Lighthearted at Home

If you're Canadian and into healthy eating, you've probably heard of Anne Lindsay, nutritionist, cookbook author ( 5 of them, and sold in at least 25 countries around the world) and has been such a big influence on making home cooking fun, simple to do and practical that she was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in 2003.

So, whether you live in Canada or not, Lighthearted at Home: The Very Best of Anne Lindsay, her latest book has everything you need to know to eat healthfully and deliciously - are those words? If not, they should be.

There are over 500 recipes to choose from and if that's not enough, the tips throughout the book on healthy eating, nutritional values, cooking techniques, make-ahead instructions and ingredient substitutions, seal the deal. I love the menus pages, the glossary of nutritionally terms, charts for vitamins & minerals with their food sources, and the Canadian Food Guide at the back of the book.
But, as we all know, we only eat healthy if it tastes good and Anne's recipes do that in spades. What I particularly like is the fact that they are so adaptable. The Sprouts & Veg Stirfry that I made came from the Sprouts & Snow Pea Stir-Fry on page 143. No snow peas at the market...no problem, I chose some other local, fresh vegetables instead. It was so delicious, it's now a frequent side dish, not only with her Hoisin Halibut shown here, or any number of her chicken dishes - Szechuan Orange Ginger Chicken is calling to me next, or any of her marinated flank steak recipes - the Hoisin Garlic Flank has me drooling, too. Just add some shrimp to the stir fry and - voila! One pan dinner - healthy, nutritious AND delicious. Not just a triple - in my world, that's a home run.

From sections on Salsas, Dips & Spreads and other Appetizers & Snacks to Soup, Salad, Grains & Legumes, Vegetables (a whole section on vegetarian dinners), Pastas, Fish & Seafood, Poultry, Meat, you'll find tasty choices to serve you well all year long. And as for all those wonderful Breads, Muffins, Cookies, Squares, and other desserts. You won't have to avoid them or feel guilty for indulging.

Bottom line....I love this one for its variety. Since one (or more) of your loved ones hate X, Y or Z, you will find ample options to get them excited about eating well - without ever knowing it! And it's perfect for having young chefs help out in the kitchen - easy to follow recipes will get them to try ingredients they normally would turn their noses up at.