Simple Suppers is a celebration of fuss-free food, and a kitchen companion that is a simple, seasonal guide to feeding families throughout the year.
Simple Suppers
Simple Suppers is your new best friend in the kitchen for fuss-free, wholesome meals the whole family will love. Packed with easy-to-follow recipes, this book offers seasonal dishes that require minimal planning, prep, and ingredients – but deliver big on taste and nutrition. From speedy weeknight dinners to one-pot wonders and make-ahead gems, these recipes will transform pantry staples into hero meals, making cooking a breeze. Whether you’re feeding picky eaters, batch cooking for the week, or simply craving the comforting smells of a slow-cooked dinner, this cookbook has you covered with all the delicious, stress-free meals you need to feed your family, all year round.
Today’s recipe book review from Lavender and Lime ♥ Simple Suppers ♥ #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Chapters are divided into:
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Spring / Summer Bakes & Sweet Treats
- Autumn / Winter Bakes & Sweet Treats
Recipes that caught my eye:
- Speedy sausage bolognaise (p8)
- Chicken with chorizo and cider (p13)
- Greek lamb meatballs (p16)
- Golden halloumi and quinoa salad bowls (p23)
- One-pan lemon and chicken gnocchi (p31)
- Quick pesto chicken wraps (p36)
- Lemon and herb spatchcock chicken (p40)
- One-pot sticky chicken and rice (p45)
- Friday night lamb koftas (p50)
- Beef and broccoli bowls (p54)
- Chicken rainbow bowls (p59)
- Roast chicken, barley and sweetcorn soup (p75)
- Comforting roast chicken and leek pie (p85)
- Satay chicken bowls (p87)
- Quick chilli con carne (p88)
- Thai meatballs from scratch (p95)
- Creamy Dijon chicken (p104)
- Sticky Asian beef short ribs (p115)
- Simple lamb and barley stew (p118)
- One-bowl bran and berry muffins (p127)
- Wintery fig and pecan pudding (p148)
What I made:
Dave does a spatchcock chicken on the braai about three times a month, and I decided to do the recipe in the book for some variety, and to make the roast chicken pie. This added so much flavour to the chicken which was ideal when using the meat for other dishes. And, the pies were amazing, and worth making again. The chilli con carne was not spicy hot as I thought it should be. It was however delicious, and something I have grown to love eating, as I would not have eaten this as a child! The muffins made for a great change to my weekday breakfasts.
My impressions:
Despite the Greek lamb meatball recipe calling call for preprepared meatballs, I would still make it as this is perfect for a weeknight meal. I really wish South African recipe books would steer away from salmon, given that it is imported and very expensive. Ten recipes in this book use salmon and as we have such amazing local fish, I am sure something else could be used instead. I can see myself going back to this book in the summer months to make the bowls recipes.
About the author:
Sarah Graham grew up in Zimbabwe and now lives with her family in the sleepy coastal town of Noordhoek, just outside of Cape Town. She loves food and cooking, devoting a significant part of her life to this passion and increasing her range of experience through the authoring of her cookbooks. She also believes that anyone can cook delicious yet healthy food. Sarah started her food blog ‘A Foodie Lives Here’ in 2010, and it quickly became vastly popular both in South Africa and abroad. She is now a SAFTA award-winning cooking show host, and her TV series Sarah Graham’s Food Safari has aired in South Africa and in over 40 countries around the world. Simple Suppers is her seventh cookbook.
Publishing information:
Penguin Random House South Africa sent me this recipe book to review.
See the links below for blog posts I published on June 30:
-
- 2024: Listen For The Lie
- 2021: Rose Cottage
- 2019: Dracul
- 2017: Salt Baked Beetroot
- 2016: Chicken And Corn Soup
- 2014: Panforte
- 2013: Smoked Ravioli With A Butternut Filling
- 2011: Vegetable Cous Cous
- 2010: Black And White Pasta
I always suss out your cookery book critiques first and foremost 🙂 ! Fun to read this too! I very much agree with you about salmon! In Australia it is all farmed with cruelty to the fish, who are fed artificial food and given tons of medications – which then passes onto us! Many comment that the ‘health food’ may indeed be doing harm to nature, poor fish and us. And here, as in South Africa, there are so many alternates, many of them line-caught! Glad you found recipes to copy!
Farmed fish is just something to avoid – we get farmed prawns here which I will not buy!
Not a fan of her…watched once of her cooking show, it’s just meh…your leek chicken pies look awesome!
I confess to never having seen her on TV!
Sounds like a good cookbook. I love recipes divided by seasons.
It makes so much sense!
I love a cookbook that’s organized seasonally. It makes so much more sense to me!
It helps if people also shop that way 🙂
she looks very familiar. I think i have seen her on the telly!
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
I haven’t, but Angie says she has so it means she must have gone global?
Thank you for introducing me to this lovely cookbook. I cannot believe you tried so many recipes and how well they turned out. My husband would love the bran muffin for sure! wishing you a lovely day, hoping the winter is treating you well, ~Nessa
Winter is cold and wet – but other than that, all good! Will share the recipe soon for the muffins 🙂
The chicken leek pies look especially delicious. I love adding to my cookbook collection, so I’ll keep an eye out for this one.
Hope you can find a copy!
Such a great idea for a cookbook. I would love a bunch of simple supper ideas for vegan dinners.
I am sure a lot of people feel the same way!
I had to come back to share. I was so intrigued with the name of the cookbook, I wanted to take a look at it, so I went to Amazon and found 11 books called Simple Suppers- including this one. Maybe I’ll write the Vegan Simple Suppers!! Lol Thanks for the review.
Yes, I have seen there are more books with the same title! And a good idea to write a vegan one 😉