Taste of Home - Taste of Home 5 Ingredient Healthy Cookbook: Simply Delicious Dishes for Todays Cooks

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ISBN: 978-1-61765-956-0

ISBN-13: 978-1-6176-5957-7 (eBook)

LOCC: 2020946116

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Mark Hagen

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: Raeann Thompson

EDITOR: Amy Glander

ART DIRECTOR: Maggie Conners

DESIGNER: Jazmin Delgado

DEPUTY EDITOR, COPY DESK: Dulcie Shoener

COPY EDITOR: Sara Strauss

SENIOR EDITOR/FOOD: Peggy Woodward, RDN

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: Dan Roberts

SET STYLIST: Stacey Genaw

FOOD STYLIST: Josh Rink

PICTURED ON FRONT COVER:

PICTURED ON TITLE PAGE:

Were here to help you navigate the options with 5 Ingredient Healthy.

If you think trying to eat healthy is overwhelming, you are not alone. There are a lot of factors to consider, research is constantly uncovering new information, and theres still a lot that science doesnt know about how food and nutrition affect our health.

Since healthy covers such a wide spectrum, we take a middle-of-the-road approach at Taste of Home. Organizations that make recommendations rooted in proven science, such as the USDA, FDA, WHO, NIH, plus the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, help guide us.

We believe healthy foods are those that nourish us with vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and healthy fats. And its important to remember that it is not just about whats in our food but whats not in our food, too. Its widely recommended to limit saturated fat, trans fat and sodium for optimal health and disease prevention. At the same time, healthy eating doesnt mean cutting out entire food groups, feeling deprived or eating food that doesnt taste good!

Healthy eating is about balance. Nutritious recipes can include butter and sugar, just as healthy meals can include an indulgent dessertits all about moderation and keeping a healthy big picture in mind.

For todays busy home cooks, saving time is another top priority. Luckily, it doesnt take a lot of time or a whole shopping cart full of expensive ingredients to create a healthy meal. Every recipe in this book requires a handful of kitchen staples and comes together with no fuss, hassle or wasted effort.

Whether youre serving up dinner on a busy weeknight or planning a party for friends, youll find everything youre looking for in this new collection of healthy favorites. Submitted by savvy home cooks across North America, the 300-plus recipes in this book will help you create wholesome meals your family will love.

Happy Cooking,

Peggy Woodward, RDN

Senior Editor/Food

The 5 Ingredient Healthy cookbook provides a variety of recipes to fit in a healthy lifestyle. Heres how we arrive at the serving-size nutritional information listed at the end of each recipe.

• Whenever a choice of ingredients is given (such as cup sour cream or plain yogurt), we use the first ingredient in our calculations.
• When a range is given for an ingredient, we calculate using the first amount.
• Only the amount of a marinade absorbed is calculated.
• Optional ingredients are not included in our calculations.
• Sugars provided in the Nutrition Facts represent both added and naturally occurring sugars.

Youll notice throughout this book that some recipe lists run longer than five lines. Thats because there are a few items we dont include in our five-ingredient counts. These are essentials that are so basic we feel comfortable assuming every kitchen always has them on hand. What are they? There are four items on the list, some of which you can customize as you wish.

When we say salt, were referring to traditional table salt, and we dont count it. Many cooks regularly use kosher salt instead, preferring it for its more predictable pinch measurefeel free to do so. But if a particular recipe requires kosher salt, well name it specifically and include it in our count.

Black pepper is a go-to kitchen staple, and we dont count it. However, if a recipe demands freshly cracked black pepper, we will name it and count it. Cracked pepper gives the freshest flavor, but not everyone owns a pepper mill.

Three oils make our dont count list: vegetable oil, canola oil and regular olive oil. Vegetable and canola oils are highly versatile and can be used interchangeably. They dont have a strong flavor and do have a high smoke point, which makes them ideal for frying, sauteing and baking. Regular olive oil adds a hint of fruity flavor and can be used for light sauteing and roasting, and for dressings and sauces. Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, has more specialized uses due to its low smoke point and will be specified (and counted!) when its needed for a recipe.

We also dont include optional items when counting ingredients. We view these items as suggestionseither as garnishes or as complementsbut they arent necessary to make the recipe, so you can easily leave them out. Also, you can always swap them for your own preferred finishing touches.

1. THINK FRESH. Many of the most famous classic dishes have short ingredient lists and rely on a few distinctive flavors to carry the day. Start with quality ingredients and dont overcook, and you wont need a lot of extras.

2. CONSIDER COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENTS THAT PILE ON THE FLAVOR. Jarred sauces, packaged rice mixes, seasoning blends, tomatoes with herbs, and canned soups let you get a head start.

3. USE MIXES IN NEW WAYS. A cake mix can be a good basis for cookies or bars. Biscuit and cookie mixes can also provide inspiration for a new recipe.

4. CHECK OUT PREPARED FOODS. Just because food is already prepared doesnt mean you need to serve it as is! Pre-cut fruit and veggies from the salad bar, rotisserie chicken from the deliuse these as starting points for your own dishes.

5. MAKE CONVENIENCE PRODUCTS YOUR OWN. Rice, stuffing and pasta mixes are ideal for experimentation. Try adding chopped fresh apple, celery and onion to a stuffing mix, for example, or add shrimp to a rice mix. Take a second look at convenience breads, such as crescent rolls, biscuits and frozen bread dough. You dont have to make bread with themthey also work with some well-chosen ingredients to make appetizers, casseroles or calzones.

Stocking Your Pantry

The key to the magic of being able to pull together a terrific meal on short notice (and prevent an unexpected grocery run) is to have a well-stocked pantry. If you cover your bases, youll always have things in the cupboard that will work well together. Here are some suggestions for a few basic ingredients to always have on hand.