Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals: Eat Healthy Without Going to Extremes

by Rachael Ray

No pasta? No dessert? No way! Everything in moderation, says Rachael Ray. After all, some days only chocolate or spaghetti will hit the spot.In Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Get Real Meals, the bestselling cookbook author and Food Network star serves up another helping of creative, hassle-free recipes that are ready to rock your tastebuds in less than thirty minutes. The latest addition to Rachael’s runaway hit series of 30-Minute Meals cookbooks is designed for cooks who want to look and feel great but long for the fun and the flavor that’s missing from their extreme low-carb meals. Why fill your shopping cart and your stomach with processed, low-carb cereals and breads that taste like cardboard when you can eat the foods you crave? Here, at last, are recipes for those who just cannot and will not live totally Pasta dinners made mostly with proteins and vegetables and only a couple of ounces of pasta per servings, fresh Thai and Mexican lettuce wraps, take-out-style stir-frys, and tons of burger ideas—with and without the buns. And when you’ve just got to satisfy that sweet tooth, even nonbakers (like Rachael) will flip for Nutty Creamsicle Pie, Stuffed Roasted Strawberries, and other surprisingly easy dessert recipes.With more than 150 new dishes, plenty of time-saving tips, and a generous serving of Rachael's “you can do it” attitude, 30-Minute Get Real Meals proves you don’t have to go to extremes to eat healthy.Rachael Ray confesses that there’s pasta in her pantry, and she isn’t afraid to admit that chili is just an excuse to snack on corn chips. On the other hand, she also confesses that it’s more fun to shop for clothes when she’s eating fewer carbs. So what’s a carb-frustrated cook to do these days? Don’t go to extremes, says the force of nature behind Food Network’s 30-Minute Meals. Get real! With a little creativity and less than half an hour, now you can watch your carbs and eat them, too. Satisfy your carb-starved cravings and still mind that waistline with more than 150 healthy, delicious recipes—including Rachael’s first-ever section devoted just to and Super-Supper SnacksBurgers Gone WildTake a FonduesSalads that Stack UpThat’s SouperWell-Rounded Square Come Home AgainDesserts? Yes, Desserts!From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Rachael Domenica Ray is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray. Other programs to her credit include 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, $40 a Day, Rachael Ray's Week in a Day, and the reality format shows Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off. Ray has written several cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won three Daytime Emmy Awards.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I collect cookbooks like bad metaphors. Can't help it. I rarely use them - but I like them and I buy them and then they go on my shelf. This cookbook is the exception. I have actually made things from this book! It's quite shocking.

My favorite recipe is the Indian Summer Turkey Chili. I love making this and would eat it with a shovel if I could. I top it with finely shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream - and serve my cayenne cheddar corn muffins on the side. PERFECTION!

I also made the Hazelnut-crusted chicken with Gorgonzola sauce and I have to say it was incredible. My husband said it was better than most of the food he has eaten in restaurants. (Goes to show you what crappy restaurants we typically eat at....) But in all seriousness - those two recipes alone make this a great book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Ray makes me uncomfortable, I just feel so bad for her. I realize that may sound ridiculous, she's certainly not hurting for dough (no pun intended.) But Ray may very well be the second most disliked person in America, second only to George Bush. Plenty of people are annoyed by her. That is not my bone of contention. My problem is her dorkiness; I cringe every time she says things such as, "Yumm-O!" "Please," I implore, "please, Rachel, you're only making things worse." It is sort of like watching the sweet nerdy kid dancing whilst the popular crowd stands around grinning and punching each other.

Anyway, I received this book as a gift, wouldn't have bought it on my own volition. On her show I do like her innovativeness, how she melds cuisines, adds twists to old favorites. Her book is somewhat disappointing as it seems less creative than the recipes featured on television. Also, there are only a few pictures in the center of the book. I don't care for this format. Either have no pictures or place them next to the corresponding recipe. One more thing, just write extra virgin olive oil, forgo the EVOO crap, it is no longer cute (if it ever was.)

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uninspired

Rachel Ray repeatedly states she does not like low carb cooking, and seems to dislike the very recipes she's published in this book. She seems to have disdain for people who needs to live a low carb lifestyle. I read this book, hoping for new inspiration for gluten free/low sugar cooking, and was disappointed in the author's attitude and lack of innovation. It would be nice if she had approached this book with the same enthusiasm that she demonstrates on television and in other cook books.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some good homey thing to make in here but this is a home cooks go to book, not a chef's cookbook. This should be clear. But its nice though it actual recipes that the average person might make, if thats what you are looking for.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried out many of the recipes in this cookbook and kept detailed notes of what worked and what didn’t. My family is not picky and always up for a new recipe. But there was only one recipe in the whole book my family of four all liked and that was the Chili-Rubbed Roast Pork Tenderloins with Crunchy, Chunky Black Bean and Jicama Salad, pg. 151 (yes, that is really the recipe name). There always seemed to be at least one ingredient in every dish that overpowered it and made it taste bad, for example there was a pork chop dish that called for 8 fresh sage leaves… all you could taste was sage… another recipe for crab cakes that called for the zest of two oranges and all you could taste was orange.

