College Confidential's Cookbook for Students

Parent Cafe
1

<p>This was touched upon in the “boil water” thread.<br>
How does everyone feel about posting easy recipes for college students on a limited budget and with limited kitchen equipment?</p>

<p>If yall are up to it, here’s what I propose the “suggested guidelines” are:</p>

<li>Assume the user of the recipe is clueless.</li>
<li>All meal types are allowed- meat, meatless,kosher, non-kosher, snacks, sides, main dishes, dessert, etc.</li>
<li>Try to keep the ingredients simple and few. Try to limit ingredients to what you’d find in the most “basic” of grocery stores.</li>
<li>Do not think of anything as being <em>too basic</em> or too easy.<br></li>
</ol>

<p>Later, if this takes off, maybe we can organize the recipes.</p>

2

<p>I posted this one before:</p>

<p>Grilled marinated chicken-</p>

<p>Boneless chicken breast
zip loc bag
Bottled Italian dressing (I like “zesty”)</p>

<p>Marinate chicken in bag with dressing. Grill.</p>

3

<p>Chicken Parmesan</p>

<p>Frozen, Breaded chicken fingers, patties, or breasts
mozzarella cheese (shredded or sliced)
Jar of spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
parmesan cheese</p>

<p>Put chicken in a greased/oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, spaghetti sauce, and parmesan cheese. Bake according to directions on chicken package (check- you may have to add a few minutes to the baking time).</p>

4

<p>Others may disagree, but I would rather teach my kids fresh, healthy cooking and have them avoid the frozen and bottle isles in general. Salt and sugar can become life long habits.</p>

<p>That chicken parm can be easily made with grilled fresh chicken breast, a can of no sugar added whole toms.</p>

<p>My kids love stir fry, whatever meats and fresh veggies on hand tossed with an easy sauce of broth, soy sauce and sesame oil.</p>

<p>Kitchen sink salad–any fresh greens, raw veggies, store bought chicken or any meat or tuna, dressed with EVOO (credit to rachel) mixed with mustard and vinegar.</p>

<p>My DDs favorite: spring for a half pound of fresh fish, stick under hot broiler for 10 mins, add capers and fresh lemon one minute before removing. Serve with one minute instant cous cous.</p>

5

<p>^ That’s great in theory, but if you’ve ever actually been in a college kid’s kitchen…well, they just don’t have a lot of supplies you might say. Basically, there’s nothing on hand, there’s very little in the way of condiments or spices, nothing to mix anything in, no sharp knives or clean cutting boards, one pan that better fit everything, no colander, etc. - yikes. </p>

<p>My son is an excellent cook, but he’s staying in an on-campus apartment this summer with some other guys, and even though they have a kitchen I know the extent of his cooking has been sandwiches, grilled meat, and fresh produce just rinsed and eaten.</p>

6

<p>Chicken With Lemon Butter</p>

<p>2 boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup flour
salt, pepper, paprika, ground red pepper – not too much, about 1/2 tsp. each, except 1/4 tsp. red pepper, can omit or reduce salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 lemons
Frying pan big enough to hold both pieces of chicken w/extra space</p>

<p>Melt butter in frying pan on medium high (about 2/3 toward high)
Mix spices with flour on a plate
Roll the chicken in the spiced flour until it’s coated all over
When butter is hot, put chicken in frying pan, flat
Cook 8-10 mins, turn over, cook 8-10 more mins (should be golden brown with some darker bits, not burned)
Meanwhile, cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into a glass. Remove seeds.
When chicken is done, remove it and put on plates.
Pour lemon juice into frying pan with heat still on.<br>
Whisk around really fast with a whisk or a fork until the lemon juice thickens and starts to bubble.
Let it bubble about 20 seconds, then pour over chicken pieces.</p>

<p>Serve with rice that you make at the same time (start it first).</p>

<p>Rice:</p>

<p>1/4 cup rice per person (1/5 if a lot of girls), but not less than 1/2 cup
A little less water than twice the amount of rice
The smallest saucepan with a cover that will hold all the water and rice with some extra room
Strainer (one with really little holes)</p>

