Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals 
asked by jrivera on November 23, 2006 11:30 PM
Heeding the pleas of modern multitasking home cooks, Television Food Network’s Sara Moulton returns with 200 delicious and quick main dishes, sides, and desserts for busy workweek dinners.
As the host of Cooking Live and Sara’s Secrets, the food editor of Good Morning America, and the bestselling author of Sara Moulton Cooks at Home, Sara Moulton is one of this country’s most popular and accessible celebrity chefs. It was while touring the U.S. promoting her first book, in fact, that Sara's fans begged her for fast, tasty, and wholesome weeknight entrees. She realized that she, too, had a need for those kinds of dishes, which was all her busy schedule would allow. In writing this book, Sara rethought dinner itself, so that mealtimes no longer featured the same predictable recipes. Instead she offers “breakfast for dinner” or hearty soups or sandwiches. The result is a cookbook filled with easy and popular ethnic dishes to spice up the repertoire, her own versions of American classics, dishes to whip up from pantry staples as well as supermarket salad bar and deli items, and slow-cooking recipes for leisurely weekends.
With recipes that will satisfy taste buds as well as time constraints, Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals covers the spectrum from entree salads (Thai-style Steak Salad with Spicy Mint Dressing), substantial sandwiches (Scampi Heroes), hearty soups for supper (Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens), breakfast foods for dinner (Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Fried Eggs), pasta (Quick Asparagus Lasagna), seafood (Steamed Mussels in Curried Coconut Broth), vegetable plates (Exotic Mushroom Pot Pie), meat dishes (Meatloaf Burgers), double-duty dishes (leftover rice in Cheatin' Jambalaya), weekend dishes to cook ahead (Slow-cooked Chinese Spareribs), recipes that either can be put together in no time with prepared supermarket ingredients (Crispy Polenta Slices with Gorgonzola and Leeks) or from a well-stocked pantry (Linguine with White Bean, Sun-dried Tomato, and Olive Sauce), to delectable desserts (Chocolate Bread Pudding, Gingerbread Pancakes with Butterscotch Apples, Nectarine and Plum Upside-down Cake).
Recipes include hands-on cooking time and total cooking time as well as suggestions for side-dish pairings. Twenty-four beautiful color photos, warm and friendly headnotes, and lots of Sara's tips and shortcuts (including advice on stocking a pantry, basic recipes, simple sides, quick sauces, and mail-order sources) make this another cookbook for Sara’s fans to cherish.
As the host of Cooking Live and Sara’s Secrets, the food editor of Good Morning America, and the bestselling author of Sara Moulton Cooks at Home, Sara Moulton is one of this country’s most popular and accessible celebrity chefs. It was while touring the U.S. promoting her first book, in fact, that Sara's fans begged her for fast, tasty, and wholesome weeknight entrees. She realized that she, too, had a need for those kinds of dishes, which was all her busy schedule would allow. In writing this book, Sara rethought dinner itself, so that mealtimes no longer featured the same predictable recipes. Instead she offers “breakfast for dinner” or hearty soups or sandwiches. The result is a cookbook filled with easy and popular ethnic dishes to spice up the repertoire, her own versions of American classics, dishes to whip up from pantry staples as well as supermarket salad bar and deli items, and slow-cooking recipes for leisurely weekends.
With recipes that will satisfy taste buds as well as time constraints, Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals covers the spectrum from entree salads (Thai-style Steak Salad with Spicy Mint Dressing), substantial sandwiches (Scampi Heroes), hearty soups for supper (Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens), breakfast foods for dinner (Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Fried Eggs), pasta (Quick Asparagus Lasagna), seafood (Steamed Mussels in Curried Coconut Broth), vegetable plates (Exotic Mushroom Pot Pie), meat dishes (Meatloaf Burgers), double-duty dishes (leftover rice in Cheatin' Jambalaya), weekend dishes to cook ahead (Slow-cooked Chinese Spareribs), recipes that either can be put together in no time with prepared supermarket ingredients (Crispy Polenta Slices with Gorgonzola and Leeks) or from a well-stocked pantry (Linguine with White Bean, Sun-dried Tomato, and Olive Sauce), to delectable desserts (Chocolate Bread Pudding, Gingerbread Pancakes with Butterscotch Apples, Nectarine and Plum Upside-down Cake).
Recipes include hands-on cooking time and total cooking time as well as suggestions for side-dish pairings. Twenty-four beautiful color photos, warm and friendly headnotes, and lots of Sara's tips and shortcuts (including advice on stocking a pantry, basic recipes, simple sides, quick sauces, and mail-order sources) make this another cookbook for Sara’s fans to cherish.
Reviews
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This cookbook is great, I use it constantly. The recipes are very clear and she really pays attention to the details, which makes all the difference. Plus they are unique without being too unique, if you know what I mean (my kids will still eat the food!) Some of my favorites are the pork tournedos, the southwestern sweet potatoes, basically the whole salads chapter, escarole and white bean soup, keema matar... okay I have a lot of favorites. Am thinking of buying this cookbook as a christmas present for someone because I've had such luck with it. Only complaint is some of the ingredients can be hard to find, but that's probably because I live in a rural area and so grocery store options are limited.
reviewed by runabout on November 26, 2006 3:42 AM
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There are more food processor recipes. I don't remember any in the first book, "Cooks at Home."
These are saucey recipes which is just what I need. I sear steaks and bake fish.
Here is what I particularly like about the book:
- all the saucey, gravy-y recipes
- I have to stock up on wasabi powder and balsamic vinegar.
- Vietnamese-style Beef Soup
- Pumplin Ravioli using canned pumpkin
- Butter-steamed Broccoli with Soy
- Basic Yellow Cake in the food processor
These favorites don't represent the book at all. The book is chock full of yummy gravy American recipes using much of what I keep in my fridge anyway. I love it.
These are saucey recipes which is just what I need. I sear steaks and bake fish.
Here is what I particularly like about the book:
- all the saucey, gravy-y recipes
- I have to stock up on wasabi powder and balsamic vinegar.
- Vietnamese-style Beef Soup
- Pumplin Ravioli using canned pumpkin
- Butter-steamed Broccoli with Soy
- Basic Yellow Cake in the food processor
These favorites don't represent the book at all. The book is chock full of yummy gravy American recipes using much of what I keep in my fridge anyway. I love it.
reviewed by localhost on November 29, 2006 7:32 PM
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I heartily agree with previous reviewers. The alternating colors for recipe and ingredients are disconcerting. Also the narrowness of the column for ingredients make those ingredients lists look very long making one think a recipe is more complicated than it is. But many of the recipes look very doable and I am looking forward to trying them.
reviewed by theriver on November 29, 2006 7:34 PM