Don't Panic: Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals For Your Family

     Today’s families are BUSY! But they don’t have to survive on fast food! 

     This new cookbook has 150 great recipes for tasty and nutritious meals that are designed to please your family, without requiring as much hands-on preparation as traditional meals.

     We're all busy, but that doesn't mean we have to eat like we are. You don't have to settle for feeding your family commercially packaged meals full of sodium and preservatives or fat-laced fast food. Quick and healthy meals from your very own kitchen are easy with delicious recipes like:

• 
  Southwestern Baked Cheese Dip
• 
  Thai Chicken Wraps
• 
  Walnut Spinach Salad
• 
  Homestyle Mac & Cheese
• 
  Slow Cooker Pork Chops
• 
  Oven Roasted Orange Chicken
• 
  Grilled Flat Iron Steak Sandwiches
• 
  Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
• 
  Fruit Pizza
• 
  Mexican Chocolate Mousse
• 
  and many more

     Some of these meals are designed to make large batches - if desired - so the ingredients lists on the recipes are two-fold.  The regular list is designed for 4-6 servings, while the second "large batch" list is designed for making extra for a large crowd or putting away some freezer meals for another busy evening.

     My family enjoys when I get to review a cookbook!  New recipes to try, and some good food on the table!  Here are two of the recipes I have made so far:

Chicken Divan

     I've decided that "Chicken Divan" actually means "Chicken Divine" in French.

     Now that I've told you that, I thought I'd better go look it up, to see what it really means.

     Oops, I was wrong.  I obviously don't know anything about French.  It doesn't mean "divine", although I had really hoped I was right!

     According to Wikipedia.org, "Chicken Divan is a chicken casserole usually served with broccoli, almonds, and Mornay sauce. It was invented at and named for the by-gone Divan Parisienne Restaurant in the New York Chatham Hotel.

      The Divan Parisienne served Chicken Divan as its signature dish in the early twentieth century. The chef or chefs who originally created it are unknown. In France, the word "divan" refers to a meeting place or great hall. This name was chosen to attract the attention of the Divan Parisienne owners by implying a kind of continental elegance.

      The dish is now commonly prepared with regular Parmesan cheese and remains one of the most classic American casserole dishes today.

     Well, at least I got the French part of it correct!  Ha! 

Here's the recipe for Chicken Divan:

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Recipe Yield:  6 servings

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Total Time:  45 minutes

Chicken Divan

• 2 cups fresh broccoli
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. paprika
  

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Steam broccoli until crisp-tender.  Arrange broccoli in an even layer on bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish.

    For sauce:  Melt butter ina medium saucepan over medium heat; then, stir in flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Add milk and broth all at once.  Cook and stir until bubbly; then, continue to cook 1-2 minutes more until thickened.  Stir in wine.  Add Swiss cheese and stir just until melted.

    Pour half of sauce over broccoli; then, top with sliced chicken.  Pour remaining sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle parmesan and paprika on the top.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.  Then, broil 3-4 inches from heat for up to 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  276.0
Total Fat:  13.0 g
Cholesterol:  57.2 mg
Sodium:  430.0 mg
Total Carbohydrates:  21.2 g
Dietary Fiber:  6.3 g
Protein:  19.6 g

 
Family thoughts on this recipe ~ Chicken Divan:

     Kelsi (age 14) and I thought it was absolutely heavenly!  I think that's because we love cheese fondue and cheesy recipes, and while this recipe doesn't act like it has a lot of cheese in it, it does have a beautifully smooth Swiss cheese/wine flavor, which we really enjoy.  Yum!

     Elmer (my main squeeze!) enjoyed it, but I'm not sure he would place it on his "Top Ten Recipes of All Times" list. 

     Brittany (age 12), my usually NOT picky eater, did eat her serving, but she really didn't prefer it.  She doesn't prefer the wine/cheese flavors.  That's okay.  Ya' can't please everyone, right?

     I chose to double this recipe so we could have leftovers for lunch after church.  I should have cooked the sauce longer so it would be thicker than it was after baking in the oven.  Next time!

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One-Pan Baked Omelet

 
    I decided to try this recipe on a Sunday morning.  Since Sundays can have a bit of a "rushed" feel to them, I diced the onion the night before, and I also cooked the sausage ahead of time.

Recipe Yield:  2 large servings (very large!) or 4 medium to large servings

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Total Time:  35 minutes

One-Pan Baked Omelet

• 4 slices thick cut bacon or turkey bacon, or 1/4 lb. sausage (pork, beef, turkey, or venison)
• 1 Tbsp. butter (I used coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup red or yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup potatoes, diced small (Yukon Gold work best)
• 2-3 Tbsp. diced green chiles (or 2 tsp. finely diced jalapenos)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or cheddar jack, divided)
• chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions for garnish/serving, if desired
  
• bottled salsa or hot sauce for serving, if desired
  

     If using sausage in this recipe instead of bacon, crumble the sausage into a pan and sauté over medium-low to medium heat until cooked through, stirring to break up pieces.  Drain on paper towel, and continue with recipe directions.

