Customer Reviews

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

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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: Noodles
The 15-Minute Single Gourmet
The Bew Anerucab Vegetaruab Menu Cookbook
The Compete Book of Dressings
The Complete Soy Cookbook
Vegetarian Sandwiches
Vegetarian Appetizers
A Beautiful Bowl of Soup
The Spirited Vegetarian
The Simple Soups Deck

Visit Mitchell's website: PAULETTE MITCHELL
Marty Martindale can be reached at her site:
FOOD SITE OF THE DAY

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.

Another winner by Paulette Mitchell. It's so nice to have reliable recipes that I can have on the table fast. The meals are short on time but not on taste. I recommend this book.