• debrakp on May 17, 2011

  The book is organized by the four seasons, so it is easy to find recipes to fit what is available and fresh at all times of the year.

• sck on July 28, 2010

  Perfect everyday cookbook for quick meals. We've really enjoyed the baked shells with winter squash, the lamb burgers, and the pasta with proscuitto and peas. Lots of things in here you can make with what's already in your pantry and refrigerator.

• Ltepp on April 04, 2010

  Great Everyday Cookbook

• Breadcrumbs on March 10, 2010

  This book appeals on many levels. Photos are plentiful, accurately depicting finished product. Instructions have been clear and succinct. True to the book's title, most recipes indeed produce "Great Food Fast".

• nomadchowwoman on January 05, 2010

  The title describes accurately what's inside. Every recipe I've tried is wonderful, from the blueberry crumb cake to the Indian-spiced chicken burgers, Vietnamese beef sandwiches to chicken w/prosciutto and sage.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Pear custard pie

  • Cheri on May 24, 2011

    Love this fall dessert. Easy, comforting. Have made this many times and served to a wide variety of palates, all with success

  • sarahcooks on April 04, 2011

    This is so easy! Make sure your pears are nice and ripe - if they're hard, they won't soften in the oven like apples would.

• Flank steak with lime marinade

  • Cheri on March 31, 2011

    This was pretty good. Served wrapped in tortillas with salsa, sr. cream, guacamole and romaine lettuce. Everyone had seconds. Easy

• Blueberry crumb cake

  • Cheri on January 23, 2011

    Streusel topping makes a lot, cut down by 1/3. This is good, not too sweet. Used frozen blueberries. Took 1 hr 40 min @ 350 to bake.

  • Breadcrumbs on March 17, 2010

    Note: only uses 1/4c buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups blueberries

  • JKDLady on September 11, 2014

    I doubled the blueberries to 3 cups because we like more fruit than cake. We really enjoyed it. I personally would not cut down on the streusel on top, but I agree that there is a lot. I used a 10" springform pan, and it cooked in about an hour.

• Cod with leeks and tomatoes

  • Cheri on January 25, 2016

    I made this with red snapper. It was fabulous! The leeks cooked in the pan while the oven was coming to temp, then added tomatoes & fish. 20 min was perfect time. Served over brown rice, arugula salad on the side. Recommended, quick, easy, healthy.

  • chezlarios on January 30, 2024

    I’ve made this several times but this last one was my favorite. Served with white rice, which is not mentioned in the recipe but in my view essential.

• Sautéed chicken in mustard-cream sauce

  • Breadcrumbs on April 28, 2010

    p.32 - 4 x 6oz b/s chx breasts - cooked on stove top. April 2010 - first use of this rec. Super simple with great results. I used a butter evoo combo instead of pure evoo, otherwise I didn't change anything. Sauce was delicious and recipe took less than 30 mins start to finish. Definitely will make again.

  • Lindalib on August 02, 2012

    Quick meal on a weeknight. Nice combination of flavors.

• Sloppy Joes

  • Breadcrumbs on March 10, 2010

    pg. 216 - March 2010: First time using this recipe. Very quick and easy. Directions straight-forward, thorough and succinct. In addition to listed ingredients I added: 2 tbsp of tomato paste, 1/2 tsp dry oregano, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp dark brown sugar. While dish was good, I found it a bit bland, lacking a depth of flavour. Next time I'd add additional Worcestershire and, oregano.

• Crispy apricot pork chops

  • HunyBadger on April 07, 2011

    Very easy albeit uninspired. Used Grey's Chutney instead of apricot jam and panko flakes instead of breadcrumbs. Came out very moist.

  • HunyBadger on April 07, 2011

    pg 296

• Cashew chicken

  • esack on April 11, 2011

    Added pineapple and red pepper

  • BethNH on May 11, 2017

    Meh. This dish has no flavor. I added a red pepper and subbed a leek for scallions. Hoisin sauce and rice vinegar are not enough to add flavor to all the chicken. We added some spicy Szechuan sauce we keep on hand and it dramatically improved the dish. I wouldn't make this again.

