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I have already made the Salmon Florentine and Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas on previous occassions. Also the pesto potato salad. All of these recipes were featured on her show and I got them off Food Network. Its nice to have them all in one place though.

The one thing I do not like is for the section of lunches, all of them involve wraps/bread. I try not to eat very much wheat so lunches it would be nice to see options that don’t involve it. But I love Ellie’s recipes anyways and ALL of the recipes look delicious.

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I agree with the authors philosophy of eating which is that there is no need to deprive yourself of good tasty food in order to be healthy but I think most of the recipes in this book are a bit over indulgent to be classified as healthy. That said however, many of them with substitutes of a reduced fat cheese, mayo or even just backing off a bit of the amount called for in the recipes would help make them a little healthier and lower the calorie/fat counts.

Now if you’re not watching or counting calories and fat grams and you’re a meat/poultry/pork eater then you’ll probably love most of the recipes in this book. The sirloin steak with grainy mustard sauce and parmesan steak fries, pulled bbq chicken sandwiches with classic coleslaw and the chipolte orange glazed pork chops with maple squash puree and spinach green apple salad are all fairly straightforward easy to make recipes that will deliver a plate full of flavor, texture and color. The same goes for the pork & mango stir fry, steak chimichurri with grilled garlic bread and grilled tomatoes and the chicken paella with sausage and olives. You’ll also find pages of tips and suggestions sprinkled throughout the book offering information on everything from buying chicken, types of oils & chocolate, to ten easy exciting sandwich ideas, and taking short cuts in the produce

aisle. The photography in this book is beautifully done which photos of each recipe to accompany the text.

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Some quotations from her Introduction indicate her approach (Pages 10-12): “If you love food and want to eat well but struggle making it happen with life’s hectic pace, keep reading. . .Every recipe here hits the delicious healthy easy trifecta. Deliciousness is first and foremost. . .My golden rule: no food is ever off limits. . .The third part of the trifecta is the easy factor.”

One useful touch at the front of the book: what should be in one’s pantry. The book, then, is divided into several chapters–two for breakfast, two for lunch, two for dinner, and two for dessert.

“Breakfast is the meal of fresh starts” (Page 19). There are some very nice recipes for breakfast that capture one’s attention. A Spicy Egg and Avocado Wrap features eggs, lettuce, whole-wheat wrap breads, an avocado, a tomato, cucumber, Thai chili sauce or hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Accessible ingredients and a pretty straightforward recipe. Yummy! Another: Egg Muffin Sandwich (her take on an Egg McMuffin; her recipe is more enticing!).

“Now that the lunch hour is more like the twenty minute lunch, it is harder than ever to eat right at midday” (Page 65). Some interesting recipes to show how one might have a good meal with little preparation time. Lemon-Cumin Grilled Chicken Breast. Boneless chicken breasts, cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil/cooking spray, and lemon juice. Takes only about 15 minutes to cook this. Other samples: Ham and Cheese Panini; Chicken Paillard with Watercress and Tomato Salad; Open Face Chicken Parmesan Sandwich.

Dinner: As a side dish, Garlic Mashed Potatoes are terrific! Krieger’s recipe is simple and delicious. Double dipping–she also has a cool recipe for Herbed Mashed Potatoes. Want a fish dish for dinner? Flounder with Almond Topping, Saffron Rice, and Lemon Broccolini.

All in all, a fine cookbook. Healthy, fairly simple to make. The couple items I have tried have been fine tasting. A good addition to a kitchen library!