The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fast and Fresh Meals : Over 300 Quick Recipes for Healthy and Delicious Meals

Don’t sacrifice taste for time! Designed for cooks who want to eat great, healthy meals without spending all their time in the kitchen, this book is a must-have for every kitchen. With more than 300 recipes, and plenty of time-saving, shopping, and storage tips, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Fast and Fresh Meals provides everything from quick hors d’oeuvres and appetizers to dessert—all made fresh in record time! —Recipes can be made quickly from fresh ingredients and do not rely on prepackaged foods —More than 300 recipes, many with clever variations —Organized for easy reference —Includes recipes suitable for entertaining, as well as family meals —Will satisfy everyone from hard-core carnivores to vegans Cover Page 2 Title Page 4 Dedication and Copyright Page 5 Contents at a Glance 6 Introduction 20 Part One: Fundamentals of Fast Food 24 Chapter One: Kitchen Efficiency 26 Chapter Two: Skill Builds 36 Part Two: Beginning Hors d’Oeuvres and Appetizers 50 Chapter Three: Dippity-Do 52 Chapter Four: Nibbles and Noshes: Hors d’Oeuvres for All Occasions 66 Chapter Five: Appealing Appetizers 78 Chapter Six: The Bountiful Bowl: Soups 90 Part Three: Casual Cuisine 102 Chapter Seven: Sunny Starts: Breakfast 104 Chapter Eight: Convertible Cooking: Casual Meals for Brunch or Supper 116 Chapter Nine: Crusty Creations: Hot Sandwiches and Quiches 130 Chapter Ten: A Potpourri of Pasta and Pizza 142 Part Four: Salad Daze 154 Chapter Eleven: On the Side: Small Vegetable Salads 156 Chapter Twelve: Cold Carb Salads 172 Chapter Thirteen: The Main Event: Entrée Salads 184 Part Five: Redefining Fast Food 198 Chapter Fourteen: Sensational Seafood 200 Chapter Fifteen: Poultry Pals 216 Chapter Sixteen: Grazing Greats 228 Part Six: Great Grills 238 Chapter Seventeen: Ready, Set, Grill! 240 Chapter Eighteen: Burger Bonanza 256 Chapter Nineteen: Flavor Without Fuss: Marinated Dishes 268 Part Seven: Desserts on a Deadline 280 Chapter Twenty: Fruity Favorites 282 Chapter Twenty-One: The Best Baked Goods 294 Chapter Twenty-Two: Chocolate Cravings 306 Appendixes 318 Appendix A: Glossary 318 Appendix B: Metric Conversion Tables 330 Appendix C: Yields of Common Ingredients 334 Index 336 For time-challenged chefs, a practical cookbook explains how to create tasty, healthy meals without spending all one's time in the kitchen, presenting more than three hundred tempting recipes, along with variations, for everything from quick hors d'oeuvres and appetizers to desserts. Original.