The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook
by Jim Romanoff and the Editors of EatingWell magazine
Countryman, 2006

List Price: $24.95
Amazon Price: $15.72

Review by Jennifer Sader

Quick, what's your favorite excuse for ordering pizza on a weeknight? Right, "cooking at home takes too long." And besides, "the stuff I make at home is boring." Even though we all know that home cooked meals are better for us than anything we can find in a bag or a box, it's hard to get excited about a marathon cooking session when you have a hungry family and not much time.

If this is your story, Jim Romanoff from EatingWell wrote a cookbook just for you. Healthy in a Hurry will tempt you with 150 simple but creative recipes that promise to be ready in 45 minutes or less. Don't get me wrong, you don't need to divorce your "delivery guy." I live in a college town, and if I were dying and had to choose one last meal, it might just be a pizza, stuffed breadsticks and tomato bread from my favorite take out joints. Hopefully there's no heartburn in the afterlife. With this book takeout pizza can become a special-occasion treat instead of a once or twice a week we-had-no-choice routine. If it is in fact pizza you crave try the Fennel and Chicken Flatbread or the Pear, Walnut, and Gorgonzola Pizza.

Healthy in a Hurry has something for every occasion, with recipes suitable for entertaining and plenty of ideas for casual family meals. Ethnic food fans will find all kinds of international fare, including Thai, Japanese, Moroccan, Indian, Italian, Chinese, French, and Cuban cuisine. Parents will appreciate kid-friendly choices like EatingWell Sloppy Joes, and Inside-Out Cheeseburgers. The most interesting recipes are new twists on old favorites, like Grilled Duck Quesadillas with Cilantro Cream and TLT (Tofu, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich). For those nights you want comfort food, there are easy-to-whip-up diner-style dishes like Portabella 'Philly Cheese Steak' Sandwich and Crispy Potatoes with Green Beans and Eggs.

Besides recipes, Healthy in a Hurry offers plenty of tips for the would-be-wanna-be will be healthy cook, including a Shop Smart list for your pantry and refrigerator, a list of essential kitchen tools, cooking techniques, and ideas on how to set yourself up for quick-meal success.

Every main-dish recipe provides both Active Minute and Total Cooking Time estimates, number of servings, and nutritional information. Special icons for Healthy Weight, Lower Carb, and High Fiber help you choose recipes that fit your specific dietary needs. Other special indexes list recipes that are Family-Friendly, 30 Minutes or Less and Healthy Weight dishes which Romanoff defines as recipes with no more than 350 calories, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of total fat and less than 10 grams of saturated fat.

To round out your meal, the back pages of the cookbook offer Sauces in a Hurry, Sides in a Hurry, Vegetable Sides, How to Quick-Cook 20 Vegetables, a grain-cooking guide, and Desserts in a Hurry. These sections do not list nutritional information, but fats and oils are used carefully and the portion sizes are reasonable.

Though I have plenty of healthy cookbooks, this one is already a favorite. First of all, it is gorgeous, with dozens of glossy photographs showcasing beautifully-presented food. The vegetarian section is creative and varied does not rely on the typical cheese-loaded standbys. The dishes presented in Healthy in a Hurry are elegantly simple and only a few feature truly exotic ingredients. Most importantly, though, the variety of recipes may just make takeout food seem dull in comparison.