Pillsbury The Savvy Shopper's Cookbook: Hundreds of Simple Strategies for Smart Spending and Inspiring Mealtime Ideas Review

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(More customer reviews)This cookbook has been one of my best investments for college. I would suggest it to anyone shopping on a budget, or who finds cooking daunting sometimes. None of the recipes are straining or complicated and all the ingredients are things you can use in more than one recipe or already have in the house.
Yes a lot of the recipes call for pillsbury products but they did have the decency not to mention them by name.
If you like restaurant style food, this is also a great cookbook cause it has a lot of things you would order if you went out for a meal but you can make it at home. The tips and tricks are very helpful too.
I see this cookbook being out on the counter for a long time.

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100 delicious, easy-on-the-wallet recipes the whole family will love!

Today's budget-conscious families are looking for frugal-yet-fun ways to watch their food dollars and get delicious meals on the table. Pillsbury Savvy Shopper's Cookbook is a valuable resource for saving money without giving up on great taste or favorite suppers. Each chapter is organized by a clever strategy for shopping smart, including using the slow cooker to maximize flavors from inexpensive cuts of meat and preparing restaurant-favorite dishes at home. Every recipe includes a cost-per-serving calculation to help you plan your weekly meals wisely.

You'll find handy pantry- and budget-planning tips, including how to make meal planning part of your weekly routine, how to buy and store in bulk, and how to organize your kitchen and pantry for maximum efficiency. • Features hearty, family-favorite recipes like Cheesy Chicken-Tortilla Lasagna, Chicken Pot Roast Dinner, and Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry • Packed with money-saving tips on creating a food budget, stocking the pantry, and feeding the whole family affordably—no matter what you choose to cook • Includes a wealth of handy, smart ideas that prove that cooking on a budget can be easy, delicious, and fun

It's easy (and affordable!) to put a great meal on the family table every night. Pillsbury Savvy Shopper's Cookbook gives you the simple tricks and tasty recipes that make saving money a breeze!

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30-Minute Get Real Meals: Eat Healthy Without Going to Extremes Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, low carb has been all the rage for sometime now although the fad seems to be slowing down somewhat. But not before TV's spunkiest cook can put her stamp on low carb as Rachael Ray does in her latest book. At 256 pages this is Rachael's largest book yet. I've never quite been able to get meals done in 30 minutes. i guess it probably helps having good editors and a staff but even at 45 minutes or so I've enjoyed every one of Rachael's books. It's good food where taste is first, not fancy presntation and ingredients that have you haunting exotic food stores to find.
The recipes here are not all that low-carb so don't be put off by thinking it's a diet cook book. It's just another great one from Rachael where carbs are used in moderation, but not at the sacrifice of taste. Call them good-sense carb recipes as opposed to low-carb. There's plenty of bread and pasta to be found inside. With all her books the emphasis is on good food and good food done fast and this one, like the previous ones, is right on the mark. Wonderful Italian and Mexican dishes, burgers, even desserts. And it all comes to you in Rachael's endearing, homey way of writing that comes across so well on TV. With her new publisher now being a part of Random House, the book is much more well-presented than her previous ones. Bolder colors that stand out and just plain look better.
Another winner from Rachael!

