Anyone who has heard of Rachael Ray knows about her famous “30-Minute Meals” show on Food Network. It’s the last word in “convenience cooking,” featuring dishes and meals that are easy to cook, nutritious, and take only 30 minutes or less to prepare. Traditional dishes that normally take hours to prepare are given a makeover so that they cook faster but are still full of flavor. Rachael Ray also has 30-Minute Meals cookbooks for people who have little time to spare in the kitchen.
With her highly successful “30 Minute Meals” cooking show, it’s only natural for Rachael Ray to come up with a number of cookbooks featuring her popular meals and dishes. The Rachael Ray cookbook selection is extensive, of which “365 No Repeats” and “30 Minute Meals” are the biggest bestsellers. After all, who wouldn’t want to learn how to cook a meal in just 30 minutes?
Rachael Ray’s cookbook recipes are simple and easy to follow. That’s because she’s a down-to-earth cook. In fact, she doesn’t call herself a chef, never having gone to chef school. This could be the reason why she can connect with home cooks and would-be cooks. If Rachael can do it, so can you.
The ingredients in her recipes are kept to a minimum, and ingredients can be repeated in various recipes. She also avoids exotic and expensive ingredients. The recipes in Rachael Ray’s cookbooks are made for the everyday cook who wants to prepare something healthy, delicious and quick.
How to cook in 30 minutes or less
Rachael Ray shows how you can cook a meal in 30 minutes or less. One of the first things you learn on her show is to have things prepared in advance. You must also be creative. Even leftovers can be transformed into a delicious meal.
A great dish starts with the freshest and best ingredients. While some ingredients are available only at specialty markets, most of what you need can be found at the local grocery store. Just be sure to have plenty of EVOO, or extra virgin olive oil, on hand. And before putting them away, wash the fruits and vegetables so they’ll be ready when it’s time to cook.
To cook those Rachael Ray 30 minute meals, have all the ingredients and kitchen utensils within reach when you need them. Make a list of everything you need and keep them at the counter. Take note of how Rachael Ray keeps everything organized, including her pots and pans, knives, and other utensils.
Here’s a rundown of some of Rachael’s popular cookbooks:
Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals
If you love Rachael’s cooking show you’ll love her 30-Minute Meals Cookbook even more. There are recipes for healthy yet delightful dishes using basic ingredients that you can whip up in no time at all. You’ll find various recipes for pasta, salads and main courses. There are also kid-friendly meals such as pizza, burgers, meatballs and sandwiches. Her cookbook also includes Tex-Mex and Asian look-alike dishes. She doesn’t overlook comfort foods either. There are a number of recipes for soups, casseroles, sauces and chilis.
What makes Rachael’s cooking show and cookbook such a huge success is that she makes cooking look easy and fun. And the fact that her meals are simply “delish” doesn’t hurt either. In these times of fast foods and take-out meals, a home-cooked dinner is a welcome treat. With Rachael Ray’s 30 minute meals, you don’t have to spend an entire day in the kitchen to prepare a healthy and appetizing meal.
This is the first in her series of cookbooks featuring 30-minute meal recipes. Published in 1999, the cookbook includes simple recipes for pasta dishes, burgers, pizza, salads, soups, casseroles and many more.
Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals 2
This is a take-off from her first cookbook and features complete meals including side dishes and easy desserts. The recipes use ingredients that you normally have on hand. The cookbook is broken into 7 sections so it’s easy to find the ideal recipe for any occasion. You will find recipes for pizza, sloppy joes, sandwiches, burgers, casseroles, pork chops, lasagna, potato salad, lamb chops, green bean salad, risotto, quesadillas and hundreds more.
Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book
The Big Orange Book is Rachael Ray’s biggest cookbook collection of 30-minute meals, meals for one, kosher meals, holiday favorites, veggie dinners and many more. Busy cooks who want a satisfying meal on the table without any hassle have a wide selection of recipes to choose from. Whether you’re preparing for one or one dozen, there’s a great meal that’s just right for you.
Vegetarians will not feel left out. There’s a section containing dozens of meat-free meals. Kosher menus are also covered in the cookbook. For burger fans, there are different recipes that you can try out every day.
The recipes in Rachael Ray’s cookbook are full of flavor, easy to prepare and easy on the budget. They’re her treasured family recipes and they will become yours too.
