30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook

We all love a home-cooked meal, but finding the time to make one each night can be a challenge. Carole Jones new cookbook, 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook has 100 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less.

Jones is a Minnesota-based cookbook author and food blogger. She creates delicious, yet simple family recipes and videos. 

For the past 12 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children at MyKitchenEscapades.com. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.

Recipes in the cookbook are made with frozen, whole food ingredients so all the prep work is already done, which saves time. 

In the book, Jones also shares: 

1. How viewers can cut grocery costs and trips to the market by using frozen ingredients.
2. How viewers can reduce food waste by using frozen ingredients.
3. Her favorite frozen ingredients to use.

Here is a recipe from the cookbook for Butternut Squash and Black Bean Pitas with Avocado and Cilantro Lie Crema:

(Excerpted from The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook by Carole Jones. Copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photography by James Stefiuk. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.)

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Cilantro Lime Crema

• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1⁄2 medium lime
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and finely minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pitas

• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen chopped butternut squash
• 2 cubes frozen crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 (6") pitas
• 1⁄4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled queso fresco
• 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1. To make the crema, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

2. To make the pitas, cook squash according to package directions, then add to a large bowl. Stir in the garlic, butter, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mash together with a fork. Set aside.

3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave beans on high until hot, about 1 minute.

4. Warm pitas in the microwave, about 15 seconds each, then evenly divide the squash, beans, queso fresco, and avocados across the tops of each. Top with the cilantro lime crema and serve immediately.

Carole can be found on your favorite social channel at @thecarolejones. Carole’s website is MyKitchenEscapades.com. The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook is on sale now wherever books are sold.