One: Simple One-Pan Wonders

by Jamie Oliver

A book to rival 15-Minute Meals and 5 Ingredients in its smart simplicity - a one-pan cookbook from Jamie

Quick and easy meals are even simpler when you cook with just one pot, pan or tray. And with each recipe using eight ingredients or fewer, requiring minimal prep (and washing up), they offer maximum convenience.

ONE is packed with budget-friendly dishes you can rustle up any time: delicious work from home lunches, quick dinners the whole family will love, meals to get novice cooks started.

With over 100 recipes that'll teach you simple one-pan techniques - chapters include Veggie Delights, Celebrating Chicken, Frying Pan Pasta, Batch Cooking and Puds & Cakes - there are plenty of no-fuss, tasty recipes that make this a must-have for every kitchen.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Food and Drink

312 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Trevor "Jamie" Oliver, sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef and media personality well known for his growing list of food-focused television shows, his more recent roles in campaigning against the use of processed foods in national schools, and his campaign to change unhealthy diets and poor cooking habits for the better across the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great new cookbook from Jamie. Easy and simple recipes, which don't need a lot of ingredients. Some recipes surprised me on how they tasted.

[Tlwinky · Rating 1 out of 5]

First let me say that I am a huge fan of Jamie Oliver and own three of his cookbooks. I cook quite often and love to try out new recipes regularly. I usually check a cookbook out at my local library first, make about 10 recipes and then decide if I want to purchase the cookbook or not. I was very excited when this cookbook arrived on the library shelves. It has since been in my house for the last week and I’ve made three of the recipes from it and I have to apply a three strike rule because there is no way I can stomach making 10 recipes from this cookbook. The three that I did make were so bland and unappetizing that we didn’t even keep the leftovers… we ended up throwing them away, knowing they would never get eaten. I have never done that before but the meal tonight literally turned my stomach. We abhor throwing away food but the few recipes I made were just not good at all. I don’t think I was unlucky enough to choose the three worst recipes in the book, so it is going back and I will definitely NOT be purchasing a copy. It almost seemed like these recipes were just thrown together to hop on the “one pot wonders” trend and if that is the case, I am very disappointed in Mr. Oliver. Now I need to go brush my teeth to get the terrible taste of Upside Down Fish Pie out of my mouth.

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another TV Ch4 book this time its every page the ingredients down the side of the left page in colour next to the recipe and on left page full colour dish. One pan no lots of dishes to wash up. No ingredients that are difficult to find. This an easy to use but interesting cooking book.
One pan is nothing new, but all recipes have been tested by Jamie's family including his children which helps people with family and friends to know that they are sort recipes you can get your children to eat too.

[Cidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is a good book. I've only seen two episodes of his current series based on this and I liked what I saw! This book is very good, there are a lot of recipes with which he is only using one pan or tray to cook a meal. The meals look good and they are definitely something which we would eat, did begin to mark out with those sticky markers which ones I wanted to cook but there were just too many markers and I wasn't even nearly at the end. So starting this weekend I will be cooking some of them for sure!

[Deodand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate a simple recipe book these days. My patience has always been thin for complex cooking. There are quite a few recipes I plan to try.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed this from the library because one pan dinners can be so great. Found six or so recipes that worked for my family (not too spicy for my kid, not to fishy for my husband, and didn’t require going to a butcher for a 14oz lamb neck fillet for myself) and feel like any family could do the same. What takes this book above average is the batch cooking section where you make a large batch of something like lentils and then turn it into 5+ meals that week. I do this irregularly and it always feels like I’m winning the week so I can’t wait to take the brainwork out of it and just follow his guidance.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited about this one. I ordered it online and upon arrival I found the cookbook’s layout unfortunately prioritizes form over function.

If you read a recipe and ingredient list from start to finish before making your grocery list, then this review isn’t for you. But if you pull up a recipe and start before reading all the way through, maybe keep reading.

