Showing posts with label rachael ray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rachael ray. Show all posts

Saturday, March 17, 2012

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

30-Minute Get Real Meals: Eat Healthy Without Going to Extremes
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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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Friday, November 25, 2011

Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds Review

Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds
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Perhaps Rachael Ray is becoming a bit overexposed as she now has many cookbooks flooding the market, a televison show and a magazine. While I applaud her moxy and industrious nature, I am beginning to think that she is spread too thin. This latest offering, "2,4,6,8 - Great Meals For Couples or Crowds" is not up to par with some of her earlier offerings. The idea is great - menus sized for the number of guests that you are planning on cooking for - and all of this is supposed to be accomplished in 30 minutes as well.
For starters, the recipe lists are long - so that tells me right away that only an accomplished cook will be able to achieve these menus in under 30 minutes. A newbie in the kitchen will struggle to put these dinners on the table in under an hour. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic - personally, I like that as I cook like that all the time. But again, for a newbie or perhaps a mom with fussy eaters, this could be a problem. The other issue is the portion sizes. I made the "Crab Cakes With A Creamy Grainy Mustard Sauce" with the "Wilted Spinach With Tomatoes" (page 69 listed as Appetizer-as-entrée). This was supposed to be a menu for two - but the crab cakes amounted to a half pound per person. This was WAY too much for myself and my husband! (I ended up taking half of this mixture and transforming it into a crab bisque the next day - it was wonderful!) If I ate like the portions suggested, I would be as big as a house! 1/2 pound meat portions seem to be the standard here. That was very disappointing to me, but I shouldn't be surprised, Ray always states that she is not skimpy on portions.
The menus are clever enough and most will be satisfied with the offerings here. There is plenty of variety: Indian food, Italian, Tex-Mex, Moroccan and more. You will certainly get ideas for your family or guests. I think the book is good overall, but not my favorite. I think her "Express Lane Meals" and "Classic Rachael Ray" are far better offerings.


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If you’re like Rachael Ray, mealtime is a time to hang out and reconnect with family and friends. That means you could be making a late dinner for you and your sweetie one night and making brunch for your entire family the next day. No matter how many people join the party, Rachael firmly believes that cooking should be fun, easy–and done in 30 minutes or less.Transforming recipes for four into recipes for two or eight can be a tricky guessing game. If you use twice the amount of chicken will you have to cook it twice as long? Is it possible to make a satisfying pot of soup for two without having to eat leftovers for a week? What’s the best–and most economical–way to feed a crowd of eight?With Rachael Ray: 2, 4, 6, 8there’s no need to guess, because Rachael has designed right-sized menus for every occasion, with perfect meals for two, four, six, or eight. For date night you don’t want tons of food, so Rachael’s Croque Madame sandwich with a Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette salad and a killer vodka cocktail strike just the right note.For family dinners, double dates, or those who love leftovers, Rachael whips up classic meals for four like Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Grilled Shrimp with Chorizo Skewers. For poker night with your buddies, Rachael knows exactly which ingredients stretch into a 30-minute meal for six, like Uptown Sweet and Spicy Sausage Hoagies. Throwing adinner party is a pleasure when you’re armed with stress-free meals for eight like Italian Chicken Pot Pie and Boozy Berries and Biscuits. With complete menus for family dinners as well as easy and impressive meals for entertaining plus lots of super simple desserts that taste like a million, no matter what the occasion, the perfect meal for your crowd is never more 30 minutes away.

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 Review

Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2
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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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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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

Pillsbury 30-Minute Meals: 230 Simple and Flavorful Recipes for Everday Cooking
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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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Sunday, August 7, 2011

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

Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook
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"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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Friday, June 17, 2011

Veggie Meals: Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals Review

Veggie Meals: Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals
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Rachel Ray's book, Veggie Meals turned out to be a big find...I no longer panic when my one veggie sibling or my two veggie friends come by for lunch or dinner. They enjoyed the meals so much that a book for each was "the" Christmas present. I have also become a big fan of these recipes from the veggie snacks, Portobello parmigiano sandwich with roasted pepper salsa, YUM, to delicious full meals. Oh, did I mention the soups? THE SOUPS, YES! Little book, big reward, a great bargain. Thanks Rachel and give us More.

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This second volume in the 30-Minute Meals series offers tempting recipes for main-course veggies, veggie pastas, and salads.

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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals: What to Keep on Hand, What to Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals Review

Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals: What to Keep on Hand, What to Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals
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"Rachael Ray is a very busy lady" - so says the back of Ray's new book, "Express Lane Meals". With a show on the Food Network, a slew of cookbooks and a recent magazine venture, you would think that she has no time left to write another book. But obviously, this wonder woman has found the time to do it again!
This book is focused on those of us who come home from work, exhausted, but still want a good, quality meal on the table without a lot of fuss. In Express Lane Meals, Ray emphasizes that this can be done - with a well stocked pantry and freezer - plus a few simple ingredients that you can pick up at the store on your way home. The secret is this - about every two weeks (or less depending on your usage), you do a "big shop", where you buy all the staple pantry/freezer/fridge ingredients that you keep on hand(ex: eggs, Parmesan cheese, pasta, frozen corn, lemons, canned beans, etc.) and then, you combine these ingredients with a few fresh items - and presto - you have quick, delicious dinners faster than you can say checkout!
The food is typical Ray fare: lots of pastas, some Tex-mex and Asain, plus plenty of Italian. The recipes are really nice and tasty with everything from Balsalmic Chicken with White Beans and Wilted Spinach to Thai-Style Grilled Beef in Broth with a Lot o' Noodles. Each recipe features the "Express Lane Shopping List" (what you need to pick up at the store) as well as a list of ingredients that you should have on hand from those 'big shop' days. This is a really handy feature and it helps you to be organized so that you are not caught without your necessities.
The book is divided into three sections: Meals for the Exhausted, Meals for the Not Too Tired, Bring it On! This allows you to choose from super easy to more complicated meals. I also like the "Master List" for the big shop days - this gives a good idea of what a well stocked pantry should be. It certainly gave me a few ideas that I didn't think of!
I would recommend this book for working moms, harried executives, busy families, college students or those of us who simply want a nice home cooked meal without a lot of fuss. You really can't go wrong with any of her books. Well done!

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How can you get a wholesome, delicious dinner on the table without spending time on long lines at the supermarket? Rachael knows how!Her secret weapon is keeping plenty of versatile, flavorful ingredients in the cupboard, fridge, and freezer, combining these staples with just a few fresh items—never more then ten—to create delicious meals for every night of the week. In Express Lane Meals, Rachael provides her personal go-to list of must-have items—so you can do a big shop every week then simply zipthrough the Express Lane to make any of these 30-minute meals.She divides the recipes into three categories: "Meals for the Exhausted,” " Meals for the Not Too Tired,” and "Bring It On! (But, Be Gentle).” No matter which you choose you’ll learn handy tricks and shortcuts to get the most impressive-looking meals on the table in 30 minutes or less. These are Rachael’s quickest and easiest recipes yet and a breeze to shop for—because you shouldn’t have to spend all of the time Rachael saves you in the kitchen standing in line at the grocery store!RACHAEL RAY IS A VERY BUSY LADY . . .And she knows you’re busy, too. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a delicious, healthy, and home-cooked meal every night of the week. Not when cooking is as simple as this! In Express Lane Meals, Rachael Ray is back and faster than ever! With her latest batch of recipes this beloved Food Network phenomenon takes her 30-Minute Meal concept to the next level, creating recipes based on staples from a well-stocked pantry and just a few fresh items—so few you’ll never be stuck on a long grocery line again.YUMMO!

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Rachael Ray's Open House Cookbook: Over 200 Recipes for Easy Entertaining Review

Rachael Ray's Open House Cookbook: Over 200 Recipes for Easy Entertaining
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I'm on a tasty journey licking my finger on hundreds of Rachael Ray's recipes in her many cookbooks. In the course of reading, using, and reviewing these cookbooks, I've been struck that the early Rachael Ray is different from the more recent work. Both have a lot to be said for them. The newest works are more sophisticated, appeal to a wider palate, use more ingredients, and are often daring in the way they simplify what most of us think of as very time-consuming dishes. Early Rachael Ray by comparison is full of family stories, traditional Italian cooking, and happy memories of days gone by when great meals united families and friends.
Rachael Ray's Open House Cookbook is as desirable an example of early Rachael Ray as you can hope for. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of being invited for an Italian feast will recognize these dishes and the generations of love that create them for each new generation. Thanks to Rachael Ray's work in this book, you can now expect that these wonderful dishes will survive for yet another generation as she brilliantly takes the pain and agony out of such extensive preparations.
The book's first cooking section is called "Company's Company: Parties You Can Prepare and Attend." Around our house, having a party means my wife and I are either always in the kitchen or are carting things back and forth from the kitchen . . . unless we hire someone to help with the party . . . which gives the party a whole different feel that isn't necessarily a better one. The recipes are set to feed 20 or more, and to spread out the preparation and serving work so that it's not so overwhelming. Here's an example: An antipasto party begins two days before when you do the shopping; a day before, you do the heavy lifting of cubing, slicing, and chopping of ingredients . . . and getting the glasses and disposables ready to go; the day of the party, you make a topping and do a little work on two of the appetizers; two hours before the party, you make things that need to be fresh and platter your meats and cheeses; one hour before the guests arrive, you make one more dish and arrange platters and countertops. At the last minute, you make one other dish and cook your bacon-wrapped stuffed dates. Obviously, if you drop a dish or two, you can make the last minute even easier. Nice! Your party dish choices also include: pizza; tapas; and mix and match varieties of dips, spreads, pick-ups and entrees you can serve at room temperature (like beef tenderloin and two sauces). Invite me anytime you want to serve from this great cookbook!
At Home Sundays is the next action and looks at all three meals for Sunday. The breakfast choices are mostly what you would expect except for some tasty alternatives to French toast. Lunches are a zestier version of what you probably usually have. Suppers are where this section shines with recipes for dishes like I-Waited-All-Week Spaghetti Dinner, cioppino, and paella.
Home for the Holidays features comfort foods. These are basically the classics (stuffed artichokes, onion risotto, stuffed mushrooms, onion soup, figs and prosciutto, roast turkey with apple and onion stuffing, baked ham, prime rib, popovers, roast pork loin, brisket, leg of lamb, mashed potatoes (with flavorings), stuffed tomatoes, baked beans, standard vegetables with an extra zesty taste.
Dinner at Eight repeats some of the most popular 30-minute meals from The 30-Minute Meal with an emphasis on classic dishes.
Cooking Rookies is 21 pages of recipes for those who are over 12 with an adult helper. Recipes include pizza dough; four pizzas; egg sandwiches; baked chicken drumsticks; two kinds of tacos; simple take-out food and snacks; three dips; three desserts (including peanut butter kiss cookies); and some mocktails.
Just Desserts to me is the most charming section. Ms. Ray admits that baking isn't her thing; it's too much science and not enough art. So she always sticks to desserts that don't need baking. With that modest preamble, she shares 12 simple dishes that won't blow anyone away . . . but will satisfy those who want to indulge their sweet tooth at the end of a lovely meal.
Although the format isn't exactly in 30-minute style, everything here can be done pretty quickly. If you want a cookbook to make you look like a great party-giver without spending a lot of time, this is a great choice.
Enjoy her wonderful family stories as you savor the food!

