Has anyone heard of Healthy Helpings by Norene Gillitz?

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Coffee3 ↓

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 1:41 pm

It's a kosher healthy cookbook. Was wondering if anyone has an opinion about it. I'm not sure if I should buy it. I'm trying to figure out if I like the recipies.

Marion

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 2:04 pm

I have it. I'd rather call it kosher style (like most of her cookbooks), with recipes that are easy to adapt for kashrut since she gives an overview of the laws and footnotes the changes that would have to be made.

greeneyes ↓

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 3:43 pm

I have it & love it. I bought it fairly recently, but I've already made a bunch of recipes and everything has been great. I also own MealLeaniYumm by the same author, & I really get good use out of that one as well. Her recipes are straightforward as well as healthier and lower in fat than the recipes in most other cookbooks.

Her style is a bit different than the typical kosher cookbooks, but if you're into healthier cooking, you might really enjoy the cookbook.

↑ Coffee3 ↓

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 4:15 pm

Thank you! glad to hear someone likes it. I did see some milchig cakes so I would have to change those....
My favorite is the purple one Dont like all those fancy ones that are coming out now.

JRKmommy

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 4:39 pm

I have it and love it.

I grew up on Norene Gillitz recipes, since she got her start when she edited Second Helpings, Please! for her B'nai Brith Women chapter. Everyone I knew had that cookbook - when I got married, I got my bubbie's old copy from 1970.

The wonderful thing about Second Helpings was that about half of the recipes start with the line, "combine all ingredients". Healthy Helpings has been updated from that era to include modern technology and the latest nutrition knowledge, but it still feels "heimish" and still seems geared toward the busy Jewish wife who just needs to quickly whip something up in the kitchen. The ingredients aren't overly exotic, and the recipes are fairly quick and easy. It's different that the Susie Fishbein style of cookbook. There are around 600 recipes, including traditional Jewish things like challah and Pesach recipes, along with more modern recipes. The beef cholent and low-fat brownie recipes are bit hits in my house.

It's not a primer on how to keep kosher, but it certainly follows the basics. Obviously, someone would need to keep an eye out for specific chumras or minhagim (eg. some pesach recipes have matzo meal, some recipes combine fish and dairy).

Oh, and my friend also worked as Norene's assistant for this book.

ffbmom

Wed, Nov 19 2008, 6:00 pm

Love this cookbook. I use it all the time. It's like second helpings, but healthier. I guess when I got married everyone started off life with second helpings. The great part is that if you go to her website, Gourmania, she has a bunch of recipes she likes from other kosher cookbooks. And, if you cannot find a way to adapt her recipe to what you need, you can email her (don't spread this, I'm sure she does not want a million emails). I have emailed her and asked her how to adapt recipes for pesach nongebrokst. She is so helpful.

↑ Coffee3 ↓

Thu, Nov 20 2008, 9:31 am

Thanks for the website. I did a search on her but did not find this website!

↑ greeneyes ↓

Thu, Nov 20 2008, 5:12 pm

http://www.gourmania.com/

↑ Coffee3

Fri, Nov 21 2008, 9:46 am

I meant that when I previously did a google on her I did not see that she had a website called Gourmania. Thanks for the extra help, though.

Tila ↓

Wed, May 06 2009, 1:45 pm

I like it. My SIS bought it, and then my MIL got it. I borrowed it, and I bought it. I do not use it often, but when I do its non stop.

↑ Tila

Wed, May 06 2009, 1:45 pm

Oh, and my friend also worked as Norene's assistant for this book.[/quote] so did mine.

pinktichel

Wed, May 06 2009, 1:48 pm

I would love to use mine (or should I say my Dh would love me to) but I don't work well with cookbooks that don't have pictures. embarrassed

Can you suggest some of your favorites?

↑ greeneyes

Mon, May 11 2009, 3:00 pm

Pinktichel, I've made so many recipes from Norene's Healthy Kitchen. I also prefer cookbooks with pictures, but I love this cookbook anyway.

Here are some of the my favorites:

white bean soup
penne pesto with tuna & veggies
sweet potato shepherd's pie
almond mandarin chicken breasts
quick chicken cacciatore
hoisin chicken & broccoli stir fry
hearts of palm & avocado salad
roasted sweet potato salad
red cabbage slaw
best green bean salad
quinoa, black bean, & corn salad
chicken mango salad with peanut dressing
spring mix vegetable medley
chocolate zucchini walnut muffins
fabulous fruit crisp

(There are loads more that I've tried that have all been excellent.)

Shalshelet

Mon, May 11 2009, 3:34 pm

can I add the rainbow rice recipe one to your list, greeneyes? For faster chopping, I throw the veggies in the blender. The best part about it is the zucchini taste/texture - it's really delicious and the recipe is very healthy!

Blueberry Muffin ↓

Sun, Aug 01 2010, 9:27 pm

I have this cookbook as well - my mother-in-law bought it for me when it first came out -

I like the recipes and would like to use it more often - but I dont find the cookbooks style to be so user friendly -there are a ton of recipes in it and many variations and suggestions and she adds her cute jokes here and there -
I just dont like the general lay-out - a bit overwhelming - there arent that many pictures and there are many recipes and suggestions for modifications on all of the pages - I keep wanting to make more from it - but get pulled to my more user-friendly cookbooks.

at times - I will use here cookbook to compare my other recipes to see how she made modifications on similar recipes and what she cut out or substituted....

I do like many of her vegetable soups, and her muffins. He chicken recipes and some fish are also good.

I also like her other book - mealleaniyumm (it came out in 2000 - a take off of the words millenium!)

↑ Blueberry Muffin ↓

Sun, Aug 01 2010, 9:28 pm

its always helpful to get ppls opinions and tried and true recipes that are worth giving a shot.

tx for posting the ones u like!

mommalah

Sun, Aug 01 2010, 10:17 pm

Do the recipes include margarine, white flour?
Lots of canned stuff?
Or does she mostly use fresh, raw ingredients?

↑ Blueberry Muffin

Mon, Aug 02 2010, 8:52 am

she uses a comco of reg flour and whole wheat flour as often as possible.

tends to use oil or tub margarine and steers away from margarine with hydrogenated oil

she uses lots and lots of fruits and vegis - s/t with cans - but usually advises low sodium -

its healthy cook book - she talks about low glycemic level and is very informative about nutritional value that various foods provide. quite informative even if u are not on a low carb diet - its jyust interesting to learn how barley and oats take longer to digest than rice.

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