need cookbook inspiration

[lisacohen]

Hi there,

I am in a food rut. I am the "chef" in the house and have two young kids (5 & 2) and a picky husband (read: hardly likes anything healthy, grind up mushrooms if I want them in the meal) so I find it increasingly difficult to make foods that I want to eat that everyone else will like too. I've whittled down my magazine subscriptions to only one foodie one... but need help for favorful, healthful, quick (30 minutes) meal inspiration. Any cookbooks would be appreciated. I have bought a few of Eating Well but most of the stuff sounds like icky health food and I've heard that lots of people's "bomb" meals come from EW. I used to subscribe to Bon Apetit but I can't be bothered with long cooking times or recipes that have a cup of cream in them. I also used to subscribe to CL (for 10 years).

I'm trying to get us to eat more whole grains (am trying to make the conversion this coming year from white to brown rice and pasta and more whole grains) while not giving up chicken and beef (my husband loves meat... but mostly gets chicken since I do not enjoy it as much).

Here's a look at what we're eating this week to get a sense of the kinds of food we like (Italian, Mexican, Asian, American):
-Bulgogi with jasmine rice and brocolli
-Enchiladas de Pollo (CL)
-Confetti Quesadillas (CL)
-Calzones (RR - pepperoni and cheese for hubby, cheese for kids, and spinach/artichoke for me)
-Buffalo Chicken Salad

We also love chicken picatta, spaghettini alio e olio (with brocolli thrown in), baked ziti, chicken cutlets, chicken lettuce wraps, homemade pizza... but I feel like we eat all of these over and over and over.

HELP! Are there any new cookbooks that I should try or old classics that I should get a hold of for some yummy meal planning inspiration??

Thanks!
Lisa
My blog (http://lisacohen.typepad.com)

[RebelsLGB]

well for 30 minute meals, I do enjoy Rachael Rays books. I will admit that she has a lot of books with a lot of recipes, so it is sort of hit or miss to find the good ones, but when you do come across one of her good recipes, it is REALLY GOOD. Not that low in fat though, but its usually easy to lighten it up.

When I was switching over to whole grains, I was the only willing person to do it, my dad and fiance wanted nothing to do with it. Now I've gotten both of them switched for the most part. We eat only brown rice (my dad will sometimes order white or fried when we order chinese..but usually he still orders brown), and the Brilla Multigrain pasta has been a godsend. My dad can't even tell the difference. It is not as dark in color as whole wheat pasta, so he can't even tell.

I rely on my cookinglight annuals and this website, and magazines for most of my cooking. I also go through my Rachael Ray books and watch the foodnetwork all the time.

[mrswaz]

I agree with RebelsLGB, if you're looking for tasty and quick, Rachael Ray may be the way to go. I don't particularly like her, but I do find her cookbooks and her magazine to have plenty of good recipes. I just frequently reduce the fat used.

I am also a frequent flier in my Giada De Laurentiis cookbooks. I have made so many things out of Everyday Italian, and a couple out of her Family Dinners book. Her recipes are no fuss- and very good. Again though, I reduce the fat a lot, and I also swap out the regular pasta for a whole grain one sometimes.

[RebelsLGB]

I just thought of another good book. I have the Best Light Recipe book, and I swear the Stir-Fry section alone, is worth the price of the book. I've not made anything else from it yet, but the stir frys are sooooo good. They also have a Best 30 Minute Meal Book that just came out too.

[saserre]

I recently got the All New Complete Cooking Light, and then went back and bought the old version on eBay. I've found a lot of variety in those two, and a good number of the recipes either don't have "weird" ingredients (that your picky hubby might not like) in them or can easily be left out.

What about swapping out some of that chicken for turkey or pork or veal for some variety? You mentioned "not enjoying it as much" - did you mean the chicken? I've finally got some tried and true breading recipes, and I'm now using on chicken, pork, and veal.

[bobmark226]

The Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight book is very popular here, and with good reason. It takes standards (Chinese, Mexican, Greek, Italian, etc) and takes the "unhealthy" out. Several of the stirfries are now standards for me and I couldn't live without the wonderful Hot & Sour Soup, which I made this weekend for what must be the millionth time.

But I also think if you just checked in here for a few minutes each day, you'd find many, many things that work for your family with lots of comments, variations, etc., without ever having to spend another cent on a cookbook.

Bob

[jabelt]

I just made this last night and it couldn't be easier. I don't know if it meets the healthy requirement, but I think you could modify it to meet your needs. I used part-skim ricotta and (because I wasn't paying attention) added a whole cup of the pasta water. This forced me to improvise and I had to add a large spoonful of low-fat cream cheese to thicken it up again. We also added some crushed red pepper.

Penne with Ricotta and Bacon
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/images/recipe/12_06/grp_edr_penne_ricotta_bacon_sz2.jpg
Deanna Tennison Beler
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
December-January 2007

1 pound penne
8 slices bacon (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 large onion, sliced
15 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped


In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Reserve one ladle of cooking water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. In a medium skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and transfer to a plate, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir the onions and ricotta into the pasta along with the reserved pasta cooking water. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the pasta along with the basil.

[IndyKF]

But I also think if you just checked in here for a few minutes each day, you'd find many, many things that work for your family with lots of comments, variations, etc., without ever having to spend another cent on a cookbook.

Bob

Agreed. This BB has been a great resource for me!

Also agreeing with the Rachael Ray suggestion. Ease up on some of the "EVOO" and you'll easily lighten up most of her recipes.