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The "I Don't Want to Cook" Book

100 Tasty, Healthy, Low-Prep Recipes for When You Just Don't Want to Cook

About The Book

“The ultimate cookbook for beginners.” —Cosmopolitan

Get away with the bare minimum while still getting food on the table with these 100 quick and easy recipes that require minimal prep, little-to-no planning, and zero extra trips to the grocery store.

Don’t feel like cooking? Or maybe you don’t know what you want to eat. Deciding a meal can be a tough decision at the best of times…but on those days you simply don’t feel like cooking, making a nutritious and tasty meal can be a daunting task. Whether you’re feeling tired after a long day or are sick of meal planning and endless trips to the grocery store or just can’t bring yourself to turn on the oven The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book is here to help!

Featuring 100 delicious recipes, this cookbook is your guide to the quickest and easiest meals that don’t sacrifice flavor. Each recipe requires no more than fifteen minutes of meal prep to keep your time in the kitchen at an all-time low. You’ll learn tips and tricks to make speedy meals, like making sure you’re using your kitchen tools to the fullest and finding ways to incorporate ingredients you already have at home, as well as minimizing any clean-up after the meal. Recipes include:
-Fried Egg and Greens Breakfast Sandwich
-Dill Pickle Tuna Melts on Rye Bread
-Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Boil with Corn and Red Potatoes
-Maple Vanilla Microwave Mug Cake

For those times when you just don’t feel like cooking, The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book is your guide to quick, easy, and flavorful meals.

About The Author

Photograph © Pamela Bolig Photography

Alyssa Brantley’s cooking philosophy is whole food, half the time. Just because you’re busy, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat great! The creator of the popular food blog Everyday Maven, Alyssa focuses on seasonal, whole-food recipes that are packed with flavor but made in minutes with easy shortcuts. Her work has been featured in Real Simple, Today, Self Magazine, HuffPost, Gourmet Magazine, Prevention, and many more. Alyssa lives with her family in Seattle.

Why We Love It

“Whether you love cooking or do your best to avoid it at all costs, everyone has those days where they just don’t feel like heading to the kitchen to whip up something fancy, flavorful, or nutritious. That’s where The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book comes in with 100 delicious, healthy recipes with minimal active cooking time, little to no pre-planning, and no extra visits to the grocery store. With tips and tricks for quick and easy cooking, substitutes for common ingredients you might already have on hand, and easy-to-follow recipes for every meal, this is the perfect book for a busy family, hungry college student, or tired home cook.”

—Julia J., Editor, on The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book

Product Details

  • Publisher: Adams Media (July 12, 2022)
  • Length: 208 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781507219201

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Raves and Reviews

“The good news is that this cookbook delivers on its promise, filled as it is with simple recipes that have minimal ingredients and prep that don’t skimp on taste. The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book has been my go-to for getting something delicious on the table before I even have time to complain about it.”

—Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review

"Concise and attractively packaged… you just might come around to believing cooking can actually be fun."

Atlanta Journal Constitution

"You’ll find all sorts of easy, fast, and healthy recipes that will streamline your meal planning without sacrificing flavor."

That Skinny Chick can Bake

The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book is exactly the kind of cookbook we all want—without even knowing we want it. Alyssa brings her masterful touch to creating simple—yet mouthwatering—recipes that take no more than 15 minutes of prep time, like Creamy Paprika Chicken Skillet with Spinach and Tomatoes, or Red Curry Salmon with Snow Peas. And all of her tips for streamlining the cooking process are worth the price of admission alone.”

—Carolyn Ketchum, author of Easy Keto Dinners and The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking

“Alyssa knew the heart of almost every home cook when she wrote The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book. Juggling work, family, and social life can be daunting and overwhelming. Now even when we don’t want to cook, we can get meals made and nutrition ingested, and do it in a way that is delicious and satisfying!”

—Jennifer LB Robins, founder of Predominantly Paleo and Legit Bread Company; bestselling author of Down South Paleo, The Paleo Kids Cookbook, Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot®, and Affordable Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot®; coauthor of The New Yiddish Kitchen

“If you could only purchase one cookbook, please let this be the one! We all get in cooking ruts, but this family-friendly and approachable cookbook helps you avoid it altogether.”

—Melissa Erdelac, author of Frugal Gluten-Free Cooking

“With mouthwatering, fuss-free whole-food recipes and fresh ingredient shortcuts for when you just don’t want to cook, Alyssa has brilliantly given us a delicious new cookbook that doesn’t compromise flavor or nutrition.”

—Karista Bennett, author of The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook

“Alyssa has a knack for creating quick and effortless meals that are loaded with fresh ingredients and big flavors. Between Deconstructed Hummus Salad with Cucumber and Tomato—and Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Pepper Halves—there is a delicious meal for everyone at the table!”

—Samantha Ferraro, author of The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen

“The book is filled with tips on how not to cook, and recipes that use no-nonsense ways to cook healthy and simple meals without using processed ingredients. I love this book and I know you will too!”

—Dr. Karen S. Lee, author of No-Thaw Paleo Cooking in Your Instant Pot®, Keto Cooking with Your Instant Pot®, and Paleo Cooking with Your Air Fryer

“For those days when you are struggling to find the time or energy to head to the kitchen (which is most days these days—let’s be honest!), The “I Don’t Want to Cook” Book is every mom’s dream: simple ingredient lists, easy instructions, helpful tips, and whole-food recipes that don’t skimp on flavor. Stop what you’re doing and get this book!”

—Kelly Pfeiffer, author of Superfood Weeknight Meals; creator of @eattherainbow_kids

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