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Smart Cooking for Busy People: How to Make Healthy and Tasty Full Meals in 30 Minutes
Cooking healthy and tasty meals has never been easier - or faster!
Do you resent weeknight cooking because it depletes too much of your scarce down time? Do you think of it as a drudgery that must be endured for health’s and wallet’s sake?
Now imagine there was a way to cook dinner in 30 minutes - and still make healthy meals that your family will love. Imagine what it would be like to never worry about what to make for dinner, because you'll know you can generate a great idea for a meal at any time and execute it on the go!
"Smart Cooking for Busy People" will turn that imagined world into your reality by helping you cook better and faster, in only 3 clever tricks and 11 easy steps. (And when you cook smarter, you’ll be able to dedicate a much bigger part of your weeknights to other more important - or fun - pursuits).
"Smart Cooking for Busy People" will arm you with crucial knowledge and an assortment of detailed recipes and directions for healthy fast meals.
˃˃˃ Whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian, low-carber or a paleo adept, you’ll find in this book multi-course quick meals including:
- appetizers such as bruschetta, tomato soup and Greek salad,
- main dishes such as baked salmon, roasted tofu with green beans and chicken stir fry,
- healthy sides dishes, such as buckwheat, quinoa and steamed potatoes, and
- a few yummy low-calorie desserts.
All health and nutrition information in this book is grounded in recent studies on the effects of different foods on health, referenced and annotated for your convenience at the end of the book.
To sum up, if you enjoy good food (think Mediterranean diet meets healthy Asian cuisines), and if you like the idea of preparing it super fast, then check out this cookbook for busy people!
Do you resent weeknight cooking because it depletes too much of your scarce down time? Do you think of it as a drudgery that must be endured for health’s and wallet’s sake?
Now imagine there was a way to cook dinner in 30 minutes - and still make healthy meals that your family will love. Imagine what it would be like to never worry about what to make for dinner, because you'll know you can generate a great idea for a meal at any time and execute it on the go!
"Smart Cooking for Busy People" will turn that imagined world into your reality by helping you cook better and faster, in only 3 clever tricks and 11 easy steps. (And when you cook smarter, you’ll be able to dedicate a much bigger part of your weeknights to other more important - or fun - pursuits).
"Smart Cooking for Busy People" will arm you with crucial knowledge and an assortment of detailed recipes and directions for healthy fast meals.
˃˃˃ Whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian, low-carber or a paleo adept, you’ll find in this book multi-course quick meals including:
- appetizers such as bruschetta, tomato soup and Greek salad,
- main dishes such as baked salmon, roasted tofu with green beans and chicken stir fry,
- healthy sides dishes, such as buckwheat, quinoa and steamed potatoes, and
- a few yummy low-calorie desserts.
All health and nutrition information in this book is grounded in recent studies on the effects of different foods on health, referenced and annotated for your convenience at the end of the book.
To sum up, if you enjoy good food (think Mediterranean diet meets healthy Asian cuisines), and if you like the idea of preparing it super fast, then check out this cookbook for busy people!
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2013
170 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Beck
8 books9 followersAlexandra Beck is a young(ish) mom with a demanding full-time job, which means that multitasking has become her second nature. She is a social scientist trained in observation, data mining and analysis. Alexandra is also a health-conscious foodie ... who resents spending too much time in the kitchen, because there's only that much free time in a busy person's day. To reconcile her contradictions, Alexandra's approach is to increase cooking productivity through learning, experimentation and innovation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 22, 2015
I grabbed this book while it was free on Amazon, and I'm glad I did. While it's geared more towards beginning cooks, there are a few recipes that look yummy, and it's loaded with tips for more efficient cooking.
There are not many pictures and it's a fairly straightforward, quick read. But what I especially liked about it is that the author includes what she deems kitchen musts in both food and utensils. Again, these things really are most helpful for beginners, as anyone who's spent years cooking probably already has most of them. The items are basic, and I agree with her, must haves for any kitchen.
3.5 stars
As of today, it's still free on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Cooking-B...
