Notes about Recipes in this book

• Olive oil-poached salmon

  • mharriman on November 17, 2021

    This recipe produces a mild flavored salmon that was surprisingly moist but not oily. I poached the salmon as instructed and refrigerated it in the oil for two days before serving and it was still fresh and moist tasting. Would be a good way to cook salmon for salads or salmon cakes. The recommended lemon slices added a dimension of flavor that helped the outcome. Served with a barley and dill side dish.

• Green basil smoothie

  • mharriman on October 21, 2021

    Better than most green smoothies I’ve had. I was able to pick off the last remaining good leaves from my basil patch to make 1/4 cup. I think the basil helps stem the bitterness of the spinach. Husband thought it tasted similar to a green gazpacho. This one’s a keeper.

• Strawberry almond smoothie

  • mharriman on October 20, 2021

    Interesting version of a strawberry smoothie. The almond butter mutes the strawberry flavor which I was wanting more of. It’s a good smoothie, just not my favorite strawberry one when I want the strawberries to stand out. On the other hand, there’s a decent amount of protein in this drink.

• Coffee and spinach smoothie

  • mharriman on November 02, 2021

    I loved this smoothie! The banana and chocolate pop out ahead of the other ingredients, making this healthy but also a bit of an indulgent treat. I had to add more unsweetened almond milk to get the ingredients to liquify into a drink rather than a spooned concoction. Great drink to start the day.

• Breakfast chia seed pudding

  • mharriman on October 22, 2021

    This recipe is essentially the same as the chia seed pudding in Giada’s Feel Good Cookbook but it omits the Greek yogurt. I liked this version a lot and It was very easy to put together the night before for a quick start breakfast.

• Sesame chicken noodle soup

  • Shannoncooks17 on January 19, 2022

    This was great! Added mushrooms from R & R Cultivation in Roseville which made it even better. Added more soy sauce and toasted sesame oil once it was done to add a little more flavor. Used an 8oz package of baby spinach due to our store not having bok choy. Will make again!

• White bean and escarole soup

  • meggie_7luh3w on April 16, 2026

    I had this for lunch all week and it was great!! So easy and quick to make and a nice filling and satisfying lunch!

• Steamed cod with coconut broth

  • ginger2212 on March 07, 2022

    Wow! What a spectacular dish that is oh so healthy and flavorful. I served over basmati rice - did not feel like another side was necessary! I used two whole anchovies instead of anchovy paste. Would make again in a heartbeat - and so easy too!

  • mharriman on April 01, 2022

    Agree with ginger2212 that this recipe has a lovely flavor and is very healthy. I cut all ingredients in half for two people. Served ours with jasmine rice and a broccoli slaw. A snow pea salad or similar side would have been a better match than what I served and I’ll plan for that next time.

• Roasted cauliflower and baby kale salad

  • julesamomof2 on March 01, 2022

    This was a filling yet still light salad. Would make again.

• Steak salad with white beans and sweet shallot dressing

  • mharriman on October 21, 2021

    I halved most of the ingredients for husband and me, and we liked it enough to tag it as a repeat. I used romaine instead of escarole lettuce. We thought the fresh tarragon was the ingredient that made everything pop with extra flavor. I used New York strip steak which was thicker than the skirt steak prescribed and in the photo. Mine was rare after 4 minutes of pan grilling on each side. I put the steak back in the pan, raw meat side down, for a minute on each rare side to get the doneness I wanted (medium). Served with whole wheat rolls and Cotes du Rhône wine.

• Shrimp and endive salad

  • mharriman on October 19, 2021

    Just Okay. I liked the mustard , lemon, and olive oil dressing but it tasted too strong to me mixed with endive, jumbo shrimp, and orange sections. For my taste buds, I prefer a more neutral or citrus-based dressing with fruit in a salad- personal preference.

• Spaghetti with rosemary and lemon

  • mharriman on November 04, 2021

    For the few amount of ingredients, this spaghetti recipe is very flavorful. For two of us, I used 4 ounces of spaghetti, 1/2 cup of grated pecorino Romano, and 1/8 cup olive oil but kept the rosemary, garlic, and lemon amounts at full serving size. This is a very comforting pasta dish, one I will returns to either by itself or as a side. Served with Chicken Milanese in same cookbook.

