The Quick Fix Kitchen: Easy Recipes and Time-Saving Tips for a Healthier, Stress-Free Life

Actor Mowry (Whole New You) gathers the best recipes from her “Quick Fix” YouTube series with the goal of making it “easy (and enjoyable) to put dinner on the table even with a crazy life.” Her guidance is upbeat and thorough, beginning with a tutorial on culinary basics, organizing tips, and coping skills for cooking with children that’s so extensive it takes up about half the book. A rundown of global spices is especially helpful, as is a list of kids’ kitchen tasks grouped by age (and attention spans). Snacks are kept simple, as with her homemade Cheese(It) Crackers—baked sharp cheddar slices with garlic salt—dipped in a puree of applesauce and white beans. She also includes a sample meal plan with three weeks’ worth of options, some of which incorporate shortcuts, such as cooking an entire package of bacon in advance so that strips can be pulled from the fridge as needed. Dinner recipes have playful, comfort-food appeal, evident in meatloaf cupcakes topped with mashed potatoes, and a four-ingredient Lazy Mom Lasagna that alternates layers of frozen ravioli and broccoli florets, jarred tomato sauce, and shredded mozzarella. Entry-level cooks with young families can rely on Mowry’s help to sharpen their skills in the kitchen. (Sept.)