Healthy 1-2-3: The Ultimate Three-Ingredient Cookbook, Fat-Free, Low Fat, Low Calorie

Simplicity as an art form creates the intrigue and attraction of Healthy 1-2-3, a nutritional cookbook that utilizes only three ingredients per recipe. Award-winning chef and author Rozanne Gold continues her 1-2-3 series with this "Healthy" entry, made with the calorie-conscious cook or host in mind.

Though three ingredients quickly can be construed as a restriction, Gold cleverly maneuvers around her own concept, all the while abetting her healthy cause. If, for example, she has a recipe featuring a particular vegetable, she uses that vegetable's own broth to create the sauce for the dish. The Roasted Asparagus and Orange Salad with Asparagus "Fettuccine" uses a fresh orange vinaigrette (tossed with roasted asparagus) and a fettuccine that is not pasta, but rather actually shaved asparagus stocks.

Gold also gives nutrition lessons throughout--teaching that all foods groups have an important place in a balanced, nutritional diet. Even foods that are high in fat and calories, such as Brie cheese, contain important nutrients that the body needs, even though they've been stricken from many diet plans.

The recipe selection addresses the full range of potential users, from the average hungry guest to the most assiduous, observant vegan. For example, the beverage combination of watermelon, pineapple juice, and fresh mint for a Watermelon Splash is simple in both preparation and the expectation of the pallet, while Immune Tea, made of kombu, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh cilantro, will probably be a stretch for the average American tastes. The quality of food photography and bold colors of this book add an extra flair to the healthy recipes. --Teresa Simanton