September 4, 2019
This would be a good book for young people who have never cooked for themselves. The first quarter of the book is about nutrition, kitchen gear, food shopping tips and basic cooking tips that anyone who has been cooking regularly for at least 10 years will know. The next quarter is "practicing cooking". ??? The actual go from 51% to 81% of the book. There are a lot of seafood dishes. I guess because seafood cooks fast. There was a recipe for mixed green salad. The ingredients included Oakleaf or Butterhead lettuce, red bell pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Wow! SMDH. Chapter 4 was about nutrition, vitamins and essential nutrients in the foods chosen for this book.
Unless you are totally clueless about cooking, do not spend good money on this book.
Unless you are totally clueless about cooking, do not spend good money on this book.
May 26, 2019
Dont make the assumption I did..
Its NOT a cookbook at ALL.... This book is all about timing recipes to be done at once, with very little recipes taboot and the ones listed are not thrilling at all. Most look like complete bland tasteless fails thrown together to make a book. Waste of the authors time, money and effort writing an mines downloading reading it. Honestly, it deserves no stars..
Its NOT a cookbook at ALL.... This book is all about timing recipes to be done at once, with very little recipes taboot and the ones listed are not thrilling at all. Most look like complete bland tasteless fails thrown together to make a book. Waste of the authors time, money and effort writing an mines downloading reading it. Honestly, it deserves no stars..
November 14, 2021
Good book. I love books which tell you how to organise yourself to save time. This one is about planning out your recipes and organising the prep, to save you time. Even more time could be saved by using a pressure cooker or even the old slow cooker! Some good recipes, have already tried out a few and liked them. Not a book to set cookery world on fire, (no pun intended), but it certainly marshals your thoughts on how to save time in the kitchen.
February 20, 2017
A simple introduction in how to save time while cooking, some obvious but useful tips followed by recipes. The photos are a little unprofessional and made the food look slightly unappetising... and it's worth adding to the 'raw salmon' recipes that it's safely done with the freshest fish caught that day, not from stores.
April 30, 2020
This book was written for a novice cook at best. The recipes are extremely simple and bland, and the author spends too much time explaining very basic concepts of cooking.
Having said that, if you’re just learning to cook and need help with the basics (ex: how to manage your time in the kitchen, or how to boil water) this book may be for you.
Having said that, if you’re just learning to cook and need help with the basics (ex: how to manage your time in the kitchen, or how to boil water) this book may be for you.
July 27, 2023
Nice
Has nice review of techniques, recipes and at end noticed a list of why they included the ingredients, it even included sources of studies done with various meats, fruits, vegetables and spices and their benefits. Nicely done!
Has nice review of techniques, recipes and at end noticed a list of why they included the ingredients, it even included sources of studies done with various meats, fruits, vegetables and spices and their benefits. Nicely done!
March 10, 2017
Get past some of the ridiculous opinions and the meal planning and recipes are good.
July 22, 2013
When I first started this book I felt my lip start to curl in annoyance. The author is here to teach us what is healthy to eat, point out how many other cookery books have been found factually and statistically wrong, etc etc. Now as someone who has a good idea of what is a balanced meal and has been cooking since I've been old enough to fill a pan and boil hot dogs (i.e., since I was about 3), I found a lot of the early parts of this book a bit annoying. It really does have a lot of hand holding in it. The author details how to stock a pantry, what cookware you should have and starts the actual recipes with exercises, pointing out how best to maximize time when in a hurry, etc. Just as an advertising exec is rarely swayed by other people's commercials, I found myself zoning out with the exercises.
Do not get me wrong, there are a number of good recipes in this book and the end of the book reviews the health benefits of many of the ingredients and gives good footnoting. However, you better have a love for quinoa, cause there is a lot of it in this cookbook. Some will like this book and find it very helpful.
Do not get me wrong, there are a number of good recipes in this book and the end of the book reviews the health benefits of many of the ingredients and gives good footnoting. However, you better have a love for quinoa, cause there is a lot of it in this cookbook. Some will like this book and find it very helpful.
