Most quick recipe collections promise a lot but deliver very little. Bland, uninspired dishes may be fast, but will you make them again? And clever gimmicks sound great, but in reality they rarely make much sense. The team at America's Test Kitchen has created more than 200 easy-to-make 30 minute recipes that guarantee impressive results from a minimum of effort. With a little test kitchen know-how, we found ways to make naturally fast dishes even faster, and traditionally slow-cooked dinners a weeknight option. But one thing we never did was settle on shortcuts that shortchanged flavor. Some compromises simply aren't worth making, and a few extra minutes of cooking translate to time well spent. No matter the path taken, every recipe in this book is foolproof, full-flavored, and fast. It's time to make weeknight dinner interesting again.
Simple Weeknight Favorites
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Ms. Melanie
Format:Paperback
I'm a longtime fan of ATK cookbooks, and also own "Best Skillet Recipes", "Best Light Recipes", and the 2011 ATK TV show companion cookbook. I was excited to add a new ATK book to my collection.
There are several recipes in SWF that I noticed had appeared in other publications. The same recipe may fall in various categories - it could be a light recipe, it could be made in a skillet, or it could be made in about 30 minutes. So don't be surprised to see an old favorite mixed in with the new.
I have tried four recipes from this book:
Jasmine Rice Cakes with Vegetable Thai Green Curry: This recipe calls for 2 packages of Uncle Ben's Jasmine Ready Rice. When I originally made this recipe in 2010, my grocer did not carry this product, so I made jasmine rice from scratch. This increased the cooking time of the recipe, but sometimes you just have to make do. The flavors, colors, and textures of this dish were a happy surprise. The crispiness of the rice cake, the creaminess of the curry sauce, the beautiful green vegetables against the golden brown rice... Wow. Just be forewarned - you'll need to process some rice in the food processor. Hot coarsely ground rice is sticky!
Orange-Ginger Pork Tenderloin and Carrot Slaw: Beautiful and tasty. The cumin-cinnamon flavored carrot slaw was a happy surprise. To further save time, use pre-shredded carrots. The sauce for the pork called for orange marmalade. I'm not a marmalade fan due to the strips of peel, so I strained the sauce before serving, and it was fine. This dish would be good with roasted broccoli.
Spicy Beef Lettuce Cups (served with suggested side of Sesame-Scallion Noodles): This was really tasty. I bought the suggested Bibb lettuce, although the specimens at my grocer looked rather sad. The lettuce fell apart under the hot filling, so I shredded the lettuce & served it on top of the beef. I should have gone with the sturdier iceberg lettuce. Sometimes you need to make adjustments based on what is available. Bibb lettuce has a delicate texture, so make sure the leaves are well chilled to stand up to the filling. I added extra chili-garlic sauce.
Sopa Seca - a Mexican dish meaning literally "dry soup". Vermicelli noodles simmered in a broth, with tomatoes, chicken, spices, and cheese, this dish nearly gave me a tantrum. I needed to break the vermicelli into 3-inch pieces, then brown them in a dutch oven. I made the mistake of breaking the pasta into a large bowl, instead of onto a flat surface. So when I poured the noodles into the dutch oven, they did not lie flat and every time I tried to stir the noodles into submission, pasta went flying. Ok, so I know for next time. But after all the work that went into it, I didn't like the dish very much. It didn't taste bad at all, it just wasn't my favorite
I am excited to keep trying new recipes from the cookbook. ATK cookbooks are the ones I turn to again & again, and this book will be no different.
There are several recipes in SWF that I noticed had appeared in other publications. The same recipe may fall in various categories - it could be a light recipe, it could be made in a skillet, or it could be made in about 30 minutes. So don't be surprised to see an old favorite mixed in with the new.
I have tried four recipes from this book:
Jasmine Rice Cakes with Vegetable Thai Green Curry: This recipe calls for 2 packages of Uncle Ben's Jasmine Ready Rice. When I originally made this recipe in 2010, my grocer did not carry this product, so I made jasmine rice from scratch. This increased the cooking time of the recipe, but sometimes you just have to make do. The flavors, colors, and textures of this dish were a happy surprise. The crispiness of the rice cake, the creaminess of the curry sauce, the beautiful green vegetables against the golden brown rice... Wow. Just be forewarned - you'll need to process some rice in the food processor. Hot coarsely ground rice is sticky!
