If you like good food, this recipe is for you. If you like good food that is easy to cook, this recipe is for you. If you like good food that is easy to cook and requires little to no cleaning, this recipe is for you. I’ll repeat that: if you like good food that is easy to cook and requires little to no cleaning, this recipe is for YOU! I should be hearing the Hallelujah Chorus from every college kid who has a kitchen right about now, so you’re welcome.

After hours of shameless browsing on Pinterest, collecting hundreds and hundreds of recipes, and repeatedly telling myself that, “I’ll cook that eventually,” I finally decided it was time to buckle down and cook one. Although I love to cook myself, as an average college student, I rarely find the time between studying, catching up on reading, and assignments (and by that, I mean severe procrastination and binge watching Netflix) to spend hours in the kitchen prepping, cooking, and then cleaning up in order to make spectacular meals. So when I started my adventure to select a recipe from my “¿Qué quieres comer?” board on Pinterest, I kept the idea of simplicity and minimal cleanup in mind. And with that said, I present to you a recipe for Thai Salmon in foil. Believe me, I understand that the “in foil” might kill the delicious appeal of the dish, but that foil is the almighty savior when it comes to messes. It’s a simple dish that requires what I like to call a “dump and bake” technique that require little to no skill in the kitchen, so come one, come all and make the Thai Salmon in foil!

Adapted from Chungah Rhee’s food blog, Damn Delicious.

http://damndelicious.net/2016/07/09/thai-salmon-foil/print/

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 Minutes

Total Time: 25-30 Minutes

Note from writer: If you want to go above and beyond, throw some asparagus underneath the salmon in the foil, spoon the chili mixture on top, throw it in the over, and you’ve got a full meal in a few simple steps!

What you’ll need:

4 (5-6 oz) skinless salmon filets

2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

*Don’t panic! It adds wonderful flavor to the dish.*

1 tablespoon on freshly grated ginger

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon of Sriracha

*Optional, but if you can handle it, go for it!*

¼ cup peanuts, chopped

*Optional if allergies are an issue*

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
2. Place salmon filets in 4 separate sections of foil (large enough to closer over the fish entirely – individual wrappers make serving portions simpler).
3. Place all four filets, separately wrapped on one baking sheet, and set aside.
4. To make sauce, whisk together chili sauce, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, lime juice, and Sriracha in a small bowl then set aside.
5. Make sure to fold all sides of the foil around salmon upward, so it forms a little barrier so sauce will not spill when applied.
6. Spoon the chili mixture over the salmon filets making sure each is covered, then fold the foil to cover the salmon (make sure the foil packet is completely closed).
7. Place into the oven and bake until cooked through (about 15-20 minutes).
8. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro (if desired) then serve immediately.

After the cooking is through and the meal has been enjoyed thoroughly, I hope, all the cleanup really requires is throwing the foil away. Simple as that!

Beets are weird and scary, right? The scientific name says it all: Beta vulgaris.

Yet as a former beet skeptic, I can attest to its versatility and deliciousness in all sorts of dishes. If you want to be daring and try your hand at cooking with these common and inexpensive winter vegetables, download the PDF of beet recipes to get started. They’re designed so you can use the WHOLE beet, from root to leaf.

In it you’ll find a recipe for the greens (rich in fiber, as well as Vitamins A and C): prepared with garlic and olive oil, as well as a recipe for the roots themselves: a dense chocolatey cake that you wouldn’t believe had vegetables in it.

A small bunch of beets, with greens. Image courtesy of “More Than Borscht“

Recipe I – Chicken Wonton Soup from Smitten Kitchen

https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/01/chicken-wonton-soup/

I have never actually attempted to make wontons before, but I have always wanted to see if I could shape those little nuggets properly. Secondly, wonton soup is one of my favorites, especially from Elizabeth Street Café in Austin, so I thought… why not try and recreate a recipe online, and perhaps consider putting my own spin on it?

Recipe II – Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken from Smitten Kitchen

https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/06/cold-rice-noodles-with-peanut-lime-chicken/

If you’re catching onto a little trend with these recipe choices, you’ll notice an Asian theme rockin’ here. I love, love, love all kinds of Asian food. Anything underneath the Asian style of food, if it’s put in front of me, I’ll eat it. When browsing through Smitten Kitchen, I found another Asian-style dish that seemed somewhat simple to make, so why not give it a go!

Recipe III – Chicken Pho from Smitten Kitchen

https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/01/chicken-pho/

Last, but most certainly not least, I would love to one day try to recreate pho. There’s just something about this dish that’s so phenomenal – whether it’s being able to add whatever you want after the staple ingredients are added to it having some sort of healing power for illness, it is a soup of gods… And it sticks to the Asian style of food!

