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Cooking Light: 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook
For busy home cooks, getting a meal on the table in 15 minutes or less, and with few ingredients, means more time with their family and less cost on their grocery bills. The Cooking Light 5-Ingredient 15-Minute Cookbook meets those needs and delivers-with big flavor and nutritious dishes. And instead of just giving you recipes, we're giving you meals-94 in all! Each meal features a main-dish recipe and either a short recipe to go with it or suggestions for commercial side items. Plus there's a photograph of every meal! Grocery Shopping Solutions
With each meal plan, you get a grocery list of everything you need to complete the meal. Stock up on the ingredients from the Stress-Free Grocery List, and you can make one-third of the recipes in this book. No Worries
The nutrient analysis with every recipe gives you values for calories, fat, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, cholesterol, and sodium. You can use the exchange values to fit the recipes into your meal plan. All This with Only 5 Ingredients?
You'll be surprised at all the recipes you can make using only 5 ingredients: Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole, Speedy Chicken Cacciatore, Teriyaki Roast Chicken, Barbecue Pork Chops ...just to name a few. Avoid the Rush Hour
When you have only 15 minutes to get dinner on the table, try these recipes: Cajun-Style Swordfish, Fresh Tomato Pizza, Ground Beef Stroganoff, Chili Bacon Burgers, Teriyaki-Ginger Pork Tenderloin, Zesty Fettuccine and Shrimp. Added Value
Create 5 different desserts or salads from different combinations of the same 5 ingredients. Start with easy-to-make recipes in the Mix & Match chapter like Three-Bean Salad, Tex-Mex Salad, Strawberry Shortcakes, and Brownie Sundaes. Slow Down to Speed Up
Learn how to let a slow cooker do the work for you. All with 5 ingredients or less, these recipes are worth coming home to: Chili Grande, Chicken Pepper Pot, Italian Pot Roast, Glazed Turkey.
With each meal plan, you get a grocery list of everything you need to complete the meal. Stock up on the ingredients from the Stress-Free Grocery List, and you can make one-third of the recipes in this book. No Worries
The nutrient analysis with every recipe gives you values for calories, fat, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, cholesterol, and sodium. You can use the exchange values to fit the recipes into your meal plan. All This with Only 5 Ingredients?
You'll be surprised at all the recipes you can make using only 5 ingredients: Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole, Speedy Chicken Cacciatore, Teriyaki Roast Chicken, Barbecue Pork Chops ...just to name a few. Avoid the Rush Hour
When you have only 15 minutes to get dinner on the table, try these recipes: Cajun-Style Swordfish, Fresh Tomato Pizza, Ground Beef Stroganoff, Chili Bacon Burgers, Teriyaki-Ginger Pork Tenderloin, Zesty Fettuccine and Shrimp. Added Value
Create 5 different desserts or salads from different combinations of the same 5 ingredients. Start with easy-to-make recipes in the Mix & Match chapter like Three-Bean Salad, Tex-Mex Salad, Strawberry Shortcakes, and Brownie Sundaes. Slow Down to Speed Up
Learn how to let a slow cooker do the work for you. All with 5 ingredients or less, these recipes are worth coming home to: Chili Grande, Chicken Pepper Pot, Italian Pot Roast, Glazed Turkey.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Cooking Light
256 books32 followersCooking Light is an American food and lifestyle magazine founded in 1987. Each month, the magazine includes approximately 100 original recipes as well as editorial content covering food trends, fitness tips, and other culinary and health-related news.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 2, 2008
I am positively evangelical about this cookbook. I purchased it the week after I quit my job and realized that now that I was no longer working, the least I could do was learn how to cook. (Up until last year, my husband did 90% of the cooking in our household.)
The thought of putting together an entire meal and having everything come off the stove or out of the oven at the same time terrified me. (Still terrifies me given that I’m basically a klutz in the kitchen and can’t seem to follow directions in a recipe – I ALWAYS leave an ingredient out.) And then on top of it, my husband and I found out that we both have high cholesterol, even though we are not overweight and thought we had pretty healthy diets. Which is why I turned to the Cooking Light Series. 5 ingredients sounded like something I could manage and 15 minutes definitely suited me as I don’t want to be in the kitchen for hours each night.
THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE. It sounds over the top, but it’s true. First of all, it gave me the confidence to cook. With 5 ingredients and 15 minutes I was able to whip up meals that taste positively gourmet. My husband, who had laughed for nine years at my horrendous lack of culinary skills, was awed.
The second benefit was that even though I did not diet, and often had second helpings, I lost 15 pounds and dropped 35 points on my cholesterol count over a five month period JUST BY USING THIS COOKBOOK. I wasn’t what I thought was overweight to begin with, but losing 15 pounds showed me that I was carrying extra weight and not even realizing it.
One cautionary note: EVERYONE in my family lost weight, not just me, by eating all of our dinners out of this cookbook. Not necessarily good news for my two young boys who are slender to begin with. I have since read up on children’s nutritional needs and this cookbook doesn’t provide enough fat in a child’s diet, I think. So, if you are planning to cook for the whole family out of this cookbook, think about incorporating more unsaturated fat in the children’s breakfasts and lunches to offset what they are not getting at dinner.
