Simple & Delicious is Giving Rachael Ray a Run For Her Money!

While most of us know Rachael Ray as the queen of the thirty minute meal, Reiman Publications is running neck and neck with their Simple & Delicious magazine. This bi-monthly magazine from the publishers of Taste of Home has 65 Recipes in 30 Minutes Flat. This is another hand-me-down from my mother and I happen to have the May/June 2008 issue to use for this review.

If you purchase Simple & Delicious at your local newsstand you will be paying $3.99 per issue, but I would assume if you have a subscription you will get a better rate. As with all of the other Reiman publications this issue is now made from recycled paper and also contains a few "food" type advertisements.

On the cover of this 67-page magazine you will find a large plate of a delicious looking bowtie pasta salad, with artichoke hearts, asparagus, red peppers and pine nuts.
Inside this edition you will find Cool Drinks, Frosty Desserts, Fresh Salads, Hot Off the Grill, Summer Classics and Dinner in 3 Steps. Since the weather is finally getting better here in Northwest Pa, I can't wait to start making some "summer food"!

Right off the bat you can Shop Once…Eat all Week, here you will find 5 meals, one for each night of the week along with a shopping list and/or items that you should have in the pantry to quickly prepare a delicious homemade meal every night. Some of these items will be used several different nights such as a pre-bagged coleslaw mix that you will be turning into Fruity Coleslaw on Wednesday, with the remainder of the mix being used on Friday for Beef Fried Rice.
My family really enjoyed the Grilled Sirloin Steaks that were first "rubbed" with mustard and pepper. While you can prepare this in your broiler, I chose to grill mine over charcoal, which did add a bit to the 25-minute prep/cooking time. But topping these steaks with a mixture of butter, parsley, garlic and cumin made the extra wait totally worth it!!

Since I now have fresh strawberries in my patch we also tried a twist on shortcake by making Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcakes. This is almost like my homemade biscuit type shortcake recipe with the addition of 1/2-cup mini chocolate chips to the batter. There is nothing better than chocolate and strawberries!

In the mood for pizza, but don't want to make a crust? The Pizza Noodle Bake may just be what you are craving. All of your favorite pizza toppings mixed with egg noodles then quickly baked in the oven.

There are also tips scattered through out Simple & Delicious such as How to Grill Like a Pro and Tips for No-Fail Meatloaf.

While Slow Cooker Favorites are not exactly 30 minute meals, when making Pork Spareribs you only have 5 minutes worth of prep time, then just walk away for 6 or 7 hours. When you return you will have delicious, tender, fall off the bone ribs.

Do you like to get your children involved with meal preparation? There is a section titled Cooking with the Kids. Using hot dog buns your young chefs can make Mini Subs with Berry Yogurt Cups as a side.

There is another interesting section here too if you have kids that are picky eaters. Instead of making two separate meals there are recipes here to make your children a meal, then upgrading it just slightly for grown-ups. You can make the kids Golden Chicken Nuggets, then add some of those cut up nuggets to a Greek Tossed Salad for the adults.

Each month all of the Taste Of Home publications hold a contest, the recipes are sent in by the readers and each month several winners are chosen. The "theme" for this issue is Surefire Sizzlers, and the winning recipe was Grilled Asian Flank Steak sent in from Morgantown, West Virginia.
The next contest is What's Fresh?, just send in a recipe using fresh fruits or vegetables and you could be the next winner!

One of the recipes in the Summertime Favorites section that I can't wait to try is Fruit Pizza. This starts out with refrigerated sugar cookie dough that is spread out on a pizza pan; it is then topped with a cream cheese mixture, fresh fruit and lastly a glaze. I am just waiting for the blueberries to ripen and you can bet this will end up being a dessert at my house.

Somewhere in this issue of Simple & Delicious you will search for a hidden item, which is a magic wand. Find Sandy's Wand, then send in a postcard with the page number of where you found the wand and you will be entered in a drawing for one of 50, $50.00 gift certificates that can be used at the Taste of Home's on-line store.

Simple & Delicious is just that, the photos in this magazine are spectacular. While not every recipe has a photo, there are many I want to try just by looking at the pictures. Most of these recipes do feed anywhere from 4 to 6 people, so unless we want a bunch of leftovers I generally wait and try these when we have company over.
I am rating this one 4 Stars!!