When I heard that The Mom 100 Cookbook by Katie Workman was being touted as the must-have cookbook for busy moms, I admit that I was a bit skeptical.
When it comes to cookbooks, I have a bit of an obsession, and I really couldn’t imagine any one cookbook being so essential to me that I would use it again and again for different needs.
But then I received a copy of the cookbook to review and started leafing through it. After trying one of the recipes and perusing a few of the others, I was sold!
The Mom 100 Cookbook contains twenty common mealtime dilemmas moms tend to encounter with five solutions for each one.
The dilemmas include everyday meals like Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks as well as some of the less common occurrences like Potlucks and Bake Sales.
But the book doesn’t just provide a few recipes and leave it at that. Most of the recipes also feature a handy “Fork in the Road” option that lets a meal be customized in different ways to suit different members of the family.
I decided to try The Basic Cheese Quesadilla (and Its Infinite Variations) recipe in the Vegetarian Mains section because it seemed to really exemplify the quick, easy and versatile theme of the cookbook.
I loved the idea of cooking a cheese quesadilla on the grill and to make the cooking job even easier, I decided to toast the tortillas in my Hamilton Beach Indoor Grill.
It was the perfect way to make this meal in the summer without taking time to fire up the barbeque or heating up the house with the oven’s broiler.
The boys, as I expected, each chose a plain cheese quesadilla, while my husband and I enjoyed the vegetarian goodness of quesadillas loaded with zucchini, red pepper, broccoli, tomato and green onion. With a little salsa and my own Simple Guacamole for dipping, it was summer perfection!
The rest of the meals in The Mom 100 Cookbook looked just as good and the cookbook was written in an easy-going “every mom” style that any too-busy, slightly stressed mom is sure to love.
With realistic tidbits about enjoying treats in moderation, fun anecdotes explaining why recipes were included, information on how kids can help prepare each recipe and handy tips for making the mealtime solutions work for you, it really is sure to become an essential in your kitchen. (And for someone with over 100 cookbooks to say that, you know it must be a great book!)
From Moist Make-Ahead Parmesan Turkey Meat Loaf to Fudgy One-Pot Brownies, there are so many recipes in this cookbook I can’t wait to try.
If you sometimes find cooking for your family more of a dilemma than a pleasure, check out The Mom 100 Cookbook for yourself. It’s the perfect fun-loving, no-nonsense cookbook for any mom!
The Basic Cheese Quesadilla (and Its Infinite Variations)
An easy recipe for the basic quesadilla, with all the instructions for customizing it to perfection.
Ingredients
- 8 medium-size (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- Desired fillings, zucchini, tomato, green onion, olives, canned beans, etc.
- Salsa, sour cream and guacamole for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium.
- Place four tortillas on the grill and watch them carefully until they are golden brown on the bottom. Remove tortillas from the grill and set aside. Place four tortillas on a flat surface and sprinkle each one with a ½ cup of grated cheese. Top with desired fillings.
- Place the 4 cooked tortillas on top of the filling, uncooked side down. Carefully transfer the tortillas back to the grill and grill the quesadillas until the cheese is melted and the bottom tortillas are golden brown.
- Let the quesadillas sit for a minute, slice into six wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole, if desired.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.
These are incredible with chicken, bacon and peppers!
Ooooh! That sounds awesome! I really love quesadillas – and love how versatile they can be for fillings. Great for pleasing a diverse crowd :-)
Exactly! And my boys are SO BORING about what they eat, but it doesn’t matter with quesadillas; I could even make them PB&J ones in a pinch! LOL
oh I love a good quesadilla, my boys only eat cheese too! lol
Kids are so wacky, hey? My youngest is all about the carbs, my oldest is a huge carnivore and before I met my hubby, I was a vegetarian. Thank goodness we all like cheese, at least! LOL
I am waiting for a copy of this right now and now I can’t wait!!!
Oh, you are going to LOVE it, Amanda! It’s not just the recipes, it is written in such a fun, easygoing way. (Reminds me of reading a blog! ;))
I can’t wait! Truly – I’ve tried making my own tortillas and have never had much luck. I hope mine arrives soon!