Posts filed under 'food & recipes'
Stir fry is fantastic for several reasons:
1. It is served over rice, which makes it filling and cheap!
2. You can pretty much cook it in one pan–minimal clean up!
3. It is delicious.
4. It is FAST. And
5. It is really hard to mess it up.
This honey-glazed chicken stir fry (adapted from here) is one of my favorite new recipes–it is quick (takes about 20 minutes for me) and tasty. Plus it is a good way to trick yourself into eating tons of vegetables!
Ingredients - Sauce
3 T vinegar
3 T orange juice
1 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 t cornstarch
Ingredients - Stir Fry
2 T oil
1 bag (about 4 cups) frozen stir fry veggies (less than $2 at Walmart, guys)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Directions
1. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. (If you’re cooking old-school 20 minute rice, go ahead and get that started, too.)
2. Cut (raw) chicken into small cubes. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a wok (frying pans work, too) on medium-high. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove veggies from wok.
4. Add chicken cubes to wok. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until cooked through (no pink!). Push chicken away from the center of the wok.
5. Add sauce to the center of the wok. Stir until thick and bubbly. (This won’t take long, so watch carefully!)
6. Return veggies to wok, and stir chicken and veggies in sauce until heated through and well coated with sauce.
7. Serve over rice, and enjoy!
Makes 2 servings for normal people, or 1 for college boys. 
Tip: Using pre-cooked chicken saves you a step (but it does cost a bit more). You can just push the veggies to the side, let the sauce bubble, and then pour in the chicken and mix it all together.
Bon appetit!
p.s. I’m looking for more easy recipes to try and share–email me at jamie(at)survivingcollegelife(dot)com to share yours!
photo
April 22nd, 2010
I love eating, but cooking new, flavorful foods (with their tons of crazy and expensive ingredients) intimidates me. In fact, I whipped up some sweet and sour sauce the other day, but I was so nervous about getting all the food on the table at the same time that I freaked out and burned the chicken I was cooking at the same time. The fire alarm even went off.
So this month, let’s take it nice and easy: here’s my favorite last-minute recipe, and you only need three ingredients.
Cranberry Apple Chicken
2 chicken breasts (defrosted if frozen)
1 Granny Smith apple
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Core and dice apple. Put apple bits into a bowl.
3. Pour cranberry sauce into the bowl with apple bits, mix well.
4. Spoon half the cranberry mixture into a pan (metal or glass, even a pie pan will work). Place chicken breasts on top of the mixture, then spread the remaining cranberry apple combo over the top of the chicken.
5. Bake for 40 minutes. Catch up on the TV you missed last night on Hulu. Or study. Your choice. 
6. Check chicken for done-ness (it should be cooked all the way through, with no pink in the middle).
7. Enjoy!
p.s. Sorry there’s no picture–I forgot to take one before we CHOWED this stuff down.
February 1st, 2010
I have a confession to make. Before my sweetie started med school, I didn’t cook. I can cook (sort of), I just… didn’t. He was happy to do it, and I was happy not to. But as we’ve worked through the new dynamics of our relationship-in-med-school (he studies, I cook) I’ve discovered that I actually like it! And trying to eat well on a student’s budget makes it almost like a game; I have to find good new fresh foods for super cheap.
And butternut squash, right now, is about $0.99/lb at my grocery store, which is why I searched out a recipe for some yummy (and EASY) soup. Try it out - it is SO yummy for a cold fall evening!
Butternut Squash Soup
simplified from this recipe
3 1/2 c peeled butternut squash
2 1/2 c fat free less sodium broth OR vegetable stock (I used veggie stock and it was perfect)
3/4 c chopped carrots
1/4 c milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/8 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1. Start by peeling and chopping your squash, using a large sharp knife and a cutting board. (Directions how to do it here; don’t worry it’s easy.) Cube it, measure out your 3 1/2 c, and set aside.
2. Chop your carrots, measure, set aside.
3. Put the butter in a medium saucepan (any medium-to-large pot) and heat to medium-high (about a 7 on your stove). Add squash and carrots, and sauté for about 12 minutes.
(If you’re not sure what sauté means, basically you just toss your veggies in with your butter and stir every 20-30 seconds so it doesn’t burn. It will start to smell nice and buttery!)
4. Pour in your broth or stock, and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, put a lid on your pot, lower the heat to medium (a 5 on the stove dial) and let simmer for 30 minutes. You don’t have to stir.
5. When 30 mins are up and your veggies are nice and soft, take the pot off the heat, stir in the milk and salt, and then pour into a blender. Blend to a nice smooth consistency.
6. Ladle into bowls, add pepper to taste (I used just a little), and eat.
Notes
Butternut squash has a sweet, almost pumpkin-y taste to it, but without the stringy factor. It blends up smooth and creamy.
The original recipe calls for chopped onions to be sauteed and mixed in as well. I didn’t do that.
The original recipe also calls for chicken broth, but I used veggie stock for a more uniform flavor and really liked it–makes this a great, filling vegetarian option, too.
Serve with toasted french bread for some crunch.
Bon appetit!
photo from Cooking Light
November 16th, 2009
Food is a big deal in college, whether you’re on campus or off campus–especially when your main source of nutrition is ramen and cereal. Why not make dinner (or breakfast! Sorry I know that picture is of breakfast… But doesn’t it look amazing??) a little more interesting, and kick your social life up a notch in the process?
