As I travel around the country at speaking engagements, book signings, and trade shows I hear this comment over and over, “I don’t have time to cook. How can I get a meal on the table in 30 minutes or less?”
So, after many requests, I wrote a book of quick recipes—and quick means the dishes can usually be prepared in 30 minutes or less. It is called 100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes and includes many of our old-time favorites such as meatloaf, sloppy joes, pasta dishes, one-pot meals, and slow-cooker meals. I also offer quick and easy desserts such as cupcakes, cheesecake, and refrigerator cookies.
Make a hot breakfast with my “Muffin in a Mug” that “bakes” in the microwave in 60 seconds. Even breads such as French Baguettes and Focaccia can be made quickly with my special techniques (including starting the bread to bake in a cold oven—unusual, but it works perfectly in my KitchenAid oven). In other words, you don’t have to do without the foods you love, even if you are time-challenged. I’ve made it easy for you to quickly prepare your favorite foods with the recipes in my new book.
What Do You Mean, “I Didn’t Have Time to Eat Dinner?”
I’ve always worked outside the home but always cooked dinner for my family each evening. That’s how I was raised and back then I thought everyone cooked their own dinner. Apparently not!
When I was a new bride right after college, we moved far away to a state where we didn’t know anyone. Eager to make new friends, we began socializing with a nice young couple we met at church. We agreed to meet them for a night of bar-hopping —a common social event back then (but not one I recommend now).
Growing up in a family where all of our meals were eaten at home, I naively thought that’s what our friends would do before joining us. So, as usual, my husband and I ate our home-cooked dinner that evening before meeting our new friends…only to hear them say when they arrived, “We didn’t eat dinner…we didn’t have time.” I was shocked; I had never skipped a meal in my life and I honestly didn’t know people who did that!
My family had always put mealtime first; in fact, our social and school activities revolved around mealtime. We didn’t have slow-cookers or microwaves back then to reheat food, so it was either eat the meal at dinnertime while it was still hot or reheat it slowly in the oven….or eat it cold. (In case you’re wondering, my gluten intolerance didn’t surface until many decades later, so gluten wasn’t an issue when I was growing up.)
My Philosophy
We are all strapped for time, but I honestly think that the food we eat is the most important thing we do to our bodies. So, it is important that we make at least some time to nourish our bodies and stay healthy. And, for us gluten-free folks we must eat wisely; in other words, food we prepare ourselves in our own kitchens is the safest and usually the healthiest.
Why is that? We have control over the ingredients and the standards under which the food is prepared. Plus, research shows that when we prepare our own food we usually consume fewer calories as well as less fat and sodium. So, it pays to prepare your own food and my book makes it easier for you to do that.
Get Your Copy of 100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes
My book goes on sale in stores on October 7, but you can pre-order a copy of 100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble, or Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
