Cookies and Creme

Most summer nights give way to ice cream, frozen yogurt or italian ice. But last night I was looking to use up some ingredients in my house while also satisfying my sweet tooth and decided to whip up these cookies using a recipe I found online.

The mix of chocolate chips and Oreo's remind me of another summertime favorite - Cookies and Creme ice cream. Dunk these in milk and you've got a great twist on a classic treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 11 broken pieces Oreo Cookies
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter, and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla until mixed well.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients then stir in oreos and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked, but still soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Easy Asian Cuisine from our DC Kitchen [DC Summer]

Now that the DC "summer" has officially started and consistent 100 degree days are in full-swing, the only suitable way to end a long work day is by relaxing in an air-conditioned apartment. Still determined to live on a college, working budget, Stef, Laura and I decided that even on the hottest of days it was necessary to cook in.

We came up with a quick and easy meal that helped to clear out our fridge and was one of our best meals yet. Although this Asian inspired meal was meatless, you can replace the main protein, tempeh, with chicken or beef and it will be equally as easy to prepare.

Here's the ingredients we used...

-Frozen vegetable dumplings (we liked Trader Joe's)

-Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles

-Broccoli Stirfry Mix

-Pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms

-Soy Tempeh (tempeh will be packaged in a long strip)

-Soy Sauce

-Soy Ginger Sauce

And here's what we made...

Asian Noodle Stirfy

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add noodles.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat 1 tbsp. of canola or sesame oil in a large sauce pan. Add stirfry mix and mushrooms. When vegetables are almost cooked through (they will be soft and beginning to brown), add 2-3tbsp. soy sauce. Mix well.
3. ***Before draining the noodles, set aside 1/4 cup of pasta water*** After draining the noodles, add the pasta water back into the pot of noodles. The starch water will help to break up the noodles so they don't stick together of become gummy.
4. Add noodles into pan with vegetables and add 2 tbsp. of soy ginger sauce and 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Stir until sauces, vegetables and noodles are mixed thoroughly.

Soy Tempeh

1. Slice tempeh into 1/2" wide cubes.
2. Add tempeh to frying pan with 2-3 tbsp. of soy sauce and allow to cook until tempeh has turned dark brown and is beginning to char. If tempeh is not cooked through, it will be flavorless.

Vegetable Dumplings

1. Place dumplings in frying pan with 5 tbsp. of water. Cover and allow to steam until heated through.

These recipes are quick, easy and will satisfy both your hunger and your budget. Enjoy!
 
What's tempeh? Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake used as a protein. A more flavorful and more filling alternative to tofu.... And this place prepares the best tempeh I've ever had.

A Healthy and Delicious Twist on Two Italian Classics

Nothing beats a dish of homemade tomato sauce and pasta, or a sauté of sausage and peppers. But with summer right around the corner, I created a healthy and delicious twist on these two Italian classics – and I promise you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

At home, I have access to plenty of fresh ingredients, as well as plenty of time to prepare a dish from scratch. However, I know that living on a college budget and a college schedule doesn’t always allow for both – so I’ll show you how to make a delicious meal that’ll satisfy a college lifestyle.

I’m replacing the pasta with spaghetti squash, the sausage with chicken sausage, and adding in tons of vegetables to create a sauce that’s packed with flavor.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized spaghetti squash

Fresh basil

1 jar of tomato sauce (your healthiest choice would be Emeril’s Home Style Marinara, only 90 calories per serving and no added sugars)

2 large peppers (red, orange or yellow)

1 medium onion

1 package of chicken sausage (Italian Style – Trader Joe’s makes a great sausage at a reasonable price)

Seasonings (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano)

Grated parmesan

Olive oil for cooking

Preparation:

"Spaghetti and Sauce"

1. Slice spaghetti squash in half (width-wise). Fill microwavable dish with about 1" of water and place spaghetti squash seed-side down. Microwave for 20 minutes on HIGH. Scoop seeds out of squash and continue to microwave for 4-6 additional minutes. Squash is finished when you can easily scrape out the inside with a fork - if not, continue to microwave. Set squash aside once it has been scraped out - it will resemble cut spaghetti. 

