Product Description

In this irresistible collection Rachael continues to work her 30-minute magic with nearly 100 awesomely delicious brand-new recipes. From pasta to pizzas, soups to sammies, and chicken, fish, and meat, you’ll find a 30-minute-meal to suit every appetite.

But what if you don’t have even 30 minutes? No worries, Rachael has you covered with her quickest-ever 15-minute meals. Why order pizza when you can have Provencal Tuna Melts, Italian Surf ‘n Turf Salad- even a fabulous paella- on the table in just 15 minutes? You’ll never reach for the take-out menus again when super speedy Pea and Parsley Soup with Canadian Bacon and Skillet Tamale Pie are the delicious alternatives.

And what about those days when you want to slow things down a bit? Rachael’s got the perfect recipes for those times, too. Her 60-minute meals like Paprika Chicken Stew with Potato Pierogies, Chicken, Corn and Tomatillo Lasagna, and Swordfish Rolls with Spaghetti Squash don’t require any more effort from the cook, but they tale advantage of a little extra time in the oven or simmering on the stove to develop those great, deep flavors we all crave on lazy days. Among these dishes are some of Rachael’s “Double Duty Dinners,” recipes that you cook once, serve twice, but look and taste so different that no one will be the wiser (such as Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Chive Egg Noodles in which the base magically morphs into Tarragon-Tomato Chicken and Bread Soup another night).

You’ll also fine fun Rachael Ray signature meals like:

BLD (meals you can eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner)
MYOTO (Make Your Own Take-Out Meals) that feature ethnic flavors but no mystery or fats
Date Night Dinners and Fancy Fake-Outs that are every bit as elegant as the fare from your favorite little bistro
The Kids Will Eat It meals (besides chicken nuggets) that will bring even the pickiest eaters to the table

This is Rachael’s most versatile book yet, the one that will help you get the very most out of every minute you spend in the kitchen- whether you’re rushing to the beat of the clock or taking advantage of a little extra time to stop and smell the veggies roasting. Either way you’ll be dishing up some of Rachael’s most appealing recipes ever- and all on your own schedule.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31957 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-06
• Released on: 2007-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Cookbook dynamo and television personality Ray (30 Minute Get Real Meals, 365: No Repeats, etc.) is back with another collection of dishes, this time offering plenty of her trademark 30 minute meals, give or take a few 15- and 60-minute dishes, virtually all of which are within the capabilities of most cooks, provided they have a well-stocked pantry. Doubling her typical prep time, Ray's able to whip up work-intensive fare such as Crab Stuffed Shells, as well as straightforward dishes requiring longer cooking times such as Sausage, Mushroom and Polenta Lasagna, and Roasted Poblano and Sliced Steak Chili. Most of Ray's recipes are solid, family-pleasing fare, though her Grilled Eggplant Roll-Ups, in which the vegetable is stuffed with a slice of ham and a ricotta cheese mixture, may prove frustrating and messy. Still, the hits outweigh the misses, and if readers enjoy (or can at least tolerate) Ray's tendency to make up and overuse cutesy food terms ("EVOO," "sammies," "stoups," etc.), they will find this to another solid, reliable source for everyday meals.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
RACHAEL RAY is the host of the Emmy-award winning syndicated show Rachael Ray as well as the popular Food Network programs 30-Minute Meals and Tasty Travels. Editor-in-chief of the acclaimed magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray, Rachael is also the author of 13 cookbooks, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers 30-Minute Get Real Meals, 365: No Repeats, Express Lane Meals, and 2-4-6-8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds. She also has a successful line of cookware and knives. In the spring of 2007, she launched The Yum-o! Organization, a charity aimed at improving the way America eats. Rachael lives in New York City with her husband, John, and dog, Isaboo.

Customer Reviews

Perfect for an Adult Couple with Adventuresome Tastes Who Can Read Blue Type and Want Leftovers
The cover of this book is reassuring: The photograph shows a Rachael Ray who seems to have trimmed down and started showing her enthusiasm again. Maybe there's hope for all of us who eat her tasty, but calorie-laden, foods to become slimmer and happier. Seriously, this cookbook is for those with high metabolisms.

The book's inside seems to have been designed by someone who lives in New Mexico where the prevailing architectural colors are heavy on blue and orange. Seriously, the recipes are printed in blue type. Now, I've grown accustomed to blue corn tortillas . . . but I'm not ready for a cookbook with blue type. If you are colorblind, you're lucky. However, I found the white type on an orange background even more challenging to read. It's a good thing I had my cataracts done last year!

Rachael Ray is at her best when she puts lots of flavors together. Clearly, the woman is a genius at appreciating how to add little dibs and dabs of flavor to take simple ingredients and make something new. For those who are looking for new flavors, this book delivers. Don't expect that your tykes are going to like this food, however. This is an adult cookbook. Strangely, the recipes are for four. No one entertains that much so there will be a lot of leftovers generated.

