Quinoa, the Super Grain!

After our first soup success of the Squash Corn Chowder, we figured we couldn't go wrong with another variation on the much loved soup!  This recipe included quinoa, which adds loads of fiber, without the calories, to keep us starving college students full and satisfied.  The picture does not do it justice, this soup was DELICIOUS, not to mention incredibly healthy, with a huge serving that is under 250 calories, and packs 8g of protein, and 5g of fiber.

Quinoa Corn Chowder
3/4 c. red or white quinoa ($2.00)
1 tsp. cumin seeds ($1.99)
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil (bulk item)
2 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels ($2.69)
1 large potato, diced ($.90)
1 bunch of green onions ($.59)
4 c. vegetable broth ($2.50)
2 c. plain soymilk or fat free milk (soymilk makes soup creamier) ($1.79)
1 red pepper ($.99)
3 tbs. cilantro ($.59)
salt & pepper, to taste (season LIBERALLY)
Toast quinoa and cumin for about 3-4 min (until fragrant), remove and set aside.  Heat oil in pot, add corn, potato, and chopped onions, and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and milk and bring to a boil.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Stir in quinoa and cumin, cover and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.  Stir in chopped bell pepper, recover, and let simmer for another 5, or until vegetables are tender.  Add any additional salt/pepper, add cilantro, and serve immediately. Makes 6 huge servings ($14.04/$2.34 per serving).

Porque no los dos?!

Tonight, Alli and I set out on a mission... to create a Mexican inspired dish out of simple ingredients we had left from the weeks grocery trip without a recipe. All I can say is, mission complete!

Mexican Stir Fry w/ Rice

2 red bell peppers, sliced fajita style

1 yellow onion

3 roasted green chilies

1/2 lb frozen corn

1 cup steamed white rice

1.5 lbs chicken breast

1 tbsp garlic salt

1/2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

Cook rice per directions on package. Set aside. Slice red peppers, onions, and chicken fajita style. Combine spices in small bowl and toss chicken to coat. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add chicken and cook until mostly done. Add vegetables, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Once veggies and chicken is cooked, make a bed of rice and add fajita mixture. ENJOY!

Noodle Bowl Goodness

If you haven't already noticed, it's quite arguable that I have an addiction to asian foods, more specifically noodle bowls.  There's just something about the yummy stir-fried veggies, proteins, and grains all sitting in a deliciously seasoned broth.  This bowl includes a homemade teriyaki sauce that once you try, you're going to want to marinate everything in.

The chilled leftovers are just as yummy!

Teriyaki Shrimp Noodle Bowls

1/2 lb. soba noodles (or any other noodles)

1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed

1 yellow squash

1/2 dozen large carrots, peeled

1 c. edamame

2-3 stalks of celery

1 1/2 c. bean sprouts

2 tbsp. canola oil

bunch of green onions

handful of peanuts (optional but greatly recommended)

salt & pepper, to taste

3/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 tbsp. minced ginger

1 tbsp. minced garlic

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. water (cold)

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. white vinegar (most vinegars can act as substitute)

1 tsp. sesame oil

Cook soba noodles according to package, drain in cold water, and set aside.  In a bowl, mix water and cornstarch until dissolved.  Mix in remaining sauce ingredients.  In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Pour shrimp into hot pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until opaque and pink(2-3 min). Remove from pan.  Stir fry squash, carrot, celery and edamame until carrots start to soften. Add shrimp back in and pour teriyaki sauce over pan, and stir until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in cooked soba noodles, bean sprouts, and green onions. Toss to coat in sauce, and enjoy! 

Sealed with a Kiss

A bit of bad luck had fallen upon one of the roomies one day, so necessarily, baking was in order.  Problem: the house was lacking in most of the essentials found in most recipes. The solution: two ingredient mini-pies that were as quick and easy to gobble up as they were to make.  We had a left over pie crust from the apple baking spree from the previous weekend, and a bag of Hershey's Hugs.  With the addition of a little melted butter or egg wash, and some cinnamon and sugar, these little pastries were completed and baked faster than the gloomy roomie could shed a tear!

Pre-baking!

Kiss Pies
1 pre-made pie crust
1 bag of Hershey's kisses (any flavor)
1 tbsp. butter
sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out the thawed dough on a floured surface, and place kisses about 2-3 inches apart around the edge of the dough.  Cut even circles around the kisses.  Fold opposite sides of the circle to each other at the top of the kiss, making a wonton shape, and press together firmly.  Re-roll the dough and repeat process until all the dough is used up.  Place them on a lightly Pam-ed baking sheet, brush each with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then bake for 10-20 min., or until pies are golden brown, then remove and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  I promise these bite-sized treats will turn any frown upside down :)

Breakfast for Dinner

The original plan to make Sweet 'n Spicy Lettuce Cups (stay tuned for attempt two) fell through upon discovering the lack of chicken we had left.  A quick switch to Breakfast Quesadillas proved to be the most tempting option!  This five ingredient combo is a super quick and surprisingly filling meal that is easy enough to make any night of the week.
Breakfast Quesadillas
6 eggs ($1.69)
1/2 lb. hot breakfast sausage ($3.11)
2 c. raw baby spinach ($2.69)
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese ($3.49)
6 tortillas ($1.99)
salt & pepper, to season (bulk item)
butter, for skillet (bulk item)


Brown sausage in a pan and scramble eggs in another.  Set both aside.  Melt a small pat of butter in a large skillet.  Place one tortilla down, layer egg, sausage, spinach, and cheese.  Put other tortilla on top and press down.  Cook until tortilla crispens, flip over and allow to cook.  Repeat for the other two, then enjoy. Simple! Makes 3 servings ($12.97/$4.32 per serving)

Chinese Take-Out Night (Homemade Style)!

