• Leo on April 12, 2023

  This is the book I wish I had 30 years ago when I was feeding a young family. The recipes are extremely accessible and pitched perfectly to those of us who are interested in food and cooking but don't want to make a complicated project of it every day. Love using this book and look forward to making loads more recipes.

• Tiffshaw on April 09, 2023

  I have cooked far more recipes from this cookbook than any other in my collection. The recipes are easy to follow with video instructions (if required); ingredients are simple and easy to source; but the reason why I think this book stands alone is down to Nagi’s notes at the end of each recipe. She offers helpful advice about substituting ingredients which always makes me feel like I can make the dish with what I have on hand.

• JuBer on October 16, 2022

  Just waded my way through this amazing volume of "must make asap" recipes. The book is beautiful, SO many recipes on my list. The fabulous personal touches and intro to each recipe draws you in and makes you want to cook this one next !! A must for everyone who loves to cook or read cookbooks.

• Sparkles75 on October 13, 2022

  Received today and counted 74 recipes I wanted to make. There would be more but I was trying to be selective! Fabulous, fabulous book. Gorgeous pictures, detailed notes, each recipe has a little headnote.. personal touch throughout without being self indulgent.. tick tick. I haven’t cooked any of her recipes before so really looking forward to giving the book a whirl

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Crispy Korean pancakes

  • FionaC on August 31, 2023

    These were tasty and quick to make. Husband decided to use his own pancake recipe which includes eggs, so the end product was slightly fluffier and less crispy but very tasty. Used julienned carrot, mushrooms and chopped kimchi, would certainly make again.

• Miso-glazed eggplant

  • FionaC on January 29, 2023

    I did cook smaller eggplant (200g each) so adjusted the recipe and cooking time to suit. I felt it was a bit too salty, i’d do again with half the miso.

  • ezwriternc on July 16, 2023

    Fantastic. I made this all the time.

  • hbakke on November 15, 2023

    We liked the roasting/broiling method of cooking the eggplant, but the red miso I used was very mild. The glaze could have used more salt due to my bland miso. I served with the recommended soba noodles and cucumber with ginger dressing.

• Build your own stir-fries and noodles

  • Aggie92 on September 08, 2023

    Used this recipe for a quick & easy veggie drawer clean out and to use up some leftover pork chops. Needs way more than the amount of water and Charlie sauce called for. I doubled both of those and it just barely covered all the veg and meat. Served with soba noodles, Sriracha sauce, and a dollop of hoisin sauce.

  • ezwriternc on September 05, 2023

    I made the Charlie sauce but my stir fry needed far more than 3 tablespoons. I probably used more spaghetti than called for. Altogether this dish had good flavor and its an easy way to make a nice stir fry.

• Charlie - my all-purpose stir-fry sauce

  • Aggie92 on September 08, 2023

    Good but a bit basic. Substituted dry sherry for the Chinese cooking wine. This is a recommended substitution from the website recipe. Really liked the kick from the white pepper.

• Baked ratatouille with beans

  • Aggie92 on July 26, 2023

    Delicious and very filling. Only changes were half Kalamata olives and half Castelvetrano olives and omitted the garlic due to a guest's dietary preferences. Served with sourdough bread.

  • aargle on August 22, 2023

    Delicious Sunday night dinner - easy and very tasty. I used two red capsicum as that was what I had and added a pinch of chilli flakes as well as crumbling feta cheese over the top after it came out of the oven.

  • hbakke on October 21, 2023

    We both loved this easy ratatouille preparation. I used a combination of cannellini beans and chickpeas. I liked the salty addition of the Kalamata olives and the mix of thyme and basil with the blend of vegetables. Will repeat.

• Mexican red rice

  • Aggie92 on August 29, 2023

    This was a good recipe and tasted quite a bit like the red rice you get at a Mexican restaurant with the advantage of being less oily. Made it in my rice cooker with 1 1/2 rice cooker "cups" to equal the 1 cup of rice called for in the recipe and adjusted the amount of chicken broth for the cooker. Made with jasmine rice and the optional jalapeno. Since I didn't have any cilantro, I used a pinch of ground cumin and a pinch of Mexican oregano.

  • anya_sf on November 06, 2023

    Even without the jalapeno and cilantro sprig, the rice was flavorful and reminded me of Mexican restaurant rice. Cooked on the stove in a Dutch oven, there were a few yummy crispy bits at the bottom.

• Mac and cheese

  • MollyB on July 27, 2023

    This was very good, and I'd definitely make it again (but not with the cheese mix I used). I liked the panko on top, and the use of mozzarella get the "melty" texture. I used a mix of other cheeses I had in the fridge, and they were a bit too mild. I used mostly Monterey Jack, with some cheddar (along with the mozzarella), and I wish I'd had more interesting cheeses. Gruyere would have been better, or maybe all cheddar along with the mozzarella. Some Taleggio would be great.

  • ezwriternc on September 22, 2023

    This tasted good but the ratio of cheese sauce to macaroni is overwhelming. It’s incredibly rich. It’s more like cheese sauce with some macaroni. I don’t think i will make it again. It was just too much fat for not enough flavor. I used freshly grated Gruyère and shredded mozzarella.