  • seherhussain on August 24, 2011

    good tip, added a pepper too

  • susankay on May 02, 2022

    I make this regularly, and we love it. I accidentally added a little more vinegar, and it was better than ever.

  • julesamomof2 on October 07, 2019

    Like others have commented, this needs vegetables to make it a complete meal. I added sliced red pepper and diced zucchini and doubled the sauce and it was decent.

• Tomato and grilled bread salad

  • Lindalib on June 18, 2012

    Very Good. We grilled (slightly stale) store-bought garlic cheese bread, and used fresh tomatoes, English cucumber (both salted and drained) and fresh basil from the garden.

• Pecan-crusted catfish

  • Lindalib on December 15, 2013

    Delicious, very quick and easy. Will absolutely do again.

  • Locavore on January 02, 2016

    made with walnuts instead of pecans -- easy, tasty, and gluten-free

• Chicken stir-fry wraps

  • emcoughlin on August 25, 2010

    A tasty stir fry! I made some changes based on what I had on hand - I used white wine vinegar and added a little sugar, added carrots, and served the stir-fry over rice instead of the lettuce wraps. There is nothing amazing or highly unique about the recipe, but it's easy to make, has a basic ingredients list, and is healthy, so we'll definitely have it again!

• Grilled sweet potatoes with scallions

  • sarahcooks on July 04, 2012

    Simple and excellent. Just don't burn them.

• Roasted salmon with lentils

  • sarahcooks on November 03, 2012

    Easy and tasty. I served it with roasted brussels sprouts.

• Chicken with cranberry sauce

  • sarahcooks on December 06, 2010

    This was easy and turned out great! I made it with the mashed beans and also threw some brussels sprouts on the same tray as the chicken and it was a great meal. The chicken took longer than the recipe said, but they were probably bigger breasts than it called for.

  • ksg518 on March 02, 2023

    I used thighs instead of breasts which resulted in a slightly oilier chicken after using the herb butter. But I really liked the cranberry sauce here. The recipe calls for sautéed onion with sage and thyme which is then simmered in chicken stock. The stock is strained and then used to cook the cranberries (with a small amount of sugar). The final result is a sauce that’s more liquid than cranberry but with a definite savory note. I’ll make this again.

• Oven-baked polenta

  • mfto on January 04, 2012

    p 201 - I usually make polenta in the microwave following Cook's Ill recipe but decided to try cooking in the oven. You put water, polenta and salt in covered casserole, bake in 425 oven for 15 minutes. Remove and stir. It was very liquidy. Put back in oven for 15 minutes. It had thickened a little but still looked too thin. Yikes! I had warmed 1/4 cup milk and 2 tbs butter as instructed and added this along with majoram. Still unsure but I whisked and whisked and miraculously, the polenta thickened perfectly. Very delicious. Especially liked the marjoram. Served 4 and could have served at least 5. Online http://www.marthastewart.com/317466/oven-baked-creamy-polenta

• Roasted chicken and vegetables

  • TCuiziniere on January 20, 2016

    http://www.marthastewart.com/332628/roasted-chicken-and-vegetables

  • bethihearyoucalling on July 07, 2011

    subbed chicken thighs, cooked chicken 40 minutes. drizzled balsamic on dish at last 10 minutes of cooking

  • Nancith on September 27, 2018

    This was pretty satisfying, good for an early fall dish. It does lack some depth of flavor; probably should have sprinkled rosemary on the veg as well as chicken, or some other complementary herb, or, as a previous reviewer did, sprinkled w/ balsamic. Afraid of losing the end of my finger, I microwaved the squash halves to soften slightly to make it easier to slice. (it was challenging enough to slice the thing in half), and used a Quorn chicken thing for my part of the protein, which worked remarkably well.

• Lentil soup

  • bethihearyoucalling on July 07, 2011

    Cooked bacon low and slow, cooked lentils longer than recipe called for, added water as needed. Served with shaved parmesan on top.