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Rachael Ray, even though she's disdained by the elite foodies. I'm a real person cooking in the real world, and sometimes I just want something tasty that doesn't take a lot of time or effort, and Rachael's perfect for that kind of cooking.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. A lot of the recipes are ones I can't use because my family won't eat them (or won't be able to due to allergies). Not the books fault, and it's okay. Except for the desserts > those looked awesome.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

The recipes were unrealistic for the most part. The book was full of ingredients I could not find in our area of the country and way too many ingredients for each recipe. Her premise of limiting carbs but still including some in the recipe was good.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many of the Rachael Ray cookbooks have the same format...and without pictures. Pictures would be very helpful! The chili sounds good to me, so I may make that. Nothing else really stood out.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I really do like her cooking show, I find Rachel delightful, I do not find her cookbooks delightful. For me a BIG part of the appeal of a cookbook is format. I find Rachel Ray's cookbooks are of a cheap and unappetizing format, so that I really do not look at the recipes. I also do not like her "cutsie" way of naming things.

The format is plain paper, blue & pink printing of the ingredients & bold blue printing of the directions. There are very few photos, and they are that yellowish green color that puts me off.

With that being said, the book is broken down into: Confessions, Eight chapters of recipes, and an Index.

Chapters & Recipes include:

Snacks & super-Supper Snacks: shrimp & pork balls w/ spicy lime dipping sauce; Guacamole salad; Caesar salad to go; Zippy ham salad cucumber snackers; and Baby lamb chops w/ artichoke & tarragon dip.

Burgers gone wild (these sound good): Lamb mini burgers on mixed salad w/ fennel; Chicken fajita burgers; Turkey cacciatore burgers w/ portobello buns; Cubano pork burgers w/ sweet orange warm slaw; and Grilled surf & turf (sirloin burgers on bed of lettuce w/ grilled shrimp & horseradish chili sauce.

Take a dip: Several different types of fondue made from different types of cheeses

Salads that stack-up: Korean bbq flank steak (bulkogi) on hot & sour slaw salad; Cobb salad, double the meat hold the lettuce; Shish kebob salad; Chicken Greek-a-tikka w/ parsley feta pesto; and Swordfish kebobs on fennel slaw salad.

That's souper: Indian summer turkey chili; Fire roasted tomato, beef, & chipotle chili; double the sauasge & kale soup w/ wrapped & stuffed green jumbo olive snacks; Chorizo chicken stoup, mixed greens, and sherry vinaigrette; and Meatball & sausage pizza stoup. Stoup: thicker than a soup but not as thick as a stew. Who knew?

Well-rounded square meals: Swordfish & chorizo kebobs on mostly vegetable saffron rice; Citrus crab cakes w/ sweet & bitter salad; Seafood au gratin w/ sauteed artichokes & spinach; Lemon lamb chops w/ lentils & radishes; 1Stuffed pork chops w/ sausage & apricots; and Spinach stuffed steaks w/ sauteed crimini mushrooms.

Pasta: Come home again: Eggplant & wild mushroom pasta w/ ricotta salata; Seared tri-color greens w/ farfalle; Cauliflower pumpkin pasta; Bucatini w/ sausage, peppers & onions; and Ground turkey paprikash-goulash & macaroni.

Desserts? Yes, desserts: Very berry crumble; Mascarpone parfait w/ citrus salad; Spiced plum crepes w/ port syrup; and Mini chocolate cherry bites.

Most of the recipes sounded delicious but I can't figure out how they only take 30 minutes.... This is a good cookbook for those on a limited book budget

[MerBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main reason why I gave only this book 2 stars is that most of these recipes involve expensive and obscure ingredients. As a newlywed on a tight budget when I got this book, cooking these recipes was far from a reality. Nowadays, I am getting into this book more and more. I still like Ray's other books better that this one, even though this book offers the healthiest alternatives.

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate the whole notion of low-carb living as it is, so I was annoyed with this book in the first place, but it's also poorly put together - light-colored, swirly-curly fonts make it hard to read, and there are almost no illustrations. Big no-no for a cookbook.

[Michelle H · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some good looking and healthy recipes in this book. It is not an easy book to read before a meal because you get hungry. She provides a good variety of dishes. Nothing looked too complicated or advanced. I plan to try a few recipes from the book.

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you do the lo carb thing. But nothing is very low in fat.

[Garbacik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't try even one recipe from this book.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some pretty good and easy low-carb-ish dishes.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

30 minutes is after all of the prep work as been done which can sometimes take up to an hour or more. The ingredients were not easy to come by, but they usually did taste good.

[Jaena Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birthday present from my best friend. Years ago.

[Trina · Rating 1 out of 5]

im sorry to say but i dont really care for racheal ray, (my older sister disagree of corse) Her recipes are mismatched and the ingreadents just dosent mix well.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't tried cooking anything yet but I have about a dozen recipes bookmarked. Looks like some interesting meals in there.

[Beka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very inspiring.

[Derise Rehm · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the low carb craze was happening!! I still pull it off of my shelf

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Rachael Ray cookbook. Quick recipes, that take a little more than 30 minutes to make, though, unless you're willing to make a huge mess while you're cooking.

[Tanya Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own this recipe book. The food is delicious and the book is beautiful! I love the lettuce wraps.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent, low carb, well done
(somehow almost no mere cookbook can get 5 stars!)

[Jennifer Cassell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast and interesting low-carb recipes.