date night dinner

impress your sweetie

so mac and cheese is your specialty?
no time to slave over the stove all day?
don't wanna break the bank?
no problem.

believe it or not, YOU can make a gourmet dinner in under an hour with minimal kitchen know-how.

plus, the main dish is only gonna set you back $2.46 per serving.

the menu

1st base:

parmasan bruschetta

you need this stuff:

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green onion, sliced 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1 baguette, cut into slices

 

heat broiler
combine tomatoes, cheese, onion, garlic and 1/4 cup dressing.. set aside
brush both sides of bread slices with remaining dressing
broil until lightly toasted on both sides
top with tomato mixture

2nd base:

spicy shrimp linguine

you need this stuff:

8 oz uncooked linguine

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1lb medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 1/2  tsp cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

salt

cook pasta according to package

drain & place pasta in a large bowl & keep warm

melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat

add onion & sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally

add garlic and tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly

sprinkle shrimp with cajun seasoning, red pepper, and salt

add shrimp mixture to skillet

sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp are almost done

remove from heat

stir in half-and-half

pour shrimp mixture over pasta & toss

sprinkle with parsley

3rd base:

chocolate lava cakes

you need this stuff:

1.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate

5 tsp butter

1 egg

3 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

4 tsp flour

1 tsp icing sugar

 

preheat oven to 400°F
microwave chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl until melted & then set aside
beat eggs, granulated sugar and coffee in another bowl until thickened
add flour and the chocolate mixture
beat just until blended
pour into 2 small, generously greased, lightly floured bowls
place bowls on baking sheet.
bakes 11-15 min or until cakes are puffed with crusted tops but still soft in the centres
cool 5 min
flip cakes onto individual dessert plates
sprinkle with icing sugar & serve warm.

lazy lasagna

dinner on a dime

mmm pasta, cheese, sauce, pasta again, more cheese, and sauce, then more cheese... etc 

what's not to love?

click here to procrastinate from your studies to play a game almost as addictive as lasagna itself:

http://www.garfield.com/fungames/lasagnafromheaven.html

since lasagna can take up to 2 hours to prepare, you probably haven't had a taste since your last visit home. luckily, there is a super fast & affordable solution. this lasagna may not come layer-by-layer, but how long does it stay in a tower on your plate anyway?

messy lasagna toss

PREP 5 mins
TOTAL 40 mins
FEEDS 4 starving students

you need this stuff:

3/4 lb extra lean ground beef or turkey breast

2 green peppers, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar (700 mL) tomato pasta sauce

1-2/3 cups water

1/4 cup italian salad dressing

12 lasagna noodles, broken into quarters

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese if you have it 

 

brown meat in large skillet

drain

add peppers, garlic, pasta sauce, water and dressing & bring to boil

stir in noodles

cover

cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min or until noodles are tender

stir occasionally

remove from heat & add ricotta

sprinkle with cheese

cover & let stand 5 min or until cheese is melted

cold combatting chicken soup

a warm hug on a cold day

chicken soup cures colds. isn't that what they say? maybe you heard it from your parents or grandparents or a campbell's soup commercial.. but does a hot bowl of chicken soup truly have magical healing powers? luckily, scientists from the university of nebraska medical center embarked on a search for the truth.

turns out... several ingredients in chicken soup affect the body's immune system. it has anti-inflammatory properties that could explain why it soothes sore throats. it also helps stop the movement of neutrophils, which is a fancy work for white blood cells that eat up bacteria released with many viruses. these neutrophils usually bring on lots of mucous, which may be the cause of those awful coughs and stuffy noses.

science aside...

chicken soup also mends broken hearts and erases bad days.

magical chicken soup

(this homemade classic is so fast, easy, and affordable, you may never open a can of chicken soup again)

PREP 10 mins
TOTAL 30 mins
FEEDS 6 sniffling students

you need this stuff:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast,

        cooked & cut into bite size pieces

1 cup frozen peas

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. thyme

a little salt and pepper
1 cup rotini pasta noodles, uncooked

heat all ingredients except pasta in a large pot, covered & boiling

stir in pasta

heat to boiling, stirring occassionally

reduce heat

uncover & simmer until pasta and veggies are tender

get creative...
try adding other veggies like mushrooms or green onions?
or try using angel hair or egg noodles?

how about adding 1 chile pepper or red pepper flakes for extra bite?

meatloaf in a mug

ma, the meatloaf

mmm meatloaf, a classic. most meatloaves need to be baked in the oven for hours. thanks to the magical wonders of the microwave, you can make delicious meatloaf in your dorm in less than half an hour. and it will taste just like how your mama used to make it.



PREP 10 mins

TOTAL 25 mins

FEEDS 4 starving students

you need this stuff:

1 lb extra-lean ground beef

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1 large egg

1 can (5.5 oz) vegetable juice  try using V8

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

salt and pepper

ketchup

mix first 8 ingrendients together in a large bowl
divide mixture into 4 portions
place each portion into coffee mugs
line the bottom of microwave with wax paper to avoid big messes
place mug in microwave and cover with another sheet of wax paper
microwave on medium-high for 11 minutes or until no longer pink inside   if its still pink, try another 30 seconds
carefully remove with oven mits they're hot
spread with ketchup, re-cover with wax paper, and let stand 2 mins

mmm, a classic.

skor caramel apple dip

trick or treat leftovers?

halloween is over for another year but those leftover candy bars are still lingering around. put them to good use with this delicious dip for apple slice snacking.


you need this stuff:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
1 container caramel dip  find this in the produce section of the grocery store

skor bars, finely chopped

spread layer of cream cheese onto flat plate,
then spread caramel dip for the next layer,
sprinkle generously wih skor bits for the top layer,
cut apple wedges,
keep it chilled in fridge


dip, devour, repeat.



oven crispy fish 'n chips

baked not fried
let's be honest... crispy, greasy, deep-fried food tastes good.

but unfortunately, fried foods are not our friends.. here are just a couple unappetizing reasons why:

high cholesterol

cancer

obesity

heart disease aka the #1 leading cause of death in america

so you're a big fan of fish and chips but not such a big fan of the extra fat and calories that go along with it? don't worry, this easy oven-baked solution kicks the craving with just a couple healthier adjustments.


oven-baked crispy fish 'n chips

PREP: 10 mins
TOTAL: 45 mins

FEEDS: 4 starving students

you need this stuff:

2 large baking potatoes cut into 8 wedges each

1/4 cup zesty italian dressing

1 pouch shake'n bake extra crispy original coating mix

4 white fish fillets try halibut, cod, or tilapia

1/4 cup miracle whip dressing

FRIES:

heat oven to 400F

toss potatoes with italian dressing

then add 1/4 cup coating mix and toss

spread onto big baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray

bake 20 mins

FISHIES:
meanwhile, spread remaining coating mix on large plate
spread fish with 2 tbsp miracle whip
press into coating mix to completely coat all sides of fish fillets
place on rack of broiler pan
add fish to oven with potatoes

bake for 15 more mins or until fish fillets flake easily with fork & taters are tender