cover image Trim & Terrific One-Dish Favorites: Over 200 Fast & Easy Low-Fat Recipes

Trim & Terrific One-Dish Favorites: Over 200 Fast & Easy Low-Fat Recipes

Holly Berkowitz Clegg. Clarkson N Potter Publishers, $18.95 (210pp) ISBN 978-0-517-70258-1

Knowing that most Americans feel too busy to fix the flavorful, satisfying meals they crave, Clegg promises to deliver tasty, low-fat foods that are a breeze to prepare in this addition to her Trim & Terrific series. Home cooks should not be misled by the title--""one-dish"" refers to how a meal is presented and not to how it is made. Also, while a recipe may be low in fat, it can be high in calories (e.g., one serving of Orzo Paella packs 826 calories, and the Fabulous Four-Bean Dish yields 523 calories per serving). That said, Clegg's reliance on convenience foods does expedite cooking tasks. Some recipes (e.g., Blueberry Pancakes, Chili, German Chocolate Cake) lower the fat in American family favorites; others (e.g., Steak Creole with Cheese Grits or Crabmeat and Artichoke Pasta Casserole) expand mealtime choices. To help the family cook stretch tight food budgets, Clegg notes which dishes are good for using up leftovers (Creamy Chicken and Spinach) or for serving to large crowds (Tamale Pie). She also designates recipes that are particularly ""kid-friendly"" (Baked Waffles and Ham; Meat Sauce with Angel Hair Pasta), rounding off a cookbook that gives busy cooks plenty of ways to bring variety to the family table. Photos not seen by PW. (Apr.)