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Cookbook #15: Cooking Light Annual Cookbook from 1986

Cookbook #15 in my Cook the Bookshelf Challenge is Cooking Light '86.

Cooking Light '86

About the Book 
This is one of the earliest of Cooking Light's annual cookbooks in my collection.  It contains 500 recipes that are nutritious without sacrificing taste and texture. It also contains information on healthy living, exercise, and new-at-the-time foods and exercise equipment.  Despite being almost 35 years old most of the recipes stand the test of time.

About the Author
At the time this book was printed Cooking Light was still a column in Southern Living Magazine and would not become it's own magazine until 1987. Cooking Light became a lifestyle publication that provided delicious low-calorie recipes and tips. The monthly magazine is no longer available but they do publish 4 single-issue magazines a year that are filled with their delicious recipes and healthy eating tips.

The Recipe I Chose To Make 
I made the Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing from page 177.  The weather was perfect for a dinner salad and I had some leftover blue cheese that I needed to use up.  I usually have flank steak in the freezer and I thought that would work well for the lean broiled steak that the recipe called for.

Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

How Was It? 
This is a perfect recipe for a warm summer evening!  It was enjoyed by the entire family.  The recipe called for watercress, a green that I don't use very often. When I trimmed off the leaves there wasn't enough for a large salad so I added some spring salad mix to bulk it up a bit.  I grilled some flank steak and sliced it thin to top the salad.  The recipe title says 'Blue Cheese Dressing' but instead of a creamy dressing it was more of a vinaigrette and the blue cheese was used to top the salad.  It could easily be left off or substituted for another type of cheese for those who do not care for its strong flavor. All-in-all, a quick and easy recipe!

What’s Next?
The next cookbook in my Cook The Bookshelf Challenge  is All-Time Best Recipes from Cook's Illustrated.


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