The downside of all those flavors is that you'll have to do careful shopping to be ready for a week of these meals or you'll be spending an extra five hours a week heading out for ingredients you don't have. I think this book would have been a lot better with a list of ingredients to stock on a regular basis, along with suggested quantities. Here's an example, for Spanish-style stuffed pepper you need slivered almonds, the ubiquitous EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), white rice, chicken stock, red bell peppers, all-white meat ground chicken, sweet paprika, onion, garlic cloves, piquillo peppers, golden raisins, dry sherry, tomato sauce, flat-leaf parsley leaves, and manchego cheese. I've got four of those ingredients in my kitchen now. How about you?

That raises another issue, cost. She's using more expensive as well as more ingredients in these recipes . . . all the more reason why this cookbook is going to be for company in most cases.

The recipes are exciting to read. I have a good imagination for anticipating the flavors of foods. As I read down each page, my palate was piqued in unique and intriguing ways. Here's an example: lamb patties on fattoush salad. The ingredients include pita bread, ground lamb, yogurt, parsley leaves, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, grill seasoning, cinnamon, EVOO, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, red onion, tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

That list will bring up another issue, I'm sure. Can you really do these recipes in the time allotted? With so many ingredients, I'm skeptical that I can. I have no doubt that the whirling dervish, Ms. Rachael Ray, can. But with this book, I didn't mind because she's going up on taste quite a lot. I'm willing to spend more time for an intriguing new taste. The book also features 15 and 60 minute recipes, as well as the expected 30 minute ones.

Here's how the book is organized:

Chapter One is for sandwiches, wraps, and pizza.
Chapter Two is for hot pots (stoups, choups, chilis, and stews).
Chapter Three is for pastas and couscous.
Chapter Four is devoted to main course salads and vegetarian dishes.
Chapter Five is all about fish.
Chapter Six is devoted to chicken, turkey, and eggs.
Chapter Seven is for beef, veal, pork, and ham lovers.

There's a breakdown based on time needed for preparation that begins on page 8 that will be handy if you pull out the cookbook when you have 18 minutes to finish preparing the meal.

Those who are visual will be disappointed that only 8 dishes are illustrated in color.

Here are the dishes that intrigued me the most:

Provencal tuna melts
Fresh tuna blt (supposed to be 15 minutes, but I doubt it)
Red, wine, and blue burgers with baked jalapeno poppers
Sloppy cubanos
Sloppy dude
Swordfish burgers
New England chicken patty sammies
Tomatillo and chicken tostadas
Poquito and Grande: taquitos and burritos

Stuffed pepper stoup
Spicy lentil stoup
Oven-roasted cioppino
Chicken or shrimp fajita-tortilla soup
Mu shu stoup
Spicy sausage, chicken, and bean pot
Roasted poblano and sliced steak chili

Moussaka pasta toss and spanakopita salad
Cold chicken satay noodles
Paella in quince (20 ingredients in 15 minutes?)
Pasta with shrimp, grape tomatoes, and baby arugula
Drunken spaghetti (two bottles of red wine to prepare the pasta)
Meatballs in meat sauce with rigatoni
Tomato salad stuffed artichokes
Whole wheat pasta arrabbiata with fire-roasted tomatoes and arugula
Crab-stuffed shells

Italian surf 'n' turf salad
Green caponata with sweet creamy polenta
Beef, leek, and tomato salad
Charred chili relleno with green rice
Spanish-style stuffed peppers

Shrimp scampi verde
Thai shrimp curry with chopped lettuce and basil-lime couscous
Shrimp with tarragon tomato sauce
Sea bass with herb butter and a frisee salad
Curry-seasoned cod with cool-spicy yogurt sauce
Crispy prosciutto-wrapped cod and caramelized onion-asparagus salad
Fish with ginger-orange-onion sauce
Sea bass with creamy leeks and soy jus
Halibut with puttanesca salsa
Sesame-battered fish tacos with seared cabbage and avocado cream
Cuban surf and turf
Mom's baked stuffed sole (not like your Mom made, I'm sure)

Skillet tamale pie
Southern-style shepherd's pie
Steak stroganoff
Sliced steak, mushrooms, and green onions with warm Dijon potato salad
Gorgonzola and herb tenderloin steaks and pasta with roasted garlic and grape tomatoes
Sweet 'n' spicy red-eye ham steaks, cheese grits, and seared chard
Roasted pork loin and gravy with roasted veggies and potatoes
Maple-glazed pork chops with scallion smashed potatoes and escarole
Hazelnut-crusted veal scaloppini with cognac tarragon sauce and fennel salad

Are you hungry yet?