Friday, May 28, 2010

Busy Bee

Sorry I haven't blogged yet! I have been really busy and never have my computer when I want to write a post!
This week my roommate Sophie and I have been cooking up a storm! We are really trying to save money and eat healthier this summer so we have been utilizing our small kitchen in our apartment. We are going shopping on the weekend and planning meals for the entire week! This week our means consisted of Hamburgers with Swiss Cheese and Zuchinni Fritters, Grilled Chicken Tacos, Pasta with Princess Sauce and Shrimp,and Shrimp Quesadillas!
Its my mission to teach Sophie how to cook - she is starting to realize cooking healthy and at home is fast, easy, and cheap. I caught her cooking up a storm a couple nights ago!

Here are some of the recipes we made this week:

Hamburgers with Swiss Cheese and Zucchinni Fritters

Makes 2 servings

1/2 pound Ground Beef
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Onion (optional)
2 slices Swiss Cheese
2 Sandwhich thins (whole wheat)

1. Mix together the ground beef, onion, and spices in a medium bowl. Score the meet into 2 equal patties.
2. Put in a Medium Frying Pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Once browned on both sides, add the Swiss Cheese. Put a lid over the burgers to allow the cheese to melt.
3. Put on a toasted Sandwich Thin and enjoy!


Zucchini Fritters

I found these Fritters on my new favorite blog . They are so easy to make and SO good. I tried the plain jane version just to make sure I liked them - and sure enough they were awesome. You can dress them up anyway you want because the zucchini is able to hold tons of flavor. I think I want to try a Mexican Zucchini Fritter soon!

Makes 2 Servings

1 Medium Zucchini
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
Onion (to taste)
Salt
Pepper
Oil
Dried Spices (fresh if available - basil, dill, oregano, red pepper flakes)

1. Mix all the ingredients except the oil together in a medium bowl.
2. Heat a skillet with oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
3. Drop spoon fulls of Zucchini batter into the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides (about 4 minutes)

* Top with any condiment of your choice! Salsa and sour creme are good options, but ketchup works just as well!


Grilled Chicken Tacos

Makes 2 Servings

2 Whole Wheat Tortillas
2 Chicken Breasts
Lettuce
Tomato
Salsa
Mexican Blend Cheese
Taco Seasoning
Olive Oil

1. Add Olive Oil and Taco Seasoning to the Chicken Breast
2. Grill the chicken until cooked through( 7 minutes on a George Forman Grill)
3. Add the remaining toppings to the whole wheat tortilla and enjoy!


Pasta with Princess Sauce and Shrimp

Sophie and I were in the mood for some yummy pasta, I wanted Alfredo and she wanted Tomato so I had this brillant idea to make a Princess sauce! In my family we always make Princess Sauce, its a combination of alfredo and marinara (tastes like vodka sauce without the vodka ;]) It was actually REALLY easy to make from scratch, the alfredo recipe was low calorie because of using 2% milk rather than heavy cream. I got the Alfredo Recipe off . It is simple, healthy, and cheap!

Makes 3 servings

1/3 pound pasta (Spaghetti Rigate is awesome because the ridges catch the sauce)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
2 Tbsp minced Garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons cream cheese
Salt and Pepper
Dried Basil and Oregano
1/3 cup Diced Tomatoes
1/3 cup jar Tomato Sauce
Frozen Shrimp (unlimited - we used 9 shrimp)

1. Add butter, olive oil, and garlic to a medium skillet. Cook for about a minute.
2. Add flour, cook for another minute and then gradually whisk in the milk and cream cheese.
3. Stir constantly and cook for about 4 minutes, then whisk in the tomato sauce and spices. Cook for another 4 minutes.
4. While the sauce is cooking, boil the shrimp in a saucepan of water for about 2 minutes - they cook so quickly.
5. Add in the shirmp and the diced tomatoes before serving!


Shrimp Quesadillas

Sophie and I still had left over shrimp from our Pasta with Princess Sauce and Shrimp so we decided to make shrimp quesadillas. My big LOVES the Shrimp Quesadillas at Los Compadres so I decided to give it a go! We used everything we had in our pantry so it virtually cost nothing to make!

Frozen Shrimp
Taco Seasoning
Mexican Blend Cheese
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Diced Tomatoes
Onion
Salsa
1 tablespoon water
Whole wheat tortillas

*Preheat a grill ( we used a George Forman)
1. Boil shrimp in a sauce pan with water for about 2 minutes.
2 While the shrimp is cooking, prepare the quesadillas - add any mixture of toppings but be sure to load up on the cheese!
3. Drain the shrimp and cut into bite size pieces, add to a small skillet with water and taco seasoning so the seasoning coats the shrimp.
4. Add shrimp to quesadilla and add more cheese and top with a second quesadilla.
5. Place the quesadilla on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes!
6. Enjoy!


Our meals this week were so easy to make and used all the ingredients we bought at the grocery store and the farmers market. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait till next week for a whole new batch of meals!

Friday, May 14, 2010

First Blog!

Hi Everyone,

So I am a little late jumping on the Blog Bandwagon. I made a few blogs in my English class during my Freshman year but never really continued it. My best friend Rima made a blog of her semester studying abroad in Rome and my other best foodie friend Jen just created her own food blog too! I knew I had to try it.
I spend HOURS online checking out different food blogs. I usually use sites like tastespotting or foodgawker that incorporate photography and food (two of my favorite things). I usually browse through the different blogs and copy and paste it into an email. I am writing a recipe book!
I am excited for this summer because I am living in an apartment with my best friend Sophie! Best part -- there is a kitchen! I usually live in my sorority house where I anxiously wait outside the kitchen door promptly at 6:00 pm for dinner. I relied on our cook John to hit my foodie appetite but it didn't seem to work. Now, I have all summer to come up with some awesome recipes and experiences cooking in my OWN kitchen. Goal for the summer is to experiment and experience new foods with my friends. Dinner parties and gatherings will be a summer ritual! I hope you enjoy my blog! I know I am going to enjoy writing it!

--Amanda :)