  • chezlarios on May 18, 2021

    Simple and tasty.

• Chili-rubbed skirt steak

  • apronless on November 07, 2011

    This is a stand-out recipe. I use ancho chile powder. The jalapeno-cilantro sauce that is served with the steak is stellar. The spice level on either one is low but good.

• Fish tacos

  • ChefMike on October 02, 2011

    Page 150

  • Jardimc on April 24, 2022

    I salted the cabbage and left it to drain in a colander for 30 minutes, before combining it with the scallions, jalapeño and sour-cream mixture. We served the fish in corn tacos, as we prefer the flavour. A decent meal, quickly assembled.

• Pasta with prosciutto and peas

  • JKDLady on September 18, 2014

    This is nice for a hot summer day. The lemon added a nice lightness. I substituted milk for the cream, but would leave it out entirely next time and simply use the pasta water. It was hard for me to keep the prosciutto from clumping. Next time, I think I would sauté it just after the onions before adding everything else in.

• Beef and orange stir-fry

  • JKDLady on September 22, 2014

    This was a nice simple dish that was full of flavor. We enjoyed it very much. I did add 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier, which I think intensified the orange flavor.

• Salmon steaks with hoisin glaze

  • JKDLady on January 16, 2016

    Boring. It wasn't bad, but it isn't worth repeating.

• Iceberg wedges with Thousand Island dressing

  • JKDLady on January 17, 2016

    The dressing was a bit too thick and sweet. I guess I would add more milk, but I don't think that I would make the recipe again.

• Beef bulgogi

  • JKDLady on January 15, 2016

    We really loved this, and it was easy to make. I added chopped bok choy because we like more veggies. It was a nice addition. I cooked the veggies in one skillet and the meat in another and combined it. That just worked better for me. I would increase the meat to 2 pounds and use the same amount of marinade. I will definitely make this again.

• Tortilla and black bean pie

  • JKDLady on September 25, 2014

    The flavor of this was very good, but it was pretty messy to serve. The filling didn't hold together, so it spilled out onto the counter as I was trying to serve it. I'm not sure how to solve this problem.

• Leaf-lettuce salad with Parmesan crisps

  • Yildiz100 on May 10, 2024

    Bake until a shade darker than baking paper. Earlier and it is unpleantly chewy in the middle rather than crisp.

• Barbecued chicken

  • Nancith on July 14, 2016

    Really liked the barbecue sauce, tangy & flavorful, although maybe too sweet for some folks. Oven-roasted the chicken, rather than grilled, due to inclement weather. Sauce was very nice with my mock-chicken cutlet as well.

• Orzo and snap pea salad

  • Nancith on September 01, 2018

    Simple ingredients, but a nice combination of textures and flavors. I loved the lemony brightness of this dish. The only issue was slightly overcooking the squash & snap peas waiting for the water to return to a boil. Would have preferred more crunch with the snap peas, but still a very appealing dish.

  • chezlarios on July 10, 2024

    To be honest, was a little bland, even when I used more Parmesan than the recipe called for -- perhaps because I used very little of the sugar snap peas?

• Corn and radish salad

  • Nancith on July 14, 2016

    Really liked this simple-to-prepare salad. The lime juice is fabulous touch. Substituted scallions for the jalapeño chile, & used frozen corn. Fresh corn would take it over the top.

• Moroccan chicken couscous

  • julesamomof2 on January 15, 2021

    Super easy and delicious one pot dinner. We had leftovers for lunch over a couple of days and those were good too. Will make again.

• Rum-glazed shrimp and mango

  • julesamomof2 on July 16, 2020

    The shrimp skewers were okay, but a little fussy between peeling and deveining the shrimp, making the glaze, and threading the skewers. A bit much for a weeknight and probably not special enough for company. I skipped the watercress and served with couscous.

• Grilled vegetable tostadas

  • julesamomof2 on August 21, 2021

    These were fine, but bland. Needs some spice. The grilled scallions were surprisingly delicious.