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No pasta? No dessert? No way! Everything in moderation, says Rachael Ray.After all, some days only chocolate or spaghetti will hit the spot.In Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Get Real Meals, the bestselling cookbook author and Food Network star serves up another helping of creative, hassle-free recipes that are ready to rock your tastebuds in less than thirty minutes.The latest addition to Rachael’s runaway hit series of 30-Minute Meals cookbooks is designed for cooks who want to look and feel great but long for the fun and the flavor that’s missing from their extreme low-carbmeals. Why fill your shopping cart and your stomach with processed, low-carb cereals and breads that taste like cardboard when you can eat the foods you crave? Here, at last, are recipes for those who just cannot and will not live totally carb-free: Pasta dinners made mostly with proteins and vegetables and only a couple of ounces of pasta per servings, fresh Thai and Mexican lettuce wraps, take-out-style stir-frys, and tons of burger ideas—with and without the buns. And when you’ve just got to satisfy that sweet tooth, even nonbakers (like Rachael) will flip for Nutty Creamsicle Pie, Stuffed Roasted Strawberries, and other surprisingly easy dessert recipes.With more than 150 new dishes, plenty of time-saving tips, and a generous serving of Rachael's "you can do it” attitude, 30-Minute Get Real Meals proves you don’t have to go to extremes to eat healthy.Rachael Ray confesses that there’s pasta in her pantry, and she isn’t afraid to admit that chili is just an excuse to snack on corn chips. On the other hand, she also confesses that it’s more fun to shop for clothes when she’s eating fewer carbs. So what’s a carb-frustrated cook to do these days? Don’t go to extremes, says the force of nature behind Food Network’s 30-Minute Meals. Get real! With a little creativity and less than half an hour, now you can watch your carbs and eat them, too. Satisfy your carb-starved cravings and still mind that waistline with more than 150 healthy, delicious recipes—including Rachael’s first-ever section devoted just to desserts:?Snacks and Super-Supper Snacks?Burgers Gone Wild?Take a Dip: Fondues?Salads that Stack Up?That’s Souper?Well-Rounded Square Meals?Pasta: Come Home Again?Desserts? Yes, Desserts!

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The One-Armed Cook: Quick and Easy Recipes, Smart Meal Plans, and Savvy Advice for New (and Not-So-New) Moms Review

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(More customer reviews)The easy-delicious recipes made me really look good when we took care of the exhausted-new parents and baby for two weeks.
Of the sixteen recipes that I tried, during our two-week visit, the family said that every one turned out delicious and elegant! I'm not that secure of a cook either. The slow-cooker recipes are fabulous too.
Beside the recipes, the ideas for new mothers are a great read!


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Superb recipes that can be made with a whisk in one hand and a baby cradled in the other with most recipes prepared, start-to-finish, in 30 minutes or less.
Appetizing menus for any season or occasion.
Game plans for success—stocking the pantry, filling the freezer, and dining out tips.
Comprehensive list of essential kitchen equipment sure to make cooking with baby in tow faster, easier, and more fun.
Tricks for preparing no-fail dinner parties and everyday meals, hosting family celebrations, and feeding weekend guests.
Sage advice for joyfully entering into motherhood, establishing family rituals, and keeping baby safe while working in the kitchen.

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Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food: 65 Everyday Meal Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with Over 150 Great-tasting, Down-home Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the top five cookbooks I plan on rescuing in case of house fire. Just kidding, but I would immediately go out and get it again! Buy this book -- it's worth it just for the mac and cheeze, orange chick'n, and buffalo bites recipes. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Did I mention the mac and cheeze? It's not a nutritional yeast sauce! It's incredible!
This book has a good range of simple idea-type recipes -- as in, recipes you can really put together quickly and throw in your own substitutions -- plus more still-easy-but-complex-in-flavor recipes for the scratch cook. Oh and I can't say enough about the barbecue sauce, too. I'm picky picky picky about BBQ sauce and the one in this book plus the one in Veganomicon are to live for.
This is my first attempt to start reviewing some of the zillions of cookbooks I own. Happy cooking!

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A born food-lover, raised in California on “the best Mexican food in the country” and her father’s “traditional Southern soul food,” Alicia C. Simpson couldn’t imagine giving up her favorite dishes to become vegan. Animal-free food might be healthier, but could it match the tastes of home-like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, or a bowl of chili? Three years after Alicia took the vegan plunge, Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food answers that question with a resounding “yes!”Here is the essential cookbook for any of America’s more than 6 million vegans who miss the down-home tastes they remember (or want to try), or for vegetarians and even meat-eaters who want to add more plant-based foods to their diets, but don’t know where to start. Comfort-seeking cooks will find:
Easy-to-prepare, animal-free versions of classics like Spicy Buffalo Bites, Ultimate Nachos, Baked Ziti and more
65 delicious combinations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with flavors from around the world, like “Chinese Take-In” or “Tijuana Torpedo”
Everything you need to know to start your vegan pantry, and why being vegan is easier, less expensive, and more delicious than you might think.
With spirit and style, Alicia shows just how easy-yes, and comforting-vegan food can be.

