Book offers tips on eating real food for better health

I’ve heard about several cookbooks in the last few weeks. But one, “Living a Real Life with Real Food: How to Get Healthy, Lose Weight and Stay Energized – the Kosher Way,” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014) particularly appealed to me with its light fresh cover and promise to keep you healthy and energized. Beth Warren wants to help you improve your health. She hopes to accomplish that goal with her book. Her plan is fairly simple and the book includes 50 recipes and tips to do this while keeping kosher.

Warren is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with a private practice in Brooklyn, New York. She offers advice and meal plans as well as a supermarket guide and tips on eating out. She includes seven essential steps to living a real life with real food. Everything is centered around what she calls “real food.” What is that? Fresh, whole and minimally processed ingredients, according to the book. And they come from all food groups. Nothing is forbidden because she’s an advocate of eating a wide variety of foods.

In the journey through her book, there’s lots of practical advice and a lot of information on how the laws of kashrut apply. A number of illustrative stories feature real people from her private practice. If nothing else, you’re going to learn a little more about real food – what’s good and bad – and the latest information on healthy eating.

Warren’s recipes include some interesting and simple preparations like these. Recipes are reprinted with permission.

Mini Fish Sticks with Homemade Tartar Dipping Sauce

(pictured on book cover)

Serves 10

Ingredients

Mini Fish Sticks

1 tablespoon 1% reduced-fat milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 pound halibut fillets, cut into 20 (1-inch) strips

1 cup whole-grain panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup flaxmeal

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3/8 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup light sour cream

3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise

2 tablespoons bread-and-butter pickles, finely chopped

2 teaspoons capers, minced

Directions

Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl: stir with a whisk. Add fish and toss gently to coat. Place flaxmeal, panko, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large zip-top bag. Add fish to panko mixture; seal bag. Shake bag gently to coat fish.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of fish; cook 4 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown all sides. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining fish.

In the meantime, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, pickles, capers, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl for tartar dipping sauce. Serve sauce with fish.

Per serving (fish sticks) Calories 143.5; Fat 6.0 g (Saturated 0.7 g); Cholesterol 56.7 mg; Sodium 68.8 mg; Carbohydrate 5.8 g; Fiber 1.6 g; Protein 15.2 g.

Per serving (sauce) Calories 31.5; Fat 2.3 g (Saturated 0.5 g); Cholesterol 2.5 mg; Sodium 98.7 mg; Carbohydrate 1.7 g; Fiber 0.0 g; Protein 0.5 g.

Salmon Burger

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pounds wild salmon, ground

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Combine fish, spices and lemon juice. Roll one small handful of mixture in a ball and flatten into a patty. Grill on grill pan or broil, 4 minutes on each side.

Per serving: Calories 165.6; Fat 7.2 g (Saturated 1.1 g); Cholesterol 62.7 mg; Sodium 340.7 mg; Carbohydrate 1.0 g; Fiber 0.2 g; Protein 22.7 g.