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Secrets of a Skinny Chef
By Jennifer Iserloh
Photographs by Mitch Mandel
Rodale -- 2010
Buy it on Amazon

My winter diet weighs heavy on me... in every respect. I've allowed myself to eat as I please knowing that my down winter coat hides a multitude of sins. With the first buds of spring come the guilt.

So I turn to Secrets of a Skinny Chef. Initially I'm skeptical. Who wouldn't be? The cover says the recipes are decadent and guilt free. I expect there to be a contract with the devil in the appendix. Instead, there is the most unassuming bible of healthy, good eating.

See what we tested and whether it's worth buying after the jump.

I was excited when my friend Dara, a private chef in Manhattan, offered to make this fast and flavorful dish she learned to prepare for the staff meal at Hearth Restaurant in the East Village. Of course I wanted to taste it, since it is now part of her cooking history and I had never even heard of it. The dish made regular appearances as the family meal for the staff, alongside some crusty garlic crostini and a green salad. Here's a lighter version that's perfect for gatherings and so simple to make that it will leave you plenty of time to chat and reminisce over brunch.

Find The Skinny Chef's recipe for Tomatoes and Eggs after the jump...

Ambrosia salad is one of those 1950s marshmallow concoctions that I ate at picnics and graduations when I was a kid. It's a fruit salad but there's nothing healthy about it -- candy-coated fluff traditionally made with Cool Whip, mayonnaise or sour cream and marshmallows.

The salad gets its name from the magical strength building food eaten by the Gods of Greek mythology, reputed to retain immortality. I'll admit that this marshmallow and mayo disaster does have a dreamy flavor, but it needs a serious shape up. I've added dried mango for sweetness in place of the high-fructose corn syrup-laden marshmallows. Instead of Cool Whip, mayo or sour cream, I've used high-protein, low-fat Greek yogurt and kept the coconut flakes. I've replaced all canned fruit with fresh, and if you want to serve this as a healthy breakfast, leave out the powdered sugar.

Find The Skinny Chef's Ambrosia recipe after the jump.

Don't be afraid to cook fish -- it makes an easy, fast meal that you can serve with a flavorful fresh sauce. If it's in your budget, try wild salmon, which is naturally high in omega-3's. If not, go for tilapia instead -- it's inexpensive, easy to find and has a white, flaky texture that most people love.

To prepare the fish, preheat your oven to 400°F. Simply coat the fish with a light layer of olive oil spray and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the fish flakes with a fork. Top with a scoop of sauce and serve immediately.

See the Skinny Chef's recipes for sauce to serve with fish, after the jump.

Catfish po' boys are one of my favorite sandwiches and I always crave them around Mardi Gras. Hot fried filling, cool mayo, all on a chewy bun with crisp greens -- yum.

My local grocery store doesn't always carry catfish, so I re-created the sandwich keeping some of the same elements that I love -- the spicy mayo, ciabatta roll and warm seafood, but using shrimp instead, which is always available. Since I like to keep it light, I don't deep-fry the shrim, relying instead on a light bread coating to give it crispness and crunch.

Find the Skinny Chef's recipe for lighter po' boy sandwiches after the jump...