Hands-Off Cooking: Low-Supervision, High-Flavor Meals for Busy People

by Ann Martin Rolke

Perfect for today's hectic lifestyles, this quick-and-easy cookbook will help home cooks free up extra time without sacrificing great homemade meals. Distinctively different, this cookbook features dishes that can be prepared fast and left unattended while the cook answers an e-mail, spends time with the kids (or the guests), or simply relaxes. More than 100 delicious recipes include everything from main dishes and sides to breads and desserts. There are recipes for the crock-pot, stovetop, and oven. Unlike typical "quick" dishes, these emphasize freshness and flavor and avoid highly processed foods. With Hands-Off Techniques, Stress Savers, Eye Appeal ideas, useful tips on ingredients and equipment, plus timesaving recipes, Hands-Off Cooking is the cookbook busy people can't wait to get their hands on.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2007

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked both the recipes and cooking advice in this book so much that I returned my copy to the library and ordered one. It'll be arriving soon, will update with fabulous tales of kitchen conquests.

A tale of fabulous kitchen conquest: I modified the enchilada recipe to what I had on hand and it was fabulous. I tried to make another recipe the same way and failed, utterly and miserably. Do not overestimate your levels of cornmeal, you will end up staring at a half-baked casserole that refuses to set.

A second tale of fabulous kitchen conquest, circa September 2010: The coffee cake is my favorite baking recipe, there's never any leftovers.

Aside from my experimentation with the recipes, I really love this book because it uses non-processed foods as much as possible. Making dinner out of plain food is so much healthier than "dump a can of cream of mushroom soup in!" (Note: if you pick up a recipe book that tells you to use cream of mushroom/chicken soup in a recipe, put it back on the shelf. The recipes might be tasty and quick to make, but they're high in fat/calories/sodium etc. and any cookbook writer worth their salt won't touch any of the creamed soups with a ten foot pole.)

This book's a keeper, it's staying in the kitchen where it belongs.

[Margie]

Some good basic recipes presented in simplified, easier-to-cook formats. I'm trolling for recipe ideas for a college student I know. This book has some good ones. Rolke has a relaxed, pleasant style.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it - a favorite cookbook we use often. Highly recommended.