Notes about Recipes in this book

• Penne with chicken and broccoli

  • Jane on November 14, 2011

    A reasonable everynight dinner. Nothing stunning but tasty and reasonably quick. It seemed like the sauce was going to be too runny initially with 2 cups stock and 1 cup wine but after 15 mins reducing the consistency was just right.

• Easy baked brown rice

  • jumali on September 22, 2011

    A dependable recipe. How great can brown rice be, really?

• Braised chicken with chard and mustard

  • jumali on November 05, 2010

    I didn't care for this flavor combination--won't make it again.

• Pan-roasted broccoli with garlic and anchovy

  • Recluse on February 01, 2012

    Kind of dry, and I couldn't taste the anchovy at all. I don't know if this a fault of the recipe, or with my ingredients. It wasn't terrible, but I won't be doing this or any of the other Pan-Roasted Broccoli variations in this book again.

• Pan-seared salmon with mango salsa

  • eliza on August 27, 2018

    I made the salmon only. I found it a bit too salty for my taste, although I liked the cooking method (ie starting the salmon in a cold pan). Next time I might skip the brining step. Worth another try since the texture of the fish was good.

• Better-for-you banana bread

  • Queezle_Sister on February 27, 2014

    An easy sweet quick bread, a bit of yogurt keeps it light, and toasted walnuts provided a bit of bitter counterpoint. Only the smallest hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, not distracting.

• Paella

  • bernalgirl on August 04, 2021

    Family-pleasing, make again

• Oven-roasted salmon fillets

  • jtodes on December 23, 2015

    The best fish Don has ever made (as of 12/23/2015). He used the tangerine ginger relish

• Simple spiced whole-wheat muffins

  • cjannace on July 10, 2017

    I wasn't sure about this recipe at first, but I definitely like it when I heat it up a bit in the microwave first. As always seems to happen when I make muffins, despite following the recipe as written, I got 24 muffins out of the recipe. They reheat well after freezing.

  • Shewi128 on September 06, 2023

    These were more cupcakes than muffins as you had to cream the softened butter with sugar. Also, they had more cake flour compared to whole-wheat flour. The texture was decent, and it was a good base for add-ins if you want (I added cinnamon chips). I'd make them again, but they're definitely not "quick".

• Skillet tamale pie

  • cjannace on October 07, 2016

    This is definitely going in the rotation for hearty, delicious, fall/winter meals. This was easy to make, tasted delicious, and the leftovers were even tasty for breakfast.

• Creamy chicken and spinach casserole

  • cjannace on May 25, 2024

    This recipe is in the pasta section of the book.

• Whole-wheat buttermilk waffles

  • cjannace on August 13, 2017

    These waffles were really good! This was the first time using my new waffle maker, so I wasn't sure which setting to use yet. I made these on a 3, but I'll definitely be boosting them up and making them a bit crunchier next time.

• Applesauce snack cakes

  • Analyze on March 12, 2019

    This is SO good! The base cake has a wonderful apple flavor and a great texture. I tried both this recipe, and the Oat-Nut Streusel variation. My husband, who doesn't normally like oat streusel or sweet quick breads, loved the streusel variation. I actually preferred this original version with the cinnamon-sugar topping, as in my opinion it complements the apple flavor in the cake better, and actually makes the cake taste more apple-y. You can't go wrong with either version, or try half and half like I did :) I already have several apple cake recipes that I love, and didn't think I needed another, but I did! I'm excited to try the ginger-cardamom version next. Personally, we had it for breakfast, but this would be great with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream too.

• Creamless creamy tomato soup

  • infotrop on April 15, 2019

    I'm a serious tomato soup lover, and this is my favorite recipe (so far); I make this with homemade vegetable stock.

• Beef and vegetable stew

  • infotrop on November 02, 2020

    I bet I have more recipes for beef stew than any other dish (a fun challenge would be to make them all over this winter); for this one I borrowed from NYT's recipe and added Dijon mustard and deglazed with cognac; also used a lot more red wine...the kale is a wonderful addition.

• Stir-fried beef and broccoli with classic brown stir-fry sauce

  • julesamomof2 on February 11, 2017

    This and the other several stir fries in this book are my go-to for healthy Asian food. A bit more time consuming due to the chopping and overall precision of the recipes, but very worth it for a fresh, vegetable heavy low fat dinner.

• Thai red curry with chicken

  • julesamomof2 on April 02, 2020

    This method of poaching a protein and simmering vegetables in a curry broth is a definite keeper in that it results in moist meat, fresh vegetables and uses little to no oil. The sauce was a little thin, and I am not quite sure how I would fix it next time. Very adaptable to other ingredients - I subbed mushrooms for the snap peas and added a handful of spinach for color.

• Slow-roasted beef eye round

  • bching on May 08, 2014

    excellent results. used seasoned salt

• Greek-style chickpea salad

  • sweetchefgirl on June 07, 2014

    Great quick summer salad with pantry ingredients. Adjust to fit your taste and textures.

• Skillet rice and beans with corn and fresh tomatoes

  • cpayton3440 on April 13, 2017

    p. 314 of the Healthy Family Cookbook

• Swordfish en cocotte with carrots and chermoula

  • mpo on December 23, 2019

    You should really double the cilantro sauce if serving four people.

• Basmati rice pilaf

  • Shewi128 on March 02, 2023

    This was easy and a healthier version of the normal higher fat rice pilaf recipes. The flavor was not as good as ones made with more fat, but if you have a sauce-heavy dish, you probably won't even notice the difference. I'll make this again.

• Refried beans

  • Shewi128 on July 19, 2022

    This was a good, decent recipe. I had some canned kidney beans that I needed to use up. I didn't add jalapenos, but it would've made it even better.

• Pasta O's with meatballs

  • Shewi128 on January 23, 2023

    This was way better than it sounded. It helped me use up the last of my jarred pesto. I loved that the vegetables and tomatoes were pureed. The only thing we wanted more of was an actual vegetable like green beans. I think they would have been a great addition. I did make 2 changes: 1) I doubled the whole recipe (only 6 oz of ground chicken--yeah right), and I made the meatballs with 16 oz ground chicken. 2) I broiled the chicken meatballs before cooking in the soup to make sure they would hold their shape.

• Grilled turkey burgers with miso and ginger

  • Shewi128 on August 10, 2021

    Surprisingly good. They were not dry and tasted quite savory (likely from the miso). They were not overly Asian-tasting. I would definitely make these again.

• Creamy chipotle chile sauce

  • Acarroll on January 27, 2024

    I was looking for a way to use leftover chipotles in adobo and this was perfect. I didn't have sour cream so I doubled the amount of (vegan) mayo. I also doubled the amount of chipotle, garlic, and cilantro. Was perfect served with crab cakes.

• Pizza with caramelized onions, arugula, and ricotta cheese

  • NicoleBrown on July 20, 2024

    Pretty good! First time doing caramelized onions. Took me longer than 30 minutes noted in recipe, but got them done! Ended up adding some balsamic vinegar and ham to this as well.

• Pizza with garlicky broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes

  • NicoleBrown on July 31, 2024

    This one was just ok for me. Couldn’t really taste the garlic. Will not repeat.

• Huffington Post

  Recipes reveal clever lightening tricks that you'll feel compelled to try... GIVE THIS TO: The practical cook of any skill level who wants ideas for everyday healthy meals for her family.

  Full review