From the book blurb: Claire Robinson – host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix – is here to help you get dinner on the table with minimal fuss and just a few great ingredients.
With everyone struggling to streamline and budget, Claire’s recipes make preparing delicious meals a snap. Showing you how to choose the right ingredients along with a little culinary know-how is her specialty. According to Claire, cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be impressive: Simplifying the process with fewer ingredients saves time, frustration, and, ultimately, money.
My thoughts: When I first saw the title of this beautiful cookbook I thought it seemed like a good one for me. 5 Ingredient Fix covers all meals as well as cocktails and various dinner courses. The author imparts her philosophy of cooking with fewer ingredients and also lists which basics every kitchen warrior should own. There is a section titled Menu Ideas For Memorable Meals which groups recipes from the book into meals.
The photography is gorgeous and made me want to try several recipes. I must say that some of the ingredients are not staples I would normally find in my pantry or refrigerator so preparation is key. After browsing the recipes I decided to make:
Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Basil Butter
1 large spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
8 large basil leaves, sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for serving
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preheat the oven to 375°
Halve the squash through the stem and remove the seeds. Season with salt and pepper and roast cut side up on baking sheet until completely soft, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly and, with a fork, shred the squash flesh from the shell and transfer to a serving dish.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the pine nuts and basil to a paste. Add the butter and cheese and pulse to combine; season with salt and pepper.
Serve the squash warm with soft butter on the side to dollop on each serving.
Tim and I agreed that it’s a tasty side dish. I think the star of the recipe is the Basil Butter. The combination of the basil, pine nuts and cheese is wonderfully flavorful. Some of the ingredients are on the expensive side – I had no idea about the price of pine nuts! Despite the cost, I would definitely make this recipe again.
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Claire Robinson is the host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix and Food Network Challenge. She cites her French-speaking grandmother as a major influence on her love for food. Claire graduated from the French Culinary Institute, is an accomplished private chef, and has worked on culinary production teams for several cooking series, including Food Network’s Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Review copy from Hachette Book Group
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