Customer Reviews

Healthy Homestyle Cooking : 200 of Your Favorite Family Recipes-With a Fraction of the Fat

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book about four years ago and have made many of the recipes. Most are relatively easy and fast (especially the chapter on one-dish meals), and although some ingredients you have to look a little harder to find most are available and a lot are things you probably already have on hand. The Chicken Enchiladas and Garden Vegetable Pizza have become standard family favorites and when served to guests I am often asked for the recipes. Oh, and did I mention that the recipies are low fat? I often forget because they taste so good. So happy that she is coming out with another cookbook - I will be one of the first to buy it!

Time and again I turn to this cookbook to help me decide what to cook for dinner; it is a gem! There is such a wide variety of dishes that are quick, easy, and tasty. The best thing of all, however, is knowing that they are low in fat. I couldn't live without this book! I love to cook the Greek Penne (adding kalamata olives which increases the fat content, but is oh so yummy) when having guests over because it is delicious, easy, and colorful; everyone asks me for the recipe! This book is a great addition to any cook's library!

I tried about five of the recipes in this book during the Thanskgivng holiday. My entire family loved them! In fact, my mother and mother-in-law ask me to give them this cookbook as a Christmas gift. This cookbook taught me that "fraction of the fat" does not mean "fraction of the flavor."

I use this cookbook more than any others I own. EXCEPT FOR the sweets and baked goods, the recipes are easy, healthy and tasty! One standout is the Chinese Noodle and Cabbage Salad -- everyone loves it. Unfortunately I find the baked goods and desserts to be too low in fat -- the muffins come out either soggy or tough because all the fat is replaced with applesauce, and the whole eggs replaced by egg whites. I recommend replacing about half the applesauce with fat (or keeping all the applesauce and just adding a few Tbs. oil), and using a whole egg in place of two whites, for much better results. Also most of the baked goods need salt.

Evelyn Tribole does a great job of teaching you how to lessen the fat in your own recipes without sacraficing taste and texture. The recipes in the book are great too - I haven't made a bad one yet ! She doesn't modify a recipe in ways that effect the end-quality of the food so it doesn't taste like a "diet" recipe. Even my picky husband likes it and speaks highly of the book to our friends and family. Lastly, the recipes are usually pretty easy to make - no exotic ingredients that are hard to find. Most things are right in the cupboard! Many dinners can be prepared in a half hour or so. Another good book by Evelyn Tribole is "Stealth Health."

Out of all my lowfat cookbooks this one is my favorite. The recipes are all easy to follow, the ingredients common and the results are always delicious. My favorite recipe is for the Fettucine Alfredo. It's takes as good as the regular kind you get in a restaurant yet it's much healthier. Ms. Tribole has made lowfat eating a pleasure with this book.

An avid reader, I don't write reviews about any books, none-the-less the "Cooking" kind. We ladies who love to cook and eat are prone to buying many cookbooks only to be disappointing and donated to the local Thrift Store. But the pages of this one, and the sequel, "More, Healthy Homestyle Cooking" are well worn and lovingly revisited nearly every day. They are unique in that they teach you a different way of making meals that are not only easy and healthy but, as many others here have said, taste absolutely delicious.

If you like Mexican try the "Easy Cheesy Chili Relleno Casserole" and "Split Pea Guacamole" (yes it HAS avacados in it) and the consistancy is actually superior to the regular. I love Italian food and the "Chicken Cacciatore", "Eggplant Parmigiana", "Chicken Marsala" and "Italian Eggplant and Rice Bake" are out of this world. Equally good are things like "Hoppin' John", "Pork Chop Suey", "Chinese Chicken Salad" and "Carrot and Raisin Salad". I could go on and on.

Like others here, I've given copies of this Cookbook to many friends and family who have raved about the finished products. I can guarantee won't be disappointed.

I've probably prepared at least 35 recipes from this cookbook and almost all the dishes were just terrific. And what is particularly great is Ms. Tribole uses ingredients that are readily available, and the recipes are fast and easy to prepare. She gives the calorie count, fat gram count, and cholesterol count per serving for each recipe. Unfortunately the carb count is not included. One tip - Evaporated skim milk is used in many recipes; I have found this gives a slight sweetness that I find undesireable. Plain skim milk can be substituted with better results.

My boyfriend and I enjoy cooking dinner together and this cookbook is our favorite. It has so many really hearty, satisfying recipes and we reference it constantly. There is an excellent chart at the beginning that will help you with interesting and sometimes unusual substitutes. All of the recipes have been very easy to follow and I think would be great for a first time or beginner cook.
The Curried Chicken Divan and the Cheesy Artichoke Chicken Bake are 2 of our favorites. You will love these and NEVER miss the fat or calories. She has a great recipe for making Tostito chips that you'll never guess is fat free. Also, be sure to check out her 2nd book.

I love to collect cookbooks--but there are only handful that I regularly use, and Healthy Homestyle is one of the few that I count on. I just adore the Cheesy Potato Soup and the Easy Cheesy Chili Relleno Casserole. My kids (okay and me too) love the Macaroon-filled Chocolate cupcakes. I've been a fan of Tribole's Recipe Makeover column in Shape magazine and just like her column she does not dissapoint.