Guys, I’ve got some exciting news: today, Sept. 29, is National Coffee Day! A.k.a. The one day of the year when I don’t have to feel guilty for indulging in yet another Cup of Jo to scare away slumber.
Now, personally I’m a fan of the espresso bean over the plain ol’ coffee one, and luckily, NESTLE sent the Collegian some fanciful recipes to brew your own delicious drink. So take a gander at these, if you’re like me and enjoy that extra kick of caffeine:
Tall White Chocolate Caramel Latte:
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 Tbsp. Coffee-mate White Chocolate Caramel Latte
2 shots espresso or 1/3 cup hot, freshly brewed dark roast espresso coffee
-STEAM milk and Coffee-mate until 150 to 160 degrees F.
-BREW espresso into tall coffee mug; pour in milk mixture, holding back foam
-SPOON foam over the top
Blended Mocha:
2/3 cup light vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup chilled brewed strong coffee
3 Tbsp. Coffee-mate Café Mocha
1/2 cup ice cubes
-PLACE ice cream, coffee, Coffee-mate and ice in blender; cover.
Make-your own take out - This is a great alternative to ordering an expensive Chinese take-out dinner, plus you add all the ingredients youself, putting you in charge of fat and sodium (two things many of us college students over indulge in).
Start with the rice, I used brown, but white rice is traditionally used. Start by adding one cup of rice and two cups of water to a stove-top pan with a pat of butter. Boil for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
While the rice is cooking chop up two chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. In a sealable sandwhich bag, add 3 tbsp of flour. Toss cubed chicken in the flour. Then add two cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp of ginger (if you have it) and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Mix together in the bag and let sit for a few minutes in the refridgerator.
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and heat, adding the chicken and cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is mosely cooked. Remove the chicken from skillet and add in veggies (I used snow peas, broccoli and carrots) and cook until tender. At the last minute, add the chicken back and in a stirfry together for about a minute.
Serve on top of rice with extra soy sauce if desired. Enjoy!
This weeks recipe is all about budgeting, cooking with minimal ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. It takes about 15 minutes to make and tastes like childhood all over again. Add in some tasty and healthy homemade sweet potato fries, and you've got yourself a meal!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
generous sprinkle of garlic salt and black pepper
1 large sweet potato, chopped into fry-sized bites
1 generous squeeze of honey
Start by preheating an oven to 350 degrees. Then cover the sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp of olive oil, a squeeze of honey, salt and pepper. Toss together on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping once so both sides brown evenly.
While the fries are in the oven, brown the ground beef and onions in a skillet, until fully cooked. Drain the fat and add ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, garlic salt and pepper, stirring until everything is incorporated. Let simmer for five minutes, then serve on buns, bread or bagels.
Serve with a cold veggie or salad for a nice contrast to the hot meal.
In honor of my Irish roots, I went with a classic potato dish for St. Patrick's Day. Scalloped potatoes with ham was a favorite of mine growing up, and one of my go-to comfort dishes. It's simple and perfect to warm you up.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by washing potatoes, I usually use about 1 1/2 potatoes per person, peel if desired. Cut then into thing slices (the thinner the potatoes, the faster they will cook). Cube up about 1 1/2 cups of ham. If you don't have a whole ham, cut up pieces of slice deli ham. Also roughly chop half of a medium onion.
In and 9x9 oven-safe baking dish, mix potatoes, cubed ham and onion with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 3/4 cup of milk or cream, 2 generous handfuls of cheddar cheese.
Place in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or an hour, or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occassionally to assure everything cooks evenly. Add an extra handful of cheese during the last few minutes of baking to get little extra kick of flavor on the top.
A lot of the recipes I have been posting need a full kitchen to make... not convenient for those college students stuck with just a microwave in the dorms. Check out this link for tips on microwave recipes that are dorm friendly, yet still give you a break from the cafeteria cooking for a bit!
When some people think about cooking fish they think "ew!" But fish isn't something college students should be afraid to prepare — it's simple to cook, healthy and inexpensive (if you get the right kind). This week's recipe is both good for you and good to eat. Use any kind of white fish — cod, talapia or perch. Serve it with a side of roasted asparagus and brown rice for a complete meal.
