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American Heart Association Cookbook (5th Edition)

© Kimberly Skopitz

Summer is the perfect time for eating more lightly, paying penance for those heavy meals of winter. Enter the AHA, which thoughtfully looks after your calories, fat and cholesterol amounts for you, while not forgetting the importance of taste. There's no easier way to fall off a diet than to feel as though every meal is going to flavorless and boring. The taste is still in these recipes however, although occasionally too dependent on zucchini and bell pepper for my tastes. For those that just want to get started eating a bit more healthfully, but not fanatically, these recipes lend themselves to embellishments pretty easily. Go ahead, use the low-fat sour cream instead of the nonfat! Live on the wild side!--just make sure you add in those extra calories to the sum total.

The AHA includes some helpful charts in the introduction, including how many grams of fat are appropriate for calorie levels (i.e. 40 g for a 1200 calorie diet), and timetables and meat thermometer readings for meat.

Trial by Fire:

The big disadvantage to this cookbook is the lack of pictures, which could be a real impediment to creating the Christmas Tree Relish Tray (in the shape of a Christmas tree, using broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes, etc.) for those that are craft-impaired as I am.

However, the soups are great. The minestrone is simple and cleanly flavorful, although to be honest, I prefer the Italian Vegetable Soup, which features much more in the way of tomatoes, and has a richer taste.

I can't imagine a summer without potato salad, and the Parsley Potato Salad here really does the job. Surprisingly good for just 79 calories per serving. I would add more than the the one tablespoon of onion, though. Onions are good for you.

If you're having company, and some are on a diet, and some aren't, but everyone is hungry, try the Chicken in White Wine and Yogurt Sauce. Elegant enough to impress, this recipe has a mere 287 calories per creamy, flavorful serving. (Hearty eaters might want two, though.)

For those that really need their beef, the Beef Bourguignon is a can't-miss. Yummy and filling, no one even has to know it's good for them unless you decide to tell them.

For a healthy dessert, there's always fruit. Healthy, but sometimes boring. Try the Oatmeal Cookies (great for afterschool snacks), or the Easy Apple Cake.

The American Heart Association is at http://www.americanheart.org/

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