September 8, 2013
Glad I got this for free and did not pay for it. Not sure what made it so special, was hoping fro some quick recipes I could mix and match and some new tips, but was very basic and the recipes were for meals so the mix and match option is harder and will spend more time getting each individual recipe out then it's worth. As for the steps to make fast meals - reduce cook time - works for veggies, but not chicken or other meats, and cut, slice, etc while other food is boiling, steaming or baking and baking one item while you steam/boil another is pretty common way to do things - nothing revolutionary there (unless author and her family regularly eats main course and side dishes at separate times because she cooked one after the other, nothing new to performing multiple tasks at the same time to get a meal o the table). Don't waste your money on this book, plenty of other high quality cookbooks out there that gives you more individual recipes and are easier to mix and match and not have to make the meals as listed in this book.
November 11, 2014
I read Smart Cooking, in exchange for honest review. The book focuses on quick, healthy cooking. I love quick foods since I don't have to slave over a hot meal too long. It is hard enough cooking with my oldest "helping" out in the kitchen, without spending hours in there.
Some things I liked in the book include:
1. A list of ingredients, which reduces cooking times
2. A list of kitchen tools and gadgets, which helps reduce cooking times
3. Choosing boneless meats over bones (which I love).
4. Buy grains instant and quick. (which I love too. Go instant rice).
5. Steam veggies
The book was a quick read and i will hopefully apply a few techniques to my next cooking day.
Some things I liked in the book include:
1. A list of ingredients, which reduces cooking times
2. A list of kitchen tools and gadgets, which helps reduce cooking times
3. Choosing boneless meats over bones (which I love).
4. Buy grains instant and quick. (which I love too. Go instant rice).
5. Steam veggies
The book was a quick read and i will hopefully apply a few techniques to my next cooking day.
March 9, 2016
Solid advice & delicious fare
This book provides good tips on nutrition and meal preparation. It is a worthwhile read. The only critique is that the ingredients are, in some case, esoteric. Living in a small, somewhat isolated community, I find that some of these ingredients are difficult to obtain. Although time is saved when following cooking directions, I would have to travel an hour to get some of these ingredients. For instance, my local store doesn't offer lemon grass and similar fresh herbs and spices. Items like couscous, quinoa, and fresh salmon are likewise not available. Of course, this is more of a personal problem and less of a detractor of the book so I can recommend Beck's book for its nutrition facts and enjoyable recipes.
This book provides good tips on nutrition and meal preparation. It is a worthwhile read. The only critique is that the ingredients are, in some case, esoteric. Living in a small, somewhat isolated community, I find that some of these ingredients are difficult to obtain. Although time is saved when following cooking directions, I would have to travel an hour to get some of these ingredients. For instance, my local store doesn't offer lemon grass and similar fresh herbs and spices. Items like couscous, quinoa, and fresh salmon are likewise not available. Of course, this is more of a personal problem and less of a detractor of the book so I can recommend Beck's book for its nutrition facts and enjoyable recipes.
February 16, 2016
Interesting approach
There are good ideas in this book and although the concept of cooking a meal within a 30 minute timeframe is pretty limiting, the concepts covered makes sense even without that goal. Multitasking in the kitchen is a must regardless of whether you are looking for a 30 minute meal or just spending time in the kitchen. This is taking healthy cooking to another level, moderation is ok, if you want to go that extra mile, go ahead and add an extra star. I would have liked a few links to the internet grocers she refers to, but that's what bing is for I guess...
There are good ideas in this book and although the concept of cooking a meal within a 30 minute timeframe is pretty limiting, the concepts covered makes sense even without that goal. Multitasking in the kitchen is a must regardless of whether you are looking for a 30 minute meal or just spending time in the kitchen. This is taking healthy cooking to another level, moderation is ok, if you want to go that extra mile, go ahead and add an extra star. I would have liked a few links to the internet grocers she refers to, but that's what bing is for I guess...