• Roasted Cornish hens with grapes

  • julesamomof2 on December 06, 2021

    This was ok but not great. The grapes and shallots lend a sweetness to the dish that I didn't care for. The recipe itself worked fine and was easy, so it's more a preference thing for less sweet to meat ratio.

• Spinach salad with dried cherries

  • julesamomof2 on January 31, 2019

    This is one our go-to salads, definitely in the top 5. I didn't have any red onion this time, so I just skipped it. Easy and delish.

• Grilled Tuscan chicken with rosemary and lemon

  • ksg518 on July 20, 2019

    I made this largely to use up some rosemary so I didn't have high expectations but it is delicious. You bring some water and rosemary to boil and puree with EVO, salt and pepper. I used the minichop so it wasn't really a puree. I marinated the chicken for about 12 hours and grilled it, basting with the lemon juice per the recipe. I used boneless, skinless breasts although the recipe calls for a whole chicken cut up. The chicken was very flavorful and moist. I think this acts more as a brine than a marinade but, in any event, I'll be making it again.

• Chicken chilaquiles

  • vikingcook on April 13, 2015

    Calls for 2 chipotle chiles which makes this too spicy for children in my opinion. However, it was right up to the top of the spice-o-meter for my husband & I. Tasty & very easy to make.

  • chezlarios on June 26, 2021

    A solid 4 stars, for a quick meal.

• Carrot cupcakes

  • swegener on February 01, 2015

    These were bad, I actually ended up throwing them away mostly uneaten, which is rare for me.

• Bok choy, carrot, and apple slaw

  • csavegetablesfan on December 19, 2018

    This is great with some roasted unsalted cashews on top.

  • csavegetablesfan on January 01, 2019

    It's also good with some daikon radish. I used the finest blade on my spiralizer for the carrot and radish.

• Swiss chard with toasted breadcrumbs

  • chezlarios on March 14, 2022

    Made a miniature-sized version with the last of my chard from the garden. Was buttery and delicious!

• Rustic apple tart

  • chezlarios on October 23, 2022

    Easy to make. I ended up burning the edges of my tart. I put the sliced apples in water to prevent browning and even though I drained it, I think they still may have retained too much water, meaning that the combined sugar-with-water began to melt and spread all over the pan, and even caramelize and burn (I may have had the temperature a bit higher than they suggested.)

• Roasted pears and sweet potatoes

  • chezlarios on January 11, 2021

    Added kalettes during the last 10 minutes of roasting along with the pears. Delicious combination of flavors!

• Spicy black-bean cakes

  • chezlarios on September 03, 2022

    Easy to make and really good - used a combination of homemade black beans and can of borlotti.

• Creamy parsnip soup

  • chezlarios on January 22, 2023

    Nothing out of this world, but it's good, comes together quickly in a single pot (okay, and a pan for the fried leeks), and is a good way to use seasonal ingredients in winter.

• Pesto

  • chezlarios on April 25, 2021

    Made this with parsley and walnuts, with parsley from my balcony (it was growing huge after spring sprung) and walnuts from my parents-in-law's tree. So good.

• Crisp goat-cheese salad

  • chezlarios on January 19, 2021

    Simple, yet makes a green salad so much more satisfying.

• Potato-leek soup

  • chezlarios on April 28, 2021

    Very simple - nothing to really write home about.

• Turkey cobb salad

  • chezlarios on October 25, 2021

    Used the recipe more as inspiration. Swapped romaine lettuce for other lettuce, blue cheese for sheep's cheese, turkey meat for deli chicken, tomatoes for cucumbers.

• Snap peas with mint

  • chezlarios on June 19, 2021

    Just delightful!! I was cooking for one and only had a handful of snap peas/mangetout from my garden (about 30g's worth), so I heat a tiny bit of butter with a tablespoon of water and proceeded to cook them as recommended. Topped with only two leaves of mint from garden, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and voila - a delicacy!