Start by rinsing off the brown rice under cold water for 10 seconds, it's more starchy, so it's going to need to cook for at least 20 minutes. In a heated pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and rinsed rice, and toast over heat for two minutes. Then add 1/2 cup of rice per person you want to serve — two people=1 cup. Add two cups of water and bring to a boil for one minute. Turn heat to low and let the rice simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand for a few minutes then fluff with a fork and salt to taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Next take the asparagus and chop off the bottoms, they are usually too tough to eat. Season with 2 tbps of olive oil 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
Switch your oven to broil mode. The fish will only take a few minutes to cook, so do that last. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, along with the juice of half a lemon. Place fish in oven safe pan, adding 1/2 tbsp of butter on top and a slice of lemon. Put in oven for 5 or 6 minutes, or until fish flakes when cut with a fork. Squeeze a little bit more fresh lemon juice on top and serve with rice and asparagus.
This weeks recipe is easy and super tasty. Nothing is more comforting than a hot meal with cheesy, creamy mashed potatoes.
Start by peeling the skin of washed potatoes, usually one potato per person. This will serve four. Cut into coin-size pieces, put in a pot of cold water and boil until tender enough to fall off the fork. I like my potatoes chunky, so instead of using a mixer, I just take one of the beaters and stir and smash the potatoes with:
3/4 cup of sour cream
1 cup of cheese
This will make the potatoes super creamy. Garnish with bacon bits for a complete loaded potato taste.
While potatoes are boiling wash a head of broccoli and chop off the stem. Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces and throw in a small pot with 2 tbsp of oil, 1 cup of water and two cloves of garlic, smashed. Steam of medium-high heat until broccoli is fork tender.
Mix:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
Dredge pork chop in flour mixture and lay into a hot pan with 2 tbsp of simmering oil. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until there is a golden-brown crisp on the outside and juices run clear on the inside.
If you are looking for some simple, comfort food-style recipes, check out this amazing recipe page. Just looking at these amazing pictures makes me hungry. Many of these recipes are basic and will have you hunkered down for a filling and satisfying meal.
I'd recommend the Zucchini cakes; they are something different that will taste savory while still edging on the healthy side, and they will keep the vegetarians happy. But even meat lovers will feel satisfied after eating these pan-fried creations.
Looking for a classic Italian with a little bit of a twist? Try Eggplant parmesan — it's scrumptious, costs about $5 and only takes about 20 minutes to whip up.
Start by boiling your pasta water, and don't forget to add a little bit of salt and a dash of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking. While the water boils, cut the top and bottom off a washed eggplant, then slice it into quarter-inch-thick strips, lengthwise so you have a wide, thin slice of eggplant.
Mix together:
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
Beat one egg in a bowl or shallow dish and coat the eggplant with the wash. Then dip the eggplant slices into the bread crumbs, covering them completely. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Test the oil by sprinkling a few bread crumbs in — if they sizzle, the oil is hot enough. Lay the eggplant in the oil and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is golden-brown. After flipping the eggplant, add 1 slice of provolone cheese on each slice.
Heat spaghetti sauce on the stove in a pan. Drain the pasta, put in back into the cooking pot, add sauce and stir together, leaving some to spoon over the eggplant. Plate pasta, add the fried eggplant on top and spoon sauce overtop. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and you're all set!
After a icy cold week in State College, I'm ready for a summer throwback — burgers on the grill, tomato and cuccumber salad with a side of homemade, oven-back fries. With a little bit of hot sauce and chili flakes thrown in, these burgers pack some heat.
Start out by preheating the oven to 400 degrees, then washing and peeling the potatoes, these will take the longest. Chop them into fry-size pieces, toss with olive oil and season with garlic-salt and pepper. Place them in the oven for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to flip them over, browning both sides. Cook for an addition 10 to 15 minutes or until the fries are brown and crispy.
While the fries are cooking, mix 1 lb of ground beef with:
1 egg
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
4 tbsp of hot sauce
A few generous dashes of red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Mix together until the ingredients are consistently incorporated. Make 4-6 patties, depending on how big you like your burgers. Cook on grill, griddle or skillet until the inside is no longer pink. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with whatever condiments you like!
While the burgers are cooking, chop a chilled cuccumber and tomato, mix together with about two big spoonfuls of mayo. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold.
