Page - 35 New, Quick and Easy Low Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in 30 Minutes

How do you cook healthy in a hurry? Well, it is easy to know what to expect from cooking healthyfresh produce, lean meats and poultry, lots of fish, no processed foods and a light hand on the butter, cream and oil. But how do you prepare those ingredients and not lose out on flavor and texture because youve lowered fat or eliminated salty/sugary but harmful fillers that make you think youre getting something for nothing?

Thats where the How To Cook Healthy books come in. I developed these recipes using decades of experience transforming unhealthy recipes into delectable dishes using tricks and tips I learned in all my years as a cooking teacher, food writer and recipe developer.

For instance, you will learn one simple trick to cutting down oil when sauting aromatics such as garlic and onions without having them scorch. A pinch of salt! You will say goodbye dry chicken breasts because you cant douse them with butter and cheese, but say hello to healthy pizza with REAL bacon, made possible with all my Cook Healthy secrets.

You will learn these tips and more as you dig into the recipes. Commentary to introduce you to the ingredients and methods to help make each recipe foolproof accompanies each recipe.

But cooking in a hurry is open for interpretation.

For some, the ideal quick meal is a phone call to the nearest takeout. Or, a stop at a fast food or pizza joint, or market with a take out counter.

Yummy food, maybe. You cant count on the health quotient, and after a while it gets expensive. And if its time your concerned about, well, think of getting stuck in traffic as you head for the take out place or waiting in line at the drive through window. Sometimes it is quicker to put together a few ingredients for delicious fast food of your own.

When it comes to actually cooking, rather than ordering fast food, different cooks have different tolerances. Some expect to be able to go into their kitchen and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Full stop. No prep the night before to make things easier, no crockpots, just a little of this and that in the pot, emphasis on a little, and dinner is served.

Other cooks are willing to set some fish or chicken in a marinade in the morning and finish up on the grill in the evening. Or, chop the vegetables for a quick stir-fry the night before and whisk together the dressing before leaving for work and have a dinner in a salad bowl at night.

Some cooks move slowly in the kitchen and a recipe that takes me 20 minutes will take them forty. Ive seen it happen. Or the reverse, I can get lost in finely mincing herbs, musing over the sensations on my tongue, as I taste as I cook and it will take me ten minutes longer than you to prepare the same dish. So estimating how long it takes to prepare these recipes is a close guesstimate.

Cooks who are experienced and confident can scan a recipe, set it aside and go to work without ever checking the recipe again. A novice , though, reads a recipe word for word many times to understand simple steps. Its how we learn.

All this to say that when my readers look at the title I know they will have different expectations for what is easy, fast and possibly even healthy. Some of you may have health concerns that will make some of these recipes too liberal in terms of calories or fat. And so I encourage you to seek confirmation from your health professional that these recipes are right for you.

Most important, I discourage anyone from thinking that these recipes are a substitute for medical care, a cure of any kind or a promise to deliver you from disease. That is not possible. These recipes will help the average reader protect themselves from the harmful effects of the 21 st century diet loaded with preservatives and processed foods. But only in concert with the best advice from your doctors.

What I promise in this title is that, while I am a professional cook, I am also a typical cook. I am not a restaurant cook, which means that I dont cook with a staf f or have special equipment or an endlessly bountiful pantry. I cook pretty much for the reasons you do, for pleasure, sustenance and health. The difference is that I have studied cooking for much of my life. I have taught people to cook so I understand first hand the differences in the way people approach cooking, some with confidence and enthusiasm, some with terror and some with dread.

To address a composite of these cooks, I have made the recipes first and foremost as healthy as possible for people NOT on a restricted diet. I recommend supporting sustainable fishing practices, as well as buying grass fed beef and free-range poultry as often and easily as it fits into your budget and lifestyle. I urge you to forego processed food as much as possible, that is, anything you purchase with a list of ingredients that sounds like it came from a chemistry lab.

There was a time when anything that came in a can, box or frozen package automatically had chemically altered food in it. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. I use packaged foods liberally, such as organic frozen vegetables, canned beans and sauces, pre-cooked frozen brown ric e, and so forth. They are fast and convenient. But I am obsessive about reading labels and only choose those that are healthy.

Assume that when I say frozen broccoli or canned beans, I mean products without the additives that lead to health problems. And I will assume that you will read the labels on the products you buy to ensure the health of you and yours.

I have aimed for entres that will go from putting the first pot on the stove to the plate on the table in a range of between 15 and 30 minutes. For some recipes the ingredient list is silly short, and for others more extensive. But dont let that put you off. Sprinkling four herbs and spices on a dish takes a Nano second more than one or none, and makes such a difference in flavor. So dont judge a book by its cover or a recipe by its ingredient listat least in this book. It is the number of steps that makes for a time-consuming recipe, not necessarily the number of ingredients.