All recipes have about 8-9 ingredients listed. Nice in theory (and looks nice visually in layout), but I found that many of the recipes I cooked could have used a few more ingredients without complicating the grocery list. Also, I wasn’t a fan of occasionally coming across additional ingredients in the instruction paragraphs that weren’t included in the ingredient list (and I mean, it was more than the usual salt and pepper ingredients).

Visually stunning photos but the instructions are in paragraph form instead of step by step listed. I felt that the imagery and symmetrical layout was prioritized over the functionality and flow of instructions.

This layout isn’t made for those easily distracted (ie. ADHD). I found myself having to read the same paragraphs over and over again each time I completed a step, just to find what to do next. I found that this compromised the quality of the meal as well as the cooking workflow/enjoyment. And the entire purpose of this “One” dish book is to make it simple for the cook.

[Sheena Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Jamie but just can't seem to stick to his simplified recipes. almost every recipe I think of things I'd like to add. this is totally a me problem but for example, because I regularly make vinaigrette I can't imagine a salad dressed with mustard & vinegar.
This will be a fantastic book for lots of people, it just doesn't jive with my cooking style.

[Rosmarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

++ einfache und schnelle Rezepte - - weniger Abwasch

Ich koche sehr gerne und Jamie Oliver begleitet mich mit seinen TV-Formaten schon viele Jahre. Seine Art zu kochen gefällt mir und daher war ich neugierig auf sein neues Kochbuch. In "One" hat er den Anspruch mit wenig Kochgeschirr und einer überschaubaren Anzahl an Zutaten, alltagstaugliche Gerichte zu präsentieren.

Besonders gut haben mir die verschiedenen Shakshuka-Variationen gefallen.

Bei den Nudelgerichten benützt er oft frische Lasagneblätter, die in Form geschnitten werden. Die Idee finde ich gut, aber bei uns in der Region gibt es sowas nicht zu kaufen. Da müsste man sich mit selber gemachtem Nudelteig helfen.

Jedes Gericht wird auf einer Doppelseite präsentiert und die Hauptzutaten sind auf der linken Seite bildlich dargestellt. So kann man schon beim schnellen Durchblättern sehen, was benötigt wird und vergleichen mit dem, was man vorrätig hat. Das gefällt mir gut.

Mit diesem Kochbuch kann wirklich jeder in relativ kurzer Zeit was schmackhaftes auf den Tisch bringen.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate cookbook authors with the discipline to streamline their recipes so that I might make them. These are mostly 5 ingredients or fewer and the actual cooking is in one pan (though he fudges and will use a separate bowl).

I saw several recipes I want to make, for real, which is possibly a record, and I have already made the Outrageous Pulled Pork. I adapted it for slow cooker because I am not going to run my oven for 5 hours. It was still delicious. Recommended.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Lots of great, easy recipes using limited ingredients and only 1 pan.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

His recipes aren't really for me.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not super unique.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has beautiful pictures, but frankly, there wasn’t one dish I wanted to make—kind of Brit-centric and some odd, hard to find ingredients. .

[Helen White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit disappointing, not one recipe I'd actually like to make. The book is well produced - photos of each ingredient is useful. The batch cooking section at the end is probably the most useful.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one terrific looking cookbook. The pictures of the recipes look fantastic, almost too pretty to eat. The recipes look like masterpieces that took hours to create but if you read the directions, most of them took under an hour to prepare. Jamie wants to make cooking easy, practical, and tasty.

Let’s talk about why this cookbook is amazing. I’m going to start with the layout of this book. It fits many 2-page spread cookbook layouts with a recipe the left side of the page and a picture of that recipe on the right but I think this cookbook steps it up a notch. On each of the two-page spreads, you will also find the nutritional value information in chart-like format, at the bottom of the page. Along the side of the recipe, you’ll find pictures of the ingredients that you’ll need for the recipe. So, you need some garlic, you’ll see a picture of garlic. Need rosemary, there’s a picture of rosemary. If you have 8 ingredients listed for your recipe, you will see 8 small pictures on the side. I liked this little addition to an otherwise empty space. The pictures of the recipes take center stage on the right side of this 2-page spread. Nothing unnecessary competes with this space but the completed dish. Like I mentioned before, these pictures looked amazing.