  • rachel_a40gn2 on May 25, 2026

    We loved this! I doubled the lemon zest, subbed basil for rosemary, but left everything the same. It was hearty but somehow also light.

• Fusilli with pesto and green beans

  • mharriman on October 17, 2021

    A quick, tasty meal. I cut most of the ingredients down to 1/4 for one person. I added asparagus spears since I had those on hand. The pesto makes the dish. Without it, it’s pretty bland (started eating it and realized I forgot to add the pesto!).

• Amalfi lemon chicken

  • mharriman on October 19, 2021

    Very good. Husband and I really liked this lemon chicken recipe. I liked that the prep was easy ( especially compared to my ATK version) and then you just pop the pan in the oven for 40 minutes to do other meal prep things. This went well with the roasted broccoli in same cookbook. The two roast at the same temperature, which makes putting a tasty meal together a snap.

  • julesamomof2 on March 01, 2022

    This was rather boring to be honest. There are much more flavorful lemon chicken recipes out there that likely similar to this one calorie wise.

• Chicken Milanese

  • mharriman on November 04, 2021

    Tasty and came together easily. It was reminiscent of weiner schnitzel but with chicken instead of of veal. Served with spaghetti, rosemary and lemon from same cookbook which was a very good accompaniment. Made 1/2 a recipe (but with larger sized chicken breasts) and omitted the salt called for several times without any noticeable difference. I spritzed fresh lemon juice on the finished cutlets before serving which added extra flavor.

• Raffy's chicken with preserved lemons

  • mpo on May 08, 2021

    Solid dish and I added fennel to the liquid as it simmered for 25 minutes. I'd make this again.

  • mharriman on May 27, 2023

    Delicious! My husband and I loved this. I served it over brown rice. Will make again.

• Sheet pan Parmesan shrimp and veggies

  • julesamomof2 on June 12, 2022

    Easy and delicious. Skipped the panko and topped with more cheese. Will repeat.

• Beyond stuffed peppers

  • mharriman on November 09, 2021

    Hearty and filling but nothing more spectacular than that. This stuffed pepper recipe has many healthy ingredients. I wish I had made the brown rice ahead of time or had some already cooked in the freezer ready to thaw because cooking the rice delayed cooking the rest of the ingredients before the peppers went into the oven. I did use the final 20 minutes of rice cooking to prep and chop my vegetables. Other than needing an hour and a half from start to finish, this was an easy dish to put together. Comforting on a cooler Fall evening. First time using Beyond Meat. Husband and I couldn’t figure out what all the excitement is about- didn’t taste anything like beef or any meat to us.

• Grilled strip steak with scallion salsa verde

  • mharriman on May 27, 2023

    The steak was a hit. Easy to grill on the stovetop and finish in the oven while I made the sauce. The sauce is lighter in consistency and flavor than what I usually make for steak sauce recipes. We enjoyed the alternate style topping. Served with a kale salad and roasted red potatoes.

• Tenderloin filets with sweet olive tapenade

  • diane_b4d0jn on February 20, 2026

    This was actually a great recipe. I cut back on the oil cuz it was just a lot, but it was very tasty still. And it was a little different cooking the filet than what I usually do and it was wonderful too. Thank you Giada!

• Crispy roasted broccoli

  • mharriman on October 19, 2021

    Not really a recipe- more like a reminder of temperature and time needed to roast, but good to know companion side dish for Amalfi chicken recipe which is in same cookbook and roasts at same temp on lower rack. Sprinkled on Parmesan cheese before serving.

• Braised zucchini with basil

  • julesamomof2 on March 01, 2022

    This sounded good in the description but was pretty one note. The basil added a nice floral note but otherwise was nothing special.

• Banana chocolate walnut bread

  • julesamomof2 on June 13, 2022

    While I'm not going to kid myself into thinking this recipe is healthy, I do appreciate the approach and am trying to incorporate whole grains into my baking.This bread was very moist and delicious, but I did underbake it a tad so I would say listen to Giada and give it the full amount directed. I baked at 65 minutes and it was very moist but a bit crumbly.

• No-cook chocolate coconut budino

  • julesamomof2 on June 12, 2022

    Easy to whip up for a non dairy treat. Not too sweet. Only issue is it really does need to chill for at least 6 hours so need to plan ahead.