AllRecipes.com Easy Everyday Favorites: From The World's #1 Cooking Website Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great cookbook! It has easy to follow recipes that turn out great!! I found it at a great price on Amazon!!!!

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When there's barely time for a homemade meal-much less time for mistakes- millions of home cooks turn to allrecipes.com for reliable, quick, and easy recipes that taste great. Now they can grab a book filled with only five-star recipes from the site they've come to love. From "Vegetarian Four Cheese Lasagna" to "Bourbon Pecan Chicken," from "Hot Fudge Ice Cream Bar Dessert" to "Crustless Cranberry Pie," the hundreds of recipes for appetizers, entrees, and desserts in this beautifully illustrated book have been tested again and again in kitchens all over the country and include:
A complete, detailed list of ingredients
Clear, step-by-step instructions
Practical pointers and flavor-boosting tips from home cooks
Prep time, cook time, ready time
Number of servings
Nutritional facts such as per-serving calories, total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbs, dietary fiber, and protein counts

Rated and reviewed by the millions of people who have made these recipes, many are presented alongside mouthwatering full-color photographs that make it easy to find just the right recipe for every occasion. Whether you're a vegetarian or a hearty meat eater, whether you have hours to kill or just enough time for a quick and easy crock-pot meal, you'll find it all in this one convenient cookbook.

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The One-Dish Vegetarian: 100 Recipes for Quick and Easy Vegetarian Meals Review

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(More customer reviews)I have cooked just about every recipe in this book at least twice and it was all very easy and absolutely delicious. My friends ask for several of the dishes over and over, including the Lentil Soup with Spicy Greens (the best lentil soup I have ever had), and the Penne with Broccoli, Red Pepper and Garlic.
This book alone has given me the reputation of being an excellent cook, but I'll never tell it was the book and not me! I highly recommend this one to anyone who wants to eat very, very well and boost their reputation as a cook. I would buy copies for everyone I know except I don't want to share my culinary secrets....Thank you Maria Robbins.

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Hands-Off Cooking: Low-Supervision, High-Flavor Meals for Busy People Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had the opportunity to try out a number of these recipes. I've made Charleston Chicken Pecan Salad, Nutty Pumpkin Lasagna, Texas Chile Meatloaf, Broiled Margharita Chicken, Pork Roast with Apple Chutney, Jambalaya, Fruit Crisp, and others, and not one of them took more than fifteen minutes to put together! It's great that you can sit back and let a delicious dinner take care of itself, but the best part is that it goes together so quickly, thanks to the use of pre-cut, pre-skinned, pre-chopped and otherwise prepared recipe items. The hands-on part is as easy as the hands-off part!

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Perfect for today's hectic lifestyles, this quick-and-easy cookbook will help home cooks free up extra time without sacrificing great homemade meals. Distinctively different, this cookbook features dishes that can be prepared fast and left unattended while the cook answers an e-mail, spends time with the kids (or the guests), or simply relaxes. More than 100 delicious recipes include everything from main dishes and sides to breads and desserts. There are recipes for the crock-pot, stovetop, and oven. Unlike typical "quick" dishes, these emphasize freshness and flavor and avoid highly processed foods. With Hands-Off Techniques, Stress Savers, Eye Appeal ideas, useful tips on ingredients and equipment, plus timesaving recipes, Hands-Off Cooking is the cookbook busy people can't wait to get their hands on.

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Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy: Lose Weight the Somersize Way with Quick, Delicious Meals for the Entire Family Review

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(More customer reviews)I am very impressed by this book. As usual, the plan is laid out very well. It's made easy to understand, and the most up-to-date medical information supporting Suzanne's plan is included.
But best of all, the recipes are MUCH better than her last books. In her last books, the recipes were more gourmet and "haute cuisine". They were good, for the most part, but my husband really didn't want to eat chicken stuffed with goat cheese - no matter how elegant the presentation - and my budget didn't allow for the expensive ingredients in most of her previous books.
These are recipes that families can enjoy, and she's tried to make most of them fast & easy to prepare. I am soooo happy!
She's included fabulously "somersized" recipes for a shake & bake type mix, ketchup, barbecue sauce, tartar sauce, chicken nuggets, "fries" made from zucchini and "tater" tots made from cauliflower. She's got chili, ribs and even a recipe for "Green Eggs & Ham." She's got boston cream pie, "pink kiddie" ice cream and chocolate cupcakes. (my toddler is in heaven already!) There's even cinnamon bread with an orange icing so I can make cinnamon buns!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Suzanne! This really is food families can eat!