There are a lot of interesting recipes in this cookbook. I’m not a fish eater but there were plenty of fish recipes in here and the pictures made me think that I could eat it. The Upside Down Fish Pie, Teriyaki Shrimp, and the Shrimp Fried Rice, wow….they looked delicious! Jamie Oliver sure has presentation down perfectly! The one issue that I found with this cookbook is that although the pictures of the dishes look fantastic, I only found a few of them that I would actually prepare. Sure, there were a couple recipes that I might create but there were only a few that I knew that I would definitely try. The Smoked Pancetta & Bean Pasta and Honey Roast Chicken looked like something that I would definitely eat.
Jamie does make each recipe easy to prepare with detailed instructions and I found that the ingredient list is not complicated, he tries to use items that most individuals can find at their local grocery store. Jamie doesn’t include anything personal, nor does he include any additional tips or ideas on these two pages, you just get the recipe and your picture. If you’re looking for something personal, you’re going to have to look at some of the other pages in the book where Oliver talks about each of the different sections in this book, his own personal journey and why this cookbook is so special.

If you like to try new dishes or want some easy recipes that’ll make you look as if you’re an award-winning chef – you need to check this book out. 3.5 stars.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it has the word "Simple" in the title. I have heard of Jamie Oliver, but have not ever seen his show and don't know anything about his cooking. The first thing I learned is that he is British. Although the measuring units and cooking temperatures are in the American format - which is very helpful, some of the ingredients are not available here and the first set of recipes in the "Frying Pan Pasta" category all contain fresh lasagne sheets, which I have yet to find in any store, and the recipes all start with the sentence "Boil the kettle."

The recipes have lovely photographs and each one has a row of photos of the 6 to 8 ingredients. Very nice.

I made the Smashed Lemongrass Chicken and it is really good, although lemongrass is expensive and at the first store that I went to it looked old, so I had to get it at a different store, and I think I would just use lemon juice and lemon zest for this recipe in the future. I am planning to make several more recipes from this cookbook including the Roasted Carrot Salad and the Vibrant Fish Tacos.

Jamie definitely has a different definition of "simple" than I do. The Crispy Layered Potatoes takes two days. One recipe calls for peeling mushrooms. I had no idea that you could even peel mushrooms and the cookbook does not explain how that is to be done. One recipe uses canned peeled new potoatoes though, and that is simpler than peeling and cooking potatoes. Another recipe, however, calls for using black olives, with pits, but then you squash and pit the olive and tear them into chunks to sprinkle over the dish. Wouldn't pitted and sliced olives be simpler?

A few recipes have concepts that I don't understand. There is a soup and a stew that have corn on the cob cut into one inch chunks cooked in them. How do you eat that? I have made corn soup where you slice the corn off of the cob and you cook the cob in the soup to thicken it and you later remove the cob, but the lovely photos show the chunks of corn on the cob in the soup and stew. Do you just not eat them? Do you hold a tiny corn cob that is covered with soup or stew and just eat it and get messy?

There is a recipe for a Shrimp Pancake, which must be a British thing because - really? There is also a recipe for Squodgy Croissant Loaf. I looked up the word "squodgy" and it doesn't seem to exist. I did find the word "squidgy", but not "squodgy".

I like the photos and got some good ideas from this not really simple cookbook.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like bout 10% of people aren't happy with the book

I've been curious if the criticisms fit, some say a few of the ingredients might be harder to find in small towns like the indian stuff or the pre-made puff pastry; as well as the fact that many of the recipes just seemed to need a few extra ingredients to really be a 'great dish', and that limitation is a huge flaw.

Never ever a fan of Ramsay, but he will always do overkill with 2x to 3x the ingredients for a typical dish, which has a place if it's not a chef who's into his ego to be 'overly original', or some usually terrible Fusion food clash of flavours.

And sometimes you can really improve things by those extra nuances to a dish.... a great example are a lot of these travelogue food books on the Mediterranean, where you usually get the basic recipes which are a lot more bland than than they should be, over the fancy European restaurant in the Mediterranean, who did a much improved 'recipe' back in the 1960s of some dish....