  • anya_sf on June 15, 2023

    My family prefers cauliflower mac-and-cheese (i.e., just stir in some cooked florets), so that's what I did and we really liked it. Usually I use Ina's recipe. This one is similar except (1) it uses more milk for a saucier casserole; (2) mozzarella instead of cheddar, so it's meltier, but the cheese flavor is milder; (3) has different spices, which we enjoyed; (4) it's topped with panko instead of fresh bread crumbs, and we liked the crunch. Next time I might swap half the mozzarella for cheddar, but otherwise would use this recipe again.

• Chicken fricassee

  • aargle on November 02, 2022

    I have made this twice in a fortnight for my elderly in-laws as this is the type of food they crave. They absolutely loved it and my immediate family also enjoyed it immensely. I used skinless boneless thigh fillets following Nagi’s instructions to the letter about cooking times. I also added extra mushrooms because we all love mushrooms. Needs a fair bit of seasoning and excellent served with mashed potatoes and steamed greens.

  • Lepa on November 14, 2023

    This was good but not great. I feel like it could have used some umami (maybe tomato) to boost the flavor. Also, the gravy was a bit thin. I might try this again, as it IS really comforting. We ate this with mashed potatoes.

  • Kelbel0806 on August 17, 2023

    Absolutely love this recipe,comforting, tasty, definately a favourite ??

• The Bangkok - satay chicken noodle salad

  • aargle on November 13, 2022

    Made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit. I needed to double the recipe which was perfect for the four of us and I used soba noodles as that was what I had on hand. It’s perfect for dinner on a hot night.

  • anya_sf on June 03, 2023

    I probably didn't simmer the sauce enough - consistency seemed right, but there was more than a cup and, once tossed with the salad, the flavor could have been more concentrated (so we just used more). I cooked 3 oz dried somen and increased the chicken (I used store-bought cooked breast) and vegetables slightly. We really enjoyed this. A variety of vegetables would work well here.

• The rainbow - quinoa salad with ginger dressing

  • aargle on March 14, 2023

    This is a delicious nutritious salad that I have already made twice. I used tricolour quinoa and I love her tip about toasting the quinoa first. The dressing is delicious.

  • anya_sf on August 31, 2023

    This salad was just delicious - loved the dressing. I used a bag of coleslaw mix for convenience. My son didn't care for the wasabi peas, but my husband and I added more. You could substitute nuts, especially spicy ones. We topped our servings with hard-boiled eggs for a main course; chicken or fish would also be great with this.

• Spicy Sichuan pork noodles

  • aargle on October 30, 2022

    This was a very easy straightforward delicious midweek dinner. Doubled recipe for four of us. Added a bunch of asparagus as didn’t have enough beans. Will make again.

  • KarinaFrancis on November 11, 2022

    Quick, easy and tasty, we loved this stir fry. We added some garlic chives because we had some from a friends garden. I also added a drop of Sichuan pepper oil because I love its numbing effect, the Silver Fox loved it as is.

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    I didn’t put have the right ingredients for the sauce so Inimprovised and it came out great. I doubled the recipe and the sauce but needed to add more. Still, my kids thought it was great lo me in and I used thin spaghetti. Would add shredded cabbage next time.

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    The best recipe in the book, which is saying a lot. We make this pretty much weekly at this point, and even my kids will eat it. Just bonkers delicious.

  • averythingcooks on August 09, 2023

    We loved this spicy bowl. I replaced the green beans with broccoli and included sliced red & yellow peppers and added peas + Thai basil near the end. I had to use sriracha in place of the sambal and I sprinkled the finished bowls with crushed Szechuan peppercorns and chopped cashews. My only (small) quibble is calling for 7 oz of pork...I have ground meat frozen in "logical" 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz & 24 oz portions and I'm pretty sure using 8 oz didn't cause any harm!

  • anya_sf on July 21, 2023

    Quick, easy, delicious. I used less sambal oelek in deference to my son, but added sriracha to my portion. Increased the green beans, as is my way - could see adding red bell pepper or carrots.

  • hbakke on April 03, 2023

    Very easy and tasty. I went overboard with the sambal and it was a bit too spicy. I would taste as I go next time when adding the sambal to the sauce. I would make this again and add more veg.

  • rhb on October 07, 2023

    Easy. Doubled it and used Twin Marquis lo mein noodles. Really good!

• 3-minute double smash burgers

  • aargle on March 14, 2023

    Well they took me longer than three minutes but still super quick to make. Was really hard to resist adding to beef mince but followed recipe precisely and glad I did. It was a big thumbs up from everybody.

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    Took me longer than 3 minutes too but still a great way to make hamburgers. I like them much better than plump ones.

• Spring rolls

  • aargle on August 18, 2023

    Was pretty pleased with myself for making these as I usually steer clear of anything deep fried but thought it was worth a try using the air fryer and so glad I did - they didn’t brown very much but were still very crispy. The trickiest part was separating the wrappers without tearing them which I achieved but added considerable time to the preparation. Other than that surprisingly easy. I served them with the sweet and sour sauce also in the book.

• Cheesy baked broccoli fritters

  • aargle on February 19, 2023

    Made these for an easy Sunday lunch and they were delicious. Nagi's instructions were spot on. My only addition was 3/4 tsp of chilli flakes. Despite being baked they were golden and crunchy. I used basmati rice.

  • Zosia on July 31, 2023

    Delicious and quite versatile. I made them with leftover cooked kale and mushrooms (mainly kale), brown rice and gruyere and we enjoyed them with just a squeeze of lemon.

