Can a Cookbook Really Make Healthy Food Taste Amazing?

[Barry Carlton]

I do not get excited about much (which hampers my PC business) but this cook book has me really excited!!!!

I am one that can read a recipe and taste it. These are some great dishes gals (and guys)!!!! Some can be tweeked from the get go, but I am so stoked to try more than half of these before adjusting anything.

And I am nowhere near a heath nut....by a long shot. I am the type that really likes the bad stuff.

 

[Shelly Flanagan]

I am with you on this one Bobby. I am very excited by all the couscous recipes, or recipes that I can use it in. Like in place of Bulgur Wheat or Barley. I do a 15 minutes to dinner show and use couscous. Now I can "Kick it up a notch" so to speak. Nice to have a few new ideas. By the way, I get more bookings from this show than when I do a 30 min ckn AND the lava cake in the DCB.

 

[BlueMoon]

I am with you on this one Bobby. I am very excited by all the couscous recipes, or recipes that I can use it in. Like in place of Bulgur Wheat or Barley. I do a 15 minutes to dinner show and use couscous. Now I can "Kick it up a notch" so to speak. Nice to have a few new ideas. By the way, I get more bookings from this show than when I do a 30 min ckn AND the lava cake in the DCB.

I'd love to hear more about this show! Please share?

 

[alibene80]

I love this cookbook! I have read a lot of consultants prefer the DCB CB to this, but I feel the opposite! So far i have tried the SW Tabbouleh Burritos, The Lean Green Thai Stir-Fry, and I am very excited to try the Spicy Poblano Burgers and the Zucchini Ribbon Primavera. I haven't tried any desserts yet, but they look great too.

 

[ShellBeach]

The little dishes section in front has me all fired up for warm weather cooking! They all look great for lunches, too. Stuff that can be cooked ahead and assembled at work, or reheated quickly.

 

[Shelly Flanagan]

I'd love to hear more about this show! Please share?

Oh my goodness Marghi, I am so sorry I didn't answer you.

I use the RCP and cook 3-4 chicken breasts in 10 minutes. Remove the chicken, add chicken broth, water, spinach and red pepper or parm/garlic dipping oil seasoning mix, and couscous to the RCP. Put in the microwave for 5 minutes. Cut up the chicken with the salad choppers while the couscous is warming. Once it is done, I combine the chicken and the couscous into one of the bamboo bowls (usually the square one and use the salad claws). People love this.

I do it in the summer time to show you don't have to heat up your kitchen to eat a healthy meal, and it is done in 15 minutes. I usually sell the RCP and the choppers to everyone at the show and everyone books because they want their friends to see this.

I tell them at my house I cook all my pasta, mashed potatoes, chicken breast, veggies, oatmeal, etc in it. I even make my ice tea in it in 6 minutes. I usually do a Molten Lava cake in the DCB but I swear by the RCP/salad choppers when I do this show.:chef:

 

[ChefCKHall]

Oh my goodness Marghi, I am so sorry I didn't answer you.

I use the RCP and cook 3-4 chicken breasts in 10 minutes. Remove the chicken, add chicken broth, water, spinach and red pepper or parm/garlic dipping oil seasoning mix, and couscous to the RCP. Put in the microwave for 5 minutes. Cut up the chicken with the salad choppers while the couscous is warming. Once it is done, I combine the chicken and the couscous into one of the bamboo bowls (usually the square one and use the salad claws). People love this.

I do it in the summer time to show you don't have to heat up your kitchen to eat a healthy meal, and it is done in 15 minutes. I usually sell the RCP and the choppers to everyone at the show and everyone books because they want their friends to see this.

I tell them at my house I cook all my pasta, mashed potatoes, chicken breast, veggies, oatmeal, etc in it. I even make my ice tea in it in 6 minutes. I usually do a Molten Lava cake in the DCB but I swear by the RCP/salad choppers when I do this show.:chef:

Hi Shelly! I am intrigued...I have an RCP and use it for....rice! Could you give me more info on how much couscous, broth, ingredients...etc you do? Also, I have always done my CB in the DCB, how do you do it in RCP?
Thanks, CK

 

[Shelly Flanagan]

Hi Shelly! I am intrigued...I have an RCP and use it for....rice! Could you give me more info on how much couscous, broth, ingredients...etc you do? Also, I have always done my CB in the DCB, how do you do it in RCP?
Thanks, CK

Hi CK,
The CB is just plain FROZEN, skinless CB that I put in the RCP and set the timer for 5 mins, I turn and reset for 5 mins because if they overlap they may not get done on that portion. I do double the water/broth for the couscous. Just like Rice. I put the water/broth, couscous and selected spice in at the same time, set for 5 mins and viola! you have couscous you fluff with a fork and it is sooo yummy. Like I said, On this I use our dipping seasoning mixes instead of spices because I like the way they flavor the couscous since it picks up EVERY flavor you cook it with.

For spaghetti, mac n cheese and potatoes, I fill water to the 2qt line on the inside of the cooker add whatever I want cooked and set the timer. For my microwave 12-15 minutes for the spaghetti depending on the thickness I use. 15 for Mac N cheese, 12 for potatoes. To boil my tea to make Ice tea, I set the timer for 6 mins, let it steep for another 4-5 and make my tea.