November 5, 2020
Reference
This is a very basic book for simple wholesome food and a step by step guide for how to use time while items cook to prepare other dishes to make dinner in 30 minutes. There is an excellent chapter on ingredients, how each contributes to your health and other good tips. A good reference just for the ingredients chapter.
This is a very basic book for simple wholesome food and a step by step guide for how to use time while items cook to prepare other dishes to make dinner in 30 minutes. There is an excellent chapter on ingredients, how each contributes to your health and other good tips. A good reference just for the ingredients chapter.
February 15, 2016
Very helpful
This recipe book is really an instruction manual on a new way to prepare meals. Even if you never get to the ideal of making your meals in thirty minutes it has great ideas for healthier, easier and quicker ways to prepare foods. There is also great information about the health benefits of different foods and spices. I will be coming back to this book a lot.
This recipe book is really an instruction manual on a new way to prepare meals. Even if you never get to the ideal of making your meals in thirty minutes it has great ideas for healthier, easier and quicker ways to prepare foods. There is also great information about the health benefits of different foods and spices. I will be coming back to this book a lot.
July 6, 2013
If you're like me, busy and not always organised, then this is a ideal book to make you think about your next shopping trip. Great tips on how to plan prepare and present meals for the family quickly and packed full of taste and nutrition!!
February 10, 2016
For the newer cook or one wanting to improve.
I have been cooking for over 60 years and still picked up a few ideas. I especially liked all the healthy food information at the end. Love that Tom Kha Gai but usually have it with chicken and Atlanta. Yum!
I have been cooking for over 60 years and still picked up a few ideas. I especially liked all the healthy food information at the end. Love that Tom Kha Gai but usually have it with chicken and Atlanta. Yum!
February 20, 2016
If you could give no stars
This book is for no one. The " recipes" are ridiculous. Even someone with no cooking experience would gain NOTHING. I hope I didn't pay for this. A meal of sauteed mushrooms? Really?
This book is for no one. The " recipes" are ridiculous. Even someone with no cooking experience would gain NOTHING. I hope I didn't pay for this. A meal of sauteed mushrooms? Really?
September 25, 2013
busy does not mean completely ignorant
November 9, 2013
There is a way to cook healthful meals without breaking the bank or battling the clock. This step-by-step guide will help you get a delicious and nutritious meal on the table in no time!
November 25, 2013
Some good basics and recipes but also just a lot of common sense.
January 22, 2014
While I skimmed this book, I did bookmark some recipes that look interesting! I may go back and look through this one more carefully after grad school's over.
February 6, 2016
Hmmm!
A lot of good information but not very appealing as a cookbook. Sorry...but I like beautiful pictures of the finished recipe.
A lot of good information but not very appealing as a cookbook. Sorry...but I like beautiful pictures of the finished recipe.
February 6, 2016
Very informative
I found this book very easy to read and helpful in choosing a better diet with some really easy and tasty recipes.
I found this book very easy to read and helpful in choosing a better diet with some really easy and tasty recipes.
August 8, 2016
It was DUMB. To the order of, if you're making spaghetti and tuna for dinner, boil the water for the noodles first, don't open the can of tuna first.
REALLY !!!!
REALLY !!!!
March 22, 2016
Great book
It was very well put together. The recipes were unique, contained high nutritional value, simple to prepare.with easy instructions Highly recommend.
It was very well put together. The recipes were unique, contained high nutritional value, simple to prepare.with easy instructions Highly recommend.
March 30, 2016
Worst cookbook
This has to be the most worthless cookbook I have ever seen. Too bad I didn't try a sample before purchasing.
This has to be the most worthless cookbook I have ever seen. Too bad I didn't try a sample before purchasing.
August 13, 2016
Great book.
Alexandra really gives you the tools to simplifying your cooking experience and still making a delicious healthy meal. To top that, she is also very funny.
Alexandra really gives you the tools to simplifying your cooking experience and still making a delicious healthy meal. To top that, she is also very funny.
November 18, 2016
A great book if you are new to cooking or multi tasking
March 22, 2018
I enjoyed this book and look forward to trying the recipes in it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews