You may remember the success of Jamie Oliver’s 2010 book, Jamie’s 30-minute meals which broke publishing records and remains the UK’s fastest and bestselling non-fiction book of all times. Here at MummyPages we’re big fans of Jamie’s relaxed and easy-going approach towards food. As a dad to four young children, Jamie no doubt understands that time is a luxury parents just don’t have and when it comes to cooking dinner, every second counts!
‘Jamie’s 15-minute meals’ features healthy recipes that can be made in fifteen minutes or under but that don’t compromise on flavour or ingredient quality. Jamie’s recipes take the reader on a journey around the world; from dishes inspired by comforting British food to family staples inspired by Thai, Chinese, Italian, Indian and Mexican cuisine. There are dishes that the whole family will enjoy and meals to impress even the most discerning of guests. You don’t have to be a culinary whizz to recreate these recipes, there’s something for everyone from the most basic of beginners to the most confident of cooks.
Jamie’s cookbook is helpfully divided into chapters entitled simply; chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish, pasta, soups & sarnies, veggie and breakfast. At the beginning of every recipe, Jamie instructs to have the ingredients out and the equipment ready to save time. This step really is essential otherwise you will find the minutes ticking away while you frantically root for that elusive jar of smoked paprika you just know is somewhere in the back of your cupboard!
Some of the fabulous recipes we just couldn’t wait to try included; Seared Asian beef with best noodle salad and ginger dressing, spicy Cajun chicken with smashed sweet potato and fresh corn salsa, ultimate pork tacos with spicy black beans and avocado garden salad, mustard lamb with Irish mash and watercress apple salad, pesto spaghetti with lemon-steamed fish and veggie chilli with crunchy tortilla and avocado salad. Judging by the empty plates and uniformly contented faces on both the adults and frequently-fussy kids, we deemed Jamie’s 15-minute meals a gigantic success. Set your kitchen timer’s and see how you get on!
It’s a cookbook that will definitely be getting pride of place on the kitchen shelf and we think it would make a pretty special Christmas present to encourage any culinary clueless other-halves out there.
‘Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals’ is published by Michael Joseph, RRP €30