No wait take-out!

I can't think of anyone that can resist the convenience and deliciousness that is chinese take-out.  If I could have my way, I would probably cycle through cashew, general tso, and sesame chicken every single night of the week.  Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but you catch my drift, chinese food is basically the foreign king of comfort food.  Us girls are not exempt from this addiction, so we decided to try and make our own chinese take-out, and of course, make it healthy.  I must say, it was quite a finger-lickin' success.
Kung Pao Shrimp
1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 bunch of green onions
4 garlic cloves (4 tsp. minced)
1 tsp. hot chili sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. edamame
1/4 dry roasted peanuts (optional)


Cook rice ahead of time (according to package) to save prep. time.  Also steam edamame ahead, according to directions, season with salt and pepper.  Combine shrimp in bowl with cornstarch and toss to coat.  In a different bowl, combine chili sauce, ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar, mixing thoroughly.
Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add in green onions and garlic, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.  Add sauce and shrimp to skillet, stirring well to help thicken sauce.  Cook until shrimp is bright pink/orange in color.  Serve with rice and edamame, and dig in! Serves 3

Toasty Veggies

Another quick save by the panini maker, this fast sandwich was hot and filling. While maybe a little vegetable-y for me, it was still pretty good and it was plenty of food.

Grilled Veggie Panini

1 loaf French bread ($0.99)

1 eggplant ($1.50)

1 zucchini ($0.99)

1 summer squash ($0.99)

4 tsp. pesto paste (concentrated) ($3.69)
4 tbsp. olive oil (bulk item)

1 cup shredded Mozzarella ($3.49)
salt/pepper, to taste (bulk item)

We first sliced and grilled the veggies on the panini press after basting them in olive oil. Next, we arranged them with some sun-dried tomatoes on out halved loaves of French bread, layered on the Mozzarella, and spread on the pesto paste mixed with the olive oil. They were panini-pressed for a couple of minutes each, and then ready to enjoy! $11.65/$2.91 per serving

Easy Caprese!

It was dark, cold, fall night in Fort Collins. Three very tired young women faced the ultimate challenge... Cook dinner when they really didn't want to. The meal that night was to be a Caprese sandwich and let me just say that I am so glad we didn't wimp out.

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Caprese Sandwhich

1 loaf French bread ($0.99)

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella ($4.68)

1 bundle fresh basil ($1.88)

3 Roma tomatoes ($2.19)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ($2.83)

2 tsp olive oil (bulk item)

salt and pepper, to taste (bulk item)

Place balsamic vinegar in small sauce pan and turn on medium to high heat. Simmer vinegar until it reduces to 3 tbsp. Take off heat and allow to cool. Cut French bread open like a Subway sandwich (or Silver Mine Sub cuz' it's way better) and lightly brush with olive oil. Layer tomato, basil leaves, and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. EAT. Yields 3 BIG servings, $12.57/$4.19 per serving.

Honey Soy Salmon

Mmm, honey, soy, noodle-y, veggie, salmon-y goodness.

While it is understandable that salmon is quite to splurge for a college student, our local Sunflower Market was running a special the Sunday we happened to be shopping, and the temptation of fresh salmon was too much to resist!  Plus, we've been going to school and cooking meals for about a month now?, so it was decided a treat was much needed.  I stumbled upon this recipe while I was stumbling, I mean studying one night, and the quick prep time enticed me as much as the promise of a fresh and flavorful asian fish dish...I'm a sucker for both.
Honey Soy Salmon w/ Spinach Noodles
8 oz. thai rice noodles ($1.50)
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
2 1/2 tbsp. honey 
2 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 salmon fillets (we used around 1 lb.) ($9.23)
1 tbsp. canola oil (bulk item)
1 bell pepper ($1.25)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped ($.59)
2 c. spinach ($1.25)
1 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

He looks happy.

Preheat the broiler, and oil the bottom of an oven-safe dish.  Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain, rinse with cold water, then drizzle with sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together.  Whisk honey and soy sauce in a small flat dish, coat the salmon on both sides with the mixture then let sit for five minutes.  Place fish in oven pan, and cook for 6-7 min. or until thoroughly cooked.  Reserve the remaining honey-soy mixture for the noodles.


Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toast sesame seeds now for 1 minute, if desired.  Heat oil in pan, then add the green onions, bell pepper, spinach and noodles, sautéing until the cooked through (3-4 minutes).  Add remaining honey-soy mixture, and toss until heated through (add an additional tbsp. of soy sauce, if desired, for flavor).  Serve the noodles and veggies with the salmon and dig in! Soooooo good.  Yields 3 servings ($13.82/$4.60 per serving).

The Fastest Meal Ever Made

Cheesy hammy goodness.

Not only is this sandwich super yummy, but we made it in under five minutes, I kid you not.  Maybe it's because our oven's broiling setting is straight out of Hades, but either way, this blazing quick sandwich is one that you'll want to make again and again.

Gaullois Toasted Sub
1 french baguette or french loaf ($.99)
1 wedge of brie cheese ($3.20)
1/2 lb. of black forest ham ($5.45)
2 tbsp. of sun dried tomatoes ($2.99)
Toppings (to taste)
romaine lettuce ($1.00)
pecans ($3.26)
drizzle of olive oil (bulk item)

Slice the bread lengthwise, and brush top half with olive oil.  Place ham, chunks of brie, and tomatoes on bottom half, then broil for a couple minutes until cheese is melted.  (Ours literally took a minute and a half).  Remove, top with lettuce, pecans, and drizzle some more olive oil over the toppings, then slice and enjoy! Speed dinner! Serves 4, $16.89/ $4.22 per serving