Orange-Ginger Pork Tenderloin and Carrot Slaw: Beautiful and tasty. The cumin-cinnamon flavored carrot slaw was a happy surprise. To further save time, use pre-shredded carrots. The sauce for the pork called for orange marmalade. I'm not a marmalade fan due to the strips of peel, so I strained the sauce before serving, and it was fine. This dish would be good with roasted broccoli.
Spicy Beef Lettuce Cups (served with suggested side of Sesame-Scallion Noodles): This was really tasty. I bought the suggested Bibb lettuce, although the specimens at my grocer looked rather sad. The lettuce fell apart under the hot filling, so I shredded the lettuce & served it on top of the beef. I should have gone with the sturdier iceberg lettuce. Sometimes you need to make adjustments based on what is available. Bibb lettuce has a delicate texture, so make sure the leaves are well chilled to stand up to the filling. I added extra chili-garlic sauce.
Sopa Seca - a Mexican dish meaning literally "dry soup". Vermicelli noodles simmered in a broth, with tomatoes, chicken, spices, and cheese, this dish nearly gave me a tantrum. I needed to break the vermicelli into 3-inch pieces, then brown them in a dutch oven. I made the mistake of breaking the pasta into a large bowl, instead of onto a flat surface. So when I poured the noodles into the dutch oven, they did not lie flat and every time I tried to stir the noodles into submission, pasta went flying. Ok, so I know for next time. But after all the work that went into it, I didn't like the dish very much. It didn't taste bad at all, it just wasn't my favorite
I am excited to keep trying new recipes from the cookbook. ATK cookbooks are the ones I turn to again & again, and this book will be no different.
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I am a fan of quick and simple recipes which are easy to prepare at home. I am also a long time fan of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, so I was really looking forward to "Simple Weeknight Favorites". I was sure that once I had gone through it, I would find a lot of things I'd want to try and probably even some I might make on a regular basis.
At first glance, it looked good. It's printed on high quality glossy paper with lots of nice, bright color photography of the completed recipes. There is useful general information about ingredients and preparation also with nice color photos. I especially liked "All about Salad Greens" on page 33, "All about Buying Pork" on page 133, and "All about Salmon" on page 177.
All that said, despite going through this book from cover to cover a couple of times, I didn't really find the kind of recipes I was looking for. I thought from the title, "Simple Weeknight Favorites," that I would discover some new variations on familiar standards, but instead I found what seemed to me unusual preparations or combinations of ingrediants which often didn't really appeal to me. Some examples are "Farfalle with Beets, Arugula, and Blue Cheese", "Frisee with Fried-egg Salad and Lentils", and Chicken with Mexican-style Pumpkin Seed Sauce." How about "Squash, Gorgonzola, and Panchetta Pizza?" Kids usually love pizza but I think that recipe, like many in this book, could be a hard sell to the children in a lot of families.
I can imagine that this book could appeal to adults with a sense of gastronomic adventure greater than mine who are in search of new culinary experiences. I like bacon but wouldn't cook it in maple syrup as one recipe suggests. Likewise I wouldn't cook pork chops in cola as does another.
There are a few things I might try here, but despite the book's title, I don't expect anything I have found in this book to become one of my "Simple Weeknight Favorites." A better source for me has been the Cook's Illustrated book The Best 30-Minute Recipe I keep returning to it as I do to Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD. Finally, I am also a real fan of The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less along with some of the other cookbooks in the South Beach series.
At first glance, it looked good. It's printed on high quality glossy paper with lots of nice, bright color photography of the completed recipes. There is useful general information about ingredients and preparation also with nice color photos. I especially liked "All about Salad Greens" on page 33, "All about Buying Pork" on page 133, and "All about Salmon" on page 177.
All that said, despite going through this book from cover to cover a couple of times, I didn't really find the kind of recipes I was looking for. I thought from the title, "Simple Weeknight Favorites," that I would discover some new variations on familiar standards, but instead I found what seemed to me unusual preparations or combinations of ingrediants which often didn't really appeal to me. Some examples are "Farfalle with Beets, Arugula, and Blue Cheese", "Frisee with Fried-egg Salad and Lentils", and Chicken with Mexican-style Pumpkin Seed Sauce." How about "Squash, Gorgonzola, and Panchetta Pizza?" Kids usually love pizza but I think that recipe, like many in this book, could be a hard sell to the children in a lot of families.
I can imagine that this book could appeal to adults with a sense of gastronomic adventure greater than mine who are in search of new culinary experiences. I like bacon but wouldn't cook it in maple syrup as one recipe suggests. Likewise I wouldn't cook pork chops in cola as does another.
