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Express Lane Meals
by Rachael Ray
Clarkson Potter/Publishers
ISBN 1-4000-8255-2
Published April 2006 - Softcover - 254 pages - $18.95

I've reviewed many 30-minute cookbooks so there must be a huge need for "hurry up and cook" meals.  Rachael Ray is famous for her quick recipes.  Life's too short to spend too much time in the kitchen.  Quick meals should not mean a lack of wholesome ingredients - you can still eat healthily and prepare meals in a shorter time.  The trick is to keep a fairly well-stocked pantry and freezer - less time is wasted running to the store for last-minute ingredients.  This book covers Meals for the Exhausted, Meals for the Not Too Tired, and Bring It On! (But Be Gentle).  She offers the likes of Leek-y Chicken and Couscous; Three-Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Sauce; Warm Chopped Chicken Piccata Spinach Salad, and Pasta in a Creamy Artichoke and Saffron Sauce.  If you're not too tired, try these dishes: Sicilian Spaghetti with Fennel and Onion; Fabulous Baked Fish and Asparagus Spears, or Steaks with Tangy Corn Relish and Super Cheese and Scallion Smashed Spuds.  From the Bring It On! section, how about Spanish Pork Chops with Linguica Corn Stuffing and Cherry-Red Wine Gravy, or Steak Niçoise?  Who knew so many tantalizing meals could be made in record time!  Scantily illustrated.  No nutritional guides.  I like the Express Lane shopping lists you can cut out (photocopy for future use) and the shopping lists she gives for each recipe.  Check out her Master List.
Conclusion - Extremely tempting and certainly time-saving.