fussing with this cookbook

Picky eaters will be no more with this new cookbook from Emmy Award-winning celebrity chef Ryan Scott in “The No-Fuss Family Cookbook.”

Scott, who has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America and The Rachael Ray Show and is owner of Ryan Scott 2Go Catering, returns to cookbooks with this new book.

Having a young child, Scott wrote this book with the thought of getting your children involved in the kitchen as well as having ready-to-go recipes that aims to help busy families get dinner on the table quick. These are family approved and kid-tested recipes that are ready to grace your dinner table tonight.

Recipes are divided into six chapters: Breakfast and Baked Goods, Salads, Soups and Snacks, Pasta, Dinner, Veggies and Sides and Dessert. And each chapter has plenty to choose from, like Candied Bacon Breakfast Wellingtons, Simplest Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad with 3/2/1 Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette, Date-Night Garlic Shrimp Rigatoni Pasta, Soy Sauce-Braised Pork with Quick-Pickled Cabbage, Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Dressing or Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Cookies, there is something that is bound to get your family to the table on time.

My family tried out two recipes from the book and both received all the thumbs up. First was Triple-Napkin Pull-Apart Hot Sub Bake, which used Hawaiian rolls to make little Italian sub sliders. Everyone loved them, though they were hard to pull apart, and requested they get made again. It was an extremely easy dish to make and only used two pans. Also incredibly quick to make and only using two pans was Cheesy Broccoli-Cheddar Bow Ties. This recipe everyone agreed was like Cheddar Broccoli Soup meets pasta. And it was a perfect quick dish to make for lunch before everyone dashed out again one weekend.

This is a definite keeper of a cookbook that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

“The No-Fuss Family Cookbook” is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It is $30.

Contact Amy Phelps at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com.

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Excerpted from THE NO-FUSS FAMILY COOKBOOK: Simple Recipes for Everyday Lifeç 2021 by Ryan Scott. Photography ç 2021 by Chris Andre. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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EASY MARINATED FLANK STEAK WITH “ZIPPY SAUCE”

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

Let me tell you a bit about my in-laws. My mother-in-law is the queen of marinades . . . she marinates everything! Just like her, I love a good marinade, but unlike her, I love some spicy heat in mine. Now, about my father-in-law. Flank steak is his favorite thing to cook, especially on the grill, but when his daughter married a chef, he started questioning his grilling skills. Michael, trust me: You are a fabulous grill master (now it’s in writing)–I’m here to tell you that if you know how to do something well, never question it! Here’s my stick-to-what-I-know spin on my mother-in-law’s marinade, and I hope you love it. If you prefer a spicier flavor, add more jalapenos. By the way, the “zippy sauce” I serve on the side can go on everything. (Maybe not on ice cream–but prove me wrong!) It’s also a great vegan option to add interest to any side dish. It goes beautifully on tofu, eggplant, or quinoa, and I’m sure you’ll find even more killer combos for its use.

For the marinated steak

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 (1 1/2- to 2-pound) flank steak

For the zippy sauce

2 jalapenos, seeded, if desired, and coarsely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup arugula

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

MARINATE THE STEAK: In a gallon-size zip-top bag, combine the olive oil, honey, vinegar, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Put the steak in the bag, seal it, and massage it a little to get the meat fully covered with marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

MAKE THE SAUCE: In a food processor, combine the jalapenos with the lemon juice and pulse to finely chop, then transfer to a medium bowl.

In the food processor, combine the arugula, mint, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil and pulse until the mixture looks like pesto. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the jalapenos and mix it all together. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until serving time. (The longer the zippy sauce sits, the more the flavors meld and bloom, making it more delicious.)

Heat a grill until it’s nice and hot. Carefully place the marinated flank steak on the grill. Cook, uncovered, for 7 to 8 minutes. You want to really caramelize that honey in the marinade and get some nice dark grill marks. Using tongs, carefully flip the steak and cook for 7 to 8 minutes more for medium-rare (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak should read 130∂F).

Transfer the steak to a large cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes so the juices redistribute.

Then cut the meat into thin strips against 건마 the grain for maximum tenderness. Spoon the zippy sauce over the steak and enjoy!

NOTE: When cooking meats, a good rule of thumb is to rest the meat for the same amount of time that it cooked to ensure that the juices have enough time to redistribute and allow the proteins to relax.