© Roland Bello

Martha Stewart has over 35 years of experience in the catering industry. While maybe less of a household name in the UK, she is absolutely considered the queen of cooking and baking over the pond.

This book offers a collection of quick and light recipes, all coming in under 500 calories. At this time of year, after the excesses of Christmas, who isn’t on a diet? This book is perfectly timed in its release.

The 250 recipes are split into four sections, each section devoted to a season. At the front of each section there is a very helpful index of the recipes within, further broken down into main courses, salads and soups, and sides and desserts.

The photos are beautiful and appetizing. I have to admit, when browsing for a recipe I look at the pictures first. Please tell me I am not the only one that does this. I like the fact that it is split into seasons, encouraging us to eat seasonally, so this recipe book should help with your shopping bill, as well as your waistline.

The version I have is paperback. It’s a good size, and the print is easily readable. My only niggle is that the pages are so tightly bound, when you have your recipe book laid open on a page, it doesn’t lie flat. If you are looking at a recipe near the front or back of the book, it has a habit of shutting itself. But that is a very small niggle, that if you are fortunate enough to have a recipe book stand would not be an issue.

The good news is this book is also available for the kindle, so if you are someone who likes to store the recipes electronically, and work from a tablet, or iPad, then you are in luck.

The instructions are clear and detailed, each step in the process spelled out, so the recipes are suitable for all skill levels. The book is obviously written for a US market. Despite being released over here, it hasn’t been edited for a European market so the measurements are in cups instead of grams. However, there is a handy list of gram equivalents at the front of the book for some of the more common ingredients such as rice, sugar and flour. To get the best out of this book though, I would recommend you pick up some measuring cups, as they are very easy to get hold of these days.

Another thing to watch out for are some ingredients are also listed in the recipes with their American names such as arugula (rocket) or cilantro (coriander). You might find my FAQ page useful as it includes a list of US/UK ingredient equivalents, as well as other useful things.

This book is a great addition to any recipe book shelf and will keep you in healthy, low-calorie meals all year around. One of my favourite recipes from the book, ‘Chicken, Spinach and Potato Hash’ is detailed with kind permission below.

The book is available now from Bantam Press and is available in your usual retail outlets.

Chicken, Spinach and Potato Hash

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Serves	4
From book	Martha Stewart's Everyday Light

A delicious and light mid-week supper, with lean chicken replacing the traditional corned beef.

Ingredients

• 2 Chicken Breast (bone in, skin on)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme
• 680g Yukon Gold Potatoes (if you can't get these, any waxy potatoe will do, such as Rooster)
• 2 Large Shallots (finely chopped)
• 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons Water
• 225g Spinach (washed, trimmed, and coursely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Directions

1.	Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 8 / 450°F / 230°C
2.	Place chicken on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 teaspoon of oil, season with salt and pepper and the thyme. Roast until the chicken is cooked through (about 30-35 minutes)
3.	When cooled, discard skin and bones, and cut into cubes
4.	Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until just tender and drain.
5.	In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the shallots and cook, stirring until softened.
6.	Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds, then add the potatoes. Stirring often, cook until the potatoes start to turn golden brown.
7.	Add the water, scrapping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes stirring gently, until the pan is dry and the potatoes are browned.
8.	Add in the chicken and the spinach. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring until the spinach wilts and the chicken is heated through.
9.	Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Note

295 Calories per serving