• Steamed zucchini with scallions

  • chezlarios on April 10, 2023

    Not awful, just boring. On the plus side, was a quick side.

• Roasted salmon with lemon relish

  • chezlarios on May 28, 2023

    Easy. Delicious. My only qualm is that it's very light, and I was still hungry afterward! Needs a sturdy side dish.

• Thai-style steak salad

  • chezlarios on February 16, 2022

    The steak (we used entrecote) was really delicious, though the flavor was a little harder to detect once it was all mixed in. Used 2 baby romaine lettuces. Had a great Thai flavor though, with the mint and lime!

• Shrimp pad Thai

  • chezlarios on April 02, 2022

    I used sriracha for the "tomato-based chile sauce", and used soy sauce + fish sauce. Very tasty!

• Creamy fettuccine with asparagus

  • chezlarios on June 05, 2022

    Very quick and easy, flavorful, minimal clean-up afterward. I don't like it when recipes don't mention actual weight (e.g. it asks for 2 bunches of asparagus), but I used 1kg asparagus; 600g fresh fettuccine; and 200g soft goat cheese. It seems like it would taste good with crumbled bacon on top; for next time!

• Salmon Nicoise salad

  • chezlarios on November 04, 2021

    Not one of Jakob's favorite - he prefers Cobb salad. I thought it was fine. The anchovies really make a difference, to add some additional "pep"/saltiness.

• Rhubarb crisp

  • chezlarios on April 25, 2021

    I make this every year with the first rhubarb of the season. SO GOOD!

• Curried zucchini soup

  • chezlarios on May 21, 2021

    Quick, simple, yet delicious! No complaints here. Ate warm with bread, for more oomph.

• Pasta with pesto, potatoes, and green beans

  • chezlarios on October 31, 2021

    Used canned pesto instead of fresh, farfalle instead of cavatappi, and added cubed sheep's cheese that I had on hand. Always a quick and easy favorite!

• Rigatoni with goat cheese

  • chezlarios on August 03, 2023

    Quick, simple, delicious. I used fresh mint from the garden and all of the toppings.

• Potato salad with sour cream and scallions

  • chezlarios on July 13, 2022

    I used sliced shallots instead of scallions because it's all I had on hand. The resulting potato salad was really not very special.

• Chicken with poblano cream sauce

  • chezlarios on December 16, 2022

    I cooked the chicken breast in bacon fat, gave it great flavor. Served with wild rice on the side as suggested.

• Broccoli, chickpea, and tomato salad

  • chezlarios on January 10, 2021

    I've made this before and it's one of my favorite recipes from this book - quick, easy, healthy. This time, I tried roasting the broccoli and tomatoes before combining with the chickpeas. Works really well too!

• Arugula, beet, and goat-cheese salad

  • chezlarios on March 17, 2023

    I used a salad mix with frisee to keep it simple, and roasted my own beets. Nothing mindblowing, but I needed a way to use the beets and it's a substantial enough salad.

• Coconut shrimp soup

  • chezlarios on May 09, 2024

    Pretty simple to make, and satisfying.

• Puréed butternut squash soup

  • chezlarios on April 02, 2022

    Simple and easy to make. Tasted good enough but not particularly special. Instead of making the spicy pumpkin seeds, I added the spices to the soup and sprinkled with normal pumpkin seeds.

• Enchiladas with pumpkin sauce

  • Jardimc on September 05, 2022

    Surprisingly tasty, and popular with everyone. I roasted and puréed a pumpkin instead of using canned. And I cooked chicken thighs quickly in the instantpot instead of buying rotisserie. Will definitely make again, as it was relatively easy to throw together and scale up/down. P. 279

• Indian-spiced chicken burgers

  • Kdevans on January 03, 2021

    page 124

• Roasted acorn squash, shallots, and rosemary

  • Soulkitchenjen on November 20, 2023

    Makes an absolute mess out of a sheet pan. Precisely none of the balsamic actually sticks to the shallots or squash. Still, pretty tasty.