Dinner Made Simple: 35 Everyday Ingredients, 350 Easy Recipes

by Real Simple

Think you'll never win at weeknight cooking? Think again. Your favorite ingredients are deliciously reimagined in Real Simple 's latest cookbook that shows you how to spin 35 family staples into hundreds of hassle-free dishes.

Organized from apples to zucchini, Dinner Made Simple is filled with 350 easy, quick dishes-many ready in 30 minutes or less-to help you get out of your recipe rut. With 10 ideas for every ingredient, you'll never look at a box of spaghetti, a bunch of carrots, or a ball of pizza dough the same way again.

With helpful advice on buying and storing ingredients, genius kitchen tips, nutritional information for every recipe, and a complete dessert section (yes!), Dinner Made Simple is your new go-to resource for creating inspiring dishes all week long.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, How To, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2016

Reviews

[Bookfan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually check cookbooks out of the library before I buy them to see whether I would actually make any of the recipes in them. Immediately, I knew that I wanted to buy this one. These recipes feature common, every day ingredients in short, easy recipes, illustrated by a fantastic photo to whet the appetite. These all look like things that you would easily be able to make on a weeknight after work. Delicious, whole food.

I know that you can find any recipe on the internet these days. But cookbooks are not obsolete if they provide inspiration. I plan to keep this one in my kitchen, and I hope that it will be nicely stained and well-used before long! That's what cookbooks are for, after all: cooking! Not for shelves!

[Mercer County Library System · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each recipe has a perfectly plated picture to go with it. Simple recipes built around common ingredients. (Reviewed by Julia, Lawrence branch)

[Kimberly Mccune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book to have on hand for when you have no idea what to make for dinner and only have a few "pantry staples" in your kitchen. Easy to follow recipes and pretty pictures seal the deal.

[Julie Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on the fence as to whether I'd buy this. If you need inspiration, are stuck in a rut, or maybe new to cooking this will most likely please you. Published by Real Simple it truly is simple, and maybe that's why I'm a little uninspired. Some of the are really barely recipes but sometimes that's all you need, something that tastes good and isn't going to require a culinary degree to produce.

The chapters are organized by the 35 ingredients outlined in the introduction. The cover is a little misleading though as you need additional ingredients to complete nearly all of the suggested recipes. I think the premise would have been much better if you had a suggested list and could make anything in the book but over all this is a book that is bound to be popular and well received.

Happy Reading :)

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pictures of recipes? Yes.
Commentary on recipes? No.
Nutrition facts? YES!
Recipe Style? Wide variety.
Any keepers? So many!

I love the minimalist style of this cookbook. Short lists of healthy ingredients makes this invaluable to people like me who needs to have a good dinner ready in the time it takes a 2 year old to watch Sesame Street.

The longest ingredient lists were for the dessert items in the back of the book, lol.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

this delivers what it promises, simple ingredients and simple recipes. if only someone else would cook them for me... ach, that would be beyond simple.

[Arlian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this cookbook in new condition from my local thrift store for $1, so I decided to snag it and try it out.

At the time of this writing I've tried 19 recipes out of it, which I feel is a reasonable number to try before writing a review of the cookbook. I try to be very thorough before writing a cookbook review!

Format:
-Divided into sections based on the "Star ingredient" of each recipe.
-Photos for every single dish
-Nutrition information in the back

Basic information:
-every recipe is 4 portions (i.e. 2 adults and 2 kids)
-fairly simple/blandish taste profile, definitely "kid friendly" flavors
-Lots of variation on the same themes: lots of kinds of pizza, lots of kinds of oatmeal bowls, lots of tacos, etc.
-Very few ingredients per dish--I'd say 5-8 ingredients per dish, if there were 10 ingredients I'd be surprised honestly.
-Everything is the kind of thing you'd get at an average local grocery store in a flyover state in the middle of America. There are no specialty ingredients to be found anywhere. No fancy cheeses or spice blends or anything.

In depth thoughts:
This cookbook definitely lives up to it's name: the food is very simple. As a single person who lives alone, this ends up being a meal prep cookbook for me as I already noted that every recipes makes 4 portions--but I actually often find it makes 5+ for me. It's very meat and cheese heavy, which personally doesn't work for me but that's just my diet and shouldn't be held against the cookbook. What I DO think should be held against the cookbook is their random usage of raisins in dishes where they have no place being. Who the hell puts raisins in curried broccoli couscous? What kind of white-on-white crime is that?? Someone call General McArthur cuz apparently we're back in the 1950s now, all we need is a good fish jello mold to finish it out I guess. We also have Sicilian Caprese with raisins, and Turkey Empanadas with Raisins. Seriously call the police on this shit. Also, I think it's worth nothing a good chunk of these recipes *cannot* be served for dinner. maybe 40-50 ish or so of them are definitely desert or appetizers only. There is a cupcake section, a pie section, and a cookie section. each section has 10 ingredients, so that means 30 recipes are designed to be dessert only. However, quite a few of the other recipes either have to be served with something else, or are also desert. The Pizza dough section for example has fried dough balls with chocolate sauce, and cinnamon twists. Clearly these are dessert items only. However, it also has a potato and rosemary flatbread which has no protein or green veggies anywhere. Perhaps if you added a side salad and a protein it's turn into a whole meal. The same section also has garlic butter rolls, which of course are only an appetizer or side. However, I still think 290-300ish full meals are a pretty solid deal for the right family.

Who is this book for:
Overall, I think this is a great cookbook for a busy family with two children between the ages of 8-12, who are in that unique stage where they are "brave" enough to try new things, but young enough to still need simple flavors. I think it's a "meh" from adults with complex palates, or people who prefer to avoid meat and cheese (and I am both).