2. Heat sauce in medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in fresh basil, onion powder, garlic powder. 

3. Once sauce is heated, pour on top of spaghetti squash and top with grated parmesan.

"Sausage and Peppers"

1. Slice onions and peppers into simliar sized thin strips, set aside.

2. Slice chicken sausage into 1/4" pieces, set aside.

3. Heat 2 tsbp. olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. 

4. Once oil is heated, add onions and peppers and sauté until onions become clear and peppers start to brown, being careful not to burn either vegetable. 

5. Add in chicken sausage pieces and cook until lightly browned. 

6. Remove from heat and season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!

Quick spaghetti squash vs. spaghetti comparison:

According to the USDA nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, .4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.2 grams of fiber. 

Compare that to 1 cup of cooked enriched spaghetti which yields 221 calories, 1.3 grams of fat, 43 g of carbohydrate and 2.5 g of fiber.

Dining With Friends on a College Budget

Despite the overwhelming feeling of stress that always comes about during finals time, I’ve always found that there is no better way to take your mind off of studying than a home-cooked meal enjoyed in the company of good friends.

Last week, Julie, Sam, Arielle and I decided it was time to take a break from studying and get together over a college-budget friendly meal. With fresh and frozen ingredients from Trader Joe’s, we put together a fast and delicious meal that satisfied our stress-induced appetites.

We took the basics - pre-cooked Lemon Pepper Chicken, pre-cooked Balsamic Rosemary Chicken, frozen marinated eggplant and zucchini, and frozen mixed peppers – and supplemented the basics with some easy and delicious additions to create a great meal.

Here’s what we made:

Here’s how to do it:

Chicken Dishes:

1. Heat medium or large skillet over medium heat on stovetop.

2. Pour 4-5 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar into skillet, add seasonings (salt, garlic salt, onion powder, dried basil). Cook until vinegar begins to thicken.

3. Place chicken breasts into skillet with vinegar, covering each side with the vinegar mixture. Cook on each side for 20-30 seconds.

4. Remove chicken skillet. Finish re-heating chicken in the microwave (1 min – 1:30min on medium    power).

Vegetable Dishes:

(Note: If you buy the frozen, marinated eggplant and zucchini, the vegetable slices will be much larger than the frozen pepper slices. For best cooking results, slice eggplant and zucchini into smaller pieces)

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat on stovetop.

2. Add in all frozen vegetables. Stir in skillet until vegetables are fully heated.

3. Season with salt, garlic powder and any other seasonings you think would taste best! (I’d suggest dried basil, oregano, onion powder)

In total - the meal cost $28 dollars or $7 per person.

  

One-Pan Lo-Mein Noodles

With my return to Ann Arbor rapidly approaching, I decided that it would be most appropriate to provide UMFD readers with a delicious and healthy recipe that will suit any college student’s cooking abilities and budget. I love making this dish because it can be made in many different variations and still turn out tasting incredible. This recipe is fool proof, especially since it enables you to use any proteins, vegetables and pasta that you have lying around.

Here’s what you’ll need:

-3 tbsp. canola oil

-1 lb. chicken or beef, cubed into 1/2” pieces

-3 cups of finely chopped vegetables (I prefer using peppers, broccoli, onions and shredded carrots)

-1 cup pre-cooked lo-mein noodles or spaghetti noodles

-2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

-3 tbsp. Soy Vey ® Hoisin Garlic (any other hoisin, sesame or teriyaki sauce will work)

-1 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Meat:

1.     Heat 2 tbsp. canola oil in a wok or large saucepan. Once oil is hot, add cubed chicken or beef.

2.     When the chicken or beef has almost finished cooking, add 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce and mix.

3.     Once chicken or beef has cooked through, place in a separate bowl and drain the remaining contents of the pan.

Vegetables:

1.     Heat 1 tbsp. of canola oil in the same pan used to cook the meat. Once oil is hot, add chopped vegetables.

2.     Stir vegetables frequently to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.

Final Step:

3.     Once vegetables are soft, add in pre-cooked noodles and meat.

4.     Add 3 tbsp of Soy Vey ® Hoisin Garlic and stir through the mixture.

5.     Remove from heat and place noodles into bowl.

6.     Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Note: You can use any type of meat you would like for this dish, however, I would advise sticking with chicken or beef, or for vegetarians, tofu. Additionally, you can use either fresh or frozen vegetables, however, fresh vegetables will yield a better final product.