There are a few things I might try here, but despite the book's title, I don't expect anything I have found in this book to become one of my "Simple Weeknight Favorites." A better source for me has been the Cook's Illustrated book The Best 30-Minute Recipe I keep returning to it as I do to Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD. Finally, I am also a real fan of The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less along with some of the other cookbooks in the South Beach series.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I liked the wide variety of ethnic dishes and the flavors they introduce. I also appreciated the sturdy pages and more than 80 full-page, color photos so readers know what the finished dishes should look like.
Readers may appreciate the Smart Shopping tips such as white versus brown mushrooms, matzo meal versus matzo ball mix, grades of crabmeat and for individual produce items (including escarole and poblano peppers) as well as the Quick Prep tips offering insight on topics like half-and-half substitutes, smashing ginger, and reviving crystallized honey). These short tips are included in many recipes, and throughout there are more comprehensive guides (one or two pages) on topics such as All About Asian Ingredients, Indoor Burgers 101, Setting Up Your Grill, Matching Pasta Shapes and Sauces, Buying Pork, Pan-Searing Steaks 101, All About Spices, All About Salmon and All About Salad Greens. The quick side suggestions (such as pico de gallo and easy white rice with the Quick Black Bean Soup) may also be helpful.
What I did not like was the heavy dependence on meat. Even the salad chapter offered only one vegetarian option. I would have preferred to have seen more vegetarian dishes that relied on inexpensive, easy to find sources of protein such as beans and quinoa (to reflect growing interest in Meat-Free Mondays). The chapter on vegetarian dishes is the shortest one in the book.
It would have been helpful to provide calorie counts for each dish, but they were not included. Read more ›
Readers may appreciate the Smart Shopping tips such as white versus brown mushrooms, matzo meal versus matzo ball mix, grades of crabmeat and for individual produce items (including escarole and poblano peppers) as well as the Quick Prep tips offering insight on topics like half-and-half substitutes, smashing ginger, and reviving crystallized honey). These short tips are included in many recipes, and throughout there are more comprehensive guides (one or two pages) on topics such as All About Asian Ingredients, Indoor Burgers 101, Setting Up Your Grill, Matching Pasta Shapes and Sauces, Buying Pork, Pan-Searing Steaks 101, All About Spices, All About Salmon and All About Salad Greens. The quick side suggestions (such as pico de gallo and easy white rice with the Quick Black Bean Soup) may also be helpful.
What I did not like was the heavy dependence on meat. Even the salad chapter offered only one vegetarian option. I would have preferred to have seen more vegetarian dishes that relied on inexpensive, easy to find sources of protein such as beans and quinoa (to reflect growing interest in Meat-Free Mondays). The chapter on vegetarian dishes is the shortest one in the book.
It would have been helpful to provide calorie counts for each dish, but they were not included. Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
I like america's test kitchen but not so much this book
When I am looking for simple weeknight recipes, simple and fast are critical. I also want more traditional recipes than this cookbook has. Read more
Published 8 days ago by TC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tried and True
I am usually not a fast and furious home cook. It's not that I don't want to be, but I think of fast as using too many processed foods. Read more
Published 9 days ago by J Diaz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Ideas
I find myself going to the store a lot looking around for the ingredients on most of the recipes in this book. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Fernando Leal-Rodriguez
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another good title from the Test Kitchen
I've been trying to get rid of some of cookbooks on my shelf, since I'm finding that most rarely get opened. This cookbook is not suffering that fate. Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well tested recipes perfect for hurried dinners
If you're looking for easy to prepare fool proof recipes, Simple Weeknight Favorites is a great cookbook. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Chicago Book Addict
4.0 out of 5 stars
Favorite Line of Cookbooks
This might seem slightly repetitive of my other review, but there are some constants with these cookbooks which really is a good thing. The size is good, not huge not very small. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tanya McHenry
3.0 out of 5 stars
not what I hoped
I'm generally a fan of America's Test Kitchen for their explanation of "Why This Recipe Works," their insight into the tastes and textures they were going for in each recipe, and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by lainibug
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gourmet
Flipping through the recipe titles you will find recipes for foods you would expect to see in a fancy restaurant. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
3.0 out of 5 stars
The main reason....to me "simple" wasn't simple enough....
Okay, so I may not like to cook (i hate it) and when I saw "simple" i was hoping that it was really simple (not campbells soup or hamburger simple though). Read more
Published 2 months ago by Contrary2
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple Weeknight Favorites
Great resource. Easy to use. No fussy ingredients. Helps to put meals together in no time at all. I can't wait to try all the recipes.
Published 3 months ago by smartcookie
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