And sometimes Tourism has destroyed the good restaurants....

Anyways... simple is great as long as the 'dish' is great.
Which is my philosophy...

and if it doesn't need 7 spices or 4 extra vegetables in that dish or sandwich, you don't always need it!

---

pouring over the recipes, I'm amazed at how well Jamie picked the ingredients for bold and interesting flavors

and even if some of the recipies seem like a bit more work than someone with low-energy would want to do, I think just picking up 3-5 recipes a year to make once a month, will pay off enormous dividends

---

How do the ingredients stack up?


[again goodreads has chopped the space for reviews by 65% so look below to the comments section]

[RanitaLibrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se trata de un libro de cocina muy intuitivo y visual, con la receta en la página izquierda y su correspondiente foto en la derecha. La receta en sí es también muy fácil de visualizar. Tenemos la lista de ingredientes, con foto y en horizontal, en el borde izquierdo de la página, y también escrita en el cuerpo de la receta.

Los platos son sencillos y rápidos, con ingredientes bastante fáciles de adquirir aunque algunos no sean los que uso habitualmente, algo normal al ser el autor un cocinero británico. Pero eso es lo bueno del libro, que ofrece platos rápidos y fáciles de realizar, pero que se salen de lo habitual en mi cocina.

Hay mucha variedad en los ingredientes, lo que permite elaborar platos al gusto de casi todo el mundo. Lo que más me gusta es que las recetas están pensadas para utilizar pocos utensilios y así manchar poco.

La forma de hacer la pasta, a la sartén, me ha parecido muy original, y no se me había ocurrido usar placas de lasaña con cortes diferentes.

No esperaba que hubiera postres, pero lo agradezco. Son sencillos de preparar y tienen una pinta estupenda.

Es mi primer libro de cocina del autor, pero ya había probado algunas recetas de las que hace en sus programas. Es más fácil seguirlas en este libro que en la libreta donde anoto las recetas de la tele.

Es un estupendo regalo para los cocinillas a los que les gusta lucirse en la cocina, pero sin tener que trabajar demasiado.

[thefourthvine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This cookbook is full of weird shortcuts and weird assumptions and bland, weird recipes. I read the whole thing in mounting horror.

Weird shortcuts: Why does every recipe in the pasta chapter call for you to hand-cut fresh lasagna sheets into various shapes? That is fully not a shortcut, not when fresh pasta is already sold in a variety of pre-existing shapes. Why is there such a heavy reliance on jarred/premade foods?

Weird assumptions: There's no localization for this cookbook beyond converting the recipes into imperial measurement. Many recipes rely on electric kettle use, and while I have one, most Americans do not. Multiple recipes call for things that either aren't commonly sold in the U.S. or things so vaguely described ("ready to serve mixed grain blend?") I wouldn't know what to buy.

Bland, weird recipes: I've made and liked other recipes by Oliver, so I don't know what the hell happened here, but these dishes have basically no spices or flavoring in them beyond "vaguely sweet," and many of them are made of truly horrible combinations of foods.

I'm sure this cookbook is for someone out there, but wow. Not for me.

[Milan Buno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie v knihe ponúka vyše 120 receptov, podľa ktorých pripravíte jednoduché lahodné pokrmy v jednom hrnci, pekáči alebo panvici. Na každý recept budete potrebovať menej než osem surovín, čo znamená minimum námahy (a umývania riadu) a maximum pohodlia.
V knihe nájdete návody na rýchle a cenovo dostupné obedy a večere, ktoré si zamiluje celá rodina, napríklad:
lákavé cestoviny z jednej panvice
neodolateľné zeleninové pochúťky
hruškovo-zázvorový koláč
citrónovo-medové bravčové rebrá
mäsové guľky 50/50
šalát s brokolicou a tuniakom
prevrátený rybací koláč
cícerová šakšuka
karamelovo-jablkové slimáky

Dozviete sa, ako najlepšie pripraviť jednotlivé druhy mäsa vrátane obľúbeného kurčaťa a rýb a získate nápady na fantastické burgery a toasty. Viac než polovica pokrmov je buď bezmäsitých, alebo so zredukovaným obsahom mäsa, k ďalším receptom autor zaradil vegánske zámeny mäsových jedál.
Nechýbajú ani praktické rady, ktoré uľahčia prácu v kuchyni.

