Diana Henry knocks another one out of the park with Simple

And one of our best pals, one J Glibbery, came over to help us review it. 

For the first time ever I wasn't missing a crucial piece of kitchen equipment, so that was nice. And that's one of the things about this book that makes it so usable. It doesn't rely on special kitchen equipment, fussy ingredients, or incredible amounts of time. Diana wrote the book based on the recipes she developed and the style of cooking she had time for (which is to say, very little prep work) after she had a baby. It's a follow up to Cook Simple, released many years ago and still a cult classic. And in case you didn't know, Diana is the author of A Bird In The Hand, a book by the most amazing title ever. 

"For years... I had the worst equipped kitchen: not enough saucepans; one skillet; a limited range of knives." - Diana Henry, Simple, pg. 7

Several months back Jessey shared this Huevos Rotos recipe (page 16 of Simple) with me and I was like holy shit I need to eat that ASAP. So as soon as the book was physically in my hands I flipped through it in a flutter. Chapter one is all egg recipes and that's naturally the part of the book I gravitated towards the most. With my allergies (peanuts, nuts, dairy, legumes) I tend to eat a lot of eggs for quick and flavorful protein. 

The recipe is super simple and completely conducive to weeknight cooking. It all happens in one big non-stick pan. Just heat up a good amount of olive oil and brown an onion. Then add baby potatoes cut in half, as well as paprika and garlic. Once it's all brown and caramelized crack the eggs on top. We did four because it was a work night and we were super hungry.

Look at these egg-crackin' skills

We're salt fiends so we gave it a pretty generous sprinkling before tossing some chopped green onions around the pan for colour. And guess what - no alterations for my allergies required. WHAT! 

As soon as we got this shot we grabbed another fork and dug right into it, finishing pretty much the entire pan while standing over my kitchen island. The potatoes and caramelized onions are so crispy and crunchy; rich with flavor. And the egg on top makes it a full meal complete with protein. You could easily make this for any meal of the day and be perfectly satisfied. 

Many dishes in this book use legumes, nuts, or dairy products, so like all the books we review on EAF it is not completely allergy-friendly. But I think the important takeaway from it is the recipe inspiration. It's easy to forget how amazing and delicious the simplest of foods can be. Just a few ingredients cooked and assembled in the right way can make a satisfying and nutritious meal. The photography is warm and aspirational with lots of colour and texture. It got me thinking about what my go-to dishes are and how I can spice them up a bit with just a few adjustments. 

You can pick up your copy here.