I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening!: Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy [Paperback]

Devin Alexander (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Featured Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Goat Cheese and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

This dish is exceptionally easy to make and worth every second. That said, there is one thing to note: Be careful when checking the chicken for doneness. The tomatoes will likely drip into the chicken. If you cut into the chicken or poke it with a fork to test for doneness, be sure it’s not the liquid from the tomatoes making the chicken look pink even if it’s not.

Ingredients

• 4 (4-ounce) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil spray
• 1/2 cup canned, drained, diced fire-roasted tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) goat cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons finely slivered fresh basil leaves, or more to taste (optional)

(Serves 4)
Hands-on Time: 7 Minutes
Hands-off Time: 5 to 9 Minutes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, lightly mist the skillet with spray and immediately add the chicken side by side to the pan so it does not touch. Cook the chicken just until it is golden brown on the outsides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Remove the pan from the heat and top each piece of chicken evenly with about 2 tablespoons of the tomatoes, followed by about 1/2 ounce of the cheese. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chicken until it is no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted, 5 to 9 minutes. Top evenly with the basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Each (1 topped breast) serving has: 171 calories, 29 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 72 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 198 mg sodium

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From Publishers Weekly

More a guide to smarter shopping than cooking, the latest from Alexander (The Biggest Loser Cookbook) gives dieters largely healthy options in 150 basic low-calorie recipes. Alexander admits her recipes are geared for convenience, unabashedly utilizing processed foods and artificial ingredients; though she does offer substitutions for organic or all-natural diets, readers will want to pay attention to nutritional information (Mafia's Favorite Turkey Sandwich, for instance, has over 1,600 mg of sodium per serving, while Tequila Cheese Fondue is measured in two-tablespoon serving sizes). Novices and those pressed for time will be pleased to find more assembly than actual cooking: Pigs in Comforters consists of only four ingredients-olive oil spray, low-fat beef hot dogs, biscuit dough and mustard-and Spicy Tuna Salad comes together in seconds using tuna, low-fat mayo and chili sauce. Almost all of her recipes derive their health benefits from the inclusion of low- or reduced-fat store-bought ingredients: Ravio-Sagne, a ravioli-based riff on lasagna, relies on canned sauce, ravioli and low-fat cheese; Cheesy Brown Rice consists of cooked brown rice and Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Squares; Peppermint Brownie "Pizza" consists of fat-free whipped topping spread over a low-fat brownie (made from a box mix).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767931572
• ISBN-13: 978-0767931571
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #7,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #50 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Healthy
  #79 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian
  #44 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Quick & Easy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's a genius!, March 11, 2010

By	M.S. - See all my reviews

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This review is from: I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening!: Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy (Paperback)

About a year ago, I first heard about Devin Alexander when reading a review for a "diet cookbook" by someone else. The quote was something like "anything by Devin Alexander is better than this". So, I bought the Biggest Loser cookbook, then The Most Decadent Diet Ever and Fast Food Fix. Now, I have I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening, and I am firmly convinced Devin Alexander is a genius. Her "secret" is this: food doesn't have to be plain to be healthy. Her recipes appeal to the food lover who wants to be healthier or lose weight-without compromising taste. Let's face it, most of us do not crave plain grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. All of her cookbooks are a little different: the Biggest Loser is a little more on the VERY low fat and calorie side; Fast Food Fix is geared for the fast food lover; Decadent Diet-well, I can't imagine who wouldn't love that one...unless it's someone who wants everything to be quick. I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening is specifically written to appeal to people who don't have a lot of time to cook. From that standpoint, I think she hits her mark and then some. The recipes sound fabulous, tasty, and EASY! So far, I've had the book for about 48 hours and have made the mini frittatas with herbed goat cheese, the pb&j oatmeal, breakfast fried rice, pierogies with kielbasa and sauerkraut, quick crunchy potato chips (twice) and fixed up french onion dip, and the chocolate banana boat. And worked two-twelve hour+ days. I loved every one of them. I can't claim to have tried every recipe in the book yet; I can tell you that I'm picky and demanding, and I have not yet found one of her recipes that I didn't like. Most of these recipes taste just as "decadent" as her previous recipes but with more "shortcuts"...using storebought dressings, jarred marinara, or herbs in a tube. Personally, I prefer making homemade salad dressings or my own fat free marinara, but there's no reason that these couldn't be substituted IF you don't mind the additional time. If you are looking for healthy, low fat food that will taste fabulous AND not take up too much time to cook, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't believe how good these recipes taste!, March 12, 2010

By	J. Whitford (Falls Church, VA USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

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This review is from: I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening!: Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy (Paperback)

My hero Devin Alexander lost 55 pounds and has kept them off over a decade. She did it by taking all her favorite foods and creating healthier versions. She has written bestselling cookbooks for the Biggest Loser and under her own name. She also has her own cooking show on cable.

This book is a different format from her earlier ones. First, the drawing of Devin on the front is remarkably similar to the one for the Hungry Girl series. The pages are slick and glossy and the color pages of the recipes are gorgeous.

I made a list of all my favorite foods and recipes from restaurants, food courts at all my favorite shopping malls, county fairs, takeout menus, and comfort foods. I wrote them all down and started looking for cookbooks that gave me great tasting healthy alternatives.

I had totally given up on burritos - until I tried her Fully Loaded Turkey Burrito Pocket. At 300 calories and 15 minute prep time, this is one of my favorite meals.

I love tuna so the Spicy Tuna Salad (with chili sauce) was a new taste buzz for me. (I usually put Chesapeake Bay Seafood seasoning on my tuna; some cracked pepper and heat it up for a few minutes.)

One of my favorite snacks is the Faux French Onion Dip (made with Greek yoghurt) and the Quick and Crunchy Potato Chips (made from real potatoes).

All in all Devin continues to be extremely passionate about cooking and has fun with the healthy recipes she creates.

I highly recommend all of her books.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to your kitchen!, March 11, 2010

By	Erica Spitulski (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening!: Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy (Paperback)

I love cookbooks and trying new recipes. This book is excellent in that the recipes are all quick and relatively painless and they are healthy. I have tried several already and those have been kid-appetite friendly, tasty and truly are ridiculously easy to make.