At DietsInReview.com, we love the Hungry Girl! We had a chance to interview Lisa Lillien, aka, the Hungry Girl about her new book, Hungry Girl 1-2-3. Here’s what she had to say about her latest creation.
1.) How is Hungry Girl 1-2-3 different from your two other cookbooks (Hungry Girl and Hungry Girl 200 Under 200)?
The recipes in this book are even easier. And there’s more info – like prep time, cook time, etc. Also – while many recipes have less than 200 calories, a lot have more like 300 or more calories so there are more substantial recipes and meals in the book.
2.) Your creativity in pairing certain favorite foods really shines through in this cookbook. Can you highlight a few of your favorite “couples” and why they are so good and so good for you?
Hmmm… some of my favorite couples are Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges and Egg Beaters. Pretty much what I eat for breakfast every single day. Yum! Next, broccoli coleslaw and tomato soup (Amy’s Chunky Tomato Bisque). I stir-fry those together and it’s incredible. Tastes like pasta and sauce to me! Another great one is Vitalicious Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTop and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Crazy-delicious and satisfying for around 200 calories.
3.) The mission of this book is that healthy eating can be as easy as 1-2-3. Many of the recipes don’t even require an oven. When most of us think of easy food to prepare, fast-food drive thru’s and boxed mac and cheese come to mind. How did you manage to create recipes that were both time-efficient, healthy and guilt-free?
The idea was to create versions of our favorite foods – or simply delicious decadent foods – that have a fraction of the calories and fat. I’m a bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen. And now there’s a staff of mad scientists in the HG kitchen and we crank out new recipes daily.
4.) This is now your third cookbook and you have another one due to arrive in stores in late June. What is your creative inspiration for continuing to cook up such fun and innovative dishes, snacks and treats?
I get inspiration from everything! I watch a lot of TV food shows and get inspiration from those. I watch a lot of TV commercials and they also inspire me. And hearing from HG subscribers inspires us as well. People email in what they want and we find a way to give it to them!
5.) What are three of your favorite recipes from Hungry Girl 1-2-3?
Wow – there are too many! I love all the foil pack and egg-mug recipes. But, I love them all!
Thanks Lisa!