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The Lazy Bachelor's Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I must admit that I knew the author many years ago while he was a "lazy bachelor," so consider this a biased review. Apparently the author died unexpectedly last year. RIP Pat.
The book is short and easy to read, and should be appreciated by anyone who has eaten too much canned chili at some point in his life. The book has a whole section devoted to reviews of fast food restaurants, another on preparing frozen pizza, another on the virtues of aluminum foil in cooking. I recommend this to those who want a book that is light, quick, and pleasant--the literary equivalent of a grilled cheese sandwich.
--K. Clay

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The Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)Any cookbook really has two things going on: the book itself, and the food it produces. This cookbook has so many advantages as a book that I'd like to be able to recommend it without hesitation. Recipes are sorted by prep time, so you can decide if you have 10 minutes to whip up some Hawaiian Sweet Potato soup, and the main dishes (including soups) are presented with a full menu. The book instructs you to set a timer before starting, and then gives you all the steps, and I found that by following the directions I was indeed able to get the meals on the table before the timer rang.
Each dish has a neatly sorted grocery list, and each main dish has a list for the entire suggested meal as well. Instructions are informal yet clear, nutrition information is clearly presented, and overall the book is so user-friendly that I think anyone will be able to succeed with it.
The recipes themselves are something else again. The author refers to these dishes as "down-home cooking" like your grandma used to make, and I guess it depends where you're from. Chipped beef on toast, candied vegetables, and eggs with sauerkraut are very exotic dishes to me. We're assured that these dishes are "delicious recipes that are healthy and easy on the budget," but it's hard to think of meals as healthy when they rely so heavily on things like pie filling and canned biscuits. In fact, cans feature very largely in these meals -- canned soup, canned fruit, canned vegetables, and even canned meat.
I cooked from this cookbook for a weekend, and I certainly could have cooked fresh food more cheaply than these meals. We tried out a dessert made from graham crackers, pudding, and whipped topping which totaled $4.00 -- more than a homemade cake, and neither more healthy nor more delicious.
Still, if you don't know how to cook, or are determined not to spend more than 15 minutes getting dinner on the table, this book could save you from continual drive-through. And if this is the style of cooking you prefer, then these might be faster, cheaper, and conceivably even healthier alternatives to the way your granny cooked.

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Perfect recipes for any cook with little time and even less money.Today's bad economy is forcing people out of restaurants and into thekitchen. But who has the time to cook? Dawn Hall shows home cooks how to prepare simple and fast food that's as healthy as it is easy on the budget.The Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook is just the thing for today's economy minded meal makers.

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Gluten-Free Cooking For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)I was pleasantly surprised that the book goes far beyond gluten-free cooking tips and recipes. I have read Korn's other 3 books, and all have been tremendously helpful, and even inspiring. The gluten-free diet can be a shocker (give up your beer, your bread, your tasty baked treats, etc.), but the author somehow makes it easy to understand the nuances of this tricky diet. You feel like you are getting one-on-one expert advice in an easygoing, relaxed style. It's weird, but you feel like you know the author after reading the book. The book is even funny.
For anyone starting out on a gluten-free diet, any of Korn's books are winners. If you also like to cook, this is a double dose of education. You will probably refer to it often. Highly recommended on all counts.

