Pocket Friendly Recipes
From the readers
Can't remember the last time I had a good sloppy joe. Reminds me so much of the one I ate as a kid. Baked spaghetti was delicious too. Cheers!
★★★★★
Tania
Good recipes. I’m still a bit on the slow side, but these can definitely be made in 30 minutes with a bit more practice.
★★★★★
Dina Coleman
Love love LOVE the bean salad!!! Packed it for lunch yesterday and I basically scarfed it down at my desk. I don’t think I’d want to eat anything else for the next couple of weeks.
★★★★★
KC
As featured in
Breakfast Sandwich - page 9
Mushroom Pasta - page 22
Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi - page 45
Spaghetti Casserole - page 53
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry - page 49
Caesar Salad Wraps - page 66
Sloppy Joes - page 68
Dense Bean Salad - page 79
THE 30-MINUTE COOKBOOK
45 recipes you can cook in 30 minutes or less, because 30 minutes is usually all I have before someone in my house needs feeding. I wrote this book for the evenings when you want something delicious on the table fast, and the mornings when breakfast has to happen somewhere between the shower and the school run. Every recipe is quick, every recipe is tested, and every single one has earned its place in my own kitchen.
If cooking has ever felt like more trouble than it's worth, I think this book will change your mind. The ingredient lists are short, the steps are easy to follow, and the results will leave you feeling like you can genuinely cook. Because you can.
A recipe for every part of the day
Breakfast Pizza is the recipe that got my family excited about eggs again. I pile soft scrambled eggs and browned Italian sausage onto a crispy crust, blanket it in melted mozzarella and cheddar, and it's gone before I've even finished my coffee.
And when I want a slow weekend morning, I make the French Toast, with thick slices of challah soaked in vanilla-cinnamon custard until the outside turns golden and the inside stays soft and creamy. It honestly tastes like the brunch you'd happily pay twenty dollars for, except you made it yourself.
Dinners you'll make on repeat
Marry Me Chicken Pasta is the one I pull out when I want dinner to feel like an occasion. It's creamy, rich with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan, and it has a way of getting everyone quiet at the table, in the best possible way.
On my busiest nights, I reach for the Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry, with tender chicken and crisp vegetables glossed in a sweet-savory sauce over rice, and I'll say it plainly: it's better than anything I've had delivered. Then there's Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi, which has become a weeknight staple in my house, with seared chicken and pillowy gnocchi in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, all made in a single skillet.
The simple ones I'm weirdly proud of
I know everyone already knows how to make a Grilled Cheese. But make it the way we do it in my house, with three cheeses crisped in butter on sourdough, and I promise every other grilled cheese will pale in comparison.
The same goes for Aglio e Olio, which is nothing more than linguine, garlic, good olive oil, and a pinch of chili flakes, and yet it tastes like a plate I'd happily order in Italy. These are the recipes that prove simple food, done properly, wins every single time.
The favorites I make just for me
Some recipes earn their spot because I simply love them. I make Salmon Patties again and again because they come out crispy and golden with tender salmon inside, they're wonderfully budget-friendly, and my whole family actually eats them, which is no small victory in my house.
When I'm craving a night out without leaving home, I make the Spicy Tuna Bowl, and it tastes exactly like what I order at my favorite poke spot, with creamy sriracha tuna over warm rice and cool, crunchy cucumber. And a big bowl of Gnocchi Soup, thick with chicken and vegetables, is the one I keep coming back to whenever the evenings turn cold.
Download it now, and make something wonderful in the next 30 minutes.
Hi, I'm Mandy.
I learned how to cook on a budget from a lot of places. From my parents trying to make ends meet, from my friends when we were all figuring things out, from nights when I refused to go to the grocery store and had to get creative with what was left.
Those lessons shaped how I cook today. Simple, smart, and always satisfying.
I'm so glad you're here. Can't wait to cook together!