Fish and veggies will whittle your waist, book says

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Our staff reviews the latest cookbooks on the market, tests one or two recipes to share with readers and lets you know which cookbooks are worth your time and money.

The book: "The Pescetarian Plan: The Vegetarian + Seafood Way to Lose Weight and Love Your Food" by Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., with recipes by Sidra Forman; 384 pages, $26; published by Ballantine Books, 2014.

What you get: This guide to eating a vegetarian diet modified by adding fish is designed to help you lose weight, age-proof your body by reducing your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease, enhance your moods and boost your brain. The book contains a section on which fish are good to eat and which should be avoided on this eating plan.

In her own words: "Eat fish and you'll protect your heart, plus you'll stay smarter and happier and — no joke — have a better sex life. Go vegetarian and you'll be thinner, dramatically reduce your risk of developing heart disease and cancer, and live longer. But why not have it all? You can! Just combine the two eating styles and become a pescetarian; it's a vegetarian diet with the addition of seafood … It's a delicious, easy and fun way of eating." — Janis Jibrin

What we made:

RED LENTILS WITH LIME AND CILANTRO (PAGE 191)

Serves 4

1 cup red lentils

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/8 teaspoon plus dash of salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place red lentils in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Stir the lentils to ensure that they cook evenly.

2. Cook lentils until just soft, approximately 3 minutes. Take care not to overcook because they will fall apart.

3. Drain lentils and rinse with cold water.

4. Place in a large bowl and gently toss with the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper.

5. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Season with a dash of salt just before eating.

Our assessment: From pot to table, these lentils take about 20 minutes. They're tasty, and a serving contains 202 calories. For adding a little crunch to the recipe, we tossed in a couple diced scallions to ours.