There's a great (and beautiful) cookbook like this that I've bought for a ton of my friends:

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Simple-Meals-Made-Easy/dp/1603208...

Super simple, talks you through every process (including how to chop food, how to slice, etc) and very nice typography for the graphics nerds out there.

Yes, you have to spend $15 but it's well worth it. Everything is fresh, healthy, and fast.