Easy Weeknight Dinners: 100 Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals for Busy People Who Still Want Something Good to Eat [A Cookbook]

If you are a busy mom - this is not your book. This is solidly written for mature, working or retired adults. Maybe I should have known as much, but I was hopeful there would be some good options for my family. Sadly not much. I think they know this - hence even putting this section in the table of contents. However, saying “picky kids” is a bit unfair. I don’t have “picky” kids I just have kids… and these recipes are not gonna fly.

Top three things I love about this book:1) Each chapter lists recipes in order of shortest to longest cook time (and the ingredients are listed in order of use.)2) The recipes require minimal equipment allowing for easy cleanup.3) The “Need Help Deciding?” index is fun and functional.I was so impressed with this book that I was inspired to buy two more as gifts for friends and family.

62 of 100 recipes contain garlic. Why do you want 62 things that taste the same? 4 cloves, 6 gloves and one recipe called for 12 cloves. Can we try to be more creative? It's an American obsession to overuse garlic. European chefs would cringe at this lazy way to add bad flavor. This book was really disappointing and I love NYT recipes. This is not a great collection.

Whenever you're using a recipe from the NY Times Cooking community, you know 1) it's going to be super flavorful and 2) it's actually going to work every single time. And that's just two of many reasons that Easy Weeknight Dinners is such a game-changing resource.It's no secret there are a lot of 30-minute meals and quick cooking resources out there. But time and time again they tend to feature the same 30 options you've seen before. With Weeknight Dinners, you can satisfy practically any craving you have with stunning, satisfying results.Want to go Greek? The Sheet-Pan Shrimp With Tomatoes, Feta, and Oregano is an absolute gem. Craving a grain bowl? The Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Almonds, and Avocado is a stunner that'll make for a great lunch the next day too. Don't have time to visit your local Vietnamese noodle bar? The San Francisco-Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles is just the thing. Wish you were in the closest Little Italy hot spot? Look no further than the Easy Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.With a well-stocked pantry and/or freezer, the options for a quick dinner are endless. And unlike some cookbooks that lean a little too into the obscure ingredients that require a specialty grocery store, Easy Weeknight Dinners is unfussy and accessible. It also shows you how to up the ante on canned beans, rice, and even tofu for meals that are healthy and wallet-friendly.Ten Speed Press provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own.