  • ezwriternc on October 08, 2023

    These came out great. The recipe makes a lot. I would halve it next time. Could be very versatile. I used a combination of quinoa and leftover basmati rice.

  • averythingcooks on July 22, 2023

    I scaled this to 1/3 for 8 fritters to serve 2 as part of a light dinner. I used an aged cheddar, basmati rice & added a couple of dashes of hot sauce (tip from aargle) and they really do come out crispy (even from the oven) & flavourful. I thought it odd to spray the pan with oil and then cover it in parchment but I did it...perhaps that helps the develop the "crispy"? Regardless, these will be made often.

• Christmas baked salmon

  • aargle on January 07, 2023

    I made this dish for Christmas dinner using a whole side of salmon. We loved it and it certainly went a long way. It turned out perfectly. The recipe was very easy to follow as Nagi’s instructions are so clear and precise.

  • peaceoutdesign on November 11, 2023

    The recipe seemed a bit busy but in the end, it was fantastic and looked beautiful plated.

• Juiciest, easiest roast chicken ever

  • aargle on October 08, 2023

    This has become my go to roast chicken recipe. The chicken is always moist and flavoursome and my husband who is not a potato lover loves the soft potatoes. It’s such an easy method. Thoroughly recommend.

  • Leo on April 12, 2023

    Full marks for the method . This was an easy recipe to put together and really easy clean up. Delicious potatoes and carrots.

  • anya_sf on October 28, 2023

    My chicken weighed 4.5 lbs and only sat at room temperature for 1.25 hrs. For those reasons (and because I had to run an errand), I roasted it covered for about 55 min rather than 30. I also increased the potatoes to 20 oz and carrots to 16 oz and would do so again as 3 people ate them all. The chicken turned out well, although the meat could have used more seasoning - most of that ended up in the delicious vegetables and drippings.

• Chipotle salmon tacos

  • KarinaFrancis on November 02, 2022

    Yum! Fresh, tasty, and super easy to put together. Will be on repeat over summer

• Chinese lettuce wraps (San choy bow)

  • KarinaFrancis on October 11, 2023

    This was a good version of San choy bow but not the best I’ve made. Overall the lack of crunch was my fault, I should have bought Asian grocery store water chestnuts and used the traditional iceberg instead of baby cos. Still a great weeknight dinner and would make again, but pay more attention to the ingredients going in.

• Mango avocado salsa

  • KarinaFrancis on November 02, 2022

    Really good, I kept the seeds in from the jalapeño, next time I’ll add more for extra kick.

• Taco slaw

  • KarinaFrancis on November 02, 2022

    A nice slaw with a bit of tang

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    I've already made this three times. Goes with basically anything taco-adjacent. Not too mayo-y and just the right amount of sour.

  • anya_sf on October 19, 2023

    i used bagged slaw mix (green and red cabbage and carrots) for convenience. Loved the dressing. Will make again.

• One-pot baked Greek chicken and lemon rice

  • KarinaFrancis on November 21, 2022

    There is a reason this recipe is so popular, it’s delicious! The flavours work so well together. I made the mistake of listening to the silver fox and starting the chicken in a cold pan, so I lost the skin which stuck to the pan, should have listened to Nagi! It’s been requested to be repeated

  • Leo on April 12, 2023

    Delicious recipe. I added a leek because I had one... I didn't marinate for the full 12 hours but next time I will to see how much difference it makes.

• The Kyoto - chicken soba salad with creamy sesame dressing

  • KarinaFrancis on October 18, 2023

    I loved everything about this salad, especially the dressing. Sadly we won’t repeat it because my beloved doesn’t like soba noodles. I might try bulking it out with more veggies and more chicken to get him to have it again

  • anya_sf on August 29, 2023

    Wanting leftovers, I used more salad greens (with iceberg instead of napa cabbage), double the noodles, and slightly more chicken (poached per a different recipe). There was just enough dressing for everything. The salad was really delicious and there wasn't as much left over as I was hoping for.

  • hbakke on April 14, 2023

    Loved the salad dressing. I used marinated tofu in place of the poached chicken breasts which made for not the prettiest presentation, but still tasted great. I would make this again.

• Devour - maple sweet potato salad with tamarind dressing

  • KarinaFrancis on October 18, 2023

    Absolutely delicious! This kicks my usual sweet potato salad out of contention, it’s the dressing that takes it over the top. Kale is a no go in our house so I used a bag of mixed greens and the suggested sub of crispy shallots instead of puffed rice. My beloved has asked for this to go on rotation

• Ms Saigon - Vietnamese chicken salad

  • KarinaFrancis on October 23, 2023

    Light, fresh, herby and crunchy. It really is a salad to make over and over.

  • Lepa on October 04, 2023

    This was really delicious. It fed four hungry people and we just loved it. Because I was eating with kids I didn't add the chili but my husband and I added some sriracha on top and it was perfect. This is certainly going into our regular rotation.

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    I think this is the best of the salads in the book. It's really tasty and easy to make. It made for good lunches to take to work, too, which is always an excellent bonus in a recipe.

  • anya_sf on October 19, 2023

    Really delicious, light, fresh flavors - very similar to the chicken cabbage salad I've had at Vietnamese restaurants. Unfortunately, my son didn't care for it as he didn't like the strong flavor of fresh mint nor the occasional bite of chile (which mostly weren't spicy but a few bits were).

• Cashew chicken

  • EmilyR on August 11, 2023

    This is a solid recipe that even the pickiest eaters enjoyed.