This probably should be in regular rotation for busy parents who want to balance their own preferences with their kids. But I'm not that person so I gotta give this book a 3.0 star rating of "meh". And whoever you are, whatever you do, don't put fucking raisins in calzones, for the love of god.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for inspiration for busy moms. Most recipes are 3-6 ingredients. Not rocket science but good weeknight cooking.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Great, simple ideas for stuff hanging out in your cupboards.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the format

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yummy, easy recipes

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uninspired and poorly organized.

[RaeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool format for a cookbook. The curried egg salad sandwich was quick and delicious.

[J Prosaist · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cookbook that is well-organized into sections based on 35 core ingredients: ground beef, potatoes, kale, etc. Perfect for when you're going, "Well I've got X, but what do I make with it?" The ingredient lists for each recipe are limited-- maybe 10 ingredients tops?-- which sometimes requires pre-made pizza dough, mashed potatoes, or marinades. Some of the 350 recipes definitely include repetition, e.g. lots of pizza and taco varieties. I like the concept but the reliance on fast and easy over homemade isn't quite what I look for in a cookbook.

[May-Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't spend a lot of time cooking at home and so I'm always looking for recipes with few ingredients and fresh produce. I like this simple approach of keeping to a small base of ingredients and it helped me get out of the rut I'm in with the same handful of dishes I've been making. each recipe is just a few lines long, which is awesome for weeknight planning. even if you just want to focus on a key ingredient like salmon or avocado and just flip through those chapters, this book will help you think outside the box in an easy manner.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a different way to do a cookbook. Major foods, i.e. Apples, Avocados, Baked Ham, Broccoli, Carrots, Chicken Cutlets, Chicken Thighs, Corn, Eggs, Flank Steak, etc. are in alphabetical order and serve as what I would call "chapters," in this book.

At the beginning of each "chapter" is a little info. or tip about the food that will be shown in the chapter. Within each chapter are 10 recipes that showcase the use of that particular food. There is also a color picture of the final product, as well as info. about prep time and servings made.

At the end of the book is a section for "Sweet Endings," which highlights various dessert options and their recipes.

After this, there are a couple of pages of Kitchen Cheat Sheets (pan substitutions, measuring conversions, etc.).

Next is "Nutritional Information" for every dish in the book. While it probably would have been better if this info. were included with the recipe, I don't feel that it is in any way a deterrent to the book.

A full index is at the end.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Real Simple recipes. This is a useful book because it centers around specific ingredients. Got some good salmon? Here's what to do with it. Pork tenderloin? Here's 10 ideas. So it would be a good resource. Most of the recipes are family-friendly, and don't take too long to cook. I was a little disappointed because they require longer active cooking times than I can sometimes deal with during the week. Also, some of the central ingredients are things I would never have just laying around the house - kale? That's a special purchase. Same with buffalo mozzarella - I may have leftovers from another recipe, but that wouldn't last long in my house.

Overall, this is a good resource. There's a photo for every recipe, and nutritional information for everything in the back of the book (though having it with the dishes would be more helpful). Also, don't skip the deserts - the pies are creative and amazing, and an easy way to impress.

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a really nice cookbook. it's organized into 35 main ingredients which would be handy for quick reference. it's got the index at the back along with nutrition facts and a conversion cheat sheet page. the introduction is short and sweet, and there's a tiny yet helpful section on the 35 ingredients and what to look for when shopping. the recipes are nicely formatted and easy to follow; they are succinct and to the point without being confusing. my favourite part? every single recipe has a corresponding picture! the photos are appetizing - even recipes I wouldn't eat if you paid me looked tasty. I'm picky as hell but still managed to come away from this book with lots of recipes to try out. all in all I think this would be a cookbook worth owning.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Real Simple magazine and they always have great recipes. This collection is a little different in that the recipes are divided up by 35 staple ingredients with a few recipes that center around that ingredient. It was great because if you didn't like an ingredient or can't eat it (I can't eat most seafood) you could just skip that chapter. All the recipes look pretty straightforward and easy to make. There are definitely quite a few I'd like to try! Another great cookbook from Real Simple.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a cookbook with photos of the dish and this one has a pictute for each recipe. The recipes are based on 35 basic food items with ten recipes for each of the 35 foods. The recipes serve four and are appear to be fairly simple to make - the idea is simple week night dinners. There is also a section in the back of the book for nutritional information. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but have several that I plant to try soon.

[Pammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a practical book full of healthy recipes with few ingredients, which is always good for me. I would have appreciated serving suggestions, i.e., serve with bread or salad, because some meals that center on broccoli don't seem like a true "dinner" to me. Overall though, one I'd like to have in my permanent collection.

[Thea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the premise and overall layout of this cookbook, but I would't necessarily consider all of the main ingredients (or all the other items required to complete all of the recipes) "everyday" items. Also, some of these just do not seem like dinner. But in my opinion all cookbooks should have pictures, and this book certainly delivers on that front!

[Christine Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised that the majority of the food looked like stuff I would actually eat, not like some cookbooks. Also loved how there was a picture for each recipe, so gosh darn helpful when deciding if you want to make it or if you are making it correctly!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many good recipes and wonderful pictures.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures and healthy, appealing recipes. Will definitely try some of these recipes.

[H.R.]

Some really cool recipes. Some seem a little fancy for what I normally do, but there are some I really want to try.

[Liz De Coster · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you can search a website by a single ingredient, you already have access to this cookbook and then some.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a picture for every recipe!!