<p>Put rice in a bowl or big measuring cup that has a lot of extra space
“Wash” it by covering with lots of water, stirring it around, then draining it using the strainer. Repeat several times.
Meanwhile, boil the measured water in the saucepan.
When the water boils, add the drained rice, and immediately turn heat down as low as it will go and cover pan.
18 minutes later, turn off heat entirely. (Add 2 minutes to this for each additional cup or part of a cup over 1-1/2 cups of rice).
Let the rice stand with the cover on for another 2-5 minutes.
Serve.
Don’t use Minute Rice. It’s crummy.</p>

<p>Chicken Marsala</p>

<p>Same as the above, but substitute 1/3 cup Marsala wine for lemon juice
And if you have some mushrooms, a little extra butter, and plenty of space in the skillet, slice a few mushrooms vertically and cook the slices in the skillet with the chicken, turning now and then, until they are a little brown on both sides, removing them when you remove the chicken and splitting between the plates.</p>

7

<p>My kids have learned to eat and appreciate really good food, but such food often takes time to prepare, and money to purchase. </p>

<p>As a student, I was too poor to eat really high quality, healthy food, including lots of fresh produce, and was often relegated to Ramen Noodles or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Now, we never eat like that in our home, but it wouldn’t surprise me if my near college age son will eat like that at some point. </p>

<p>The one thing that he has learned is to eat about anything rolled in a tortilla…all kinds of beans, etc, which is also very easy, and healthier than Ramen! ;)</p>

8

<p>There really are fast healthy choices and rolling beans and other healthy things in a tortilla is one of them. I live in a college town and see the kids at Costco. Some buy the $5 rot chicken (huge and enough for several meals), tortillas and big bags of greens. Some buy the frozen prepared food and cans. I think the cost is no more for the healthy food.</p>

<p>Other cheap option, DS’s fav: boil penne pasta and add frech broc, cauli, or zuccini in with pasta for last 3 minutes (1 min. for zuccini). Drain. Dress with fresh garlic, EVOO and parm or romano cheese. Can lighten up on the oil with lemon. Literally takes 11 minutes.</p>

<p>Also teach kid to freeze some of what they make. You can easily make 6 servings of a healthy meal in 30 minutes.</p>

9

<p>Doubleplay stole my recipe. :slight_smile: That’s about as homemade as I go.
(Something tells me my frozen chicken nuggets stir fry - with onions, green peppers, canned pineapple, and bottled sweet and sour sauce, wouldn’t meet the requirements, either. But I don’t use Minute Rice - my kind takes 10 minutes, in a bag.)</p>

10

<p>Pasta with Chicken:</p>

<p>1 Package Perdue cooked chicken pieces (Italian Seasoned or Roasted works great)
Pasta noodes of choice (Penne works well, but any will do)
Favorite Prepared Spaghetti Sauce (Tomato/Basil is a good one)</p>

<p>Boil pasta according to directions. Microwave pasta sauce. Warm up chicken by microwaving for 1 minute. Stir all together. Add shredded parmesan or mozzarella to top off. Serve with a side salad. Enjoy.</p>

<p>PS Also can add frozen veggies that have been microwaved or steamed.
Really easy, really fast, and covers your basic food groups.</p>

11

<p>My frat brothers cook healthier than my mother who still uses Campbells cream soups and puts frozen vegetables in the crock pot with roasts that just sit in fat. Yuck! I honestly feel sick after I eat that stuff now. I pretend to enjoy it and then head out for a Big Mac!</p>

12

<p>How about a really easy dessert? Soften a fudgesicle in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Place it into a bowl, take out the stick, and stir up the melting fudgescicle along with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a tablespoon of whipped cream (or cool whip). Put the bowl into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes to freeze your dessert.</p>

<p>You could easily modify this recipe to be sugar-free, too, if you’re watching your carb intake.</p>

13

<p>Quick breakfast in a blender:</p>

<p>1/2 cup lowfat milk OR orange juice
1 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, or combination</p>

<p>Blend and serve</p>

14

<p>Binx, the good part about your stir fry is that all of the saturated fat in the nuggets will slow the absorbtion of all the sugar in the sauce and rice making you less likely to suffer a sudden sugar crash:)!!</p>

15

<p>I’m going on the assumption that most college students with a kitchen have a blender (used mostly for making smoothies, as far as I know).</p>