• The Asian glazed salmon

  • SuzyP on October 30, 2022

    Delicious. A family favourite

  • Rinshin on October 31, 2023

    Very quick and easy recipe that should please younger adults and children. Used a broiler as suggested set about 10” from heat source. Turned once. Ready in no time and used the marinade remaining to top the finished salmon as well as quick cooking par steamed cauliflower, broccoli and shishito with it. Photo added.

  • anya_sf on November 21, 2023

    Really delicious. My broiler only has one setting - incinerate - so I baked the salmon at 450 F, which only took a few extra minutes. I brushed a liberal amount of sauce on top, but the sauce that pooled around the edges did char. Served with rice and salad (not kale though) tossed with Asian sesame dressing, as suggested.

  • Kag2020 on April 15, 2023

    Excellent. Perhaps broil on a low setting; mine charred quite a bit on the outside and needed to roast to finish cooking. The roasting may have been a fortuitous addition — I got to add the remainder of the marinade which would have scorched otherwise. Mr. 2020’s new favorite.

• Chicken shawarma

  • Rinshin on January 28, 2023

    Very tasty. Added about 2 T evoo to yogurt sauce desiring extra richness and in addition to sliced lettuce topping, made a salad topping of cubed tomato, onion, and cucumber. To make it more lower carb, used carb balance spinach flour tortilla. Cooked chicken in the air fryer grill function producing perfect char.

  • Lepa on May 12, 2023

    The chicken here is incredibly moist and delicious. Overall we liked this dinner but I am not sure I like it as much as the Smitten Kitchen Street Cart Chicken, which this reminds me of.

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    This was a bit much by itself, but it made truly great sandwiches. The sandwiches were the chicken plus feta, mayo, cucumbers, and lettuce, and it was great.

  • averythingcooks on July 09, 2023

    I made 1/2 the marinade for 4 thighs (around 12 oz total) but a friend's emergency sidelined our dinner plans that day (ie I intended to make the flat breads etc) but no worries - we grilled the chicken late that night , it went into the fridge and we ate great sandwiches for 2 days using different breads, spreads & toppings. This chicken is very flavourful ( and I can't decide if other similar recipes I've made were better or not) and it will be made again with the flat breads for sure.

  • hbakke on April 04, 2023

    Nicely spiced marinade. We grilled a red onion along with the chicken and served it along with the rest of the toppings. I would make this again.

  • Logan92995 on October 25, 2023

    This was good but not spectacular. Although I liked the marinade, it didn't blow me away with flavor. I will say, however, that I enjoyed the yogurt sauce made for the dish. This did make a lot of chicken -- about 4 servings worth which lasted me for a few days.

• Chow mein

  • peaceoutdesign on October 17, 2023

    Mere had us over for dinner and made this. So much more cabbage than I would have thought. Like traditional Cow mein, this has a mellow flavor but is perfect for adding Sriracha, soy, or other sauces to your own taste.

• Pork ribs with BBQ sauce

  • Jenny on February 19, 2023

    Another winner from RTE. Made on Thursday night and forgot to take photo.

  • anya_sf on September 06, 2023

    The technique yielded tasty ribs that were nearly falling off the bone, but still with a slight chew. Sauce was really well-balanced. I used Crystal hot sauce instead of Tabasco. When glazing, I only flipped the ribs once (to end up meaty side up) as I worried I'd splatter myself with drippings. I glazed the top twice and finished under the broiler for extra caramelization.

• Shepherd's pie and cottage pie

  • Jenny on January 20, 2023

    The best Shepherd's pie I have made. The photo I uploaded is a 12 inch pan - with two pounds of minced beef - my husband and son loved it so much - there was only one small serving leftover (I had a serving) - it was fantastic.

  • BrendaD1962 on October 21, 2023

    This was good but not great. We found it a bit bland. I feel it needs something more, but not sure what. Not sure if I’ll make it again.

• Zuppa Toscana

  • Jenny on January 20, 2023

    Very quick to make - used gnocchi instead of potatoes - as we had a load of potatoes this week. Will make again and again.

  • anya_sf on October 15, 2023

    Delicious, if quite rich. I used an entire small bunch of kale, leaves simply torn from the stems, which was probably more than the stated amount (didn't measure), and would do so again. I'd also consider using half the sausage and adding a can of white beans. Carrots might be another good addition for more veg.

  • Lsblackburn1 on April 18, 2023

    Very delicious; my husband had 3 servings and asked what cookbook it was from!

• Swedish meatballs

  • Jenny on January 20, 2023

    Made the Swedish meatballs this week - and another hit from RTE. By the time dinner was done it was very dark and I couldn't get a nice picture - but will definitely be making these again - and will have a photo.

  • averythingcooks on July 21, 2023

    I cut this in 1/2, using all beef and (based on 30g) got 13 very tender meatballs. Neither of us have ever had Swedish meatballs & an early taste of the gravy confirmed that for us, it was just a little too one note. A quick internet search had suggested currant jelly as an alternative to Lingonberry and so I began adding spoonfuls of black currant jam to the pan which helped a lot. Mashed potatoes with lots of scallions & roasted broccoli on the side also helped bring things to life. I can see how lots of people (especially kids) would love these but for us.....just good but certainly not great.