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$3 Meals: Feed Your Family Delicious, Healthy Meals for Less than the Cost of a Gallon of Milk Review

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(More customer reviews)This book does a brief overview of how to save money at the grocery store (nothing really new). It goes on to present a major money saving strategy -- making every sauce, stock, dressing, and marinade from scratch. From there, the author presents recipes for main dishes. She finishes with recipes for baking breads and muffins from scratch.
The recipes are sound, and I have no doubt that they will produce reasonably healthy and tasty results. But...
#1 -- there is no reason to make every sauce from scratch. With sound couponing and savy shopping, I can get a bottle of bbq sauce for free (same for salad dressing, bottles of marinade, etc). If I make those things from scratch (and I frequently do), it is a question of quality, not cost.
#2 -- the main dishes presented are not complete meals. Most of them require additional side dishes (vegetable, fruit, and/or starch) to complete the meal. Beyond a passing mention of a crispy salad and fresh bread, the author does not provide any assistance in how to complete the meal and stay under budget. No ideas for inexpensive sides are provided.
#3 -- many of the recipes are not make-able for the advertised $3 pricetag. Unless I were to catch the fish myself, I simply do not see how I could make a dish calling for a pound and a half of bass or cod for a total cost of under $3. Nor could I make a dish that calls for 2 bulbs of fennel along with a pound of chicken and come in at that price.
#4 -- the serving sizes are a bit unrealistic. Most recipes call for 1 to 1.5 pounds of protein (beef, fish, chicken, or pork) and will serve 4 to 6 people. For six people, that's a 4 ounce portion of protein. Admittedly that is the recommended serving for many, but it is not enough for some men-folk and growing boys.
#5 -- virtually none of the sauces/marinades/dressings presented in the beginning of the book are used in the remaining recipes. so what are they for?
I think this book does have some good points, and a lot of good basic recipes. It presents some of the information and tools needed to control grocery budgets, but not all of them. If the author intended to present meals that were under $3 per serving, she succeeds. However, her book implies that it is $3 for SIX people... an unrealistic and unrealized promise. If I caught all of the ingredients on sale at their lowest price of the year, I could conceivably make most of them for under $6 each. If I were shopping on an average day, many of them would come closer to $10.

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$3 Meals is a new kind of low-cost-cooking book, comprising more than 250 simple recipes-none requiring more than twenty minutes of “hands-on” time-that cost less than a gallon of milk-and yet look and taste darn good . . . and are good for you, too.

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Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)This book, like many others, is often mistaken as a "I hate to cook!" book, when in fact it is more of a "I have no time to cook!" book. Cooking is one of my favorite passions, however working 50 hours a week really doesn't lend well to cooking elaborate meals. Rachael Ray provides a menu-style book that is both cost-effective and does not require unusual ingredients that are hard to find. The meals are easy and always 'homestyle' delicious. The only drawback, as many have pointed out, is that her deserts leave a lot to be desired. But it IS geared towards getting a meal done in 30 minutes, and as mentioned, I usually don't have time to make creme brulee. :-P

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A new collection of recipes, many featured on her popular show on the Food Network, capture the fun of home-cooking.

