These top 3 recipe books have been with me on 3 continents and 3 decades of marriage. If you are tired of all the fancy, not-so-everyday dishes and are tired of scouring the internet for recipes, look no further – these are excellent.

top 3 recipe books # 1 – The Wycliffe International Cookbook
I have traveled with this one in Mongolia, to South Africa, and then on to Germany. It has stayed with me and I still constantly use it.
Here are some of our favorite dishes.
Lentil Cheese Savory
It is a very humble dish. When we have no idea what we want to make then this is very often what we default to. Tuesday is our lentil, beans, and meatless day and we often turn to this recipe.
It comes together quickly.
Can be eaten hot or cold.
It has cheese in it, and who doesn’t like cheese?

Pico de Gallo
We love Tacos and Burritos and anything Mexican. This is the simplest and perfect accompaniment to anything Mexican. The simplicity and combination of tomato, onion, cilantro, and limes bring a freshness to any dish.
You can also always add this to any egg or casserole dish.
Favorite Cornbread
This recipe is super easy and quick to throw together. It always accompanies our Chili dishes. You can then just dip the cornbread into the sauce and enjoy the deliciousness.

Favorite Pancakes
This pancake recipe page is very well dog-eared and loved. The wonderful variations given below the basic recipe give you many options too.
This is one of the main reasons why this is such a winning recipe book. Most recipes have variations to the basic recipe to add variety and to give you options.
top recipe book number 1 – The Wycliffe International Cookbook summary
There are many more great recipes in this book but these are our top recipes.
The recipe book also offers ingredient substitution when you cannot find a particular ingredient. This is super helpful when you live in a land where supplies are limited. The creativity of cooking comes out.
There is also a Children’s Corner: Crafts and my favorite recipe here was the Play Dough. I loved making Play-Dough for my children when they were little.

top 3 recipe books # 2 – TIME TO EAT by Nadiya Hussain
I was given this ‘Delicious meals for busy lives‘ recipe book as a gift. Thank you, friend;) And then I found that there was also a show on Netflix that went with this book.
Our number 1 recipe in this book is:
CHICKEN SHAWARMA
We go back to this recipe all the time. It is spicy, so be careful – but we love spicy so we keep it as is. I reduce the amount of salt called for in this book and it is super yummy.
The broccoli slaw is delicious too and it gives me a way to include greens into our menu. We have had it with guests and we have given it as a meal when our friends were ill too. It has been a winner everywhere.
She is very clever in how she teaches you how to prepare the spice blend and also makes enough for another round. Her time-saving tips are great.

Other favorites are:
EGG ROLLS
These are also genius and very tasty. We love eggs, olives, and mushrooms and so love this. Having this for lunch is super easy too. Once you get the production line going then you can make these really quickly.
She says you can have them as a packed lunch for the next day. We tried this but definitely preferred them fresh, warm, and hot off the pan.
BLENDER BEETROOT
She is truly so clever with this recipe.
I love beetroot but I don’t always know what to do with it. This has been one of the reasons why this recipe book features on my top 3 recipe book list.
It is quick to prepare and because in most places you can easily find the vacuum-packed pre-cooked beetroot this then becomes easy to make. Dinner on the table in 10 min – the time it takes to boil the pasta. That has to be a winner for any family.
The amount of garlic you put in might be the only thing you may want to adjust. This is a personal preference.

top recipe book number 2 – TIME TO EAT by Nadiya Hussain summary
There are many more ‘Delicious meals for busy lives’ recipes that I want to try in this book but I recommend it because she gives tips and tricks which help us save time in the kitchen. She also includes decadent treats as well as healthy options. It is very worth a try.

top 3 recipe books # 3 – EVERYDAY SUPERFOOD Jamie Oliver
We have our absolute favorite ‘recipe(s) for a healthier happier you’ in this recipe book. The reason I open up this recipe book the most is for the Granola Dust recipe. We love breakfasts and we love this ‘instant breakfast’.
AWESOME GRANOLA DUST – NUTS, SEEDS, OATS & FRUIT GALORE
This recipe is a favorite because we love oats, fruit, and nuts. But the ‘secret’ ingredients here, for us, are what makes this one of our favorite breakfasts to have.
Adding coffee and cocoa powder is totally genius. We do adjust portion size and ratio to milk but that is a personal preference.

We have tried to cut out eating chocolate on a regular basis and this totally satisfies the chocolate cravings. It is healthy and not filled with an abundance of sugar.
The next favorite in the recipe book is:
SPELT SPAGHETTI VINE TOMATOES & BAKED RICOTTA
This is a crowd-pleaser and so easy to put together. The flavors are rich and warming and it is super filling.
Again there is a lot of garlic in this recipe and it may be the only thing you would want to adjust. That is a personal preference for everyone at the table!
The ricotta cheese gives such a creamy finish to this dish. It tastes and feels like a pure spoil and yet it is very easy to prepare.

And last, but definitely not the least favorite is:
ROASTED SWEET POTATOES BLACK BEANS & JALAPENO TOMATO SALSA
We always have sweet potatoes floating around our cupboards. We love the flavor combinations here and the simplicity of the dish.
The only variation that we make with this dish is that we sometimes leave out the rice. We are very satisfied with just the salad, black beans, and sweet potato. If I do not have black beans then I also use whatever other beans I have on hand.

top 3 recipe books – what would you choose?
If I had to choose from all my recipe books – these are the ones I would take with me.
What are your top 3 recipe books?
Let me know in the comments.
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