  • rhb on November 07, 2023

    A bit plain but very nice with mashed potatoes (I had no jam). It all needed a lot more seasoning so when I made the gravy, I added a splash of Worcestershire sauce and the same spices that were in the meatballs plus more salt. Next time, I will use less bread and maybe a little less egg (I would prefer the meatballs to be less mushy) and even more spices in the meat and serve with some type of jam. Maybe using all beef would be good, too. Plain, good comfort food.

• Greek chicken gyros

  • Zosia on October 05, 2023

    Very flavourful and delicious. I broiled the thighs instead of cooking them stovetop.

  • anya_sf on August 25, 2023

    I just made the chicken to accompany Ina's Greek orzo salad. The chicken (thighs) marinated 8 hours, then cooked on the grill per the note. The chicken was really tasty. Note: she says you might not need to oil the grill, but I did, and the chicken still stuck a little bit.

  • rochkay on November 17, 2022

    This dish is really tasty! It took me a bit longer to make, but that's probably just because I take my time prepping (I'm a bit too methodical). I might try doing the chicken thighs in the oven next time (I don't like frying chicken on the stove).

• Fried cabbage with noodles and bacon

  • Zosia on July 15, 2023

    We really enjoyed this. I cooked the bacon low and slow to render and eliminate the fat and cooked the cabbage a little longer too - about 10 min. Very tasty and still quick.

  • ezwriternc on June 29, 2023

    Easy good dinner but I needed to cook it way longer than the directions stated. I also used wavy egg noodles instead of thin spaghetti. This would be great with sausage too.

  • Lsblackburn1 on April 25, 2023

    Easy and tasty weeknight dinner. I increased her cooking times for the bacon and cabbage and added some pasta water to loosen up the noodles.

• Baked fish with lemon cream sauce

  • Zosia on July 30, 2023

    Much better than I expected considering I omitted the butter and used previously frozen cod. The fish exuded a lot of liquid so a nice sauce didn't form but the cream still formed a flavourful topping that clung to the fish.

  • anya_sf on October 10, 2023

    Simple and delicious. Made with fresh halibut, the sauce was nice and thick. Mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach were great on the side.

  • rochkay on November 17, 2022

    Awesome recipe. The fish fillets I used weren't the best quality (frozen and thawed), but it still came out amazing! It's also super quick to make.

  • Lsblackburn1 on May 06, 2023

    Nothing too exciting, but an easy and tasty weeknight meal. Served this with roast potatoes which was a good match because they cooked at the same time and went great with the sauce.

• Smoky pork chops

  • Zosia on July 17, 2023

    Great technique and flavour though I deglazed the pan with chicken broth rather than butter.

  • anya_sf on October 12, 2023

    The rub was delicious, but for some reason it started to burn after just a couple of minutes. Next time I will lower the heat and cook the chops slightly longer. Fortunately, nothing tasted too burnt. The chops were a little tough even though they weren't overcooked, but that's probably down to supermarket meat. Next time I would brine them. There was nothing in the pan to deglaze, so I skipped the butter.

• Mushroom quesadillas

  • Zosia on July 15, 2023

    Simple but very tasty. I kept it simple and served them with store bought salsa.

• Malaysian Hokkien mee

  • Lepa on August 17, 2023

    This is an easy and delicious dinner. My family was very enthusiastic. Warning: I used a cast iron pot and it made a huge, dried mess that is hard to scrub off.

• Vietnamese caramel pork mince

  • Lepa on September 11, 2023

    As other posters have notes, this is easy and delicious. I didn't make it spicy because we were eating with kids but we added some Sriracha at the end for adults and it was so good.

  • ezwriternc on November 28, 2023

    Mine didn’t caramelize but that may be because i added veggies to the pot before adding the pork. Good flavor but very similar to the stir fry. Have to do it again without improvising.

  • lou_weez on April 11, 2023

    Delicious!! I have made this numerous times and now I double the recipe and freeze the leftovers in individual portions.

  • anya_sf on September 01, 2023

    Incredibly quick and easy and so good. For a vegetable, I charred a pound of green beans in the wok, removed them before cooking the pork, then stirred them in at the end.

  • rochkay on November 17, 2022

    Wow, this was tasty and SO EASY to make. Even though the fish sauce smells fishy at the beginning, it caramelizes really well with the brown sugar!

• Butter chicken

  • Lepa on April 12, 2023

    This was really easy and just delicious. It was the first recipe I've tried from this book so we are off to a very good start.

  • Logan92995 on October 26, 2023

    This was unbelievably good and very easy to make. Ended up marinating it for 24 hours and I think that was the good move. Served with rice and naan.

• Easy everyday chicken stir-fry

  • e_ballad on October 30, 2022

    Quick, easy, tasty. Win, win, win.

  • anya_sf on August 20, 2023

    I cooked triple the amounts of chicken and vegetables (napa cabbage, carrots, celery, and green onions), using 1 tsp baking soda to tenderize the chicken, and double the sauce. With the large volume of ingredients, I stir-fried the vegetables in batches first, removing them to a plate, then proceeded with the onion, chicken, and garlic, then added the sauce and let it thicken before stirring the cooked vegetables back in. This worked well, although the watery cabbage diluted the sauce somewhat. Great, easy meal, the sauce was really tasty, and the chicken was indeed tender.

• Chinese fried rice

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    Great Chinese fried rice recipe. This will be my go to from now on.

  • Melyinoz on November 20, 2022

    Reliable recipe that I have made many times. I also add fresh ginger.