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The Family Dinner Fix: Cooking for the Rushed Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the fourth book in the "Cooking for the Rushed" series by Sandi Richard and I think the best. She is the expert on meal planning. She mentions that the most stressful part of the day is dinner, and I can believe that because so many of us don't start thinking about what's for dinner until 5 minutes till six. But she has developed a system to change that.
The book has 10 weeks of meal plans, each divided into colors. The red and yellow meals are dinners that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. The green and blue meals are dinners that can be prepared in under 60 minutes. The average family spends 38 minutes preparing dinner each night. But at a glance you could easily see which meals you could have enough time to prepare and get out of the house in time.
This cookbook has some very nice pictures (all recipes had a full color picture, what a treat!). There are vegetarian substitution suggestions. The pages are glossy so splatters would clean up somewhat easily. She also gives suggestions on which meals are "having company" type meals, crockpot meals, there are calorie and nutritional information provided, there's an equipment list so you'll know all the pots and pans you need, and there are also food exchanges. All is great information that many many cookbooks don't provide.
Her recipe for Mexican Hamburgers calls for 90% lean ground beef but you could easily substitute turkey or tofu. It was delish; I loved the avocado salsa. There are also make ahead (freezer) suggestions for this recipe for those who like to do weekend cooking.
Most of the recipes call for a full meal suggestion. The red snapper with pineapple salsa, pecan wild rice and asparagus is a complete meal. And it's all ready in under 30 minutes.
All of the recipes use fresh ingredients. I didn't see any packaged foods (bottled BBQ sauce maybe) so her recipes by naturally being healthier and less fat will most certainly cause weight loss. They are not specifically low-fat but that is the usual outcome when you stop eating fast-food and start cooking with fresh, natural ingredients.
There were no unusual combinations, I think most people would have kids who'd very easily try these meals. We had the crispy chicken and the kids just raved. The secret ingredient was crushed crispy rice cereal. The serving suggestions were baby potatoes seasoned with garlic herb seasoning and a side salad. All very doable in the evening. It cooked in the oven so we could do homework in the meantime.
Her main suggestion is to get all your equipment out as soon as you get home, start the water boiling, etc before changing clothes. I hadn't thought of this but I can see where this would be a big motivator to continue cooking once you changed. I've found myself returning from the bedroom and just sighing because I now had to drag out pots and pans and start cooking. While not a big deal in itself, it's easier to jump in the car and go to a restaurant especially when the kids are begging. But after a few of these meals the kids will be begging for more home cooking!
There are grocery lists provided broken down by category. Each week has 5 recipes for the week not 7, I saw in another review that bothered someone. I find it doable because at least one night you want to have pizza and another you're out and about anyway.
She also has spice combinations for those spices you don't want to pay extra for (i.e. pumpkin pie spice). She has all kinds of suggestions and cooking terms that would make this book excellent for a young family getting started.
Check out www.cookingfortherushed.com to find more information.
Well worth the investment.


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Good Housekeeping Fast Weeknight Favorites: 200 Simply Delicious Meals in 30 Minutes or Less Review

