There is still a surprisingly large amount of people who think that healthy eating is hard or dull or not flavorful. However, with the right techniques, it can taste just as good to eat healthy - and, in fact, once you're used to eating healthy, sometimes former favorites taste too sweet or too greasy! I recently had a chance to review Secrets of Skinny Cooking, where bestselling cookbook author Victoria Dwek and nutritionist Shani Taub show home cooks how to create exciting, flavorful, and filling meals... all for a fraction of the calories they'd typically be.
The recipe book is easy to use. There are well over a hundred delicious recipes that can be prepared by anyone, no matter what their skill in the kitchen. The photos are amazing (mine don't turn out looking that the photos, but they still taste delicious). There is also a lot of good information, like techniques for cooking without oil, ways to adapt recipes for families and picky eaters, ideas for making food ahead to save that last-minute dinner rush, nutrition information and motivation, and more. Many of the recipes are suitable for special diets, like kosher, gluten-free, sugar-free, low carb, Whole30, or Paleo.
Recipe(s) from SECRETS OF SKINNY COOKING: Mouthwatering Recipes You Won’t Believe are Low Calorie
By Victoria Dwek and Shani Taub C.D.C.
Artscroll/Shaar Press; May 2017
Portobello Mushroom Towers
Yields 2 large servings
Dairy ▪ Gluten-Free ▪ Low Carb ▪ Sugar-Free
Calories: 181 per serving; Shani Taub Exchange: 1 protein, 1 Vegetable
One summer Sunday afternoon, my family and I passed through Monsey, stopping at the Evergreen shopping center. I really wanted iced coffee, so I headed to Hava Java. As I waited for my Skinny Frappe (one of
the best ever), I watched the hot dishes emerge fast from the kitchen. One dish that caught my attention was the towering Portobello Mushroom Sliders. I went home and recreated the dish … and it was just as
good as it looked.
MUSHROOMS
2 Portobello mushroom caps
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
TOPPINGS
1 red pepper
½ onion, sliced
1 tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling
½ onion, diced
8 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained
2 (1-oz) slices Muenster OR mozzarella cheese
[1] Place mushroom caps into a ziplock bag. Add red wine vinegar, garlic powder, basil, and salt. Seal; marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
[2] Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place mushrooms and marinade into a baking pan; bake for 25 minutes.
[3] Meanwhile, place red pepper into the oven (on its own or in a baking pan). Roast until skin is blistered, about 35-45 minutes. Let cool; peel and discard peel and seeds. Slice pepper; set aside.
[4] Coat a sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion; lower heat and sprinkle with salt. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside.
[5] Coat the sauté pan again with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add diced onion; lower heat and sprinkle with salt. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt.
[6] Assemble the towers: Top each mushroom with half the spinach mixture, half the peppers, and half
the onions. Top with one slice of cheese; bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 9-10 minutes.
Make Ahead: All the components of this dish can be made ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Simply assemble and bake when ready to enjoy.
Red Pepper Fettuccine
Yields 2 servings
Dairy ▪ Sugar-Free
Calories: 241 per serving; Shani Taub Exchange: 1 Bread, ½ Protein, ½ vegetable (medium portion)
This dish is for those who need their hearty pasta dish. There’s half a serving of pasta in each portion; eggplant stands in for the rest. It’s become one of my family’s all-time favorite pasta dishes, high cal or low cal.
(Who needs penne alla vodka anymore? I’d rather have this!)
2 oz fettuccine or any wide, flat pasta (such as pappardelle)
1 eggplant, peeled, sliced thinly lengthwise
salt, for sprinkling
1-2 Tbsp Parmesan shavings, for serving
RED PEPPER SAUCE
1 red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt, for sprinkling
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 red pepper, halved, stem and seeds removed
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
[1] Preheat oven to 425ºF. Prepare pasta according to package instructions; set aside.
[2] Cut eggplant slices into long, thin strips a little wider than your pasta. Place into a colander; sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 20 minutes over a bowl or in the sink; rinse and dry.
[3] Place pepper cut side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray; bake until skin blisters, about 40 minutes. Let cool; peel pepper and discard peel.
[4] Meanwhile, add eggplant slices to a baking sheet; bake for 20 minutes.
[5] Prepare the sauce: Coat a sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray; heat over low heat. Add onion and garlic; sprinkle with salt. Cover pan; cook until onion is soft, 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
[6] In a blender, combine onion mixture, red pepper, and yogurt.
[7] When ready to serve, coat the sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray; heat over low heat. Add pasta and eggplant strips to the pan. Add red pepper sauce; toss to coat. Season with salt to taste. Serve topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan shavings per serving.
Shani Says: I love when vegetables are added to stretch a dish. Since a man can have 2 breads for dinner, he can have the entire recipe for only 2 breads, 1 vegetable, and ¾ protein! It’s a huge dinner! Omit the Parmesan and enjoy it along with a piece of fish.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Powerhouse food writer VICTORIA DWEK is co-author of the bestselling Secret Restaurant Recipes, Everyday Secret Restaurant Recipes, and the popular Made Easy cookbook series. She’s the managing editor of Whisk, a popular kosher food magazine published weekly by Ami Magazine, where tens of thousands of loyal readers turn weekly to her “Hello Cooks” column. She’s a featured personality on Kosher.com, where fans tune into her cooking shows, including the video series based on Secrets of Skinny Cooking. Victoria is also a founding partner of BetweenCarpools.com, the lifestyle site and app for the busy Jewish woman, where she shares inspiration and tips that go beyond food. She holds a B.A. from New York University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College.
SHANI TAUB is a certified nutritionist and certified diet consultant who has helped hundreds of patients take control of their weight and start on a new path of health. Based in Lakewood, New Jersey, she counsels patients from all over the East Coast, from Monsey to Brooklyn to Baltimore, and internationally, in Canada, Switzerland, and Israel. Shani struggled with her weight as a child and understands the various challenges faced by her patients who are trying to get healthy. Every struggle is unique and each patient has different triggers that will push them to reach their goal.
Working one-on-one, Shani creates a personalized eating plan that fits with that person’s taste and lifestyle. In addition to her renowned weight loss counseling, Shani Taub has also launched a successful line of health foods.
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