  • anya_sf on December 03, 2023

    I doubled the rice, sauce, and vegetables, but not the meat or eggs. Didn't have green onions. Cooked the eggs separately due to the large volume of food in the wok. Really good flavor, although the white pepper (freshly ground) was a bit strong. Will definitely repeat.

• Bizarrely good wings

  • ezwriternc on October 08, 2023

    This was just ok. For the amount of effort, spices and cheese, they should have been excellent. My friend said this did not take me to flavor town. I agree.

  • tbocly on June 17, 2023

    We loved these. Nice to have a different wing recipe from our usual buffalo style. We love crispy baked wings so I cooked them longer than specified and skipped the rack. Make sure to use finely grated parmesan and add to wings while they are very hot. I waited 5 minutes for other items to finish and the cheese didn't cling properly. My peppers were not hot so next time I made add hot sauce.

• White rice

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    Yes! My rice came out perfect!

• Pork carnitas

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    Honestly I didn’t have the orange juice so I added fresh pineapple, lime and lemon juice. The pork came out great. And I put it in the slow cooked half frozen and it worked! Fell apart beautifully and soaked up all the flavor of the sauce. I didn’t have time to carmelize the pork but it was still very good.

• Lime crema

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    Very tasty.

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    Use this all the time for all sorts of recipes - easy and great

• Chicken tinga tacos

  • ezwriternc on July 03, 2023

    This was great. A lot of sauce but it does cook down. It was a winner. I made make your own nachos and used this for one of the meas. Definitely a keeper for Mexican night.

• Chicken breast - poach it

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    A super handy recipe to have around whenever you need chicken for something

  • anya_sf on November 06, 2023

    Method worked perfectly for an 8 oz chicken breast, left in the water 30 min. I didn't measure the water, just filled the pot.

  • Starjay on April 03, 2023

    This is a fabulous cooking technique. I now use this technique weekly to poach chicken ahead of time for use in sandwiches, salads, pastas, anything really. It freezes well too. And it is SO easy, you truly can’t go wrong.

• Creamy Tuscan chicken pasta bake

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    I thought this was pretty good. It was more effort than most of the very simple recipes in the cookbook, and I made a huge mess cooking, but it resulted in a lot of leftovers we were eating for a good week afterwards.

• Beef biryani

  • lizbot2000 on June 25, 2023

    This was really excellent. One of the better recipes in the cookbook, which is probably my most-used cookbook. The yogurt is absolutely necessary and makes this great. I usually make extra green beans in a cast iron skillet without the sauce from the ground pork and green bean noodle recipe later in the cookbook. Those end up tasting great with this.

  • anya_sf on August 26, 2023

    Very good and not difficult or very time-consuming to prepare. I used regular canned beef broth (what I had on hand) for the rice and cut the salt in half. Only used 1/4 tsp cayenne so it wouldn't be too spicy. As lizbot2000 says, the yogurt is a must, and I'd make slightly more next time. I'd also use more fried shallots.

  • vegabond2016 on November 11, 2023

    Like other reviewer's have said, the mint yoghurt takes this dish over the top - don't skip it! I made my own crispy shallots based on a recipe by Downshiftology. I was a bit skeptical at first because ground beef is not traditionally used in biryani that I know of, but I ended up loving it and will make again.

• Steak fajitas

  • averythingcooks on September 08, 2023

    A 12 oz piece of flank steak was the perfect amount for fajitas for 2. This citrusy,spicy marinade was great and we enjoyed our fajitas with lots of toppings including a lime chipotle Mexican crema from Magnolia Table V2.

• Italian dressing

  • averythingcooks on July 27, 2023

    This was good over some mixed greens (and T, who prefers Italian dressing, really liked it) but I wonder how it would taste if I could get a better quality red wine vinegar here...to my palate, the one I typically have on hand is pretty "sharp/harsh".

  • anya_sf on June 01, 2023

    Tasty dressing, definitely has that Italian-American (Italian-Australian?) restaurant vibe.

• Naan

  • averythingcooks on July 26, 2023

    I used all purpose flour (as Canadian AP protein content is very close to bread flour) and used the make ahead tip of refrigerating the dough for around 4 hours after the 1st rise. It didn't really collapse in the fridge (as she says it would) but no matter because these were lovely...this time used to dip into a saucy, "curry-like" dish. I've made others with yogurt that we loved but these certainly rank among the best naan I've made.

• Crunchy baked chicken tenders

  • averythingcooks on September 09, 2023

    I used 2 boneless skinless breasts cut into around 5 "fingers" each. Oven toasting the panko 1st is a good (and quick) trick which did contribute to crispy fingers. The egg/liquid part of the breading is also a bit different as it includes mayo & flour with the usual stuff like Dijon and S&P. Garlic and maybe an herb like oregano or parsley would also be good. These might take over as the "repeat for sure" chicken finger recipe.

• Chorizo potato stew-soup

  • averythingcooks on August 15, 2023

    I used a mix of cured sausages (chorizo & a milder but very flavourful Csabai) and used a bit less than called for, making up the volume with cauliflower florets & chopped spinach. I also finely chopped the fresh rosemary before adding it as we are not fans of the texture of full leaves. This simple (but very tasty) dish came together quickly but then it did seem to take me much longer than she suggests to ensure tender potatoes. We both agree that this is a great dinner bowl worth repeating.

  • MeganMason on December 11, 2022

    Used butcher beef sausages. Added tinned beans. Really good.