[Sabine Ibing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die Energie- und Lebensmittelkosten sind in der Welt enorm gestiegen, besonders in Großbritannien, die Inflation liegt dort bei weit über 10 Prozent. Laut einer Studie vom Herbst 2022 könnte jeder fünfte Brite bald von Armut betroffen sein. Jamie Oliver hat in diesem Kochbuch mehr als 120 Rezepte für leckere, unkomplizierte One Pot-Gerichte aus nur acht oder weniger Zutaten zusammengestellt, die bei 2.50 Euro pro Person liegen und satt machen. Man hat ihm in GB vorgeworfen, die Preise am Einkauf für Großküchen berechnet zu haben und die sicher so für den normalen Haushalt nicht haltbar sind. Und wenn wir davon ausgehen, wann das Kochbuch geschrieben wurde, so können wir mit der Preissteigerung seit dem nicht mehr von dieser Kalkulation ausgehen. Aber trotzdem bleibt es Fakt, dass diese Rezepte den Geldbeutel schonen sollen, durch die One-Pot-Variante und die «Jamies 15-Minuten-Küche» energiesparend sind.

So die Verlagsbeschreibung: Alltagstauglich, einfach strukturiert, auch für Kochanfänger geeignet, 65% sind fleischlos oder fleischarm. (Veggie-Alternativen sind manchmal vorgeschlagen) Mit wenigen Gewürzen angereichert, sind die Rezepte in folgende Kapitel gegliedert: Pfannenpasta, Gemüsefreuden, Hähnchenvergnügen, Allerlei Eier, Burger & Toasties, Fabelhafter Fisch, Fantastisches Fleisch, Vorratsküche, Nachtisch & Gebäck. Die Pasta-Gerichte funktionieren nach dem Schema, man nehme frische Lasagneblätter, schneide sie – denn die haben eine kurze Kochzeit. Wasserkocher starten, Zwiebeln usw. ev. Gemüse anbraten, Nudelblätter und heißes Wasser drauf, ev. Tomatensoße, Gewürze dazu und am Ende mit Käse, Oliven usw. bestreuen – fertig. So weit so gut (Z. B. Champignon-Carbonara-Pasta, Tomaten-Gnocchi mit grünem Spargel und Pesto).

Aber die schnelle Küche, energiearm, stimmt so bei vielen Rezepten nicht; schon gar nicht sind sie günstig. Karotten bei 200 Grad 1,5 Stunden im Ofen zu garen passt hier nicht ins Konzept. Trotzdem ein leckeres Gericht, denn sie werden mit Honig und gehackten Mandeln geträufelt, obendrüber eine Soße aus Frischkäse, Petersilie und Essig, darauf Rucola, serviert mit aufgebackenem Pitabrot. Die Ente sitzt 2 Stunden im Backofen, der Rinderbraten gart mehr als 1,5 Stunden bei hohen Temperaturen usw. Weder ist das günstig, noch energiesparend. Es wird auch mit Convenience gearbeitet, wie Madras-Currypaste aus dem Glas oder mit Dosenananas, Bohnen aus der Dose – was ok. ist. Die Küche ist modern, asiatisch in den Gewürzen, ebenso englisch geprägt. Nur 5 Zutaten, aber die Vorratskammer muss schon einiges hergeben, was nicht jeder zu Hause beherbergt: div. Currypasten, Kokosmilch, Tahin, Tereyakisoße, Hoisinsoße, Dukkah, vorgegarter Reis, vorgegarte asiatische Nudeln, Couscous, Misopaste usw. Hähnchenfleisch ist günstig und darum gibt es eine Menge Hähnchenrezepte, die mir gut gefallen haben. Tortilla, diverse Shakshuka-Varianten, Fritata – einmal durch die Weltküche. Auch die Fischrezepte sind annehmbar. Wie man hier allerdings auf 2.50 Euro p.P. kommt, ist mir ein Rätsel, auch schon vor der Krise – garantiert nicht bei den Lammgerichten, Rinderbraten, gebratene Ente und einem Rostbeef-Steak (nennt sich hier Sirloinsteak, musste ich erstmal googeln). Auch das ganze Schweinefilet gibt es nicht für diesen Preis – Salami, Mandeln, Brokkoli, frischer Salbei, Kirschtomaten, vorgegarte Linsen kommen ja bei dem Gericht noch hinzu. Lammkeule (2 kg) bei 240 Grad in 45 Minuten im Backofen? Das bezweifle ich, außerdem wird bei der Gradzahl furztrocken.

