The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook [Hardcover]

In a previous book, Dr. Agatston gives a recipe for Shrimp Gazpacho (doesn't sound as good as it is) that takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and is one of my all time favorites. It's hard to believe that food which is so easy to prepare can be good for you and taste so good. And, in my quest to lose a few pounds and get ready for summer (and a class reunion!) my cholesterol has dropped from 265 to 189. I have never been able to budge that number, so I am very grateful.

So, I was glad to see this book come out and it has not disappointed. It is filled with the same kind of recipes as some of the other South Beach books, but with a special section on grilling and grilled foods, and an emphasis on quick to fix, light fare made from ingredients that are fresh and available in the summer. I look for recipes that don't have too long a list of ingredients, so that it is easy and less expensive. This book is filled with them!

I won't list a lot of the recipes as I see that other reviewers have already done that, but what's also nice about this book is that there are recipes given that can be doubled or tripled and fixed for a crowd, taking into account the way we live in the summer, like Easy Summer Chicken Chili. And, each recipe has a paragraph written about it that gives hints like what cuts of meat are less expensive, and what each recipe is providing nutritionally and the ease of preparation. Statements like, "If you don't have all the fresh herbs called for here, simply double up on the ones you do have." makes it easy on the 'becoming ever so much slimmer' cook!

A round of applause for the doctor, please. He's done it again.

Think of this book as Rachael Ray meets the South Beach Diet. Every dish is simple to prepare and healthy.

If you know of more tasty, easy-to-prepare dishes that are healthy and support a lower weight, you'll eat better. My suggestion for you is that you acquire all the South Beach Diet cookbooks you can. The Taste of Summer Cookbook will be one that you'll cherish because the recipes take great advantage of the fresh foods available at low cost during the summer.

My experience with the South Beach Diet has been just amazing. Follow the diet, and the excess weight effortlessly disappears. Add quantities of foods unapproved on the diet, and the weight piles on like magic.

This book came along at just the right time for me. I was ready for some taste variations from what I normally eat to lost weight on the South Beach Diet. I feel very motivated to try these dishes and to drop the foods that I shouldn't be eating!

I thought the weakest part of the book came in the breakfasts. But that limitation is more than made up for in the great choices of soups, sandwiches, and salads for the rest of the day.

There are separate sections for seafood, poultry, meat dishes, and vegetarians so you can match your protein sources to your taste and health preferences. If you are like me, you'll be thrilled to see the many suggestions on page 11 to add even more flavor.

Each recipe tells you how long it takes to prepare, marinate, cook, and rest before serving. You also find out which stage of the diet the recipe fits. You'll also learn how many people are served. Naturally, Dr. Agatston gives you the per-serving quantities of calories, fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and sodium.

The book contains lots of good suggestions for preparing ingredients in advance to make it easier to serve future meals.

Here are some of the recipes that most interested me:

Soups

Chilled roasted red and yellow pepper soup with avocado salsa
Canadian spiced chilled tomato soup
Curried summer squash soup
Cucumber soup with grilled shrimp and dill
Heirloom tomato gazpacho
White gazpacho
Garden white bean soup

Sandwiches

Club
Mediterranean vegetable
Monkfish and shrimp rolls
Cape Cod sandwiches with homemade tartar sauce
Chipotle rubbed steak wraps
Pulled turkey

Salads

Green and yellow beans with fresh mozzarella and pine nuts
Poached chicken, zucchini, and wheat berry
Greek
Endive with walnuts
Jicama with creamy cilantro dressing
Romaine hearts with tuna, edamame, and green goddess dressing
Grilled Southwest steak, radish, and blue cheese
Baby greens with tiny tomatoes, fresh herbs, and toasted pistachios
Macaroni
Sweet potato
Slaw with sesame dressing
Spanish rice with pumpkin seeds
Citrusy hot pepper slaw
Grilled shrimp with chile lime dressing
Chicken with peanuts
Grilled pork and plum salad with almond gremolata

Seafood

Blackened tuna with greens
Lemony poached halibut with creamy cucumbers
Paella
Crab and shrimp cakes with caper sauce
Grilled fish tacos with spicy melon salsa
Spicy BBQ shrimp and rice
Tropical shrimp and rice
Bouillabaisse

Poultry

Grilled chicken with Asian plum sauce
Spicy chicken and black bean tacos
Grilled chicken fajitas
Jerk chicken with romaine salad
Chicken chili

Meat

Chimichurri burgers
Beef satay with peanut sauce
Herb marinated sirloin with asparagus and tomatoes
Pork kebabs with scallion chili paste
Grilled steak with Texas mop sauce
Feta-stuffed sirloin burgers
Moroccan spice-rubbed pork chops

Vegetarian

Indian curry

Sweets

Nectarines and plums with blue cheese and hazelnuts
Chocolate cherry truffles
Raspberry ices
Peach pops

Beverages

Mango lassi
Iced pom mojito spritzers

The book concludes with sample meal plans for phase one and two of the diet.

If you are like me, you'll be thrilled with the many gorgeous photographs that make the dishes come to life. Seeing how to present the dishes will make your cooking turn out to be even more appealing.

There's something about the abundance of fresh ingredients in the summer that inspires me to be more adventurous in the kitchen. This newest edition to the fabulous South Beach Diet cookbook library is a winner. I've tried about six of the recipes so far and have several more on the agenda for this week. The family particularly liked PULLED TURKEY SANDWICHES (page 131) and the SPICY CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN TACOS(page 137) which are so quick and easy, you'll love them too. The GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH PEACH-LIME SALSA is a great dish to serve guests (page 150)and the nifty idea of using whole wheat tortillas to make homemade pizza is delicious. But my favorite is page 196, SOUTH BEACH DIET TIRAMISU. Love this book. Thank you Dr. Agatston.

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