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces.  Using an 8-inch ovenproof skillet or sauté pan, sauté bacon over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.  Stir occasionally and cook until browned and crispy.  Drain bacon on paper towel and remove excess grease from the pan. 

     Over medium-low to medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. butter to the pan, followed by onion and potatoes; cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and onion starts to brown.  When potatoes are almost done, add green chiles and sauté for 30-60 more seconds.

     While onion and potatoes are cooking, beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Stir in 1 cup of the cheese.  At this point, set aside about 2 Tbsp. of bacon for the topping, and add remaining bacon to the cooked potato mixture.  Pour the egg mixture over potatoes.  Place pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, just until the omelet puffs and eggs are not quite done in the center.  Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake for 1 minute more.  Do not overbake, as eggs will continue to cook once removed from oven.  Garnish with the reserved 2 Tbsp. bacon and a sprinkling of parsley or green onion, if using.  Serve immediately with salsa or hot sauce, if desired.

Nutritional Information (per 1 large serving):
Calories: 523.7
Total Fat:  35.1 g
Cholesterol:  349.7 mg
Sodium:  1467.3 mg
Total Carbohydrates:  22.6 g
Dietary Fiber:  2.5 g
Protein:  29.5 g

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Family thoughts on this recipe ~ One-Pan Baked Omelet:

     I have to admit, up front, that I didn't have sharp cheddar or cheddar jack cheese in my home at the time...so I substituted Mexican-blend cheese instead.  I think this was less flavorful than the sharp cheddar would have been, so the results may have been different if I'd followed the recipe exactly.

     Elmer, Kelsi, and Brittany wished that this recipe didn't have diced potatoes in it, even though they were soft and tender.  I think they aren't used to the "breakfast bowl" concept.  They felt like this recipe was low on flavor due to the potatoes.

     My thoughts?  I loved it!  I did feel, though, that the potatoes took away some of the flavors of the recipe.  I make a similar oven omelet, although in a large baking dish instead of a skillet, and although it only includes eggs, milk, ground sausage, cheese, salt, and pepper, it has more flavor than this One-Pan Oven Omelet did. 

     I'd like to make this a second time, but make certain to have the correct cheese on hand...and add more diced green chiles and a tad more salt.  Hopefully, it becomes a family favorite over time!

Overall Thoughts of
Don't Panic:  Quick, Easy and Delicious Meals
for Your Family:

     The front cover of this softbound cookbook is so beautiful!  Can we say, "drooling" here?  In all fairness, though, I want you to be aware that this cookbook doesn't contain any photos or drawings inside.  For those of you who absolutely must have photos or graphics in your cookbooks, this may not be the cookbook for you.

     If you are a "whole foods" person, some of the recipes contain convenience food ingredients.  You can adapt the recipe to fit your needs, but it will probably take longer to prepare many of the recipes than the directions say.

     I personally have enjoyed the recipes we have tried.  If you need a comparison as to the style of this cookbook, I'd say that the style of cooking is similar to Pioneer Woman's cookbooks, without the photos.  If you are familiar with Pioneer Woman, you'll know what I mean!

     I would also like to note a pet peeve of mine in recipe cookbooks.  When the preparation times are listed for recipes, and the ingredients list calls for "cooked and diced chicken" or already prepared meats or cooked pastas, etc., I think the prep time to cook those items needs to be added to the time in the recipe.  Only those who have unlimited funds to spend on groceries are going to be able to afford to purchase "already cooked and sliced or diced" meats, etc.  For the average American family, this isn't practical because it is too expensive.  So when I made both of these recipes, I needed to add an extra 20 minutes to the prep time because I needed to cook chicken and ground venison sausage.

     Other than that, Don't Panic:  Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for Your Family is a great option to fast food!  I'm looking forward to trying additional recipes from this cookbook!

Details about the authors:

Bonnie Garcia is a busy mother of three sons. She works as a part-time pediatric nurse, where she enjoys working with newborns and their parents. In her free time, she enjoys downhill skiing and reading. An Iowa native, Bonnie has been married to her husband, Steve, for twenty-six years. She is active in her local church, where her husband is the senior pastor. After recent trips to Greece and Israel, Bonnie has discovered that she is hooked on international travel.

Vanda Howell is a busy mom who works part-time as a kitchen design consultant. Vanda is a Denver native and has been married to her husband, Mike, for twenty-seven years. She is absolutely in love with (a.k.a. addicted to) dark chocolate, espresso lattés, and going to movies. In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, gardening, and wakeboarding with her husband and teenage son.

Susie Martinez is a professional counselor with a private counseling practice in Colorado. She has been married to her husband, Joe, for twenty-two years and has two teenage children. Susie adores her family, her Kitchen Aid mixer, and her purple PT Cruiser. In her free time, she enjoys shopping with her daughter, taking long walks, and home decorating. Susie also struggles with a particular weakness for palm trees and white sandy beaches.

Don't Panic:  Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for Your Family is available April 2012 at your favorite bookseller ~ from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.


Cookbooks in this series:

 




Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

Disclosure:  I received one softbound copy of Don't Panic:  Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for Your Family from Revell in exchange for my honest review of this cookbook.  No other compensation was provided.

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