The Dreaded Broccoli Cookbook: A Good-Natured Guide to Healthful Eating, with 100 Recipes

The claim that healthy eating can be delicious isn't a new one, but since Americans eat about one hamburger patty's worth of lentils in a year, it's pretty clear we're a tough bunch to convince. Undaunted, this mother-daughter team, also responsible for ""The Dreaded Broccoli"" newsletter, keeps hope alive in a cookbook that's part recipe collection, part dietary intervention. The elder Haspel, Barbara, starts the ball rolling by describing how she came to healthy eating, namely her husband's heart attack. Influenced by Dean Ornish's diet plan, she realized she would have to make some modifications to get her family to stick with his stringent guidelines for the long term. And her approach worked--her husband lost weight, lowered his cholesterol and, most amazing of all, the food she was serving was so tasty she got her family to change its eating habits. Tamar, whose narratives alternate with her mother's, admits that she tends to think of french fries while eating her quinoa, but she makes her own delicious contributions. Keeping in mind that some people like meat, the authors include suggestions for fat-free beef stock and lots of recipes featuring such hearty meat substitutes as mushrooms (Potato and Mushroom Pie with Polenta Crust). There are imaginative dishes using grains, including Spicy Couscous with Leeks, Chickpeas and Peppers. Improvisation, fun and satisfaction are high on the list for the Haspels in this combination of techniques and recipes for healthy eating. This book is just what the cook--especially the one in the kitchen every day--ordered. (Apr.)