Cookbook Corner: Dashing Dish by Katie Farrell

With a passion for clean eating and a love for comfort classics, Dashing Dish author Katie Farrell makes sure her lightened-up foods do not lack in flavor or texture. Her book features everyday favorites with innovative dishes sprinkled throughout. All are made from wholesome, natural ingredients.

“Clean eating is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to eating,” she writes. She focuses on using wholesome ingredients that are preservative and chemical-free, such as oats, honey, avocados, nut butters, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Her book offers 100 clean eating recipes, a dining out guide, pantry staples, snacking options, and meal planning tips.

Recipe Impressions:

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili:Hearty, rich, and creamy, this soup is a great recipe for a night when you’re craving comfort food. With a little kick of spice, shredded chicken, and crunchy corn, it was all I could do to resist from eating the entire batch. You know you hit a home run when you’re eating a bowl of chili that’s less than 200 calories per 1 ½ cups. It also manages to pack in over 21 grams of protein. The best part: it’s all done in the convenience of the slow cooker. This recipe is a definite win in preparation and taste.

Carrot Cake for One in Minutes:Whether you’re planning a dessert course or having a sudden craving for cake, this microwavable carrot cake in a mug does the trick. With only 1 gram of sugar, 100 calories per serving, and 7 grams of protein, this treat is definitely guilt-free. After just two minutes of cooking in the microwave, a moist, fluffy cake is ready. You will need to let it cool for a couple of minutes before eating. While it does taste similar to carrot cake, it does not taste quite like the bakery version you would have probably imagined. The recipe comes with an optional frosting made out of either nonfat Greek yogurt or cream cheese. I would suggest the cream cheese option for a more authentic taste.

Overall Impression:I was excited to see simple, easy to follow recipes that are designed for one or a small number of people. I appreciated how the ingredient list remained fairly small and somewhat repetitive. It's nice to have a couple of recipes that use the same ingredients, especially when you're cooking for one to two people. That leaves less room for waste. Though the recipe testing was limited, I would suggest the book for cooks looking to "clean up" their mealtime, or to just try new ways to enjoy old classics.

You can purchase Katy Farrell’s Dashing Dish on Amazon.com.