It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone here that I am obsessed with food. Why write about cookbooks if I don’t cook or bake a lot of food? “Liking food” or being “obsessed with food” seems to have a negative connotation in American culture especially. It’s as if we are at war with eating and with our bodies on a regular basis – especially as a woman. This is why I am a fan of Hungry Girl and Lisa Lilien – she loves eating and enjoys food without shame.
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How, you may wonder, did this woman exit the terrible cycle of food and body shaming? If you’re unfamiliar with Hungry Girl, basically Lisa Lillien has found simple, tasty, wonderful ways of eating well without the worry. Originally, she would send “Tips and Tricks to Hungry Chicks,” but now Hungry Girl is a well established brand, specifically for ladies.
Her new cookbook Hungry Girl Fast & Easy: All Natural Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less is perfect for those who lead hectic lifestyles! I understand how difficult it is to cook at home when you’ve been working all day. Hungry Girl will encourage us to invest just enough time to prepare a healthy meal without having to rely on processed foods!
First, one of my favorite things about this cookbook – there is a photo for every recipe! Now we can see what kinds of dishes we will be preparing before making a decision. Some things just look better than they sound.
Hungry Girl Fast & Easy: All Natural Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less cookbook consists of 12 Chapters with a surplus of recipes. You will not lose any flavor while cooking through this cookbook. There are a lot of familiar recipes, such as corn chowder and steak and potatoes, but there is a lot of uncommon ones as well. One I’d love to try is the balsamic fig salad – it’s beautiful!
I want to point out that there are quite a few recipes in these chapters I’ve not seen before – especially in a cookbook that promotes healthy eating. For instance, there is a whole chapter on sweet and savory crepes. There is also a whole chapter on cucumber subs!
This is genuinely a cookbook that saves time. Lots of meals can be made in one pot or a sheet pan – toss it together and let it mingle. Some recipes, like the salads require a little more prep, but it’s only chopping up vegetables which takes a few minutes.
I cannot emphasize enough how I love how all the recipes are divided up. Not only are the chapters unique with a plethora of recipes to choose from, Lisa Lilien has gone through the trouble of labeling everything according to specialized needs. There is a column for vegetarians, gluten free, single serve, 30 minutes or less… the lists are endless. This cookbook is worry-free and delicious.
The portion sizes are big but calories incredibly low. The dishes in Hungry Girl Fast & Easy: All Natural Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less really make you want to eat! Being able to enjoy food guilt free is something I think all of us desperately want! Who wants to feel bad for something we have to do?
I give Hungry Girl Fast & Easy: All Natural Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less a lot of accolades. I can see why Lisa Lilien’s Hungry Girl franchise is such a success – And this is her 15th cookbook. She must be doing something right! Check it out and maybe peek at her other Hungry Girl cookbooks if you’ve fallen in love like I have!
~Kaiti
