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Rating: - Cooking low carb used to be time consuming,
But this book really simplifies things because you can prepare everything in the morning (or in some cases the night before!) and throw it in the cooker as you walk out the door. Coming home to those awesome smells is satisfying, especially when you've been overdoing the salad and chicken breast dinners...

I just got this book a week ago but have already tried a handful of recipes. The kicked up French Onion soup is spectacular - rivals any restaurant's version - even includes a crouton on top and still low carb. Being able to roast flavorful chickens and turkey breast without heating up the house (or having to tend to a grill) will be great in the summertime - and it makes great leftovers for the next day's lunch.

The helpful introduction tells you all you need to know about slow cooking and each recipe is written with practicality in mind - no scouring the special foods isles at the store - they have really made it easy. After all, isn't that why you want to use a crock pot in the first place??? My slow cooker is now on my countertop instead of hiding in the back of my cabinet somewhere.

 

Rating: - low carb savior
I have been living low carb for over 18 months. I have had this book for the last two months and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it and using it. Slow cooking is an ideal way for me to stay low carb and because of the leftovers lunch has never been easier. I really like all of the helpful cooking tips because I am not very handy in the kitchen. My favorite recipe is the lemon chicken. I have also been enjoying the French Onion Soup. I think that this book is a first for Broihier & Mayone. I hope they write more low carb books because I really like their recipes. Delicious & Easy.

 

Rating: - Easy, delicious, quick -- this book has it all!
So you're on a low carb diet, looking good and feeling great, but your family is definitely on a high carb diet and getting tired of the plain meat dishes you've been serving up lately. Or maybe you are the one who's tired of them. You would like to be able to expand your low carb recipe list, but you don't have a lot of time to spend on the fancy schmancy rigamarole that some low carb cookbooks require. If only you could have your fine palate and your waistline both satisfied...

Say no more my meat-eatin' bretheren! The Everyday Low Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook was literally the answer to my prayers some months ago. As a mom of two small boys and wife to a very picky man I was having a hard time keeping everybody happy at the dinner table while I watched my weight; the "two-entrée meal" was becoming the norm and it took way too much time. In my high carb days I had used my blessed time saver, the crock pot, regularly but recently it was gathering dust on the top shelf. Thank the Lord I can put it to work again and regain my time/sanity.

Now I have to try a minimum of six recipes before I feel that I can review a cookbook with fairness. The recipes that I have completed from TELCSCC are:

Seafood Crustless Quiche (I didn't miss the crust and neither did they - Fabulous!)
Orange Pork
Sausage and White Bean Soup (my dh literally told me it was the best soup ever, bar none)
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes (rich and hearty, a complete meal)
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (yes, really!)
Pesto Beef with Grape Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

I think the genius of this cookbook is that the authors recognize that low carb dieters are not only just as busy as everybody else, but also come in a variety of skill levels in the kitchen. Accordingly, there is a special section at the beginning just for the quick'n'easy crowd that features fewer ingredients and timesavers like canned food and packaged mixes to add to your fresh meats and veggies. Believe it or not, the Pesto Beef recipe was one of these! Not that the more "complicated" recipes are that much longer or harder, believe me: the authors make it clear that since slow cookery is all about convenience, their mission is to keep it as simple as possible without sacrificing taste. It would appear that their mission was successful.

In many cases these recipes are so loaded with veggies and hearty broth that you won't need to make a salad or a side dish and nobody will even notice. There are so many more that I haven't gotten to yet, but I'm dying to try the desserts next; Peanut Butter Fudge Cake with Peanut Butter Fudge Drizzle, Coconut Custard, and Pumpkin Pudding, which is promised to be like the pie without the crust. Judging by my success with the quiche, the slow cooker is a natural with those eggy custards and puddings (averaging about 3-4 hours on low).

I would compare this cookbook to Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery (the high-carb "bible" for slow cookers) in terms of quality & variety of recipes and simplicity of use. My family has had no complaints since I've started using it, in fact they like TELCSCC dishes better than many of my higher carb dishes. I believe that this is truly the answer for the lifestyles and tastes of a modern health-conscious Americans.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

 

Rating: - Yum and good for you too!
"The Southbeach Diet Cookbook" was written to provide a number of recipes to complement the original "The Southbeach Diet" book.

The cookbook opens with an overview of the diet program. It describes the diet though not in the detail of the original book. It explains what you need to do to get your fridge and pantry 'southbeach' friendly. It explains what is allowed in terms of diary, meat, oils, pasta, snacks, beverages and more.

