The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh

I was given this book as a gift and it is fabulous! The recipes are clear, easy and truly quick to make. And most important to me is that they are very flavorful and attractive. The ingredients called for are easily located. The recipes are healthy and satisfying, and the photographs are beautiful. This book makes it so easy to find an answer to that dreaded question of what to have for dinner. I've made about 15 of the recipes and each one has been great! Paulette Mitchell is my new favorite cookbook author. I plan to purchase her vegetarian cookbook and am going to give this book for Christmas presents this year. I really love it!

I borrowed this book from the library on a whim and am loving the recipes so much, I am now buying a copy of my own. It is true to its word and you can make these dishes in 15-20 minutes for absolutely great weeknight meals that shake up the regular routine. Each recipe I've tried so far has been good: --Jamaican Coconut Milk Chicken: So good I've made it 3 times in 2 weeks. Serve over coconut milk flavored rice and it's delicious. Even better the next day as the curry and flavors absorb more into the chicken. --Curried pumpkin and black bean soup: Not thick as I expected, but full of flavor for a warm and filling lunch --Five-Spice Shrimp with Plum Sauce: We wrapped ours in butter leaf lettuce. My 9-yr-old went back for 4 servings! Easy to follow recipes, color photographs throughout the book, and great results. I've noticed many of the recipes call for curry powder, so make sure you like that before buying. For me, this is my new go-to cookbook of choice, and I am a collector of cookbooks, so that says a lot.

This is one of the only cookbooks I've ever encountered that followed through with its claim to make fast food, even the first time I make a recipe. There is also a huge variety of tastes and ingredients. I have yet to make anything from this book that didn't work or wasn't delicious; the recipes are clear, well organized and easy! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to make varied, good food on a time budget.

THE COMPLETE 15-MINUTE GOURMET: Creative Cuisine made Fast and Fresh By Paulette Mitchell A review by Marty Martindale Mitchell challenges cooks to surprise themselves with what they can cook in 15 minutes, as she introduces delicious recipes infused with an international flair combined with fresh ingredients and basic pantry staples. These will be meals prepared with chef-like appearance, not hurried or complicated. Her 300-page book is liberally sprinkled with yellow tip panels which she has indexed early in the book. Here's an overview of Mitchell's recipes in the book: PESTO CHICKEN SALAD WITH RED GRAPES Simply made with: penne pasta, basil pesto, sour cream wine vinegar, sugar, shredded carrots, green oinions and red leaf lettuce SHERRIED BLACK BEAN SOUP Olive oil, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, coriander, broth, pepper flakes and parsley RAMEN NOODLE SOUP WITH SPINACH AND CORN Broth, soy sauce, salad spinach, pepper flakes, butter and Togarashi powder CHICKEN TORTILLA SANDWICHES WITH JALAPENO MAYONNAISE Plum tomato, shallot, chili pepper, lime juice, flour tortillas, and shredded lettuce SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS Water, cornstarch, Chinese hot oil, canola oil, onion, baby peas, green onions, soy sauce, dark Asian sesame oil, chopped fresh ginger and iceberg lettuce leaves SALMON RAMEN: Broth, soy sauce, fresh spinach, mushrooms, snap peas, canola oil, fresh ginger minced and garlic GREEK LEMON SOUP WITH SCALLOPS Olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic broth, tomatoes, fresh spinach, orzo, scallions and lemon juice CIOPPINO WITH LINGUINE Olive oil, green pepper, onion, garlic, canned tomato, basil, trhyme, pepper flakes, cod fillet, shrimp, lemon jujice and Parmesan cheese SPAGHETTI WITH BLACK OLIVE-TOMATO PESTO AND SHRIMP Broth, tomato paste, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic chopped feta cheese garnish SHRIMP COCONUT MILK CURRY Broth, red curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, shrimp, tomatoes, sugar peas, cilantro and lime FETTUCCINE CARBONARA Pancetta, eggs, broth, cream, Parmesan, garlic and flat-leaf parsley ORANGE, OLIVE AND ARUGULA SALAD Orange juice, hazelnut or walnut oil, honey and parsley TABOULI Couscous, Lemon juice, olive oil, tomato, cucumber, parsley, green onion and mint leaves CHINESE FIRECRACKER NOODLES Wheat flour noodles, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Asian sesame oil, chili paste with garlic, lemon juice, honey, pickled ginger, carrots, green onions, chopped peanuts, cilantro, black sesame seeds and cilantro CAULIFLOWER CURRY Canola oil, onion, curry powder, tomatoes, baby peas, yogurt and lemon wedges GARLIC AND LEMON LENTILS Cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and cumin The last chapter in Mitchell's book she titles, "Basics," and it contains quick recipes for sauces, dressings and other items you can use to make simple items fun and festive. Here's more books by Mitchell: The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet The 15-Minute Gourmet Vegetarian The 15-Minute Gourmet: Chicken The 15-Minute Gourmet:

Paulette started as a vegetarian chef, and that's where I first encountered her recipes. I'm NOT a vegetarian by any stretch, but the way she builds her recipes and uses herbs and spices got my attention. Now that she's branched out into all areas of cooking, she's just about the best around. Unlike some "quick" cookbooks, the recipes in this book actually ARE fast to make. They're professionally edited (no missing steps or phantom ingredients) and really (in general) easy to make. You'll also meet some new ingredients. While not every recipe will send you to the gourmet food store, when you do end up making a trip it'll be worth it!