More quick, healthy and college-friendly recipes to come soon!

Oh Fudge!

Although I’ve left Ann Arbor for the summer, the blogging adventures are sure to continue. It’s only Day 3 at home and I’m already starting to get a little stir crazy here in suburbia. With no job, yet, and no friends at home, yet, my only solution was to break out the baking goods and make one of my favorite classic and easy recipes, chocolate fudge. This “Never Fail Fudge” is fool-proof and makes enough to share with family and friends.

Here's what you'll need:

-2 ½ cups of white sugar

-5 oz. evaporated milk

-2 tbsp. butter or margarine

-1 7oz. jar of marshmallow creme (or Fluff)

-½ teaspoon salt

-¾ teaspoon vanilla

-½ cup of walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

-1 12oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

And here's how it's made:

1. Combine the first five ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until blended.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then boil slowly, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate, vanilla and walnuts (optional) until the chocolate is melted entirely.

4. Line a 9x13" pan (or 9x9" if you prefer thicker fudge) with aluminum foil, pour fudge in and allow to cool.

5. Once cooled, cut a slice for yourself and enjoy!

Note: I've found that the best way to store this fudge is by wrapping it in parchment paper and storing it in a tightly sealed container in order to ensure freshness.

Jill's Sweet and Crunchy Peanut Butter Wrap

Cereal for breakfast. Sandwich for lunch. Salad for dinner. Lack of variation in the dining hall has come to define the end of my freshman year.

Luckily, Jill saved the day by creating an absolutely irresistible and easy to make wrap. After trying this, a traditional peanut butter sandwich will never taste the same.

Here’s how she did it:

-1 12” whole wheat wrap

-3 tbsp. creamy peanut buter

-1/2 tbsp. honey

-2 tbsp. granola

-1/2 apple sliced into 1/8” slices

1. Spread peanut butter over one side of the wrap.

2. Spread honey on top of peanut butter.

3. Lay apple slices along the middle of the wrap on top of the peanut butter and honey and sprinkle granola over the top.

4. Fold two ends of the wrap inwards and roll then rest of the wrap to seal.

Now here’s the best part:

1. (If available) Place wrap in a panini press, close lid on wrap and allow to press for 2 minutes.

2. Serve warm and enjoy!

Note: If a panini press is unavailable, you can place wrap in a skillet over medium heat for one minute on each side.

A New Twist on Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the latest trend to hit the baking world with “cupcake boutiques” popping up across the nation. Magnolia Bakery, Cupcakes by Melissa, Sprinkles, Crumbs and Georgetown Cupcake are all offering their own unique twist on America’s favorite birthday dessert.

Tired of baking the same cupcake over and over again, Sarah and I put a new, yet equally as easy spin on this tasty dessert: the cupcake in a cone.

Don’t be intimidated by its name, “the cupcake in a cone” is just as easy to make as its more simple sister and yields a much more eye popping result.

Here’s how we did it:

What you need:

-1 large disposable metal baking tin (approx 1- 1 ½” deep)

-12 sugar ice cream cones

-1 box Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix

(egg, vegetable oil and water measurements on box)

-1 container Betty Crocker vanilla icing

Directions:

1. Cut 12 1” wide circles in the disposable metal baking tin. (To measure if this is the right size, check to see if cone fits properly inside of circle. Cone should fit firmly into the circle and not move while baking)

2. Preheat oven to 350° F.

3. Prepare cake mix as written on cake mix box.

4. Fill cones about ¾ full leaving the batter ½” from the top.

5. Flip baking tin over so that the side with the circles is on top and place filled cones into circles.

6. Bake in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

7. Allow cupcakes to cool, then frost and decorate. Enjoy!

Challah in the house.