(1) http://goop.com/recipes/amatriciana-estiva/

(2) http://goop.com/recipes/kitchen-sink-thai-fried-rice/

(3) http://goop.com/recipes/egg-drop-soup/

The three recipes above are all savory dishes that I found on my favorite place to look for recipes: Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog Goop. I love the recipes on this blog because they’re always clean, balanced meals with easy to follow recipes that include interesting ingredients and combinations of foods I usually wouldn’t put together myself. The pasta recipe is one that reminds me most of the pasta dishes I ate in Sicily during my time abroad, and the other two dishes give a flavorful take on two of my other favorite dishes: egg drop soup and stir fry.

Because of my insane sweet tooth and my obsession with unique flavors, I wanted to share three dessert recipes, two that I have made and adored multiple times and one exotic recipe that I am eager to try. The first two are THE best chocolate chip cookie recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and Banana Bread Bars; what makes these special and different from other chocolate chip cookies and banana bread is that the recipes call for brown butter, which fills both the cookies and banana bars with a complex, toffee-like flavor that really elevates the desserts. Finally, I also included a recipe for matcha tiramisu, which puts a modern, Asian spin on a classic dessert.

Cook’s Illustrated Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: about 16-20 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1¼ cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large (18×12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside.
3. Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons butter into the hot browned butter until completely melted. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
4. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to the bowl with the butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk until the mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat the process of resting and whisking 2 more times until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips and give the dough a final stir to ensure there are no hidden flour pockets.
5. Scoop the dough into even portions and arrange 2 inches apart on the 2 baking sheets.
6. Bake the cookies 1 tray at a time until the cookies are golden brown but still puffy, and the edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheet to wire rack and allow cookies to cool completely before serving.

Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting
Yield: 24-30 bars

Ingredients for the bars:

• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1-3/4 c. (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1/2 c. butter
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15×10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.
2. Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.
4. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

Matcha Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 ½ cups mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp matcha powder
• An additional ½ cup of matcha powder for dusting
• 2 packets of lady fingers
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp matcha powder

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce, heat milk until steaming.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar and matcha powder.

3. When the milk begins to steam, slowly temper the egg yolks by adding ¼ cup of milk and whisk vigorously. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until combined.

4. Next, mix in mascarpone cheese and set aside.

5. Using a stand or hand mixer, whip heavy cream with vanilla extract.

6. Continue to beat until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently fold in mascarpone matcha mixture, a little bit at a time. Set aside.

7. In a bowl, combine boiling water, ¼ cup sugar and 1 tbsp matcha. Stir until dissolved. Taking one lady finger at a time, dip into Matcha mixture. Continue to dip lady fingers and line in a row at bottom of glass baking dish. Add a thin layer of the macarpone matcha cream on top and dust with more matcha powder. Continue to layer until it reaches the top of baking dish. Dust with more matcha powder to cover. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Every year, I request my mom’s banana flavored cake for my Birthday and pair it with some sort of chocolate. Chocolate chip banana bread is another of my guilty pleasures. I love baking chocolate chip cookies, so I would love to try out this recipe.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together, and set aside.
2. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

I love chili, and I always find this recipe near the top of the list when I’m searching for new slow cooker recipes. I really can’t imagine how pumpkin enhances a dish like this, but everyone online raves about it, so I figure I should try it out sometime.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin

• 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can seasoned black beans
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat; brown turkey, stirring often, until crumbly and no longer, pink, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any fat.
2. Transfer turkey to a slow cooker and stir in onions, diced tomatoes, pumpkin, chili beans, black beans, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and chili powder. Set cooker to Low, cover, and cook until pumpkin is tender and has started to break apart, at least 3 hours.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

This is another slow cooker recipe that sounds really good. The only reason I haven’t gotten to making it is it seems to require a lot of food, but it also seems to make a lot of food.

Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (5 pound) bone-in beef pot roast
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. Generously season both sides of roast with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the top until well coated, and pat it into the meat. Shake off any excess.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Sear the roast on both sides for 5-6 minutes each, until well browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in mushrooms and butter; cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in onion; cook for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent and begin to brown. Add garlic, stir for about a minute.
5. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons flour; cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add tomato paste, and cook for another minute.
6. Slowly add chicken stock, stir to combine, and return to a simmer. Remove skillet from the heat.
7. Place carrots and celery in the slow cooker. Place roast over the vegetables and pour in any accumulated juices. Add rosemary and thyme.
8. Pour onion and mushroom mixture over the top of the roast. Cover slow cooker, turn to high and cook the roast for 5-6 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
9. Skim off any fat from the surface and remove the bones. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I have had these recipes bookmarked on my computer for a while.  I’ve always wanted to try them out but never had the opportunity, so hopefully I will be able to make them during the semester.  The first one is a tandoori chicken inspired burger, made with ground chicken and a yogurt sauce.  The second recipe is thai red curry chicken over rice.  The third and final recipe is red beans and rice, which is one of my favorite foods.

1. http://bakedbree.com/tandoori-chicken-burgers
2. http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/thai-red-chicken-curry#comments
3. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/red-beans-and-rice-recipe2.html