Cook by the Book: The Healthy Jewish Cookbook

I confess. When I first came upon this cookbook I barely gave it a look. While the subtitle "100 delicious recipes from around the world" sounded great-- "Healthy Jewish" in The Healthy Jewish Cookbook concerned me. So here's the deal, I'm Jewish but not very fond of what I know of as Jewish cuisine. My general impression is that Jewish food is heavy, bland, often overcooked and fattening. Healthy food on the other hand sounds dull, unsubstantial, undercooked and fat free. To top it all off, the book is written by a British writer. I won't even go near that stereotype. Needless to say I'm glad I gave the book a second look.

Michael van Straten may be unfamiliar to American audiences but he's probably more well-known to the British. A prominent health journalist and practitioner, van Straten has written around 30 books and has run a health radio program for about 30 years. He begins the book with a delightful story of how his parents met and a bit about his upbringing. Though his family is European, he looks far beyond the Eastern European cuisine so many American Jews are familiar with to explore the fusion cuisine that came of the diaspora.

The recipes themselves come from all around the globe--all parts of Europe, the Mediterranean to Persia, the Middle East, North Africa and the Far East. The flavors and colors are vibrant and excite the senses. He reconfigures some less than healthy recipes but mostly the recipes are delicious first, healthy second and just happen to be popular with Jews, somewhere in the world. Most recipes come with a "health note" that points out the health benefits associated with the ingredients. Risotto, couscous and smoked haddock all find there way into recipes. My only complaint is that while there is a section devoted to Jewish holidays, a section of recipes specifically for holidays would have made the book easier to navigate.

This recipe would certainly perk up a Passover seder. Recipe reprinted courtesy of of Frog, Ltd. North Atlantic Books

Olive and Orange Salad
Serves 4

Jews were the earliest cultivators of citrus fruits. Olives have been cultivated for at least 5,000 year, and they're part of Jewish biblical history. Widely used in Sephardic cuisine, this salad is a favorite in Israel, although its origins are probably north African.

4 oranges, peeled and sliced horizontally
About 18 black olives, pitted and cut in half
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped mint
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus 2 pinches for serving

Method
Put the oranges into a serving bowl. Scatter the olives over the oranges. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mint, cumin, and paprika. Pour the dressing over the salad, adding 2 pinches of paprika for serving.

Health Note
This recipe combines the taste and vitamin C of oranges with the bitter flavors of olives. Because they're such a good source of oil, olive are often thought to be fattening, but this isn't the case: 18 olives contain only 60 calories, but they provide vitamin E and lots of protective antioxidants.

For another recipe from the book, Cinnamon Ball cookies, also a Passover friendly treat, head over to Cooking with Amy.