The thought of putting together an entire meal and having everything come off the stove or out of the oven at the same time terrified me. (Still terrifies me given that I’m basically a klutz in the kitchen and can’t seem to follow directions in a recipe – I ALWAYS leave an ingredient out.) And then on top of it, my husband and I found out that we both have high cholesterol, even though we are not overweight and thought we had pretty healthy diets. Which is why I turned to the Cooking Light Series. 5 ingredients sounded like something I could manage and 15 minutes definitely suited me as I don’t want to be in the kitchen for hours each night.
THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE. It sounds over the top, but it’s true. First of all, it gave me the confidence to cook. With 5 ingredients and 15 minutes I was able to whip up meals that taste positively gourmet. My husband, who had laughed for nine years at my horrendous lack of culinary skills, was awed.
The second benefit was that even though I did not diet, and often had second helpings, I lost 15 pounds and dropped 35 points on my cholesterol count over a five month period JUST BY USING THIS COOKBOOK. I wasn’t what I thought was overweight to begin with, but losing 15 pounds showed me that I was carrying extra weight and not even realizing it.
One cautionary note: EVERYONE in my family lost weight, not just me, by eating all of our dinners out of this cookbook. Not necessarily good news for my two young boys who are slender to begin with. I have since read up on children’s nutritional needs and this cookbook doesn’t provide enough fat in a child’s diet, I think. So, if you are planning to cook for the whole family out of this cookbook, think about incorporating more unsaturated fat in the children’s breakfasts and lunches to offset what they are not getting at dinner.
August 20, 2014
I like this cookbook for when I don't have a lot of time, but still want to cook a semi-homemade meal!
One thing I like about this cookbook is how it's structured. Most cookbooks have the main meals in one section and the sides in another. This cookbook show's the main meal at the top of the page, a recommended side (and their pairings are good) at the bottom of the page, and the Grocery list for both on the left margin. They also include a full-page picture of each recipe. The format is really convenient.
They also have some great recipes. I usually write "Very Good," "Good," "OK," or "No" on recipes after I've tried them for future reference. Here are the recipes I've rated so far in this cookbook:
VERY GOOD:
- Creamy Vegetable Soup WITH Chili-Onion Drop Biscuits
- Mushroom Pizza WITH fresh veggie tray
GOOD:
Orange-Glazed Salmon WITH Steamed Snow Peas
Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp WITH Baked Wonton Crisps
Glazed Pork Chops WITH Green Beans and French rolls
Pan-Glazed Chicken with Basil WITH Broccoli Couscous
OK:
Roasted Garlic-Potato Soup WITH Romaine Salad
Mediterranean Beef Stew WITH Sun-Dried tomato bread
NO:
Fresh Tomato Pizza WITH Crunchy Radish-Cauliflower Salad
Like most cookbooks, not every recipe is a winner, but there are enough good ones in this cookbook to make it worth getting!
One thing I like about this cookbook is how it's structured. Most cookbooks have the main meals in one section and the sides in another. This cookbook show's the main meal at the top of the page, a recommended side (and their pairings are good) at the bottom of the page, and the Grocery list for both on the left margin. They also include a full-page picture of each recipe. The format is really convenient.
They also have some great recipes. I usually write "Very Good," "Good," "OK," or "No" on recipes after I've tried them for future reference. Here are the recipes I've rated so far in this cookbook:
VERY GOOD:
- Creamy Vegetable Soup WITH Chili-Onion Drop Biscuits
- Mushroom Pizza WITH fresh veggie tray
GOOD:
Orange-Glazed Salmon WITH Steamed Snow Peas
Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp WITH Baked Wonton Crisps
Glazed Pork Chops WITH Green Beans and French rolls
Pan-Glazed Chicken with Basil WITH Broccoli Couscous
OK:
Roasted Garlic-Potato Soup WITH Romaine Salad
Mediterranean Beef Stew WITH Sun-Dried tomato bread
NO:
Fresh Tomato Pizza WITH Crunchy Radish-Cauliflower Salad
Like most cookbooks, not every recipe is a winner, but there are enough good ones in this cookbook to make it worth getting!
August 22, 2010
I love this cookbook. I have used it so many times, with wonderful results. It truly is great for quick meals.
September 12, 2024
Honestly disappointing
March 28, 2018
Just okay - the recipes are a little simple for my taste
December 13, 2017
Good for a quick but filling meal. I use this all the time!
April 27, 2008
This is my favorite weeknight cookbook. I use it for my meal planning pretty much every week and then make something more involved on the weekends. I have cooked almost every recipe and Dave and I have liked the majority of it. Now that Jack is starting to eat our meals...he even likes it!
February 13, 2013
Love this cookbook! great for busy moms.
December 10, 2014
A lot of the recipes all for packaged mixes which I found disappointing.
July 23, 2016
Great recipes with suggested sides. Each recipe also includes a grocery list using simple ingredients, a color photo and nutritional information.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews