Here are some of the latest reviews for Sally's books...

Reviews for ‘The Recipe For life’

By Sharon

Sally's story is a great read and after having similar health issues was aware that healthy eating would be a bonus.

This book has lovely recipes that are easy to follow and even better to eat!

 

By love reading "marsy" (Scotland)

This is not the best cookery book I own but it is probably the best one I have which focuses on healthy eating. The recipes are simple but very tasty. My favourite is the chicken tagine which is just a throw in the pot meal but it tastes great. The book is also well laid out and attractive. I also like the commentaries by Sally. To me, this is a very useable book that will help me make lovely tasty yet

 

By Jan haniff (UK)

I liked this book even better than the first (The Secret Ingredient). I find the recipes are accepted by all the family and I feel I'm at last giving them a healthier diet. I am feeling much better in myself after using the recipes a couple of times a week. A bonus is how much cleaner my kitchen is without all the red meat grease to deal with.

For anyone about to change their diet to a healthier one, I cannot recommend this book too highly.

 

By Mel (UK)

Sally Bee has again produced some very tasty recipes and each dish is so full of flavour and they are all very enjoyable and so healthy too!

 

By Basement Cat (UK)

One thing I always notice about Sally Bee is that she always looks so healthy, which is a wonderful advertisement for her books. However, if you read the introduction to this book, you will see that she has recovered from a very serious heart problem, and is lucky to be alive. As a result of this, she is a strong advocate of healthy eating, especially for simple recipes which are easy to make, and can be used for everyday meals. I am trying to use less processed food in my family's diet, and I have found this book to be very helpful, as it's often very tempting to get a take away after a long day at work. I like the friendly style that Sally uses throughout the book, and her tips and serving suggestions are useful too. Not the most attractive cookery book I own, but probably one of the best.

 

By M. P. Sammut "Paolo"

On reading this book I quickly found myself enticed by the simplicity of this cookbook and the wholesome healthy practices it advocates.

Sally's book starts with an introduction, introducing herself and some of the health issues she has fought in the past. From here she goes on to describe her healthy living policy and how she believes that her diet (and lifestyle) changes have contributed to her better health. Here we can also read a number of philosophical points which underlies her ideas, basically she believes that eating good food is the best thing we can do for our health; she then goes on to note that we should listen to or bodies after we have eaten asking ourselves questions such as do we sleep better after certain foods, how well do we move etc. Finally Sally notes that we all eat too much (think about all those supersize potions flling our society) and also comments that good exercise is a part of the puzzle. This is all common sense (so rare in our society) but presented in a clear readable and above all useful format.

The rest of the book is then broken into the following chapters: Soups, salads, sides and starters, chicken and turkey, fish, red meat, vegetarian, desserts and finally drinks. Each section then contains an interesting range of dishes which are often imaginative, all quite quick and simple to prepare and all healthy. Each recipe is marked as to whether it could be treated as an everyday dish or if it is a bit more luxurious kept as a treat.

I really like this book. Its message is that we can (and should) all eat more healthy but not as absolute freaks who focus so much on perfect health that we all cut out every pleasure from our diet. Rather that we should all eat better and still enjoy the nice things in moderation and as part of a balanced and above all fun diet.

 

josie82 (Fife, Scotland, UK)

This is the second Sally Bee cookbook - the first being The Secret Ingredient which I very much enjoyed and have on my cookery book shelf. Having read the first book I was aware of Sally's story yet hearing it told again in this book still packed an emotional punch as we hear of her, a seemingly healthy 36 year old, suffering three heart attacks in the space of one week. This book almost follows on from the first as this one tends to focus more on the struggles she faced trying to re-lead a normal life and how her cooking and eating habits needed to change as a result. But don't make the mistake of thinking that this is just a cookbook for those with a heart condition - it's not. It's for everyone who wants to eat fresh, healthy food that they've cooked themselves.

While there is a decently sized introduction, the main focus of the book are the recipes. There are plenty of choices in the book and chapters that include soups, salads, sides & starters, chicken and turkey, fish, red meat, vegetarian, desserts and drinks. What I specifically like about this book is that it doesn't assume that healthy food has to be boring. There's plenty of family favourite dishes that have simply been tweaked to make them a little more nutritious.

Sally is also not someone who advocates counting calories which always gets a plus point from me. As a result there is no nutritional information for her recipes which doesn't bother me but might some people. She understands that food needs to taste good and doesn't tell people to deny themselves or not indulge in some treats now and then. It's a healthy lifestyle she advocates and I found it to be quite aspirational. There are an array of happy pictures throughout the book but not one for each recipe which I always prefer

I have cooked a number of the recipes in this book - some I liked, some not so much - but that's always the case in a cookbook no matter how good. I'll definitely be reaching for it for other recipes and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make their own lives healthier without feeling guilty for the indulgences.