• French sausage and bean casserole

  • averythingcooks on August 07, 2023

    I used diced pancetta in place of the speck and used Oktoberfest sausages that I eventually cut into smaller chunks to brown/crisp more surface area. With sausages, aromatics, carrots, tomatoes & beans cooking in a wine based, herby sauce and finished with a crispy panko/herb topping, you really can't go wrong. Mine certainly wasn't as pretty as the picture in the book (but still pretty delicious) and next time I might steal an idea from another recipe I make and "hasselback" the sausages.

  • anya_sf on November 08, 2023

    I used ventreche (left over from an actual cassoulet recipe) in place of speck, and 1 lb smaller sausages. My beans were Great Northern and Jacob's Cattle. I also added about 8 oz frozen chopped spinach with the liquid as we like more greens. Perhaps because of that, the topping never really got crispy, even under the broiler. Still, this was very well received by my family and I'd definitely make it again.

• Pad see ew

  • Melyinoz on November 20, 2022

    This is a really enjoyable noodle dish, and I make this quite frequently. I add extra Asian greens.

• Apple crumble

  • anya_sf on October 09, 2023

    I used honeycrisp apples, so used half the sugar in the filling per the headnote; sweetness was just right. Maybe my oven was cool, but the crumble took 10 extra minutes to bake, and even then didn't get super brown and the apples were al dente. Most crisps bake at a higher temperature and I'd consider upping the temp next time. That said, my son said this was his absolute favorite crisp because the apples were less cooked and tasted fresher. I love that the topping uses melted butter, so it's super easy to mix; 3/4 topping was just enough to cover the apples.

• Simple strawberries and cream

  • anya_sf on July 25, 2023

    Simple, delicious dessert, elevated by the syrup and almonds. We assembled our own desserts, just spooning the whipped cream, and had leftover cream and syrup. If making for company and piping the cream, I'd try the mascarpone variation.

• Everyday salad dressing

  • anya_sf on June 05, 2023

    I didn't actually need this recipe as it's what I usually make, varying the vinegar as desired, but I appreciate that Nagi provided this.

• Lemon dressing

  • anya_sf on July 20, 2023

    Basically the same as the everyday dressing, but with lemon juice instead of vinegar. The lemon zest is a nice touch. Very nice, versatile dressing.

• Mediterranean dressing

  • anya_sf on August 22, 2023

    Another nice variation on a basic vinaigrette. Especially good if you add feta to your salad.

• Asian sesame dressing

  • anya_sf on June 02, 2023

    Simple, tasty dressing. Very good with steamed broccoli.

• Easy crusty artisan bread

  • anya_sf on October 15, 2023

    Like all no-knead breads, this was very easy to make and turned out crusty and delicious. Unlike some, this can be done in one afternoon. I found it easier to fold the dough before flouring the top (so the folds would stick), then flouring before flipping and shaping. My loaf needed an extra 5 minutes to bake.

• Beef enchiladas

  • anya_sf on September 04, 2023

    I tasted the sauce and thought it was too tomatoey, so I added 1 tsp ancho chile powder, which helped steer the flavor in the expected direction. It surprised me that the only chile called for is cayenne; maybe other chile powders aren't common in Australia? I stretched the filling for 10 tortillas (the whole package). Overall, my family enjoyed this, and I especially liked the beans mixed into the filling.

  • Gigiblue on May 07, 2023

    Kids liked this a lot. Adults did not find it very flavorful.

• Thai chicken satay skewers

  • anya_sf on June 17, 2023

    So good! I cooked 1.75 lb chicken and there was sufficient marinade. The chicken was pretty flavorful on its own, but the sauce was fantastic. It took 10-15 min to simmer to the right consistency. As Nagi says, there's way more sauce than needed, so I'm glad it's freezable.

  • lean1 on June 18, 2023

    I could drink this sauce it is so good. Will use it in salads and on noodles and leftover chicken as well.

• Guacamole

  • anya_sf on October 19, 2023

    I didn't quite achieve paste consistency (the red onion and jalapeno were hard to break down), but the method still worked to evenly distribute the flavors throughout the guacamole. Excellent!

  • rhb on October 09, 2023

    Substituted lime pickled onions for fresh. Great guac.

• Our secret family quick ramen

  • anya_sf on November 11, 2023

    Super delicious, but we wanted more broth. The broth's flavor was quite concentrated (in a good way), so I might try simply increasing the amount of chicken broth. Supermarket ground pork seemed fatty enough. We used all the toppings plus blanched baby bok choy. Serving size was satisfying without being a gut bomb. Will make again soon.

• Tachin

  • anya_sf on July 20, 2023

    Not having made anything like this before, I appreciated the clear, straightforward instructions. This was good, but we thought it needed extra salt. Don't skip the yogurt sauce. Salad was good on the side; roasted vegetables would also be nice. I'd say it serves 4-6, rather than 6-8, unless there are a lot of sides.

• Pad Thai

  • anya_sf on October 11, 2023

    I doubled the recipe, so removed the onion/chicken before adding the eggs, removed the eggs before adding the noodles/sprouts/tofu/sauce (actually had to wash the wok because the eggs stuck a lot), then added those back after simmering the sauce. That method worked OK, but the sauce maybe didn't caramelize like it would have, and the noodles got a little mushy - but that could also be the noodles I used (Thai Kitchen brown rice noodles), which softened faster than the package stated. Flavor was absolutely spot on with the additional lime. Next time I'll try cooking 2 separate batches.

