Bare Minimum Dinners: Recipes and Strategies for Doing Less in the Kitchen

If you can only buy one cookbook this year, this is probably the one to buy. It will make your life a whole lot easier, yet you won’t have to give up interesting, tasty dishes. Author Jenna Helwig made it her goal to write a cookbook that anyone could use no matter how busy they are or how little time they have spent planning meals in the past. She opens with a short chapter outlining the equipment one needs in their kitchen, what staples one needs in the pantry and freezer, and more. Next are five chapters focusing on time (thirty minutes or less), ingredients (seven or fewer), cleanup (one-pot), instant pot and slow cooker, and side dishes. Don’t miss the Cauliflower and Chickpea Tikka Masala from the chapter focusing on time or the Spiced Chicken and Rice in the chapter using only one pot — easy and simply delicious. Each recipe has an introductory paragraph, ingredients list, and well-written instructions and many have a beautiful photo of the finished dish. It would be nice if there were information on calories, fats, sodium, carbohydrates, etc. for dieters. Otherwise, this is a terrific book.