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(More customer reviews)This is yet another cookbook aiming at the 30 minutes to dinner genre. The cookbook touts meals that are hassle-free, great and nutritious, tried-and-true, perfect results every time...well I can say first hand that is all true.
This cookbook not only has recipes that you pull out of the fridge and cook as soon as you get home but it also has dishes that are started in the slow cooker that morning and then when you get home you have a finished meal. So don't think it's just hurry, hurry, cook, cook as soon as you hit the door.
The first one I tried was actually a slow cooker recipe, Chicken Scarpariello. I started it in the morning and it did take close to 20-30 minutes to assemble because there was some pre-browning of the meat, onions, garlic, etc. Then I put in the slow cooker and left it on low all day. But when I hit the door from work it was oh-la-la, it was delish (in Rachael Ray speak). The aroma was wonderful and we were eating within 15 minutes and then out the door to wrestling. I recommend this recipe.
The next recipe I tried was the Jerk Pork Chop with Grilled Pineapple. The recipe called for using a fresh pineapple but we can't get those in the mid-west in the winter (without paying an arm and leg) so I used canned pineapple rings and the results were the same. I used the Pampered Chef Jerk Seasoning but there is a recipe for making your own blend. So all the recipes can be modified with similar results if you need too. Nevertheless the kids loved it, the recipe could be substituted with ribs, chicken drumettes, etc with outstanding results.
Nutritional information is provided for each recipe so if you need to watch your WW points, salt intake, etc it's all there. There are prep times, cook times, serving size, and total time for each recipe. There are a few pictures and they are good quality.
There is a vegetarian chapter and I made the Florentine Frittata and nobody noticed there was no meat. It was just as good as the other recipes. I have found no "bad" recipes yet.
These are all entrees, there are no sides, no desserts, no fillers so to speak. Many of the recipes are one pot meals (like the Chicken Scarpariello) but many are not like the Jerk Pork Chops. You'd still need to add a side salad, bread, etc to make it a complete meal. I don't think you'd want to serve just pork chops and pineapple...but maybe. There are so side serving suggestions, and there are no recipes for quick sides. I guess you just open a can of corn and heat??
I hope this helps. Overall a great "quick go-to" cookbook and well worth adding to your 30 minutes genre collection. If you have Super Suppers Cookbook or "Super Suppers 2" by Judie Byrd, Saving Dinner: The Menus, Recipes, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table by Leanne Ely, or "Betty Crocker's 1-2-3 Dinner" than you'd be OK to skip this one. But if you're starting out this would be a great purchase. Just remembered to suggest Sandi Richard's The Family Dinner Fix: Cooking for the Rushed. It would be a great one as well.

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“What’s for dinner-quick and easy?” That’s the question that anyone with a family to feed faces every single day. Good Housekeeping has 200 tasty answers! The magazine’s cooking experts come to the rescue of harried moms and dads with recipes that taste great, work every time, and take just a half hour or less from preparation to table. Even the shopping’s simple, because everything is in your local supermarket; there’s nothing exotic or hard to find. Organized by main ingredient, the chapters cover every type of entrée from fast skillet dinners to grilled dishes, from speedy stir-fries to quick-prep, slow-cooked, one-pot wonders that are ready when you are. Recipes feature useful tips with information on techniques, substitutions, variations, and time-saving methods.Among the delectable 30-minute favorites are Crispy Duck Breasts with Tart Cherry Sauce, Coriander Steak with Warm Corn Salad, Southern Peach Pork Chops, Honey-Lime Salmon, Pasta with Ricotta & Grape Tomatoes, and Pesto & Mozzarella Pizzas. And one thing you can always count on: because all the recipes are triple-tested by Good Housekeeping’s test kitchens, they’ll be absolutely delicious.

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Robin to the Rescue: Quick & Simple Recipes for Delicious Home Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)I guess I'm a little confused with the negative reviews for this book. I love it just as much as Robin Miller's first cookbook. I agree that some of the ingredient combinations sound odd, but every recipe that I've tried has been wonderful. This cookbook allows me to create home-cooked meals in a relatively short amount of time, and everyone loves them! I really appreciate that most of the ingredients lists are either fairly short or mainly rely on pantry staples that I always have. This cookbook is helping me keep grocery costs down as prices rise (even as I've had to give up some of my other favorite cookbooks because of the prices of required ingredients). Strongly recommended for adventurous eaters with smaller budgets and little time. :)

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Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an excellent cookbook for creating simple pasta meals that are a little adventurous and very tasty. The author has several sections - vegetarian dishes, seafood dishes, and meat dishes - with enough recipes in each section to make this a very usable book no matter what your eating habits. That is, unless you've gone gluten free. Even then, I suppose you could use this book with non-gluten pastas.
Another thing I like about this book is that the recipe requirements are not out of the ordinary. I tried the pasta alia puttanesca bianca and I had all the ingredients. I also had all the ingredients on hand for several other meals. I think this is a great book for a quick, delicious meal on a busy night or even if you're having company over.