<p>Zucchini soup:
Equipment: blender, cutting board, knife, can opener, pot.
Ingredients:
2 8 oz chicken broth cans
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 zucchini, diced into small cubes
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
Half-and-half (optional)
1 TBSP oil</p>

<p>Heat the oil in a pot;
Add chopped onion and cook until translucent
Add zucchini and stir, for a few minutes.
Add 2 cans of chicken broth
Add water to cover Zucchini
Add oregano, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then lower fire and simmer.
When the zucchini is cooked (about 20 minutes), transfer to blender and pur</p>

16

<p>I believe you’re French Marite so I would love your vinaigrette recipe. What herbs do the French use to make their dressing so tasty?</p>

17

<p>Easy Tuna Melt - makes 1</p>

<p>Have on hand</p>

<p>2 slices whole wheat bread
1 pkg. tuna in foil pack
1 or 2 slices mozzerela or cheddar
1 slice large tomato, or 2 small slices (optional)
1 tsp. butter
1 small frying pan, with lid</p>

<p>Assemble sandwich spread with tuna, cheese and tomato if desired.
Heat butter in frying pan. Place sandwich in pan when butter sizzles.
When bread is browned on one side, turn over sandwich with spatula and cover pan for two minutes over low/med heat or until cheese melts and bread is browned on both sides.</p>

<p>Cut diagonally and serve.</p>

18

<p>Chili Recipe that DS asked for while away at college<a href=“recipe%20can%20be%20doubled%20or%20tripled;%20exact%20ingredient%20amounts%20are%20not%20important,%20you%20can%20approximate”>/u</a></p>

<p>1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped</p>

<p>1 16-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans</p>

<p>3 T. chili powder (or more to taste – you can add it after it’s cooked awhile)
Salt
Pepper
Optional: 1 t. cumin
2-3 T. green or red salsa
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles</p>

<p>For serving: grated cheddar cheese, pasta</p>

<p>Brown ground beef in large pot over medium heat, breaking up with a fork, until meat loses pink. Drain excess fat. Add chopped onion and green pepper and sauté 2-5 minutes, until onion becomes soft and translucent.</p>

<p>Add tomatoes (including juice) and both beans (you can include the liquid in the can or not, either way). Add chili powder, a couple shakes of salt and a shake or two of pepper. Add optional ingredients if you like.</p>

<p>Simmer, uncovered, over low heat (so it has consistent small bubbles, but not large “boiling” bubbles) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.</p>

<p>Serve over any dried (boxed) pasta, cooked according to package directions.</p>

<p>Serve with grated cheddar cheese and (optional) diced onions.</p>

19

<p>What the heck is EVOO? Never heard of it!</p>

<p>Kielbasa Pasta- a quick easy dinner and one of my son’s favorites
8oz penne pasta -boiled for 8 min, and drained in colander
Saute 4 tbsp chopped yellow onion and
1 tbsp minced garlic [from a jar- the kind stored in olive oil] in 2tbsp light Olive oil until soft
Add 4 large sliced zucchini and 1tsp dried Basil- saute 3 min
Add 1 package cooked Turkey Kielbasa, sliced[ Hillshire Farms or the like],
Add the cooked pasta, 1/3 cup grated Parmasean, and 1/3 cup cream- Stir to coat pasta with melted cheese and cream mixture and serve. If you have some sundried tomato pesto it adds a nice flavor and color.<br>
All you need to complete the meal is some bread/ baguette and sliced tomatoes or a salad.</p>

20

<p>UCgradmary:</p>

<p>I did not know how to cook until I got married. Indeed, I spend the summer after my freshman year in my brother’s Paris apartment while he took his family on vacation. I had a job working the switchboard at his company so could not tag along. I subsisted on salads, baguettes and charcuterie (deli) because I did not know how to work the stove and oven! I have no secret recipe, but making it myself saves a lot of money, I’m sure.</p>

<p>Anyway, here goes:
1 clove garlic
salt
wine vinegar
EVOO (3 parts oil to one part vinegar
mustard (Dijon or some other French mustard)
I sometimes put some herbs. There are herbes de Provence on the market.
I use them a lot when grilling or saut</p>