by KEREN BROWN

blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/franticfoodie/  22 April 2008,

Review and recipe from Norene's Healthy Kitchen

Cook 'till you drop or until your guests do. I am on a cooking journey. A pinch of cookbooks, tablespoons of new foods, cups of recipes and a handful of mistakes to share.

A few months ago my mom was going through my late grandmother's belongings. Do you want her copy of Second Helpings Please? Yes! That was what I wanted most. I wanted the cookbook by Norene Gilletz. I wanted to be part of my grandmother's marvelous cooking. These were the recipes that my grandmother called her own. My mom, my aunt, everyone in my family had a copy of this book and I wanted one too.

Every time I want some Jewish home cooking, I reach for the book. For the Passover Seder, it was my dictionary; every recipe that I needed was there. In a recent post I told you about what I made for Passover. Last minute, I ended up making a mashed potato kugel and an apple kugel (a kugel is a kind of Jewish Casserole). I used only the ingredients that I had at home.

Norene's recipes are simple, easy and tasty in the most comforting way possible. When I need something that will make me feel good but I don't have the patience to work for hours in the kitchen, Norene's book saves the day.

I just got a copy of Norene's Healthy Kitchen, a healthy recipe treasure chest.

A lot of Norene's recipes are Jewish recipes but by far not all of them. Her recipes are kosher which in this case means that they don't contain milk and meat in the same recipe.
There are loads of helpful hints with the recipes, nutritional facts and health tips. Lately I have been trying to eat healthy grains and this book has so many recipes for quinoa, barley, bulgur and every other grain you can think of. I definitely recommend this book for anyone but especially for cooks who like to eat healthy but don't have the time or patience to slave in the kitchen.

Some other interesting recipes in the book.... Whole wheat Challah, Kasha (buckwheat chili) and Confetti Vegetable Strudel.

For more of Norene's recipes or to order her book, click here.

I decided to share this recipe for Couscous Mediterranean-Style. This recipe was so easy that I made it while on the phone with an old friend. My husband and I kept sneaking back to the pot to get a little more.

COUSCOUS MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic (about 2 tb minced)
1 and 1/2 cups couscous
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups of hot vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 a cup raisins or currants (I used currants)
1/2 a cup dried apricots or dates (I used dates)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of chopped parsley or mint
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (I used pecans because I burnt the pine nuts that I had, while on the phone) or slivered almonds

1. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet on medium heat. Add onions, red pepper and garlic; saute for 6-7 minutes or until golden.

2. Stir in the couscous and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer or until golden. Slowly add the hot broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10- 12 minutes or until the couscous is tender.

3. Stir in the raisins, apricots, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts and serve.

Yield: 8 servings, keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator, reheats well. Freezes well up to 2 months.

264 calories per serving, 43.7 carbohydrates, 3.9 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and there is even more nutrition information in the book.

More Info | Order Now

Norene's Healthy Kitchen - Eat Your Way to Good Health
by Norene Gilletz

Published by: Whitecap Books
ISBN 978-1-55285-802-8
CDN $34.95, paperback
8" x 9", 512 pages
colour photographs throughout