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Want to create tasty gluten-free meals and snacks? Gluten-Free Cooking For Dummies is loaded with more than 150 wheat-and gluten-free recipes. These sweet, spicy, and aromatic dishes prove that living the gluten-free lifestyle can be not only fun and easy, but delicious and nutritious too!
This practical, guide shows you how to select the right ingredients and prepare classic healthy dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. You'll find out what you can and can't use in gluten-free cooking, learn to spot the hidden gluten in foods, discover surprising ways to save money when you go shopping, and even manage your weight. You'll also learn how to convert your current favorite recipes to gluten-free delights using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Discover how to:
Prepare your kitchen for gluten-free cooking
Shop for gluten-free products
Boost nutrition and flavor in your dishes
Get the kids involved in gluten-free cooking
Make any meal gluten free
Add color and nutrition at the same time
Cook gluten-free without a recipe
Do the "impossible"— gluten-free baking
Make gluten-free sandwiches, wraps, and pizzas
Create fabulous gluten-free fish, chicken, and meat dishes
Go gluten-free and vegetarian, too

Complete with delightful lists of gluten-free comfort foods, kid's favorites, and ways to eat gluten-free while traveling Gluten-Free Cooking For Dummies is the best way yet to stay happy, healthy, well-fed, and wheatless!

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Seriously Simple: Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks Review

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(More customer reviews)I own all of this author's cookbooks and love them all. But this one reaches a new height. The author understands what it means to live in a house where all cooking adults work but where no one is satisfied with restaurant or take-out food. She provides recepies that are in fact simple: marinades that are easy to make; combinations of ingredients that are immediately accessible; good healthy food that all members of the family are likely to enjoy. The recepies are for the most part easy, but they are also extremely elegant. Kids will love the simplicity and the great taste. Gourmets will admire the subtlety. A user-friendly, teriffic book.

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The subtitle says it all. One of the biggest challenges for the good home cook is creating delicious, healthy meals using just a few ingredients and simple steps. And good cooks know that Diane Worthington is an expert at finding the one strong flavor component that will turn a ho-hum dish into something memorable-without spending the whole day in the kitchen. In Seriously Simple: Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks she does it again. Here are over 90 recipes for everything from Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Creme to Lemon-Lime Pound-cake that come together in a snap. Gorgeously photographed, Seriously Simple is full of practical tips for saving time without sparing the savor, such as advice on developing a busy cooks pantry, making one-pot meals, and creating sauces, rubs, and marinades that will spice up any dish in a flash. Guaranteed to cut down on the prep time, streamline techniques, and pump up the flavor, heres a new kitchen standby thats seriously fast, seriously delicious... Seriously Simple.

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Make-A-Mix Review

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(More customer reviews)My husband has allergies to just about every preservative, artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, and any other food additive on the market. All the stuff you really shouldn't eat anyway. I cook from scratch mostly, and this book has been a wonderful addition to my kitchen.
Last night I made the chocolate syrup; almost all the chocolate syrups on the market have artificial flavorings. My family loves the chocolate pudding from scratch (just three ingredients -- did you ever look at a pudding mix box?), and my kids are so used to tasting my home-cooked meals that they think the processed meals are gross.
The money we save is great, but the time I save in the kitchen is even better. I highly recommend this book.

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Make-A-Mix is really two cookbooks in one. The cookbook begins with 67 make-ahead shortcut mixes for everything from all-purpose cake mix to meatball mix. These can be made on a weekend-or whenever there's free time-and used to speed food preparation on busy days. The mixes are a key ingredient in one or more of the 306 recipes that follow. The kitchen-tested recipes run the gamut from breakfast dishes to after-dinner treats. They include hearty dinner entrees, like enchilada casserole, onion pot roast, and shrimp & vegetable stir-fry; international fare like green chili burritos and quick chow mein; soups and other appetizers, like New England clam chowder, and even freezer treats like fruit slush. With the Make-A-Mix method, home cooks can control the amount of sugar, salt, and preservatives in a recipe, and save money on store-bought mixes. This cookbook is the updated and expanded version of Make-A-Mix that sold over a million copies.

