Ainsley Harriott's Fresh & Fabulous Meals in Minutes

Ainsley Harriott is a fun loving, British celebrity chef. And while I have seen (and tried) a number of his recipes in foreign magazines, I've never seen his very popular show - Ready, Steady Cook on BBC-TV. Unfortunately, it's only available if you're lucky enough to live in the UK. You can read all about him here and check out the list of his other books.

With all his shows, and all his books, I was excited to try Ainsley Harriott's Fresh and Fabulous Meals in Minutes . Within seconds, I had marked at least six recipes that I had to make immediately! Each one is brilliantly easy, really interesting and stunningly colorful to look at. I was drooling over everything. I love how he brings together ingredients that, at first blush you might shake your head at. Trust me - quickly move beyond that and dig in. Let me give you an example...

Last week I served up his Spaghetti with Sicilian Style Cauliflower Sauce. I discovered how much I love cauliflower when I started the South Beach Diet as an alternative "good" carb...but I digress. In my pre-Ainsley Harriott world, I would never have combined anchovies with saffron, raisins and pine nuts. It would have been either or - salty or sweet. It was delicious and it goes without saying that I'm a convert.

And tonight's dinner has two sides I couldn't resist -

Garlicky Beans

Spicy Stir Fried Broccoli

They were perfect...and on deck for later this week...his Thai Style Chicken, Corn & Shrimp Cakes. I can't wait!