The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made ...

Great food, really 15 minutes:
This is one of the only cookbooks I've ever encountered that followed through with its claim to make fast food, even the first time I make a recipe. There is also a huge variety of tastes and ingredients. I have yet to make anything from this book that didn't work or wasn't delicious; the recipes are clear, well organized and easy! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to make varied, good food on a time budget.

Fast, Fresh and Delicious:
THE COMPLETE 15-MINUTE GOURMET: Creative Cuisine made Fast and Fresh By Paulette Mitchell A review by Marty Martindale Mitchell challenges cooks to surprise themselves with what they can cook in 15 minutes, as she introduces delicious recipes infused with an international flair combined with fresh ingredients and basic pantry staples. These will be meals prepared with chef-like appearance, not hurried or complicated. Her 300-page book is liberally sprinkled with yellow tip panels which she has indexed early in the book. Here's an overview of Mitchell's recipes in the book: PESTO CHICKEN SALAD WITH RED GRAPES Simply made with: penne pasta, basil pesto, sour cream wine vinegar, sugar, shredded carrots, green oinions and red leaf lettuce SHERRIED BLACK BEAN SOUP Olive oil, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, coriander, broth, pepper flakes and parsley RAMEN NOODLE SOUP WITH SPINACH AND CORN Broth, soy sauce, salad spinach, pepper flakes, butter and Togarashi powder CHICKEN TORTILLA SANDWICHES WITH JALAPENO MAYONNAISE Plum tomato, shallot, chili pepper, lime juice, flour tortillas, and shredded lettuce SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS Water, cornstarch, Chinese hot oil, canola oil, onion, baby peas, green onions, soy sauce, dark Asian sesame oil, chopped fresh ginger and iceberg lettuce leaves SALMON RAMEN: Broth, soy sauce, fresh spinach, mushrooms, snap peas, canola oil, fresh ginger minced and garlic GREEK LEMON SOUP WITH SCALLOPS Olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic broth, tomatoes, fresh spinach, orzo, scallions and lemon juice CIOPPINO WITH LINGUINE Olive oil, green pepper, onion, garlic, canned tomato, basil, trhyme, pepper flakes, cod fillet, shrimp, lemon jujice and Parmesan cheese SPAGHETTI WITH BLACK OLIVE-TOMATO PESTO AND SHRIMP Broth, tomato paste, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic chopped feta cheese garnish SHRIMP COCONUT MILK CURRY Broth, red curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, shrimp, tomatoes, sugar peas, cilantro and lime FETTUCCINE CARBONARA Pancetta, eggs, broth, cream, Parmesan, garlic and flat-leaf parsley ORANGE, OLIVE AND ARUGULA SALAD Orange juice, hazelnut or walnut oil, honey and parsley TABOULI Couscous, Lemon juice, olive oil, tomato, cucumber, parsley, green onion and mint leaves CHINESE FIRECRACKER NOODLES Wheat flour noodles, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Asian sesame oil, chili paste with garlic, lemon juice, honey, pickled ginger, carrots, green onions, chopped peanuts, cilantro, black sesame seeds and cilantro CAULIFLOWER CURRY Canola oil, onion, curry powder, tomatoes, baby peas, yogurt and lemon wedges GARLIC AND LEMON LENTILS Cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and cumin The last chapter in Mitchell's book she titles, "Basics," and it contains quick recipes for sauces, dressings and other items you can use to make simple items fun and festive. Here's more books by Mitchell: The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet The 15-Minute Gourmet Vegetarian The 15-Minute Gourmet: Chicken The 15-Minute Gourmet: Noodles The 15-Minute Single Gourmet The Bew Anerucab Vegetaruab Menu Cookbook The Compete Book of Dressings The Complete Soy Cookbook Vegetarian Sandwiches Vegetarian Appetizers A Beautiful Bowl of Soup The Spirited Vegetarian The Simple Soups Deck Visit Mitchell's website: PAULETTE MITCHELL Marty Martindale can be reached at her site: FOOD SITE OF THE DAY

A vegetarian gone bad ... gone good!:
Paulette started as a vegetarian chef, and that's where I first encountered her recipes. I'm NOT a vegetarian by any stretch, but the way she builds her recipes and uses herbs and spices got my attention. Now that she's branched out into all areas of cooking, she's just about the best around. Unlike some "quick" cookbooks, the recipes in this book actually ARE fast to make. They're professionally edited (no missing steps or phantom ingredients) and really (in general) easy to make. You'll also meet some new ingredients. While not every recipe will send you to the gourmet food store, when you do end up making a trip it'll be worth it!