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Now that America’s low-carb obsession is over, home cooks are once again looking to prepare well-balanced meals that include everyone’s favorite food—pasta. Few of us, though, have the leisure to create a classic Bolognese meat sauce from scratch. For those who are as pressed for time as they are starved for a toothsome bowl of beautifully sauced pasta, Giuliano Hazan has created 100 scrumptious pasta dishes that can be put together in half an hour or less.

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Pillsbury 30-Minute Meals: 230 Simple and Flavorful Recipes for Everday Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this from a friend for my bridal shower and i cook from it atleast twice a week if not more.

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Introduction; Beef; PorkChicken; Turkey; Fish & Shellfish; Vegetarian; Index.

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Southern Living: Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites: 130 Suppers Your Family Will Love Review

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(More customer reviews)While helping a friend with her newborn twins, I made a few recipes out of the Busy Mom's Weeknight Favorites that she received as a gift but had not tried yet. There are so many great recipes, I just had to go buy my own copy. We loved the Bistro Chicken Pizza and the Butternut Squah and Bacon soup. The recipes are quick, easy, and taste great. Extraordinary cooking skills and elaborate ingredients are not required. Most recipes are a tasty twist on classic recipes that make you think 'Well why didn't I think to try that.' Each recipe has a beautiful picture to show you what you are making.

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Let's hear it for every busy mom's new best friend! This all-new cookbook puts the emphasis on fast, family-friendly, and wholesome meals. So Mom can have more time to spend with her family, and less time scrambling in the kitchen. Designed to appeal to picky kids and discerning parents alike, Southern Living Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites features simple yet delectable main course recipes with easy-to-make side dishes that transform weeknight cooking into a meal to look forward to, not something to stress over. Every turn of the page reveals one great recipe after another, with quick tips and mouth-watering photography. 130 Southern Living kitchen-tested recipes were carefully selected for both kid appeal and ease of preparation. In addition, Southern Living food pros and busy moms across the country share real-world advice for getting in and out of the kitchen in a flash, with meals their kids love. Features:
130 easy recipes appeal to the diverse palates of today's kids
Simple menus with quick-to-fix sides round out dinner in no time
Grocery lists take the guesswork out of shopping
Nutritional analysis for each recipe
Recipes include classic kid cuisine that cooks up super quick

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Comfort Food: Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals Review

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(More customer reviews)This title and three others like it by Rachael Ray in the 'Top 30 30 minute meals' series are, for the content, relatively expensive and inconveniently sized volumes of recipes reprinted from Rachael's previous books. Looking through two of the titles I recognize every recipe I see from earlier books. While Rachael is the nominal author of these books, I fully believe they were assembled by her publisher and a copy editor with maybe a day's input from Miss Rachael for all four books together.
This is becoming a common practice among major cookbook authors, with Mark Bittman's re-releasing his 'How to Cook Everything' in three volumes, cumulatively more expensive than the original book.
One may for a moment equate these books with the music world's 'Best of' releases, but the experience is simply not the same. A 'Best of' album's tracks are based on a genuine audience vote with their purchases and air play. These recipes are simply Rachael's opinion and that of a few of her colleagues. The parallel also breaks down in the sense that listening to, for example, 'The Who's top twelve hits introduces you to a whole new experience of listening to 'My Generation', 'I'm Free', and 'I Can See for Miles' on the same album.
My 3 star rating is not based on the quality of the recipes. It is a warning that these volumes are, in fact, reprints and not new recipes. So, if you already own many or most of Rachael's books already, you may be disappointed if you buy these books.
One other consideration if you do NOT own any of Rachael's books is that for not too much more money, you can get 10 times as many recipes in her 'No Repeats' book of almost all new recipes.
In every way, this is a better purchase than one or all of these minibook samplers.

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Curl up in front of the fire with the delicious homespun fare of Rachael's comfort food. Treat yourself with these Top 30 meals, a collection of her greatest hits. The perfect way to unwind after a busy day--you deserve it!