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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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Raw Foods for Busy People: Simple and Machine-Free Recipes for Every Day Review

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(More customer reviews)Its very apparent that a lot of love went into making this book. The layout, additional info and resources are excellent and presented very clearly.
As a single guy with not a lot of free time I searched all over for a Raw Foods cookbook that I could use. This is the ONLY book I found that has things I'd eat, enjoy and are easy to make without exorbitant costs or prep times or weird ingredients.
Honestly after researching a lot of the Raw Foods books I figured the only people who could eat this way are housewives with a lot of money, I couldnt imagine anyone spending the time or wanting to eat a lot of the recipes in these other books.
After making many things from the book I can say that they fall into two categories-great or bland/too watery. Things like the cinnamon stewed apples, cashew cream, schezwan marinade, halvah shake, puddings and the dehydrator recipes are outstanding. Others like the gravy, curry apple marinade, tahini marinade, mashed potatoes and others are way too watery or lack flavor. I'd still rate this book 5 stars since theres no other raw cookbook like this but I think she needs to fine tune some of these recipes.
Would still highly reccomend it though. It was a big relief to get a practical book like this after my 1st purchase- Raw in Ten which was truly an awful raw book.

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Enjoy and prepare simple raw foods, the healthiest foods nature has to offer, while living a busy lifestyle. This book is perfect for raw food beginners, busy people, health-conscious slackers, and those on temporary cleansing programs. It makes a great gift for the raw-curious as well, since it is the simplest and least intimidating raw food recipe book on the market. It includes over 120 recipes, almost half of which are or include machine-free options.

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Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes Review

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(More customer reviews)there are better options out there!
"Cook Yourself Thin" is a cute attractive book based on the cute and attractive television series on Lifetime television. While the recipes are tasty and fairly easy, I have a few complaints.
Firstly, the book contains NO nutritional information beyond a simple calorie count. If you are tracking your sodium, fiber, or fat intake, this book will not help you.
Also, some of the recipes are significantly higher in calories than similar diet books. You'll intake 596 calories for two stacks of eggplant and 539 calories for a portobello mushroom tuna melt. While these numbers are lower in comparison to NON-healthful recipes, there are definitely better options.
Despite these complaints, I do like this book. The presentation is nice and the recipes are delicious. As a healthful chef, I can definitely recommend "Cook Yourself Thin." As an earnest dieter, I think the book is acceptable - but not the best. I highly recommend "The Most Decadent Diet Ever" by Devin Alexander. It has more thorough nutritional information and a better serving size/calorie ratio.

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Lose weight without losing your mind!Cook Yourself Thin is a healthy, delicious way to drop a dress size withoutall the gimmicks. The ladies of "Cook Yourself Thin," a new Lifetime realityshow, offer 80 easy, accessible recipes in this companion cookbook thatteaches readers how to cut calories without compromising taste.
For some of us, losing weight has always been a struggle. The challenge:figuring out how to cook healthy, low-fat foods that won't leave you hungry,bored, or running for a gallon of ice cream! Cook Yourself Thin shows how tocut calories, change diets, and improve health without sacrificing the foodswe love.
Cook Yourself Thin is not a fad diet. It gives skinny alternatives to yourcravings. You can't live without your chocolate cake or mac 'n' cheese? Youdon't have to! (See Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, page 197.) There's neverenough time to cook? Cook Yourself Thin keeps it simple─with easyinstructions and fun recipes you'll want to make again and again.
What are you waiting for? Cook Yourself Thin!

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3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes: 200 Recipes for Memorable Meals Review

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(More customer reviews)I was pleasantly surprised by this cookbook. I was one of those people who thought slow cookers were just for pot roasts. Not so. In addition to main entrees, Bonet includes recipes for beverages, breakfasts, and desserts. I never would have thought to try some of the foods she suggests in my slow cooker. For example, I tried the Breakfast Casserole and it turned out great! Plus, I enjoyed not having to cook breakfast in the morning. It was nice to have it ready and waiting for me when I got up.
I've also tried the Peachy Chicken and it was good too. Next on my list are the recipes for Santa Fe Chicken and Acorn Squash. I'm glad I have this cookbook. I think I'm really going to save some time!

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People love the convenience of their slow cookers. What could be better than walking in the door after a hard day's work to the smell of beef stew, ready and waiting? A beef stew that only requires three ingredients, that's what!The problem with most slow cooker recipes is that they require lots of ingredients and steps before you actually "fix it and forget it." Not this book-these are truly simple recipes, and best of all, they are memorable, not mushy!You'll find recipes like:*Rosemary Lamb Stew*Chicken Curry*Three-Alarm Chili*Spicy Pot Roast with Onions*Coq au Vin*Pork Roast with 40 Cloves of GarlicPlus, you'll find recipes for desserts like cheesecake and custard and appetizers like chicken wings and artichoke dip!