Europäische Küche mit mediterranen, arabischen und asiatischen Einflüssen verbunden, Weltküche – das hat mir gut gefallen. Einiges konnte mich überzeugen, insgesamt ist das Kochbuch sehr fleischlastig. Für Veganer ungeeignet, für Vegetarier lohnt es sich auch nicht, weil es nicht viel Fleischloses hergibt. Die meisten Rezepte sind einfach herzustellen. Am Rand des Gerichts sind die Zutaten als Foto gestalten, Genaues am Anfang des Menüs, ebenso die Anzahl der Personen, für es gedacht ist plus Nährwertangabe.

Tagliatelle mit Pilzen und Knoblauch, Rote-Zwiebel-Salat, Glorreiche Gemüsetortilla, Spaghetti-Frittata Hasselback-Auberginen-Pie, Gemüseeintopf mit Klößchen, Süsskartoffel-Chili, Burger mit Aubergine Parmigiana, Hähnchen mit Zitronengras, Kubanischer Mojo-Fisch, Zarte glasierte Lammlachse, Saftiges Steak mit Erdnüssen, Lachs-Garnelen-Pie, Honigglasierte Schweinerippchen, Honig-Orangen-Blechkuchen, karamellisierte Apfelschnecken, Blondie mit weißer Schokolade und Erdnussbutter, die Rezeptpalette ist bunt gemischt. Die Zutaten zu den Gerichten erhält man fast alle in einem gut sortierten Supermarkt. Das ist übersichtlich, gut nachzukochen, auch für Anfänger. Schnell, energiesparend und günstig – so die Werbung – passt nicht immer. In diese Richtung gibt es bessere Rezepte, die wirklich preiswert sind satt machen. Hier wird viel Pasta, Reis und Brot gearbeitet, viel Vorgekochtes genutzt. Klar, sonst klappt es mit dem One-Pot nicht. Teils sind es gute Rezepte, es ist die Frage, ob man mit Vorgekochtem arbeiten will. Die Rezepte sind fein illustriert, die Fotos regen den Appetit an. Alles ist alltagstauglich, auf jeden Fall; hier wird jeder etwas finden, das ihn interessiert. Doch mit den Versprechen zur Energieeffizienz und Kostenersparnis hat Jamie Oliver den Mund etwas sehr voll genommen.

Jamie Oliver ist ein weltweit einzigartiges Food-Phänomen. Während seiner 20-jährigen TV- und Autorenkarriere hat er Millionen von Menschen dazu inspiriert, selbst zu kochen und dabei frische Lebensmittel zu verwenden. Mit seiner Organisation führt Jamie Oliver eine globale Ernährungsrevolution an, die Fettleibigkeit bei Kindern bekämpft sowie Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden aller Menschen durch gutes Essen verbessern will. Inzwischen hat er 26 Bestseller-Kochbücher veröffentlicht, jedes davon mit einer begleitenden TV-Show. Jamie lebt mit seiner Frau Jools und den gemeinsamen Kindern in Essex.

[arosfd · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were a handful of recipes that contained a myriad of ingredients that I found questionable together; while I’m an adventuresome eater, some of the combinations seemed very unappetizing. Smoked tofu and cottage cheese together? Maybe I shouldn’t knock it til I’ve tried it, but there were too many instances of this in the book to make me excited to try cooking them.