I LOVE the RCP it is an invaluable tool in my house. I work 53-60 hours a week and do PC on the side. I don't have lots of time to cook, although I love to cook. So that being said, my shows are based on How to cook good, healthy meals as quickly as possible. I don't always feature a PC recipe either. If I have a creation of my own that works well for my family, I feature it instead. (Just like the 15 mins to dinner chicken/couscous recipe - it's all mine.) I want people to see how to use the products in the real world.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Actually..I had a host call me last night and ask me about exchanging this book for something else because it has a lot of "fancy" ingredients that she doesn't have.

 

[magentablue]

I haven't found anything in it that I like. I much prefered the "It's Good For You" cookbook. But, different strokes for different folks... I put the cookbooks out for people to look through if they want to see it before they buy it.

 

[ShellBeach]

I love this cookbook! I have read a lot of consultants prefer the DCB CB to this, but I feel the opposite! So far i have tried the SW Tabbouleh Burritos, The Lean Green Thai Stir-Fry, and I am very excited to try the Spicy Poblano Burgers and the Zucchini Ribbon Primavera. I haven't tried any desserts yet, but they look great too.

Thanks for the review of the Tabbouleh Burritos and Grean Thai Stir-Fry! I have my eye on those to try.

I had posted in another thread that some of these recipes would be expensive to make. I wanted to try the Grilled Shrimp Pitas with Basil Aioli, which calls for 1 cup basil leaves. My basil plants are still seedlings....the store only had those $2.99 plastic containers of basil with like, 4 sprigs in them. I think I would have needed 3 of them for this recipe!

So, I went with the Cool Crab Cocktails with Mango Puree. Mangos must be in season now - they are 99¢ everywhere right now. The recipe calls for cilantro, which is only 69¢ a bunch....got all the ingredients for around $10.

This recipe is fabulous! Both my husband and 16-yr-old liked it and requested I make it again. This is restaurant-quality; this type of appetizer would be at least $12 each in a trendy place and I made 3 big helpings of it for $10.


Also want to try the sweet-potato gnocchi in the autumn, but I am going to be using my food processor for that one!

 

[ShellBeach]

Meant to ask what you all think - this cookbook's cover got crumpled inthe box, like somebody shoved it in last and it caught on something on the way down. Do you think PC would do an adjustmetn for that? It's not terrible, but it bothers my OCD.

 

[amyscookinggear]

Yes I would request an adjustment. You should received it undamaged!

 

[ChefCKHall]

Hi CK,
The CB is just plain FROZEN, skinless CB that I put in the RCP and set the timer for 5 mins, I turn and reset for 5 mins because if they overlap they may not get done on that portion. I do double the water/broth for the couscous. Just like Rice. I put the water/broth, couscous and selected spice in at the same time, set for 5 mins and viola! you have couscous you fluff with a fork and it is sooo yummy. Like I said, On this I use our dipping seasoning mixes instead of spices because I like the way they flavor the couscous since it picks up EVERY flavor you cook it with.

For spaghetti, mac n cheese and potatoes, I fill water to the 2qt line on the inside of the cooker add whatever I want cooked and set the timer. For my microwave 12-15 minutes for the spaghetti depending on the thickness I use. 15 for Mac N cheese, 12 for potatoes. To boil my tea to make Ice tea, I set the timer for 6 mins, let it steep for another 4-5 and make my tea.

I LOVE the RCP it is an invaluable tool in my house. I work 53-60 hours a week and do PC on the side. I don't have lots of time to cook, although I love to cook. So that being said, my shows are based on How to cook good, healthy meals as quickly as possible. I don't always feature a PC recipe either. If I have a creation of my own that works well for my family, I feature it instead. (Just like the 15 mins to dinner chicken/couscous recipe - it's all mine.) I want people to see how to use the products in the real world.

Thank you! Gonna pull that puppy out and do your 15 min chick/couscous recipe this week!

 

[ShellBeach]

Yes I would request an adjustment. You should received it undamaged!

Thanks. All I needed was one "aye" to convince myself. They also sent an extra grill pan cleaner and they are welcome to have it back I wanted to try out my manual food processor before making any kind of adjustment, after hearing issues with the lid being difficult. The lock is very difficult to get undone, but that's for a different thread...

Tried the Touboulleh Burritos for dinner, and they were AWESOME! My pkg of chicken had more than the recipe called for, so I am going to have some yummy leftovers for lunch! My husband liked it even better than the crab cocktails we had for lunch, and said it's the best new recipe I've made in a loooong time.

 

[ShellBeach]

Tried the Lean Green Thai Stir-Fry a few days back:thumbdown: Maybe if I added 3 times the amount of green curry paste, it would have had more flavor. None of us liked it. Even after adding some salt. I might try it again since I have leftover frozen edameme. I think the problem was, way too many linguine noodles. Mine had a lot more than what the picture showed.

Hubby requested the crab/mango again, so I've made that about 3 times. Always yummy & really fresh-tasting.

Just sent in the adjustment for the cookbook, MFP lid that will not lock, and extra grill pan cleaning tool. Glad I remembered before the 30 days are up, since they want them all back!