The Carefree Cook by Rick Rodgers

  • Chinese beef, bok choy, and noodle soup

    from The Carefree Cook The Carefree Cook by Rick Rodgers

    • Categories: Soups
    • Ingredients: bean thread noodles; beef sirloin steaks; shallots; fresh ginger; bok choy; dry sherry; soy sauce; chile paste with garlic
    show

  • Show all Recipes...

Notes about this book

This book does not currently have any notes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Sherried black bean and chorizo soup

    • wester on January 25, 2023

      This was a good soup, sturdy with a good and original combination of flavors. My husband said he would prefer it without the beans, which would make it very different but might be worth trying sometimes.

  • Pork chops in cream mushroom sauce

    • Rinshin on January 31, 2022

      Excellent. Because I wanted succulent and tender pork chops, I brined them for about 6 hours in sugar/salt brine. Fork tender without any hint of dryness. Used mixture of frozen mushrooms, dried porcini powder along with fresh button mushrooms and added about tsp ketchup to up the umami balance for two servings. Photo added.

    • anya_sf on September 02, 2021

      Delicious comfort food. The sauce was flavorful even with just button mushrooms (I did use the optional porcini powder). There was a lot of sauce so definitely serve this with something to soak it up, like mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

  • Roman lamb sauté with white wine and herbs

    • anya_sf on September 18, 2021

      Quick, easy, and good. Maybe I didn't brown the lamb enough (browned 3 sides rather than "all"), but the meat was still pretty rare and the sauce a bit sharp after the initial simmering time. A little more simmering fixed that.

  • Scallops with grape tomatoes and mint

    • anya_sf on July 05, 2020

      Quick, easy recipe. I used a cast iron pan to get a nice sear on the scallops. My scallops were rather small and cooked in 3 minutes. The tomato-mint sauce was tasty. The recipe says to serve this over rice, but the head note suggests orzo with parmesan and peas; we had it over risotto with parmesan and peas.

  • Shrimp, chorizo, and peas in saffron sauce

    • anya_sf on October 08, 2021

      Quick and easy, mostly pantry meal. The sauce was thinner than I wanted, so I doubled the cornstarch. To avoid overcooking (my shrimp were smaller), I didn't add the shrimp or peas until the sauce had thickened. Some thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper helped boost the flavor (I had ground saffron and skipped the toasting step).

  • Bucatini carbonara with peas

    • anya_sf on August 28, 2021

      I used bacon instead of pancetta, pecorino instead of parmesan, and omitted the red pepper flakes (but used plenty of black pepper). I also cooked 8 oz sliced mushrooms in the bacon fat, adding the garlic at the end. Although not traditional, this was a delicious variation on pasta carbonara.

  • Orzo with Parmesan and peas

    • anya_sf on April 17, 2022

      Nice, easy side dish. I used the zest of a whole lemon plus some juice to boost the lemon flavor (served this with fish).

  • Hearts of romaine with Caesar buttermilk dressing

    • anya_sf on May 12, 2020

      I chopped the romaine, rather than serving whole leaves, and tossed it with the dressing. Half the dressing was enough for 2 very large romaine hearts. I made my own croutons, which elevated this salad. Skipped the extra parmesan on top (ran out), but would use it next time. The dressing was more ranch-like than caesar-like due to the buttermilk. It was pretty good though, and certainly easy to make. Note: the recipe calls for 1 small onion, but you actually only need 1 Tbsp grated onion.

You must Create an Account or Sign In to add a note to this book.

Reviews about this book

This book does not currently have any reviews.

  • ISBN 10 0767914635
  • ISBN 13 9780767914635
  • Published Oct 14 2003
  • Format Hardcover
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Broadway Books

Publishers Text

America's palate has reached lofty levels of sophistication, but the amount of time and energy available for cooking has plummeted. With that in mind, Rick Rodgers has created a magnificent solution.

In his most comprehensive book to date, Carefree Cook replaces stress and fuss with creativity and ease. While Rodgers has included numerous quick ideas in this collection, many of his selections simmer and roast at a leisurely pace while the cook relaxes. Written in Rodger's appealing irreverent style, each of the 150 recipes here draws dazzling flavor from just a handful of ingredients.

A down-to-earth approach to fine cooking, Carefree Cook transforms a hectic kitchen into a source of bliss.

Other cookbooks by this author