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Rachael Ray's new Open House Cookbook provides a fabulous collection of tempting, easy recipes to entertain a crowd.

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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook) Review

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook)
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I agree that this is Rachael's best and most diverse collection of recipes to date. I actually did a rough count of the recipes by the protein or main ingredient. This is approximately how the recipes stack up: 53 meatless (many do contain cheese, however), 11 lamb, 4 egg, 8 ground turkey, 21 ground beef, 80 chicken, 21 beef (steaks, London broil, etc.), 5 ground pork, 16 pork (chops, tenderloin), 9 turkey (cutlets), 10 ground chicken, 29 fish (halibut, cod, swordfish, salmon, tuna), 11 veal (ground, cutlets, etc.), 30 shellfish (shrimp, crab, mussels, scallops, calamari), and 48 sausage, etc. (ham, prosciutto, chorizo, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, bacon, salami, pancetta, etc). According to the listings in the front of the book, there are 48 pasta dishes, 33 soups and 20 burgers. I may have miscounted a few, but I think these numbers are fairly close. Perhaps some reviewers got the impression that the ingredients were repetitive because of the technique Rachael sometimes (but not always) uses of providing a master recipe with variations by swapping out ingredients. For instance, there is a master macaroni and cheese with broccoli recipe, followed by macaroni and smoked gouda with cauliflower, Tex-Mex mac and cheddar (with ground beef) and a chipotle mac and cheddar with chorizo and tomato.
While many of the recipes are Italian or Italian influenced, reflecting Rachael's heritage, with Tex-Mex following closely behind, there are also Spanish, Cuban, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, French, Cajun, Greek, German, and Carribbean influenced recipes as well. There is also plenty of "American" fare as well, although there are fewer traditional "comfort food" dishes in this book than there are in some of her other collections. The subtitle of the book is a hint at that. It truly is "a year of deliciously different dinners." And, after several years of watching Rachael's show regularly and making many, many of her recipes, I find that I can come close to the 30 minute mark in completing the meals, especially after the first time making a particular recipe.
As for pictures, if you are familiar with buying cookbooks, you realize that you trade off photographs for affordability. If this book were full of glossy photos of the food, it would probably have a list price of at least $40. I don't know of anywhere else you can find such a large and diverse collection of recipes for so little money.


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Even your favorite dinner can lose its appeal when it’s in constant rotation, so mix it up!With her largest collection of recipes yet, Food Network’s indefatigable cook Rachael Ray guarantees you’ll be able to put something fresh and exciting on your dinner table every night for a full year... without a single repeat! Based on the original 30-Minute Meal cooking classes that started it all, these recipes prove that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every night. Rachael offers dozens of recipes that, once mastered, can become entirely new dishes with just a few ingredient swaps. Learn how to make a Southwestern Pasta Bake and you’ll be able to make a Smoky Chipotle Chili Con Queso Mac the next time. Try your hand at Spring Chicken with Leeks and Peas and you’re all set to turn out a rib-sticking Rice and Chicken Stoup that looks and tastes like an entirely different dish. As a best-selling cookbook author and host of three top-rated Food Network shows, Rachael Ray believes that both cooking and eating should be fun.Drawing from her own favorite dishes as well as those of her family, friends, and celebrities, she covers the flavor spectrum from Asian to Italian and dozens of delicious stops in between. Best of all, these flavor-packed dishes will satisfy your every craving and renew your taste for cooking. With so many delicious entrees to choose from you’ll never have an excuse for being in a cooking rut again.How about a brand-new 30-minute dinner every night for an entire year? Tired of making the same old same old, week after week after week? With Rachael’s most varied and comprehensive collection of 30-minute recipes ever, you’ll have everyone at your table saying "Yummo!” all year long. It’s amazing what a half hour can do for your tastebuds … 365 days a year!

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