Next the book has a question/answer session with Dr. Agatston. In this section he updates some of the information from the original book (milk and yogurt are now allowed in phase 1 for example) and he gets into more detailed regarding different types of food.

Then comes the core of the book. The recipe categories include breakfasts, appetiziers and snacks, soups, salads, side dishes and accompaniments, fish shellfish and poultry, meats, vegetarian entrees and desserts. Each recipe indicates what phase it is appropriate for and many of the recipes are pictured in mouthwatering photographs!
Sample recipes include Vegetable Salad with Feta, Homestyle Green Bean Casserole, Pan Seared Pecan Grouper, Whole Wheat Vegetable Lasagna, and Apple and Almond Souffle. Over 200 recipes.

One very nice feature is the inclusion of recipes so you can make many of your own condiments. Unfortunately ketchup, barbeque sauce and many other "toppers" are laden with high fructose corn syrup. So Dr. Agatston includes the details on how you can make your own.

Overall the quality of recipes is very good. The one negative I have is the total avoidance of sugar and reliance on sugar substitutes. I would rather use real sugar in moderation than sugar substitutes like aspartame. He has a recipe for strawberries with velvety chocolate dip and suggests you use sugar free chocolate syrup. Instead why not use a high quality cocoa bar and melt it down. This is healthier than the faux sugars like malitol,which are in sugar free products and so much more satisfying.

Dr. Agatston has some wonderful recipes in this book from top chefs and restaurants and they are worth buying the book for. But many of the desserts with the fake sugars and fat free sour cream fall flat. Moderation is key. Use the real deal in a tiny quantity like the French do.

 

Rating: - Another Cookbook Suggestion
I really like South Beach by design. I have lost 40 pounds and love the fact it is a "healthy" low-carb alternative. It was great to see them (though not a suprise considering book sales) to come out with the cookbook. Overall the recipes I have made were good BUT

1) They use a lot of ingredients I don't - aspaagus for breakfast, expensive seafood like seabass, sole and lobster and interesting but umcommon vegetables like choyote squash and fava beans
2) They take a long time to make - and I am an accomplished cook
3) The desserts are too limited and so-so

The point is they worked hard to make pretty, chef like food so you feel you can eat well, but forgot how many of us love the basics - easy to follow recipes with easy to find ingredients for "regular" food.

I highly suggest Fantastic Food with Splenda - 160 Recipes Low in Sugar, Carbs, Fat and Calories. It is compatible with SB and I love the Chai Tea, the Breakfast Cheesecake Cups (high in protein), the Three Bean and Spinach Salads, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Barbequed Pork Tenderloin. Better yet the Frozen Peach Yogurt and Key Lime Pie will truly make you forget you are on a diet. I have suggested it to many friends and they are also hooked. Delicious everyday recipes that are healthy - that's dieting made easy.

 

Rating: - diet is more difficult than expected, so cookbook helps alot
I just completed day 2 of Phase 1 - it has been more difficult in some ways than expected and easier in others. The difficulties are somewhat related to my not being able to clear out my house of foods that might tempt me. My 2 year old daughter who is a picky eater will only eat things such as Macaroni and Cheese, Pizza, Grilled Cheese, PBJ, Hotdogs... So every meal I make for her is done with envy that I am not the one about to consume that meal.

I was thin before I had my daughter, all of the eating off of her plate has gotten me into the position I find myself now: 15 to 20 pounds overweight, so despite my yearnings for her food I am committed to making changes that will help me look and feel better.

Anyway, about the cookbook, I like it (don't love it because of organization problems mentioned by other reviewers). The recipes I have tried so far have all been delicious. Our favorite so far is the Steak Kabobs with Peanut Dipping Sauce. It does not taste like diet food AT ALL. The cauliflower mashed potatoes were just okay -- I personally do not like the flavor of trans free margarine and could taste that with every bite. Rosemary Chicken was excellent.

I do feel fortunate to be a stay at home mother, otherwise I am not sure I would have the time to effectively follow this diet. I have had to run the dishwasher three times per day with all the pots, pans, cutting boards, and bowls I have had to wash. Also my initial grocery bill for stocking up for the first several days (and purchasing other pantry items that will last a while) was close to $250.

I think the premise of the diet is a good and healthy one so I will stick with it -- for that reason I am glad I purchased the cookbook as it gives more direction and recipes that will help to stave off boredom.

Good luck to anyone interested in trying the diet or the cookbook -- I hope I didn't turn you off. Hopefully the days to come will be easier - I expect they will given the feedback I have heard from others further ahead in the diet than I.