper, this salad is easily made within 10 minutes. Arugula is packed with antioxidants and a multitude of vitamins. When I was shopping at Whole Foods in Union Square, I happened upon local, organic arugula microgreens from Good Water Farms in East Hampton but Fresh Origins from California are my favorite so I can't wait until they are available in stores here. I had never tried arugula microgreens before, but these were tender yet with a mild kick and made a commonly seen salad a bit unusual.
I was drawn to the Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe because I, like many cancer patients and survivors, have been advised to stay away from white potatoes, which are considered to be inflammatory and have a high glycemic index.
This recipe was appealing since the authors call for small colored potatoes, such as Yukons or Reds, which are less inflammatory and more nutritious, and invite readers to keep the skins to give extra nutrition. The recipe also calls for buttermilk, which not only provides an unexpected but interesting sour taste, but is also a natural probiotic. I chose multi-colored Pee Wee potatoes, so I used a traditional potato masher instead of the electric mixer recommended in the recipe as I wanted to maintain some of the color texture of the potatoes. The result was both pretty and tasty.
In this day and age, healthy eating can be somewhat of an enigma. We all know we should, yet for various reasons, including lack of time and lack of inspiration, we tend to fall back on bad habits. In today's fast-paced society, it's easy to say, "I'm tired - let me just grab this fast-food meal to get by today, and I'll start eating better tomorrow." But somehow, the todays turn into the tomorrows, and we never quite turn our habits around. However, thanks to The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook, written by Jeanne Besser and Collen Doyle, M.S., R.D., and published by the American Cancer Society, healthier eating has been made simple, fun, quick, and (perhaps most importantly), tasty! With 140 recipes including main courses, soups, salads and sandwiches, sides, and desserts, this cookbook is a treasure trove of delicious, nutritious meals that are also a cinch to make. I've already tried a few of the recipes, and have been delighted by the results - they were tasty and delicious, and did not feel at all like "diet food."
The first recipe I tried was the Ham and Vegetable Frittata (page 130). With eggs, ham, Swiss cheese, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms, the frittata took about 15 minutes to prepare, and was absolutely delicious! This will definitely become a brunch staple for me.
The next recipe I tried was the Lower Fat Mac-N-Cheese. I'm a huge mac & cheese fan, yet very rarely indulge in it because I know it's not good for me! But this version is pretty much guilt-free! Made with just a tablespoon of butter, one cup of low-fat milk, and eight ounces of reduced-fat cheddar cheese, this recipe delivers the creamy, cheesy goodness of the comfort food I remember from my childhood, but without feeling too heavy or unhealthy. I actually doubled the recipe and stored portions in the freezer - which I can then enjoy whenever I want! It was a breeze to make, and I will definitely be revisiting this recipe when I'm looking for comfort food sans guilt! I was thrilled with the results of the first two recipes I tried, and can't wait to sample more! For anyone looking to adopt healthier eating styles, The Great American Eat-Right Cookbookis an absolute must!
With the hope of challenging the non-cooks out there, the American Cancer Society has published "The Great American Eat Right
Cookbook". With delicious sounding recipes, they have added in the introduction that we should "…try a new recipe each week". As one who loves being in the kitchen, I would go further and say that we should all try to plan a meal every week around recipes that we have not tried before. It's a fun way for the family to have down downtime together, with just the kitchen appliances at work. For Americans, the idea of cooking sometimes reverts back to our Grandmothers, or out in the yard, in front of the barbecue. But for those of you who don't know it, there's this room in every house called the kitchen, and it's a laboratory waiting to be exploited.
For my own challenge, as it's summertime, we chose the "Provencal Fish" as one of the new recipes to try. With a few twists (the addition of some jalapeño stuffed olives), this may well become one of my seafood standbys. Calling all friends who tell me they don't know what to do with fish! Here's a super easy solution.
Away from the entrees, we opted to try the "Carrot Applesauce Muffins". The recipe calls for applesauce, and what's easier to make than applesauce, for a fresh home made ingredient in your fresh home made muffins? Vitamix to the rescue: apples, cored, but with the skins on, half a lemon squeezed, some agave. That's one healthy way to build a muffin. The recipe calls for grated carrots, raisons, shredded coconut…all wonderful ingredients. this book will give you a reason to experiment, and to shop for some of those pantry staples you may be missing. Have a bake-off party, and say "fie upon thee" cancer. Kitchens and friends rule!
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PUT DELICIOUS & HEALTHY FOODS ON THE TABLE QUICKLY & EASILY WITH THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY’S GREAT AMERICAN EAT-RIGHT COOKBOOK
We’ve heard it a million times: “You are what you eat.” With statistics indicating that
an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese and that more than a third of
cancer deaths could be prevented by healthy eating and physical activity, now is the right time to help
challenge and motivate Americans to eat right!
To help Americans get into the habit of healthy eating, the Society has published The Great American
Eat-Right Cookbook, with 140 great-tasting, good-for-you recipes. Written by Jeanne Besser
(cookbook author and food columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and Colleen Doyle, MS,
RD (director of nutrition and physical activity for the Society), the cookbook provides full color
photos of tantalizing, simple, quick-to-prepare, and healthful recipes that satisfy as well as nourish.
And we’re not talking about typical “healthy” recipes that taste like cardboard; we’re talking about a
flavorful and savory selection of appetizers, soups, salad, entrees, side dishes and desserts that are
perfect for every day eating or for entertaining. Treat yourself to such favorites as Southern Shrimp
and Sausage, Pork Tenderloin Topped with Fall Fruits, Poached Salmon with Mango Salsa, Stuffed
Greek Chicken Breasts; Asian Beef Salad; Chicken and White Bean Soup, Crab Salad with Grapefruit,
Avocado and Baby Green; Oven-Baked Potato Chips, Lemon-Roasted Asparagus, Tomato and Basil
Frittata, Pepperoni Tortilla Pizza; Pumpkin-Spice Pancakes, Deconstructed Apple Crisp, Chocolate
Chip-Sour Cream Coffee Baby-Cakes and many more. There are quick and easy options for every
taste, meal, and occasion.
More than a collection of recipes, The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook also provides the
resources for getting people on a healthy eating track. Putting an emphasis on taste, the book shows
people how to create the flavors they crave using healthy ingredients. It includes information on
recipe makeovers for healthier results, must-have spices (often the key to great flavor) to keep in the
pantry, and a guide for stocking the kitchen to promote healthy eating.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook (ISBN#0-944235-93-X • 208 pages • 32 full-color food
photographs) is available at www.cancer.org/bookstore, by calling 1-800-ACS-2345, and at retail
bookstores nationwide. The book provides 140 recipes that make eating for health a tasty experience
that can be achieved quickly with delicious results.