Round and Round
Starting a dinner club could be the best thing that ever happened to you if you’re tired of eating at the caf for every meal. Just pick a few people (preferably people who can cook a little!), and take turns cooking meals for each other. It will help everyone save money, and it means a fresh cooked meal a couple times a week.
Plus, if you all eat together, you get some bonus socialization.
True Cuisine
Already mastered the art of boiling water? Start a monthly food club where you can challenge your skills (and your taste buds!) A group of my friends started doing this their second year, and it was amazing. Each week they’d pick out a meal they’d always wanted to try, and get together and (at least try to) cook it. Sometimes they invited other people (like me! woohoo!) to stop by for samples. They honed their cooking skills, and had some pretty funny stories to tell by the end of the year.
A Little Friendly Competition
If any of you caught the Top Chef All-Stars this summer, I hope you saw the episode where the chefs had to cook amazing food in a dorm. It was awesome–I couldn’t believe the food they came up with using just microwaves, toasters, and hot plates!
Whip up a super-amusing dinner party Iron Chef style, using only the cooking utensils and items you have available. Your required ingredient can be anything you want, but keep it dorm-themed to be extra amusing. Gum? Easy Mac? You get the idea.
Get a couple of groups together, and assign judges to award a title to the winners. (Just keep in mind, this could go horribly wrong, so plan on ordering pizza afterward so you have something to eat!)
Looking for more ways to expand your social circle? Check out these ideas for parties (and here) and meeting people (and more here)!
If you’re more concerned with food than friends, why not take a peak at our cheap + easy college recipes?
photo
October 13th, 2009
Until a few months ago, I would have chosen an afternoon snack of m&m’s over granola any day. But then I tried this fantastic Trader Joe’s granola, and I was floored. It was actually good. Really good. And it has a lot more health benefits than junk food.
Last week I tried making my own, and it came out really good. I’m addicted–I have it at least once a day now.
First-Timer Yummy Morning Granola
(my novice version of this one from–where else–Cooking Light.)
- 5 cups regular oats (not instant microwave kind)
- 3 cups puffed rice cereal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice (if you don’t have this, using all apple juice is fine)
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Combine oats and rice cereal in a large bowl.
3. Combine the juices in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 2/3 cup. Remove from heat; stir in honey.
4. Slowly pour juice mixture over oat mixture, tossing to coat. Spread oat mixture evenly onto a pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. (Cook longer for crunchier granola.)
6. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container.
Make it Better: For more crunch and pizazz, consider replacing 1 cup of the oats and 1 cup of rice cereal with fruit (dried cranberries, apples, blueberries, etc.), nuts (walnuts, toasted almonds) and/or oat bran, wheat germ, or other healthy alternatives. It will cost a little more, but it is super yummy.
Mix it Up
Granola on its own is okay, but mix-ins are the spice of life if you ask me. Try eating your fresh-baked granola:
- With fruit flavored yogurt
- Topped with berries over milk (or vanilla yogurt)
- Ice cream (a yummy topping, I’d pair it with chocolate or berry syrup)
- In a fruit parfait with alternating layers of granola, fresh fruit, and frozen yogurt
- Mixed into oatmeal for crunch
- With fruit juice
- As an addition to cookie-and-ice cream sandwiches (roll the open sides of your ice cream sandwich in granola… mmm!)
photo
October 8th, 2009
As I was rummaging through our surprisingly full fridge today trying to think of what to eat my brain kept coming back to cereal. I can’t tell you how many bowls of Waffle Crisp I downed during my freshman year (but my roommate probably could…) but I know it was probably 75% more than it should have been. Well, okay, I am no longer a freshman, so why am I still thinking of cereal as a viable lunch (or dinner) option?
If you’re still finding yourself craving Coco Puffs at two in the afternoon, here are a couple ideas for beefing up your “fast food” options the healthy way.
Wrap it Up
I kept reading about wraps, but I wasn’t convinced until I gave them a try–now I’m an honest convert from sandwiches and bagels. In fact, I eat a wrap almost every day. Not only are they cheap and easy to make, they are also perfect to eat one-handed while you’re driving to work, texting your bff, or whatever.
How: Grab a whole wheat tortilla (you can get them in several sizes) and pile on your toppings of choice. Wrap it up burrito style: fold the top and bottom over your filling, then roll from one side to the other. Nice and neat and ready to eat!
Filling ideas:
- Caesar Wrap: Lettuce, chicken, Caesar dressing
- Apple Wrap: Apple slices, shredded cheese, chicken
- Thanksgiving Wrap: Cream cheese, cranberries, turkey
- Fruit Salad: Cream cheese, peaches, strawberries
- Leftovers from last night (ground hamburger, fajita stuff, salad, whatever you want)
Slice and Dice
One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to eat less sugar–I cut back to just one dessert per day, which with my chocoholic ways was pretty tricky! One of the easiest ways to beat those mid-afternoon sugar cravings is to have other (healthier) stuff on hand and ready to go. For example, I buy carrots and celery to snack on and cut them all up and bag them on the weekend so they’re ready to grab and go during the week.
Ideas:
- Baby carrots (+ dressing)
- Celery (+ peanut butter)
- Trail mix (raisins, nuts, maybe a little chocolate!)
- Granola/granola bar (+ yogurt)
- Pretzels
- Pita bread (+ hummus or a fruity salsa)
Plus, did you know that having sugar in the afternoon can actually make you feel more tired? The initial kick of eating a sweet will give you energy for a while, but afterwards your body will experience a sugar crash, making you crave even more. So opt for something flavorful but healthy so you can get your studying done and get on with your life.
photo by lhunt
August 21st, 2009
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