In addition, there were not one, but TWO soup recipes that called for rounds of corn *still on the cob* as part of the final dish. I’m sorry, but what? How am I supposed to eat that with a spoon? Do you take the cob out of the soup and make a slippery mess to eat it with your hands? Is this a British thing that I am woefully/blissfully unaware of? That was the most irksome thing to me: just cut the kernels off the cob, for goodness sake! I returned this book to the library immediately, and will focus on other chefs/cookbook authors who cook and eat more practically, like I do.

[Donna Siebold · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really expected to find several recipes in this book that I wanted to try. But, nope, I really did not care for anything. Part of that is because I immediately eliminated any pasta options as I am trying to reduce my carb intake. Part of it is because Mr. Oliver is (apparently) very fond of beans (or legumes), I on the other hand, eat very few legumes. I love a snow pea, I can tolerate sugar snap peas and I will occasionally eat black beans (in very small quantities). Other than that, I pretty much do not partake.

Some of the flavors he finds are good together are also not in my wheelhouse. I do not get the appreciation for fruit and chocolate so when he combines a chocolate cake with canned Mandarin oranges, I gag.

I am sure many people will enjoy some of these recipes but this book was a complete miss for me.

[Donna Schwartz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two problems that are unique to my household that make this book a non-starter for me.
First of all, I'm diabetic, so while the chapter on frying pan pasta looks delicious, the carb load is way too high for me. I am used to adjusting recipies, but this wouldn't work.
Second, I have one very picky eater and another who doesn't like beans, which seem to appear often, though I will be trying the "Comforting Chicken Stew" for myself and give people a chance to taste it.
Let me add a third problem, I have 2 vegetarians to deal with.
I love the pictures and the idea of one pan, but this one is not for me.
My idea is to find at least one recipe per book that I will try and this passed that test.

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rate a cookbook by how many recipes I flag with a Post-It note and this thick book only had four... I was disappointed. (I also checked out Melissa Clark's Dinner in One around the same time and there is no comparison.) The writing is chipper and familiar and the photos are simple, overhead shots. The recipes in the first section of the book serve ONE person! Argh. I agree with Jamie Oliver's aesthetic of fresh food, quality ingredients, yada yada yada—I mean, who doesn't —and I've even been to a couple of his restaurants while in London, but this cookbook is only a quick read for inspiration.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever watched Jamie Oliver cook on TV, than you'll find this book is the essence of him.

I love the layout with the ingredients not only listed, but pictured along the left-hand side of the page and a photo of the final dish on the page opposite. The instructions are written in his style so that I hear his voice when I read them!

And while I probably won't make (m)any of the recipes in this book (mostly because I don't often carry some of the ingredients he uses), it was still a joy to read, just as he is a joy to watch on cooking shows.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of interesting recipes. I really like that each ingredient is photographed separately and the photos are in a panel alongside the recipe. This should remove any doubt you have about using the correct ingredients. Some of the instructions in a few of the recipes are a little vague. Do I put the chicken on a rack placed on top of the pan, or directly on the oven rack? Also, quite a few recipes require ingredients that you might have to buy especially for that particular recipe, although they sometimes appear later in another recipe in the book.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve found the library is my best friend for cookbooks. Typically, I find 1-3 recipes I like and want to try and can return the book. That is, unless it is Jamie Oliver’s One: Simple One Pan Wonders. Every single recipe looks so delicious. The entire book is so brilliantly laid out from simple ingredients to keep your pantry stocked to how to use a dish 4 ways to create something new or utilize leftovers. The ingredient photos down the left side - chef’s kiss! Expertly photographed my only complaint is that I wish it was bigger. Going to have to buy this one I am afraid.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always grading books out of sync with most reviewers. Seems this one didn’t hit others with the 5 stars it did me. I LOVE this cookbook. Recipes for one - nice for single nights when you want to nourish yourself but not take all night preparing and have 14 pots to wash later. I want to make every dish in the book except the mussels😵‍💫. If you need batch cooking, it’s here. Need recipes for 4? Here. A reasonable ingredient list of things even a marginal cook has in the cupboard.
Cooking my way page by page on this one and have yet to be disappointed.