I used to have a massive collection of cookbooks, some that I had since I was a kid. Most of them were rarely used, but I did have my favorites. Books like an old creased copy of The Joy of Cooking, a buttered and battered Cookie Cookbook, and an old retro collection of chocolate recipes that were given to me as a gift years ago. Unfortunately, most of them were damaged during a bad leak a couple of years ago and had to be disposed of. It was kind of bittersweet because so many of them had been on our shelves since I was a kid, but it also provided me with an opportunity to find cookbooks that I would actually use. I’m too busy to worked on tiered cakes and exotic dessert recipes. So a more practical addition like The Quick Six Fix by Stuart O’Keefe, which focuses on no-fuss meals, is a definitely the sort of staple cookbook most people like me should have in their arsenal.
In The Quick Six Fix, features dozens of delicious recipes for breakfast, salads, soups, pasta, fish, chicken, pork, beef, sides, and desserts that will get you in and out of the kitchen in thirty minutes or less. Each requires no more than 6 key ingredients, 6 minutes of prep work, and 6 minutes of clean up. Since most of my cooking typically involves a ridiculous amount of mess, time, and quite a few ingredients (hence the mess), I was really excited to take this cookbook for a test run.
There are so many great recipes in this book, but I really loved how Chef Stuart includes recipes for meal components like Lime Avocado Dressing, Asian Dressing from up the Street, and Mustard Herb Dressing. Having these sort of at the ready, makes meal prep even more simpler. I had quite a few favorite recipes – like the Kale , Fingerling, Potato, and Bacon Salad. Because of the simplicity of the recipes, switching out for substitutes and personalizing recipes is incredibly easy. Like for that salad I switched out spinach for most of the kale. Another must-try recipe is the Chicken and Rice Miso Soup. Chef Stuart was first introduced to miso soup when he moved to California, and he’s been hooked since – which is another thing I love about this book, that you get a little bit of background with every recipe.
So the most recent recipe that I whipped up with this book was the Lemony Artichoke Spaghetti. Inspired by his trip to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, I have to say I loved this pasta. I’m a massive fan of marinated artichokes and this pasta felt very reminiscent of my favorite picatta which also has a ton of artichoke quarters. I also added scallops here, as I just happen to have some fresh scallops on hand (it happens, rarely, but it does occur, haha!).
I definitely recommend checking out The Quick Six Fix, especially if you or someone you know loves to cook at home and struggles with making time for it, or even someone who is relatively new to home cooking. More info here.