Peanut-sauce Noodle Salad

Another quick and easy asian inspired dish that has a little kick, and a deliciously creamy peanut butter finish.  Perfect for a healthy meal after a long day of class or work.

Mmmm, peanut butter.

Peanut-sauce Noodle Salad
8 oz. linguini ($.99)
1 c. carrots, julienne cut ($1.99)
2 c. sugar snap/snow peas, cut diagonally ($1.67)
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced ($.88)
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. canola oil (bulk item)
1/4 c. peanut butter (bulk item)
2 tbsp. rice wine/white vinegar ($3.69)
2 tbsp. soy sauce ($2.75)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (bulk item)
1/8-1/4 tsp. red (cayenne) pepper (bulk item)
3 green onions, chopped ($.69)
3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped ($.59)
Chop all vegetables accordingly while linguini is cooking.  During the last minute of cooking the pasta, add in the vegetables (minus the green peppers) to the pot.  Drain pasta and vegetables, and rinse with cold water until the pasta and vegetables are cool, and set aside.  In a small bowl gradually beat the water and oil into the peanut butter with a wire whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Beat in vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and pepper until mixed through.  Combine all ingredients (including green onions and cilantro) in a large serving bowl, give it a toss, and serve! Makes 4 servings ($13.25/$3.31 per serving)

Curry in a Hurry!

After a day full of hiking and zumba, nothing sounded better that cold winter night then a big bowl of curry.  And so it was done...and it was awesome.

Winter Veggie Curry
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil (bulk item)
1 c. sweet potatoes, peeled/diced ($1.49)
1 c. cauliflower florets ($1.50)
1 tbsp. curry powder ($1.99)
1/2 c. vegetable/chicken stock ($2.50)
1/4 tsp. salt (bulk item)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced (bulk item)
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained ($1.39)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained ($.99)
1/4 c. plain 2% greek yogurt ($3.29)
1 c. brown/white rice (bulk item)
Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat.  Add sweet potato to pan, sauteing for 3 minutes. 
Decrease heat to medium, and add cauliflower and curry powder, cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add broth, salt, garlic, chickpeas, and tomatoes, stir, and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer, allowing to cook for 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.  Stir occasionally through simmering.  Stir in greek yogurt, then we added some unsalted almonds in at the end for some crunch, cashews would work as well, and I highly recommend the addition of nuts!
Serve over rice and enjoy! Makes 4 servings ($13.15/$3.28 per serving).

Ramen that You'll Want to Eat

Szechuan Vegetable Lo Mein

What's the one thing, dreaded or glorified, that every college student has in their pantry? RAMEN.  While this thrifty meal option is, in my opinion, horrific on every level when made as directed, us girls at Campus Cuisine have discovered an utterly delicious way to use the ramen in a tasty and quick asian dish.

Szechuan Vegetable Lo Mein

2 can (14 oz. each) vegetable or chicken broth ($2.50)

2 tsp. minced garlic (bulk item)

1 tsp. ginger (bulk item)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (bulk item)

1 c. edamame ($1.99)

1 red bell pepper ($1.25)

1 can of sliced water chestnuts ($1.29)

3 carrots, peeled and sliced ($1.50)

3 packets of ramen (discard seasoning packets) ($.33)

3 tbsp. soy sauce ($2.59)

1 tbsp. dark sesame oil ($3.99)

1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions ($.59)

[optional] sunflower seeds for garnish

Cut up all vegetables and set aside in a bowl (except green onions).  To save time, you can replace all the vegetables with a 16 oz. package of any frozen vegetable medley.  

Combine broth, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a large pot.  Cover and bring to boil over high heat.  Add veggies and noodles to skillet, cover, and return to boil.  Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer uncovered for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables and noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil; cook for 3 more minutes, then stir in the green onions, and ladle into bowls.  Top with toasted sunflower seeds if desired, and enjoy! However, a word of caution...this dish is served hot and is also relatively spicy.  If you're living in a house without air conditioning, I recommend saving this dish for the fall or winter time.  We learned this the hard way, when we were struggling with the conflicting desires to devour this awesome meal, or run to stick our heads under cold water from the sink.  Definitely a winter meal for us non-air-conditioned college kids! Makes 6 servings ($16.03/$2.67 per serving)

When in Doubt, Make Lasagna!

Eggplant Lasagna

First cooked meal on a school night called for something hearty and comforting.  What better cuisine than Italian to fit those requirements?  We started off with the plan of making some eggplant roll-ups courtesy of Ms. Rachel Ray, however, when we happened upon the time to roll up those eggplants, it was apparent that that recipe was not going to happen.  Still sharp-minded from a full day of classes, we decided to layer the eggplant, fresh mozz, basil, more eggplant, and top with tomato basil sauce.  This concoction would be knighted Eggplant Lasagna.

Necessary filling shot

Eggplant Lasagna

vegetable or olive oil, for frying (bulk item)

2 medium eggplants ($2.50)

3/4 c. flour (bulk item)

3 eggs, beaten ($0.75)

salt and pepper, to taste (bulk item)

1 lb. fresh mozzarella ($4.49)

basil leaves, chopped ($1.88)

1 1/2 c. marinara sauce, homemade or jarred ($2.99)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Put flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.  Also have the three beaten eggs in a dish.  Thinly slice eggplants lengthwise, then dredge in flour, and coat with egg (seems backwards, I know, but Rachel Ray said so).  Fry on each side until golden, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

In a 9x13 baking dish, layer eggplant, cheese, basil, more eggplant, then the sauce on top (and more cheese if desired).  Cook for eight minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove, and serve with simple olive oil and herb spaghetti if you're carb lovers like us!

Makes a 9x13 dish/$12.61