Ainsley Harriott's All New Meals in Minutes

Ainsley Harriott is back with the third book in his `In Minutes' series with this new collection of delicious dishes that are relatively quick to prepare and tasty to eat, and AH fans won`t be disappointed.

192 shiny, high quality pages split over 9 chapters sandwiched between an intro and a concise index:-

Soups, Starters and Snacks
Fish and Shellfish
Quick and Delicious Poultry
Meaty Mains
Fresh and Fabulous Vegetarian
A Bit on the Side: Vegetables and Side Orders
Perfect Puds
Bottoms Up! Drinks
14 Menus (dishes selected from the book for a `Low Fat Feast`, `Cook-Ahead Supper`, `Having a Party - Oriental Style`, `Summer Sunshine Lunch`, `The Morning after The Night Before`, `Veggie Delight`, `Stars and Stripes Supper`, `The Ultimate Comfort Food`, `Time for the Footie`, `Something for the Kids`, `Festive Feast`, `Christmas Hamper`, `Let's Celebrate` and `Lazy Sunday Lunch'.

80 brand new sensational dishes, over 20 of which are low in fat, which can be cooked-up in less than an hour.
Interspersed with the typical AH humour:-
`When it comes to chicken I am a thigh man as I think they have the best flavour and are also the most succulent - by all means use breast, just cook for about 10 minutes longer.'
Each recipe has a colour photo of the finished dish and a `Nutrition Notes per Serving' that show the calories/protein/carbohydrates/fat/saturated. fat/fibre/added sugar/salt.

Useful tips and variations on the recipes, throughout the book.

Recipes range from the simple:-
`Maddie Haddock',
`easy and tasty, a quick, simple family supper,'
to the more complex:-
`Buttered Salmon and Spinach En Croute',
`for that someone special or a dinner party.'

Our favourite recipes:-

Pomegranate, Orange and Mint Salad
Tagliatelle with Roasted Walnut and Herb Pesto
Easy Fragrant Rice with Peas
Beef Wellington Parcels with Red Wine Jus
Crispy Chilli Orange Grilled Chicken
Cheesy Colcannon Jackets
Warm Mascarpone Berry Spring Rolls
Apple and Mint Vodka
Finished up with `the Ultimate Irish Coffee`!

Meals in minutes? Not if you're an amateur! (6/21 people found this helpful)

I bought this book thinking that meals in minutes meant easy and quick.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed for two reasons:
1. The ingredients in some recipes are completely unknown to the average beginner. Ainsley would have done better to include a small glossary and a list of alternative ingredients, just in case your local market doesn't have some ingredients.
2. The timings were way off in some cases and must have come from "Won't Cook - Can't Cook" expereince.
I suppose my advice would be to buy the book only if you are an experienced cook with a good market nearby, or buy something else specifically for amateur cooks.

all new meals in more than minutes (8/19 people found this helpful)

i had read low fat meals in minutes which had great recipes, really delicious and really quick to do. Whereas in this book they are a bit all over the place. in the sense they are a bit too extravagent starters with out real platters. If this was to be a quick party book ok. but even then the recipes take more than half an hour to prepare and then to cook. i'd go for the low fat meals in minutes they are delicious and quick to do.

outstanding (14/21 people found this helpful)

best cook book i've owned, for quality of results + cooking/prep times. half an hour's work = really tasty and healthy food. that is what i like!!

Quick Meals for the Whole Family (22/24 people found this helpful)

An excellent cookbook with very easy meals to make. If my six year old daughter can make Ainsley's Thai Mussels than anyone can use it. The book is full of colourful photograph to compliment Ainsley's style of cooking. This book is a must for every home, especially those who need to have great tasting dinners on the table within an hour.

Ainsley Harriott's All New Meals in Minutes