Weekend Cooking- Eat More of What You Love by Marlene Koch

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Eat More of What You Love by Marlene Koch
Published by Running Press ISBN 978-0-7624-4589-9
Hardcover, $27

I'm always the optimist when it comes to trying recipes that claim to be lower in fat and tasty too. Yet too many times I have tried them, only to be disappointed.

So it was with some trepidation that I tried a recipe from Marlene Koch's new cookbook Eat More of What You Love, which I got at BEA. I was looking for a new entree, and I came across Steak Diane in the book. It looked simple, and the accompanying photo made my mouth water.

The result was delicious! Topping filets with sliced mushrooms and diced shallots and then a sauce made of nonfat half-and-half, cornstarch, beef broth, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce made for a lowfat but tangy and tasty dish. And it was only 265 calories per serving.

When my family raved about the meal, I looked for more entrees to try. Chicken Cordon Bleu is another favorite, and I have a recipe that I use frequently. Marlene's recipe had only 250 calories per serving, and again uses Dijon mustard and nonfat half-and-half, along with some chicken bouillon for the sauce.

You also spread the chicken breast with dijon mustard before adding the ham and Swiss cheese and rolling in flour, egg then panko crumbs. Everyone loved the chicken and this recipe will replace the older, full-fat one.

There are 200 recipes in the book, and at the bottom of the page is all the nutritional information, including food exchanges and Weight Watcher Plus Point Comparisons, which makes this book a great resource for anyone using a weight loss plan.

I can't wait to try more recipes from this book, from breakfast baked goods to sandwiches to desserts; there are so many variations on things my family already enjoys that I know they will love it.

Marlene Koch has a website with tips and free recipes, including this one for Root Beer Barbequed Chicken that is up next on my list. The cover of the book is gorgeous, and although there aren't photos for a lot of the recipes, what ones are there are lovely.

Don't think of this book as a diet cookbook; think of it as cookbook filled with new, healthier variations  of your favorite foods. Your recipes will thank you for the makeover and your family will thank you for the tasty meals.

rating 5 of 5