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Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD Review

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(More customer reviews)I received Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes for Christmas. I am an avid cook, but find that lately I don't have the time or energy to cook a full meal when I get home from work. Mark's book makes cooking a delicious meal easy and accessible.
Additionally, the recipes use common ingredients--and a limited number of ingredients per recipe. For example, Chicken Curry in a Hurry calls for 4 ingredients: vidalia onions, curry powder, chicken breasts, and sour cream (excluding cooking oil, salt, and pepper: too ubiquitous to be considered ingredients). Egg Drop Soup calls for 5 ingredients: chicken stock/broth, eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions.
I recommend this book both to novice and experienced cooks that are looking for a go-to cookbook with reliable recipes.

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Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)"Classic 30 Minute Meals" is the latest offering from the prolific Rachael Ray. This is not a 'new' cookbook but a collection of some of her 'greatest hits' from her earlier books. If you have her original "30 Minute" books, then you won't need this one. However, if you want some of the best recipes and want to skip some of her "filler" material (repeats, variations on a theme), then this is the book for you.
There are complete menus (which I really like) for everday dinners, parties, datenights, and even kid chefs. As usual, these are standard Ray fare: pastas, tex-mex, burgers and lots o' chicken recipes. But overall, the menus are well balanced, easy to prepare and full of fresh ingredients. Although I am not crazy about "Rayspeak" (EVOO, Yum-O, etc.) I do like her ideas. Because I am a seasoned cook, I have been easily able to make her recipes in 30 minutes - but I realize that some of the ingredient lists are a bit much and the prep time will vary depending on your skills and tools. I respecially like the datenight menus as I am an empty nester and now it is just my hubby and myself. (The only complaint I have is that sometimes her portion sizes are rather large - there is no way that I can eat a half pound of meat! So, on occasion, I do have to adjust a bit.)
I would recommend this to someone who wants to venture into Ray's world but doesn't want to buy the entire collection.

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An outstanding collection of Rachael Ray's best 30-Minute Meals, now in one volume. Features over 150 meals selected from 8 of Rachael's best-selling titles.

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The 30-Minute Vegan: Over 175 Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)As soon as I heard the title, The 30 Minute Vegan, I fell in love with this book. As with any great page-turner, I settled into a comfy chair and read through it from cover to cover. Every recipe beckoned to me, and just reading through the ingredients, I knew that these were going to be some very impressive dishes. Discovering a book filled with 175 mouth-watering recipes that could be made in 30 minutes or less was like a dream come true. If I could prepare great-tasting, satisfying, hearty vegan meals in much less time than I was accustomed to spending in the kitchen, then The 30 Minute Vegan would be a godsend.
But where to begin? Because I happened to have some nice, juicy ripe mangos on hand, I started with the Live Mango Gazpacho Soup. While most gourmet raw food dishes are time consuming (all that soaking, chopping, dehydrating, etc.), and high in fat from nuts, seeds, and avocado, this delightful little soup turned out to be a wonderful surprise! It's actually simple to prepare and made for a sensational low-fat summertime dish. As I have a garden full of mint, I substituted it for the cilantro called for in the recipe, and it blended quite nicely with the lime juice and mangoes. That's one of the things I love about The 30 Minute Vegan: Unlike most other cookbooks, the way the recipes are presented, you are actually encouraged and inspired to add your own culinary creativity. I love that feeling of freedom. I wasn't afraid to experiment on the first go-round with any recipe. The authors made me feel like I couldn't mess it up.
The Monk Bowl's, "Zen simplicity," as it is described in the book, is also co-author Mark Reinfeld's favorite meal to prepare. So I couldn't resist trying such an enlightened and inspired recipe. It's made with quinoa, which is noted for containing more high-quality protein than any other grain. I love it's lighter-than-brown-rice consistency, although this dish would be wonderful with any kind of rice, too. I chose to use roasted tempeh instead of tofu, (one of the suggested variations on this recipe), and added sliced red bell pepper and edamame to the mix of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Served with nutritional yeast, soy sauce, flax seed oil, and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, the lightly-steamed veggies and fluffy quinoa made for a hearty and satisfying meal. I think that the next time I make this dish, I'll try it with the peanut sauce suggested as another variation of this recipe.
I was thrilled to see that a simplified version of the prize-winning recipe from last year's Most Remarkable Vegan Recipe Contest was thoughtfully included in The 30 Minute Vegan. Live Un-Stir-Fry with Cauliflower Rice was as fun to prepare as it was vibrantly eye-appealing and palate-pleasing. The cauliflower "rice" really fooled my taste buds, and the spicy vegetable dressing had just the right balance of sweetness and piquancy.
Extremely helpful sidebars are peppered throughout the book: "Quicker and Easier," "Tips and Tricks," "Superfoods for Health," and "If You Have More Time" enhance the value of this book a thousandfold. As do the opening chapters, "Getting Started" and "Preparation Basics," which includes grain and dried bean cooking charts. It's wonderfully time-saving to have all of this information in one place.
Since I feel the need to get my hands on a copy of every vegan cookbook that comes along, I have a stack of them collecting dust on my bookshelf. But like the authors' earlier books, Vegan World Fusion Cuisine and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw, The 30 Minute Vegan has found a permanent home in my kitchen, where its pages will quickly become worn, torn, and stained. And I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of this book. Can you say Chocolate Ganache Pie?

