From Reviewer Emily:

When it comes to the cooking in our home, my husband is the better cook. The guy is able to create the most amazing dishes with whatever we have on hand and barely has to glance at a recipe. I, on the other hand, must carefully follow written instructions. For this reason I’ve collected numerous cookbooks and recipe clippings from magazines.

The newest addition to my collection is the Family Circle Healthy Family Dinners. Flipping through the pages, I realized I really didn’t have any other cookbook quite like it. I have the typical family meal recipe books (quick prep, kid-friendly), but the majority of the healthy cookbooks I own are more for dieting adults. This collection is unique because there are over 200 recipes that can appeal to the whole family, while using healthier ingredients. Recipes include main dish salads, meat and fish, pasta, vegetarian, slow cooker meals and even dessert! Each recipe provides extended nutritional information including calories, fat/saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sodium and cholesterol.

I decided to give Tex-Mex Chicken Cutlets a try since I had all the ingredients needed at home. Most of the recipes in this collection include a full page color picture, but this one did not, so I also thought it would be a good one to feature (plus no self-criticism if my creation doesn’t turn out as pretty as the pictures).

Prep was pretty easy, although it did take me longer than the 5 minutes the book stated. But remember, I’m only a part-time cook in my home! I chopped up the onion, minced the garlic and spread extra virgin olive oil in the pan to get things started. While these ingredients sautéed for a bit, I got the flour, chicken, salsa, chicken broth, cumin, red wine vinegar and corn ready for the next steps.

After quick coating of flour on both sides of the chicken breasts, I placed these in the pan to cook for a few minutes on each side. When both sides had lightly browned, I added the salsa, broth, cumin, vinegar and corn and continued to cook for about 5 minutes. Now things really started smelling good! All I had left to do was throw in the rice, remove from the heat and let it all sit covered for about 10 minutes.

The overall cooking time for this recipe was pretty close to the estimated 10 minutes and with 10 minutes of stand time, I was also able to take care of clean up, set the table and cut up some fruit while the rice cooked.

The kids and I sat down to a healthy meal that included some of their favorite foods: chicken, rice and corn. The salsa I used wasn’t spicy so it just added some color and a little flavor. My older daughter ate up every bite and asked to have some of the rice in her lunch the next day. My younger daughter, the picky toddler of our home, didn’t protest and ate most of her serving, so I consider that a success.

Here’s the recipe from Family Circle Healthy Family Dinners:

Tex-Mex Chicken Cutlets Recipe

MAKES 4 servings PREP 5 minutes COOK 10 minutes STAND 8 to 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 cup bottled medium-hot salsa
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
1 cup instant rice

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, place flour on a plate. Place chicken in flour to coat each side, patting off excess. Add to skillet; sauté for 2 minutes per side or until lightly golden. Add cumin, chicken broth, vinegar, salsa and corn. Cook about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir rice into liquid. Cover, let stand 8 to 10 minutes or until rice is tender. Serve with extra salsa, if desired.

When we try another recipe this week, we’ll need to make a grocery run as some of the items (low sodium broth, whole wheat quinoa and polenta) are not our usual staples. But given time and practice using some of these healthier alternatives, it should be easy to incorporate some of these ingredients into our other family recipes. I would love to be able to cook healthy naturally and I think Family Circle Healthy Family Dinners will be a great way to get started.

From the publisher:

“In Healthy Family Dinners, the editors of Family Circle compile more than 200 mouthwatering yet good-for-you recipes of every kind—including main-dish salads, pasta, meat, poultry, fish, as well as vegetarian dishes, simple slow cooker favorites, and even desserts.

100 luscious full-color photos will whet any appetite while nutrition information and shopping tips help parents make smart food choices day-in and day-out. With no exotic or hard-to-find ingredients, these recipes are more than just nutritious, they’re quick to the table, too. And at less than 500 calories per serving, Healthy Family Dinners will be a book you can turn to any night of the week.

From Family Circle magazine, a trusted brand for almost 80 years with a circulation of almost 4 million readers

· Features more than 200 recipes offering tasty, healthy weeknight dinner options

· Includes more than 100 gorgeous full-color photos for dinnertime inspiration

· Nutrition information for every recipe

For healthy dinner ideas from a name you can trust, Healthy Family Dinners is the perfect cookbook.”

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer, publisher and/or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, she loves wine and dining out, and would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety. She has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.