The Cooking Enthusiast: College Addition

This is a sushi roll that has no fish and just vegetables! I start by rolling out some pre-made sticky white rice( I prefer that it is room temp when I roll it) onto plastic wrap. There are a few frozen brands in the grocery store that are sticky enough for sushi. Next, I place a layer of small bits of avocado, cucumber, and sliced carrot on top. Lastly, I use the plastic wrap to help roll the sushi together.

For this delicious recipe start by chopping up a red onion and a mix of yellow and red peppers into medium-sized pieces. Next cut up 2 chicken breasts into 1-inch cube sizes. In 2 different pans heat up some olive oil and place the cubed chicken into one pan and the veggies into another. Cook the chicken until golden brown and then add some fajita seasoning to the chicken. Ensure that the veggies are cooked until they are soft and have a crisp to them. Next, you can use hard or soft tacos and fill them with white rice, chicken, and veggies and add whatever toppings you like. Sometimes I do shredded lettuce, cheese, and cut-up tomatoes but this part can be improvised! And there you have a quick and delicious meal!

This meal is an easy 1-pan recipe! I start off by cutting a chicken breast into 1-inch cubes. From there. I brown the chicken on the stovetop making sure the pan has a nice coat of olive oil. While this is browning I cut up 1 red pepper and 1 red onion into larger-sized pieces. You could add broccoli or green beans as well if you have those on hand. Once the chicken is browned and cooked through add the veggies and cook for another 5-10 mins until the veggies are slightly soft. Lastly, I add about 3/4 of a bottle of teriyaki sauce (any brand is good). You could put this stirfry over some jasmine rice or eat it completely on its own!

Today’s recipe is for all the Salmon lovers out there! I begin by setting the oven to 400 degrees. You can either remove the skin before or after it is cooked: both options are totally ok. I like to spread a little bit of olive oil over the salmon and season it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for some spice. I then mix about ¼ cup of breadcrumbs with 1-2 tablespoons of butter to create a crunchy topping for the salmon. This will go in the oven for about 20-25 mins until thoroughly cooked. For sides, I like to make a veggie with rice or mashed potatoes. I usually use rice and mashed potatoes that I can just microwave since they are ready in only a few minutes. For veggies, you can use frozen or fresh. Some examples of veggies I have done in the past are green beans, corn, grilled zucchini/summer squash. Use whatever you like or have on hand. Just like that in 30 mins you have a great healthy dinner for those busy nights!

This is a recipe for steak tips with a side of pasta salad and green beans. For the green beans, I like to use a frozen bag and microwave and top it with parmesan cheese to make it easy. For the steak tips, I like to buy pre-cut tips and use my own marinade. I usually like to use an Asian-inspired marinade (typically teriyaki); any brand from the grocery store will do. Once you have the marinade on the steak I let it refrigerate for about 6 hours to let the flavor seep in. You can place the steak tips on a sheet pan or casserole dish and place them in an oven set to 425 for about 30 minutes. In order to make the pasta salad, I boil some rotini pasta noodles and set aside some Italian dressing. I cut up cucumbers, red pepper, and a little onion, and to add a little crunch I like to add some chickpeas. I mix the veggies, pasta, and dressing(I usually just eyeball the amount) together and top it with some feta cheese. This is an easy weeknight meal that will make plenty of leftovers! 

I love my version of lasagna because it's so quick and easy and can be frozen to use at a later date if need be! You can use ground beef or ground turkey for the meat sauce portion. I start out by preheating my oven to 375. To make the meat sauce I use 1 pack of ground meat and cook it until it is golden brown. I like to season the meat with salt/pepper and Italian seasoning. You can use any brand of red sauce, and I pour about 3/4 of the bottle into the cooked ground meat and let that simmer for a few minutes. For the cheese mixture layer, I combine 1 container of Ricotta cheese, 1 egg, and about half a cup of mozzarella cheese. Now it's time to layer the lasagna! I like to use oven-ready pasta noodles because it really speeds the process up and it tastes great! I put a layer of pasta sauce in a casserole dish and place the first layer of pasta noodles on top to create a good base layer. How you decide to layer the lasagna is up to you but I like to have the meat sauce in the middle with the ricotta cheese mixture layered after that. You basically layer the lasagna alternating between a sauce layer and a layer of mozzarella cheese. I usually find that 3 small bags of mozzarella cheese is plenty for this recipe. Once you have layered the lasagna I like to top it with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Ensure that you cover the lasagna with tinfoil. It usually takes about 45-50 minutes to bake and then for an extra 10 minutes, I remove the tinfoil covering to get the cheese a little browned and crispy. I hope you enjoy it!

One of my favorite easy dinners is ground turkey enchiladas. I love to use ground turkey as a healthy alternative to ground beef but shredded chicken works as well. When I have more time I get each individual ingredient and I like to use a homemade Mexican spice and just a bottle of enchilada sauce from trader joes however, I recently saw an enchilada box with tortillas, sauce, and spice all included which makes weeknight meals even easier. First, I brown the ground turkey with salt and pepper, and once the turkey is completely cooked I add the packet of spices and about a 1/2 cup of water and let that simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. I then add a good handful of Mexican shredded cheese and stir that in with the ground meat until it is melted. Next, I use about 6-10 small tortillas depending on how large the casserole dish is, and fill them with the ground turkey mixture, ensuring to place them bottom-side down in the pan. Lastly, I use either a whole jar of enchilada sauce or if using the pre-made box it is 2 sauce packets, and pour the sauce all over the enchiladas. The final touch is adding some more shredded cheese ( about 1-2 cups) on top. The casserole dish can be placed in an oven set to 400 degrees. In about 20 mins you can pull the enchiladas out of the oven creating a quick and yummy weeknight meal! I love the tip of using a pre-made box of enchilada ingredients because it makes it that much easier. If you're looking for a little extra flavor, adding some chopped sweet onion to the ground turkey mixture really levels the meal up. Now go enjoy your enchiladas, you are going to love them!