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Busy vegans, rejoice! award-winning husband and wife chefs/authors Reinfeld and Murray present 150 delicious, easy-to prepare recipes for everyday vegan cooking-all dishes that can be prepared in a half-hour.Sections include The Lighter Side of Life: Smoothies & Satiating Beverages; Snacks, Pick Me Ups & Kids’ Favorites; Lunches: Wraps, Rolls, Bowls, and More; Extraordinary Salads; Sumptuous Soups; Small Plates: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Light Dinners; Wholesome Suppers; Guilt-Free Comfort Food: Healthy Translations of Old Stand-bys; and Divine Desserts.The 30-Minute Vegan also provides at-a-glance cooking charts, kids’ favorite dishes, and exciting menu suggestions for every occasion-making this an essential cookbook for busy vegans who want to enjoy delicious, healthful, whole-foods vegan fare every day.

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Better Homes and Gardens Dinner Express (Better Homes & Gardens) Review

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(More customer reviews)This cookbook definitely offers meals prepared in under 30 minutes, but at the expense of your wallet. About 85-90% of the recipes include using ready-made, packaged meat and/or pasta. Some included recipes would cost just as much as a restaurant meal. It is a nice cookbook if you keep some of the prepared products on hand for "just in case" you are running out of time and need a quick meal. For someone who already uses a lot of ready-made items, this cookbook would be a wonderful tool to take your usual fare up a notch. I gave it 3 stars for that reason only. Glad this book was in the bargain section for a couple of bucks when I bought it.

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Delectable dinners in just thirty minutes from start to finish!Whether it's finding the time to make a tasty meal for your family, or planning a dinner party for friends, you don't have to sacrifice great flavor for quick and easy dishes. Better Homes and Gardens® Dinner Express offers a wealth of easy and inspiring ideas for main dishes, appetizers, desserts, and more—all ready in just thirty minutes or less.Filled with mouthwatering photos and 200 quick and easy recipes, this cookbook proves that quick can equal delicious. Savory yet healthy recipes, like Salmon with Feta and Pasta and Garlicky Steak and Asparagus, are just minutes away. • 200 recipes and 100 full-color photos in an affordable paperback format make this a great deal for cooks on a budget • Includes recipes for family-size meals, quick daytime snacks, sides, and desserts • Each recipe can be prepared in under thirty minutes!For busy parents in need of family dinner solutions—fast!—Better Homes and Gardens® Dinner Express offers hundreds of great ideas to help you tackle every cooking challenge.

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