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The Best Simple Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)As a "seasoned" cook, I've been down most of the cooking routes: from the French classics, to one-hour gourmet, to complex vegetarian, to severe, healthy cooking by the docs. Now, I lean to this cookbook's style: simple, tasty, fresh and light -- somewhere between poached quenelles and fried tofu. This is a good grouping of contemporary recipes with zip, often with international flair (oriental, Mexican, etc.). Some recipes are updated twists on old faves like Tuna Melt but with artichokes; BLT salad using mayo-smeared croutons; vegetarian chili with corn; Southwestern salmon cakes. Others take classics but ditch the complex and daunting preparation-- like switching paper-thin potato slices for a potato chip mix or skipping the fish-steaming by laying salmon atop the asparagus, or using rotisserie chicken for a flavorful- but quick-chicken soup. Some clever ideas that work! The book has some surprising ingredient combos like kielbasa with potato leek soup. I appreciate the explanatory notes on the thoughtful but concise hows and whys of the recipes, and am impressed with the recommendations of brand name grocery items that they have tested. It's instructive without being pedantic or fussy. For those of us who like to see the cook in action, there are selected photos of some of the techniques and I picked up a few new ones. This is the kind of cookbook you can actually USE everyday, without resorting to the dumbed-down or goofy ones, or those with exotic hard-to-find ingredients or lengthy preparation. It reflects how we cook these days, and I plan to use it often.

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Most quick-recipe collections promise a lot but deliver very little. Bland, uninspired dishes may be fast, but will you make them again? And clever gimmicks sound great, but in reality, they rarely make sense. The team at America's Test Kitchen has created more than 200 easy-to-make 30-minute recipes that guarantee impressive results with a minimum of effort. With our test kitchen know-how (and relentless testing) we found ways to make naturally fast dishes faster, and traditionally slow-cooked dinners a weeknight option. But one thing we never did was settle on shortcuts that shortchanged flavor. Some compromises simply aren't worth making. No matter the path taken, every recipe in this book is foolproof, full-flavores and fast. And they come with our promise to you: Recipes that work. Every time.

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Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy Review

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(More customer reviews)Every time I mention that the fact that I admire "Gordon Ramsay" I have to defend myself from attack. For those who have seen this ex-football player in the television show "Hell's Kitchen", he can be intimidating, ruthlessly efficient and sarcastic all in one breath. But his attitude does not come from any joy of berating contestants. Gordon is a perfectionist and he wants to make sure everything is done right because it is his name and reputation that is on the line everytime a dish leaves his kitchen.
This book is no different. Gordon spells out his recipies in a clear and concise format. Unlike some other chefs who use their books just to dump some bland exercises in cooking, Gordon livens up (or sexies up - as he calls it) his presentation with photos. But I especially appreciated the fact that there is a DVD attached to this book which goes into detail on how to make some of his dishes.
GORDON RAMSAY IS THE MAN!!

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The 5:30 Challenge: 5 Ingredients, 30 Minutes, Dinner on the Table Review

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(More customer reviews)I checked this out from the library and ended up ordering a copy from Amazon two days later. I've made four or five of the meals so far. All have been tasty, and the prep time is amazingly short; that "30 minutes" includes cooking time, so usually I can get the sides whipped together and the kitchen cleaned up before it's time to eat.
I love books that give you a shopping list, side dish suggestions and a "game plan" of instructions; it's the next best thing to somebody else doing the work for you. The limit of 5 ingredients is a fun gimmick, and for the most part those ingredients are "real" food, not cream o' mushroom in a can.
Some portions were a little small for our family, which includes 2 healthy teenagers. And relying on pre-packaged convenience foods can get pricey--I will probably continue to cook raw potatoes, boil ordinary rice, and chop whole onions. But as the authors point out, it's nice to know we don't have to.
Final comment: the lasagna recipe alone is worth the price of the book.


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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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