Between work, running errands, and all the extraneous activities that come with the holidays, it can be nearly impossible to find the time to cook at home. Over the last couple of weeks, I've fallen victim to ordering out more than I'd like to admit. Convenience has become more important than cooking something healthy. Worse, eating out for meals is much more expensive than cooking at home. Here's where celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay comes in to save the day. His publisher recently sent me a copy of his newest cookbook Ramsay in 10, a collection of recipes that promises delicious and healthy meals with a cook time of around ten minutes. Is that too good to be true? The only way to know for sure was to try out one of the recipes for myself.
In the introduction to the book, Ramsay concedes that recipes promising a meal in 30 minutes typically take an average home cook around 40-50 minutes altogether. He was inspired to try to beat that time. With his years of experience as a professional chef, Ramsay was able to cook most of the recipes in this collection within the timeframe allotted. That being said, he states that most home cooks will probably achieve the same meals in about 15-20 minutes. That's still not a bad trade-off! As the world shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Chef Ramsay began challenging himself to produce a take on classic recipes as quickly as possible. He documented this undertaking on his YouTube channel and began to inspire viewers across the world to cook.
Browsing through the recipes, I was instantly drawn to the coconut chicken with sweet peanut dipping sauce. Even better, I already had most of the ingredients in my kitchen. Because Ramsay developed the recipes from lockdown, many of the ingredients are staples. I even had some coconut palm sugar in my panty, though most of the uncommon ingredients listed provide several options for substitutions. Armed with everything I needed (minus the tamarind paste that is listed as an optional add-in), I began to prep and cook the meal.
I was a bit skeptical of the promised cook time, but Ramsay really delivered a recipe that was quick to put together, easy enough to cook, and most importantly delicious. With the complete prep time, cook time, and plenty of pauses to capture photos of my progress for Instagram, it took me about 20 minutes to completely cook the meal. Perusing through the rest of the book, I already have my eye on several others to test out in the near future. My only gripe with the concept of Ramsay in 10 is that it doesn't really offer a complete meal. Yes, the entre is simple and tasty, but it isn't really enough food to make a full meal out of. I supplemented the coconut chicken with some steamed rice and sesame green beans. This gave me plenty to eat for my dinner and to have lunch out of the next day. All in all, Ramsay in 10 offers a variety of recipes that will appeal to cooks of all experience levels. Even better, each recipe is quick and accessible, allowing for healthy meals to be prepared at home in a short amount of time.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2021, 49)
I can relate to your fall off the healthy food and cooking at home wagon. The holidays starting in October do it to me every year. But, yes, a 10-20 minute prep and cooking time would be a good incentive to come home and cook. Good to know that it is not a meal so much as a main entre. My rice cooker sees a lot of action and rice or steamed veggies goes with tons of food. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Ethan!
A rice cooker is one of the best accessories to any meal!
DeleteI hate to cook, but 10 mins, I could do that. Just saw the pic too. Looks delicious! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThanks! This book definitely puts an emphasis on saving time, while not sacrificing the quality of the meal.
DeleteIt is expensive to order out and have it delivered and most of the time the food isn't all that great and loaded with calories and fat. I'm always on the hunt for a quick, tasty recipe and I love the sound of this one. I like the sound of sesame green beans, too!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. It is very easy to get burned out on sub par takeout. Sesame green beans are a go to for me. I steam some green beans and then throw them into a hot pan or wok with a some green onions, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Once they are cooked I finish with some sesame oil and sesame seeds. Easy and alway yummy!
DeleteI love finding new recipes and trying them out.
ReplyDeleteI really like that these are quicker recipes. I don't mind cooking but sometimes by the time I get home from work I am tired and take the easier route. I may see if I can request this one from my library.
ReplyDeleteIt is all too easy to put off cooking in favor of unwinding after a long day. Recipes like these help make cooking less of a production.
DeleteIt's so easy to fall into the habit of takeout and delivery, even when we know it's not the best option. Sounds like Ramsay's cookbook really delivered... and color me impressed that you had coconut palm sugar on hand! :)
ReplyDeleteA few weeks in, and I'm holding pretty firm to the cook at home rule. I use palm sugar in one of my go-to stir fry recipes, so it has become a staple here!
DeleteI need this book. With Eleanor's dance schedule, I need quick and healthy recipes that will get her fed and out the door quickly.
ReplyDeleteQuick and easy recipes are a real game changer. I've got around 8 or so that are in a regular rotation.
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