 

By Rod H (England)

This book basically delivers what it claims on the cover. Sally Bee, herself a Heart-Attack survivor, presents a range of simple, healthy dishes, nicely presented in a easy-to-read, colourful book.

Like many of the reviewers here, I agree that the recipes are basic stuff, but there is also many good tips and ideas that might not always occur to the reader. While it relies a little too much on Soups and Salads and often states the obvious, this book is ideal for dipping into and maybe trying some of the starters, or discovering that salads can be more varied than we often realise. My only real criticism of this book is that it assumes that we all have well-stocked larders with lesser-known, or lesser-used ingredients at hand, or that we all access to Waitrose or a local M&S. Some ingredients I have never heard of are definitely not stocked by my local Tesco or Morrisons !!

Nevertheless, this is a book which, while being far from essential, has its uses and can inspire us all to think a little more about what we eat...

 

By Paul (Cheshire, UK)

There are literally loads of easy-to-cook, tasty recipes in this book. There's a bias towards using fresh ingredients such as salads, vegetables & fresh fish/meat, but that's hardly an issue.

The recipes themselves are generally easy to prepare. There are pictures throughout the book, though not for all of the recipes.

I particularly liked some of the fish recipes (Roast Monkfish with Olives and Capers; Healthy Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas), although the Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Cucumber & Spring Onion Noodles is really tasty - it also makes a nice change from takeaways which are generally high in fat & salt content.

I also really rate the Smoked Mackeral Citrus Salad. I'm a big lover of mackeral, but I'd never tried it with the zest & juice of oranges & lemons before - very nice!

There's also a section on Smooties such as Passion Fruit & Banana - or Cherry & Berry Flavour. All-in-all, lots of lovely ideas.

 

By Mrs. M. Gallagher (London)

I love this book. I've got quite a few recipe books with lots of interesting recipes, but what sets this one apart is that it contains interesting, tasty recipes that I will actually use - because I recognise and can easily purchase all the ingredients.

I also love the ethos of the book and the process of its development. Yes - it's not Heston Blumenthal - but for me, that is a good thing. I don't want to spend my life in the kitchen and I want to have a bit of variety to my diet, beyond the things I regularly cook. This book does that well. Highly recommended.

 

Reviews for ‘The Secret Ingredient’

 

The Secret Ingredient

 

Sally Bee's story of survival and recovery from three heart attacks in a week at the age of 36 is nothing short of a miracle. Sally attributes much of her remarkable survival to her delicious and achievable healthy eating plan, which she and her whole family enjoy. Now, in this beautifully illustrated cookbook, she shares her secret with you, and it might just save your life. Sally believes in living a full life, and that includes eating delicious food with all the family. She shares not only clean, vibrant recipes, but also her versions of comforting classics we all love. Even desserts! We all know the principles of eating a healthy diet, but actually translating that knowledge into an easy and affordable meal can be a challenge in a busy world. The Secret Ingredient meets that challenge head-on with gorgeous, tasty recipes that will feed the whole family, and tempt even the most novice cook. Sally tells her inspirational story throughout, and gives encouragement and support for changing your eating habits, and those of your children, without feeling deprived and in a way that works for life. She's living proof.

 

About the Author

At the age of 36, Sally was in the prime of her life successfully juggling being a writer, TV presenter, wife and mum of three. Then, in 2004, she suffered three major heart attacks in the space of only one week. Sally defied all the odds and, 5 years on, is glowing with health.

Sally is a cook, a trained therapist giving regular talks to heart rehabilitation groups, an accredited NHS 'Expert Patient' and founder of The Precious Hearts Foundation

 

By Bookworm

I love these recipes from Sally Bee. They make all my guilty pleasures ok to eat by making small changes! We all know the principles of healthy eating, but somehow I'm often at a loss when trying to put this knowledge to use to make my comfort food healthy. My two favourite recipes so far are the lasagne and the chicken casserole, which was divine. 

 

By Rachel305

This book comes highly recommended!!! Sally's recipes are easy to follow, wholesome and very scrummy!! I have cooked all of the family meals from this book this week!! The children have loved everything I've prepared!!!! Can't wait for the new recipe book to come out in Jan 2011!! Thank you Sally Bee !!       

 

By Annie

I have had this book a few months now, and we really love the recipes. Simple and tasty. Even if you haven't got heart problems, I would recommend this book for healthy living. My son saw this book and thought how good it was.. so purchased another one.