Nothing gets a group of Jewish girls more excited than the idea of making fresh challah. The sisters of Sigma Delta Tau were graced with the presence of Chanchi from the University of Michigan Chabad House, who taught us how to knead, braid and bake the most unbelievable homemade challahs.

I have had my fair share of bakery challahs over the years, but trust me this homemade challah cannot be rivaled. This recipe requires a little bit more time and yields a lot of challah, but it’s worth it.

Enjoy!

Homemade Challah Recipe

Courtesy of the University of Michigan Chabad House

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2 pkgs dry yeast

1 Tbsp salt

½ cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ cup oil

7 cups flour

Glaze:

1 egg beaten

Cinnamon sugar blend

Sesame seeds

Poppy Seeds

Raisins

Cooking:

1. Dissolve yeast in water with a sprinkle of sugar. (If water is too hot, the yeast will die. If water is not warm enough, yeast will not be activated). Wait about 5 minutes. Yeast mixture should start to bubble. If not, start over.

2. Add the sugar, salt and ½ the flour. Mix well.

3. Add the egg and oil and mix until thoroughly combined.

4. Slowly stir in the flour while mixing the dough. The easiest way to do this is by kneading the dough with your hands. Dough should become thick, but smooth and elastic.

5. When finished kneading dough, coat with a thin layer of oil. Place dough in a large bowl and cover with a clean hand towel.

6. Let dough rise 2 to 3 hours until it doubles in size.

7. Separate dough into smaller portions, braid, and place on floured bake pans. (You can braid or fold the dough into any shape. We tried the traditional way of 4 braids, as well as folding it into a cinnabun shape. Both tasted great.)

8. Brush top with beaten egg. Top with cinnamon sugar blend, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or raisins. (Our favorite was cinnamon sugar)

9. Bake at 375° for approximately 30 minutes or until nicely brown.

Healthier option: For whole wheat Challah, replace 5 cups of flour for 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Then add 2 cups white flour.

Most of the challah disappeared within minutes of coming out of the oven, so I highly suggest trying it while it’s warm. For added flavor, spread cream cheese, margarine or hummus on top.

Saturdays with an added spice

University meets food diversity has been a long time in the making and I thought, what better way to start off this adventure than by documenting my first real college cooking experience?

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stir fry was not the original plan for Saturday night’s dinner. My friend Jorge and I bought the ingredients intending to have an Asian themed dinner, but when you’re cooking in a Latino household and spices and chilies are easier to find than soy sauce, sometimes it’s necessary to have a Plan B. Using ingredients found around his house, we were able to put together a cheap, quick and absolutely delicious dinner that anyone can make.

Enjoy!

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stir fry

When Mexican meets American.

Feeds 4-5 hungry students

Ingredients:

-2 lbs boneless white meat chicken breasts

-2 large bell peppers (red, orange, green or yellow work)

-8 scallions (approx. 2 heads)

-1/2 dry roasted peanuts

-1 7oz can of El Pato Tomato Sauce (Mexican hot style)

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 tsp garlic salt (optional)

-Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:

1. Cut chicken breast width side into ½ inch thick strips, set aside. After, thoroughly wash hands and do not reuse cutting board.

2. Slice peppers into ½ inch thick strips (approximately same size as chicken strips). Set aside in bowl.

3. Chop scallions into small pieces, using the entire length of the scallion. Set aside in bowl with peppers and peanuts.

4. Halve and chop dry roasted peanuts. Set aside in bowl.

Cooking:

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Once oil is heated, add chicken to pan and stir often.

2. Once chicken starts to brown, add peppers, peanuts and scallions. Sautees for 1 minute or until peppers begin to soften.

3. Stir in 1 can of El Pato Tomato Sauce and garlic salt (optional) and reduce heat to low.

4. Cover and allow pan to sit over low heat for 5-7 minutes, this allows the chicken and vegetables to absorb the sauce and become more tender.

5. Remove pan from heat, uncover and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve over rice, pasta or plain and eat up!

Calories per serving:

292 calories per serving

Cost per serving:

About $4

Money saving tip:

Items such as white meat chicken are usually cheaper to buy in bulk, so if you buy more than two pounds, wrap each individual breast in saran wrap, bag it and freeze for later.