• My forever spaghetti Bolognese

  • anya_sf on June 01, 2023

    Very good version of this dish. I used 2 tsp lower sodium beef Better than Bouillon instead of cubes. Simmered 45 min, the sauce had good flavor, which I believe would improve with the "slow-cook" option (2 hrs simmering). I thought there was enough sauce for a full pound of pasta, but that's personal preference (we also usually eat slightly larger portions).

• One-tray Moroccan baked chicken with chickpeas

  • anya_sf on September 20, 2023

    Marinated 7 hours, the chicken was fairly flavorful. The fennel was still a little hard at the end - maybe because it was on top of the chickpeas - so I moved it to another tray to roast an extra 5 minutes while the chicken rested. The tray juices had mostly evaporated, but everything was quite flavorful, although needing an extra sprinkling of salt. We enjoyed this with sauteed spinach for even more veg.

• Italian beef rice pilaf

  • anya_sf on June 09, 2023

    Easy and good in a comforting way. We needed soft-textured food (due to dental work) and this fit the bill. My crushed tomatoes had basil, which provided extra flavor. I recommend adding other dried or fresh herbs to your taste.

  • Logan92995 on September 28, 2023

    I liked this! It was nice and easy to put together and cook, and made a lot of food (About 5 servings for my single person household). My one complaint however is that there's not really any taste semblance to Italian Beef. It still tasted good, just not like Italian beef

• Sticky chicken drumsticks

  • anya_sf on May 31, 2023

    I just made the chicken (8 drumsticks, about 2.5 lbs), not the corn. Baked for the stated time, although I think the chicken may have been done 10 min sooner (but didn't suffer from the extra time). Definitely line the pan as directed as that sauce was super sticky. My family really liked the chicken.

• Teriyaki beef bowls

  • anya_sf on June 02, 2023

    Super quick and easy. I used ground chicken, but beef (or even turkey) would probably have been more flavorful. We topped ours with furikake and sriracha, served over rice. The recommended steamed vegetables (I used broccoli) with Asian sesame dressing was a nice side.

  • Logan92995 on October 18, 2023

    I thought this was decent, but nothing spectacular. Its quality lies in it quickness to make; Otherwise, nothing about this particularly stands out. My one gripe with this dish, however, is that you have to seemingly be careful how you cook the veggies, as for some reason, they were kind of slimy texture in my dish.

• Thai beef salad

  • Kinhawaii on July 04, 2023

    Good use for leftover steak from Cook’s Country Japanese steakhouse dinner. Dressing nicely cuts thru the fat. Added some Thai basil too.

• Lemon cheesecake

  • Kinhawaii on December 03, 2023

    Nice, liked the curd on top, used Maria cookies. I poured the curd on at first a little too quickly, so it pushed the soft cheesecake down in the center. I think I prefer Cook’s Illustrated’s version but this was nice because it wasn’t a ton of cheesecake. It’s easier to cut this into smaller portions.

• Easy flatbread

  • rochkay on November 19, 2022

    This recipe lives up to its name, it was SUPER easy and tasty too. Great for whipping up as a side to a curry. We ate it with the Greek Gyros recipe.

• Ginger dressing

  • hbakke on November 15, 2023

    Great, flavorful dressing. I used this as a dressing for a soba noodle salad with carrots, cucumber, scallion, and cilantro that I served alongside this books Miso-glazed eggplant recipe.

• Creamy chicken and mushroom fettuccine

  • jimandtammyfaye on April 26, 2023

    Delicious and easy. Prepped chicken and mushrooms ahead of time and made sauce/ boiled pasta just before serving. Even though chicken to pasta proportions were perfectly balanced, next time I'll increase chicken and mushrooms a bit to decrease carbs per serving.

• Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta salad

  • Misha27 on May 19, 2023

    This was delicious. Made it fir a potluck work event, but omitted the olives.

• Magic baked chicken fried rice

  • rhb on September 25, 2023

    Pretty easy and pretty good. I used a ceramic-coated cast iron pan and it worked perfectly. I did not like the bacon and chicken combo much. I will definitely try this again but I will try Spam next time. I greased the pan very lightly with refined coconut oil and the chicken pieces were a bit larger than 1/2 inch and they cooked fine.

• Pico de gallo

  • rhb on October 09, 2023

    Substituted lime pickled onions for fresh. Great salsa.

• Nachos of your dreams

  • rhb on October 09, 2023

    Flavors were great, however, these are not nachos. This is more like a tortilla casserole. We used sturdy chips (Mi Nina) and they got totally soggy. We will definitely make this again and will increase the Nachos Seasoning by 50%. We loved this as is (like a casserole) but will also try again as nachos by baking chips with grated cheese and then serving with everything else separately to scoop on the chips.. We did make the Nacho Cheese Sauce, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo from the book and all were great.

• Ultra-crispy slow-roasted pork belly

  • rhb on December 04, 2022

    Turned out great.

• Chilli con carne

  • Logan92995 on October 09, 2023

    This was awesome and delicious -- can find nothing to complain about. I heeded the author's note and actually slow cooked this for the suggested 2 hours, which I think really brought out the flavors. Suggested amount of Cayenne was also the ideal amount. It was a lil hot, but nothing overbearing. Served in a bowl with shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, sour cream, and some crushed tortilla chips. Would recommend!