Monday, April 27, 2015

Spread The Love

Some of my favorite foods are Southern through and through--Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Okra, Eggs & Grits, Biscuits and Pimiento Cheese. You are talking about the ultimate comfort food! Welcoming people into your apartment, eating meals together, and anything that goes with Southern hospitality--the food says it all! 



Bring some of this goodness to the college apartment this weekend if you are watching NBA or NHL Playoffs, or just shooting the breeze. The Pimiento Dip is particularly easy and delicious if friends start showing up around the apartment to hang out. Simple, no-frill, no-skill college cooking, dipping, eating.

Add saltines, triscuits, veggies, baguette. 
Make a Spicy Reuben!
Whatever you do…Go Atlanta Hawks!

(Great recipe from Cook's Country February / March 2015 magazine)

Easy Pimiento Cheese Spread


Equipment:
Mixing Bowl
Fork


Ingredients:
2/3 cup mayo
8 oz extra sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
8 oz extra sharp cheddar, finely grated
4 oz pimiento peppers, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbls 1/3 reduced-fat cream cheese, softened



Add-Ons:
Triscuits 
Saltines
Carrots, celery, peppers
Fresh baguette

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep your cheeses and mince pimientos.
3. Whisk mayo, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire and cayenne together.




4. Add pimientos.



5. Add coarsely grated cheddar.



6. Add finely grated cheddar.



7. Stir until well-combined.



Let the games begin! Discuss and exchange ideas and dreams! Snack together!

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Parmesan Creamed Corn

Sometimes the side dishes to a meal can be the most difficult decision when making dinner. Ever notice when you go to restaurants how bland the beans or rice dishes are? Like it's just a garnish or an afterthought rather than a part of the meal? 



As a result of this phenomenon, the side dish becomes bland or overcooked and boring, and then, it gets thrown out! What a waste!  

Don't let that happen with your precious college funds! Make every part of your meal tasty and worth eating; otherwise, keep the dollars in your wallet! 

Check out this simple, cheap side dish that you can make any time of the year with a few ingredients, but alot of flavor!

(Adapted from Epicurious Cookbook)

Parmesan Creamed Corn

Equipment:
Oven-proof 8"x8" or 9"x13" dish, buttered
Medium 3-5 quart saucepan
Whisk



Ingredients:
2 Tbls butter
1 Tbls all-purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne red pepper
20 oz of frozen or canned corn kernels (just plain, no sauces or sugars added)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated



Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat oven 425F degrees.
3. Prep your baking dish and get your ingredients laid out.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over moderate heat.


5. Whisk in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.


6. Add the half-and-half, salt, and cayenne, and reduce the heat.


7. Stirring occasionally, the liquid should thicken within 3-4 minutes.
8. Add corn and 50% of grated cheese, and stir.



9. Transfer to your buttered baking dish and top with remaining cheese.


10. Bake at 425F degrees x 15 minutes until golden brown.


Great addition for grilled meats. Another way to make and use corn. Alternative to Mac 'n Cheese. Better the next day!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Rigatoni Taken Up A Notch

Visiting Iowa City this past weekend was simply fun--full fledged college town with a great downtown area restricted to pedestrians only. Shops, bars, and restaurants are open, people stroll thru the car-free zone and sit in the public square listening to street performers and musicians, sometimes talking with complete strangers. 


We got polled on barriers that limit people from growing their own herbs, vegetables, cooking for themselves, and having access to fresh and organic foods--some folks can't afford it or they simply don't have the space to grow fresh produce or they can't cook. However, if we could change these barriers or teach people to spend more time in the kitchen…small changes could lead to big improvements for our environment, ourselves, our budget, our lives. 

College students living off-campus are at particular risk of limited fruits / veggies and good cooking, because money, time, and skills are limited. Let's change that with a simple pasta recipe for any college-level cooking skill.

Spicy (or not). Flavorful. Cheap. Oddly satisfying with few ingredients. 
Sometimes simple is better!

(Adapted from Saveur Magazine 'Taste of Umbria')

Rigatoni all'Amatriciana 

Equipment:
1 large skillet
1 5-quart sauce pan for boiling water



Ingredients:
2 Tbls olive oil
3-4 slices Pancetta (or bacon), diced / chopped (optional if you want all vegetarian and cheaper)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
Kosher salt to taste
1 cup of vegetable broth (or ideally, dry white wine if you are legally 21 years old)
3 (16 oz) cans of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 lb rigatoni, cooked
1/2 cup romano, pecorino, or parmesan cheese, grated




Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat and sear pancetta. If using bacon instead, don't add olive oil. Sear until brown and crisp, approx 10 minutes.




3. Add crushed pepper, onion, and salt. 



4. Cook until onion is golden and translucent, approx 10 minutes.
5. Add broth (or wine) and scrape the pan, stirring until liquid almost evaporated.
6. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to simmer, cooking until sauce thickens, approx 40-45 minutes.



8. Boil water and cook pasta until just about done, i.e. 'al dente'.



9. Drain pasta and stir into tomato sauce with 50% of the cheese.



10. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of each serving. I know it looks like just another "tomato-sauce" but it is not! Spicy and flavorful!


Sunday, April 19, 2015

Quick Steak Fajitas For College Living

Visiting Jon this weekend for his 21st birthday included a trip to the grocery store! He has astutely realized that meat proteins easily throw any college food budget off kilter! (Nonetheless, with family picking up the tab, he decided at least one pork tenderloin was deserved in celebration of this monumental life milestone!) 



Additionally, high protein consumption, red meat especially, can wreak havoc on your health and waistline as well as contribute to excessive carbon foot printing in terms meat industry costs, raising animals, transportation / fuel and emission costs, et cetera, et cetera! 

Be mindful not only of how much meat you consume, but also, from where you purchase your foods whether meats, veggies, fruits! Buying local does so much more for you, the producer and the environment. Simple things make such a difference!


Finding simple ways to make meat a part of the meal, but not the main attraction, will keep your tastebuds, wallet, waistline and environment happy!

It's a win-win! Shop smart. Cook smart. Eat smart. 




Quick Steak Fajitas For College Living


Equipment:
1 large skillets (2 skillets, ideally--dinner is done quicker that way)
Mixing bowl
Food tongs (optional)



Ingredients:
1-2 lbs Beef Top Round (cheaper cut of beef), thinly sliced against grain will help tenderize the meat
2-3 peppers, sliced
1-2 large onions
1 jalapeno, diced
1 serrano, finely minced (if you really don't like spicy hot...skip this addition)
Garlic Powder 
Onion Powder
Splash of lemon or lime
Salt & Pepper


The Add-Ins
ChiHuaHua cheese, crumbled or grated
Sour cream
Salsa
Guacamole
Flour or corn Tortillas


Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep veggies and set aside.


3. Thinly slice meat. 



4. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. 
(It should almost look white). 



5. Let me sit at room temperature x 30 minutes and allow flavors to soak in. Have all ingredients ready to go before you begin cooking the meat / veggies. 


6. Sear your veggies in 1Tbls olive oil first if using one pan; or, simultaneously with the meat if using two skillets.



7. Heat 1 Tbls olive oil over MED-HIGH heat and add the meat to the skillet until brown and seared.



8. Warm your tortillas in a toaster oven at 250F degrees for a few minutes.

This meal is ready to go! Start stacking everything together.