myrecipes cookbook

How many times have you bought a magazine because the recipe on the cover made your mouth water?

I’m guilty of that more times than I’ll admit, which is why I frequent the MyRecipes website so often. MyRecipes is home to more than 65,000 recipes from popular magazines, giving home cooks access to all the recipes in their favorite magazines without the paper clutter.

MyRecipes’ first cookbook, “America’s Favorite Food: 200 Top-Rated Recipes from the Country’s Best Magazines” (Oxmoor House; Sept. 11, 2012), takes the website a step further. This is a colorful cookbook featuring 200 of the website’s highest-rated recipes, but the paper version of the website doesn’t leave technology behind. Readers who download the free Digimarc Discover on their smartphone can scan photos with the “Scan It/Cook It” symbol to access bonus videos, tips and cooking guides.

That’s not the only cool feature of this cookbook. Like the website, each recipe includes comments from readers with their own suggestions on how to improve the recipes. There are also little symbols that let you know quickly is a recipe is meatless, low-calorie, can be prepared ahead, kid-friendly, etc.

I can usually tell how great a cookbook will be by how long my colleagues flip through it before I take it home to test it the kitchen. One of my colleagues has asked me several times when the review will run because she’s eager to photocopy a few more recipes from the book.

You can’t ask for a better endorsement than that.

“America’s Favorite Food: 200 top-rated recipes from the country’s best magazines” is a photo-filled cookbook with recipes that will appeal to home cooks at all levels. If you’re a fan of the website, you’ll love the cookbook.

SPICY CHICKEN STEW

• 2 baking potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into chunks (3 1/3 cups)
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen sweet corn
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (1 cup)
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (12.5 oz.) jar salsa
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, halved
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 (6 inch) fresh corn tortillas, cut into strips

Place potatoes, corn, celery, carrots, onion and garlic in slow cooker. Stir in salsa, salt, cumin, chile powder and pepper. Distribute chicken evenly on top of vegetables and pour chicken broth over chicken. Cover slow cooker and cook stew on high for 4 hours.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred with two forks into bite-size chunks; return to slow cooker. Mix tortilla strips into stew. Serve warm.

Source: America’s Favorite Food: 200 Top-Rated Recipes from the Country’s Best Magazines” (Oxmoor House; Sept. 11, 2012)

PESTO PASTA SALAD

• 3 cups packed fresh basil
• 1 cup packed fresh parsley
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pound gemelli or other short pasta
• 1 cup plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

In a food processor puree basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and pine nuts until smooth. With motor running, add olive oil and process until a thick paste forms. Add Parmesan and pulse twice. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking.

In a large bowl, combine pesto and Greek yogurt and stir until well blended. Add cold pasta and toss to coat with dressing. Top with tomatoes. Serve salad at room temperature or cover and refrigerate to serve chilled.

Source: America’s Favorite Food: 200 Top-Rated Recipes from the Country’s Best Magazines” (Oxmoor House; Sept. 11, 2012)

spicy chicken stew

pesto pasta salad