Secrets of Skinny Cooking by Victoria Dwek and Shani Taub (Plus 2 Delicious Recipes!)

Eating healthy can be hard and many think, dull. So many tasty dishes we love are usually high in calories. But, did you know that low-calorie recipes can be just as enjoyable as those with lots of calories? With their new cookbook, Secrets of Skinny Cooking (Artscroll/Shaar Press; May 2017/Hardcover), 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. Whether you've always enjoyed light, healthy eating, or want to lose or maintain weight, Secrets of Skinny Cooking offers more options than you ever thought possible. (Book provided for review/feature consideration}

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/Hardcover
$34.99/ISBN-13: 978-1422618981

“There are lots of delicious foods out there. Plenty of recipes with fat and sugar that taste really, really good. I think we all know that,” Victoria explains. “But I realized that what people didn’t know…is that light food can be just as satisfying. That’s why I wrote this cookbook, so everyone can feel good about themselves and never, ever feel deprived.”

From that moist Corn Muffin for breakfast, to creamy Eggplant Parmesan for lunch, to Sesame Chicken & Lo Mein for dinner... Victoria and Shani have created flavor-filled recipes of favorite dishes all surprisingly low in calories!

Secrets of Skinny Cooking features:

- Over 135 delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes, with breathtaking photos for each dish
- Secret techniques and tips for zapping the calories from any dish ... without zapping the flavor (such as, "How to Sauté and Caramelize Onions Without Oil.")
- Make ahead info, family-friendly adaptations, and cooking tips from Victoria
- Nutritional information, advice, and motivation from Shani
- Plenty of gluten-free, sugar-free, low carb, Whole30, and Paleo options
- And all recipes are kosher
Every meal is covered! Enjoy filling breakfasts, super light salads, 5-ingredient veggie sides, friendly carbs, satisfying soups, creamy and dreamy dairy dishes, filling and flavorful mains, and even sweet treats. Some of the delicious recipes in the book include:

Apple Pie Crepes
Italian Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Garlic ‘n Onion Rutabaga Fries
Crispy Eggplant Wontons with Two Dipping Sauces
Skinny Pasta Alfredo
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Spicy Chicken Lo Mein
Skirt Steak Over Asian Eggplant
Lemony Baked Falafel
Bruschetta Salmon
Hoisin-Glazed Sea Bass and Mushrooms
Zucchini Pizza Fries
Citrus Cheesecake
Crème Brulee

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.

“A diet should be a way of life that you can live with forever. It doesn’t mean not eating,” says Shani. “A diet simply means that you know exactly what you’re eating, even if it changes as time goes on, whether you want to lose weight or just maintain. A healthy person is never full and never hungry, just content and satisfied.”

Whether you've always enjoyed light, healthy eating, or want to lose or maintain weight, Secrets of Skinny Cooking offers more options than you ever thought possible. Why settle for bland dietetic food and restrictive eating plans when you can enjoy Victoria and Shani’s delectable recipes?

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.

Until next time...