• mharriman on September 26, 2019

  So delicious! My husband and I loved the Broccoli and Parmesan Soup recipe (page 53) in this cookbook. Once the broccoli florets and stems were cut, the rest was indeed fast and easy. I used store bought chicken broth and puréed my soup in my blender rather than using an immersion blender and it turned out well. Very creamy.

• mharriman on September 25, 2019

  “Nigella’s Easiest Mirin Salmon” recipe from this cookbook ( page 157) was easy but as not as fast as described. Directions called for pan cooking on medium high heat for a total of five minutes. My coho inch thick salmon was raw in the middle at the end of 5 minutes. The pan searing gives a lovely blackened skin tone but I found I needed to put the fillets in a 500 degree oven for another 5 minutes to get it cooked properly. Unless you like your salmon raw on the inside, the instructions for very brief cooking don’t work. The flavor, however was good, pretty sugary (healthy?) actually. I’ll repeat this with some tweaks.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spring green soup

  • mharriman on April 08, 2022

    Simultaneously light but satisfying. This was easy to prep and cook although I prefer the Giada deLaurentis pea and lettuce soup version better. Served with a warmed whole wheat St.Germaine baguette and caprese salad.

• Broccoli and Parmesan soup

  • sscholl on February 12, 2026

    So good! Don’t skimp on the basil.

  • abbycox on May 15, 2026

    Easy and delicious. My friend asked for the recipe

• Mushroom barley soup

  • mharriman on December 23, 2020

    Excellent. I loved this take on mushroom soup. I used dried porcini and dried chanterelle mushrooms and fresh cremini and shiitakes. It’s more broth- based than other mushroom soups I’ve made, and includes mushroom broth, which creates a lighter soup with more depth of flavor. Andrew Weil’s definition of ‘fast’ doesn’t always match mine and it definitely doesn’t with this recipe. It took more than an hour- but it wasn’t an issue today and won’t be unless I’m pressed for time. The fresh cut parsley sprinkled on top at the end adds an extra layer of flavor. Served this with crusty homemade French bread. Wonderful on a cold December night. Serves eight- lots left for leftover meals in our two person household.

• Fish cooked in parchment with orange, sesame, and ginger

  • crandall57 on November 02, 2025

    The fish prepared this way was both moist and delicious. Also, it went together easily and quickly.

• Broiled halibut with green harissa

  • abbycox on March 27, 2026

    I liked the harissa and it was an easy dish, but not worth the price of the halibut! I’ll sub a different fish next time

• Roasted salmon topped with sake-glazed shiitake

  • mharriman on October 12, 2021

    Very good. I made half a recipe for two of us. The grated ginger sautéed in grape seed oil then finished in sake really makes the dish so I wouldn’t leave that out. This is a healthy light Asian inspired recipe with lots of vegetables. I wish I’d made rice as a side. Will remember to do that next time. I always roast my salmon fillets at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, so I don’t know how they turn out at the prescribed 13 minutes /350 degree temperature. That sounds too undercooked for my taste.

• Pan-seared scallops with stir-fried baby bok choy

  • mharriman on December 21, 2020

    A tasty, healthy dish for not a whole lot of effort. Although the recipe is for four, I only halved the amount of scallops (used sea not diver) and made the full amount of vegetables for the two of us, which suited us well. If you prep everything in advance (chopping, slicing, mincing, grating) the actual cook time is less than 15 minutes. Served with jasmine rice and a spinach, almond, and mandarin orange salad with poppyseed dressing.

• Farro salad with marinated feta, olives, and parsley

  • mharriman on April 11, 2021

    We liked this very much. I made half a recipe and decreased the olive oil amount for the feta cheese marinade and reduced the amount of kalamata olives as well without any noticeable difference in outcome or taste. The spices and EVOO on the feta enhance it quite a bit. I cut mine into squares and put them on top of the salad. This is a great summer time Mediterranean side dish. Served with pork souvlaki.