THE GUAC RECIPE I NEVER GAVE YOU OUR FRESHMEN YEAR

/ rdp935 / Leave a comment

It’s been two years now since my freshmen year, and what a two years it’s been. Many things have changed, but one thing has remained a constant throughout my time in college — all of my closest friends have asked me for my guacamole recipe at one point or another.

In two years from now, we’ll all be out in the real world living totally different lives than the ones we live today. I’ve definitely had my fair share of memories in college, but there’s one in particular that always comes back to me when I think about my time in Austin. On Sunday nights in the spring of freshmen year, my friends and I would pile on to my cheap couch to watch our favorite show (Hint: This recipe was almost titled “Guac of Thrones”). Absolute silence was demanded with the exception of one thing — the crunch of a blue tortilla chip loaded with guacamole meeting its final destination, our mouths.

As for the recipe itself, it is a result of many trial and error sessions with my friends. I’ve tried different types of tomatoes, using different fruits instead of mangos, orange juice, and many other secret ingredients. In all, I’ve probably tried over 30 different variations of this recipe, but this variation is the champion of them all. I’ve never shared it publicly, but my hope is that it finds its way onto your coffee table surrounded by the ones you love and care about the same way it did for me.

Enjoy!

LIST OF INGREDIENTS

makes enough for 5 hungry college freshmen.

prep time: 30 minutes

IN THE KITCHEN

  • 3-4 avocados, pitted and peeled
  • 2/3 cup mango, skinned and diced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced (toss out the juicy center)
  • 1/3 cup of cilantro ( I usually put more… but that’s because I love cilantro.)
  • 1/3 cup of red onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (Don’t. Touch. Eyes.)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped (or mintzed… see what I did there Phoebe?)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon salt (not tablespoon… I’ve made that mistake several times… Erin I’m looking at you.)

AT THE STORE / WHAT TO BUY

  • 3-4 avocados  (depending on how big they are… and get ’em relatively soft)
  • 1 red mango (it should be kind of squishy.)
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1 lime
  • salt
  • don’t forget tortilla chips! If they have lightly salted, that’s your best option.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • pit and peel avocados.
  • mash avocados to desired consistency in a large bowl.
  • skin and dice mango and add 2/3 cup into bowl.
  • dice roma tomatoes, tossing out the juicy center. Add to bowl.
  • finely chop 1/3 cup of cilantro and add to bowl.
  • dice 1/3 cup of red onion and add to bowl.
  • seed and finely chop 1 jalapeño and add to bowl.
  • finely chop or mince 1 tablespoon of fresh garlic and add to bowl.
  • juice 1 lime and add to bowl.
  • add 1 teaspoon of salt to bowl.
  • mix ingredients thoroughly with a spoon.
  • optional/recommended: chill for 1 hour before serving.
  • serve in a bowl with tortilla chips.

Christmas French Toast Strata

/ tmh2794 / 1 Comment

It’s Christmas morning and I hear mom’s clanging of the coffee mugs muffled by the family room’s roar of “A Christmas Story.” The smell of cinnamon fills my lungs as my mom busily works away at her golden-brown masterpiece above the oven’s warmth. “I need twenty more minutes, girls, and then we can start,” she’d say every Christmas morning, as if that wasn’t an eternity.

With wrapping paper sprawled all over the living room floor, we dove into the rich perfection and rubbed our bellies. It was finally Christmas.

christmas-french-toast-strata

PHOTO: Taken from One-Dish Collection: 3 Cookbooks in 1- Publications International

My mom found this recipe in the “One-Dish Collection: 3 Cookbooks in 1” cookbook. From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and enjoy!

Ingredients (feeds up to 6 people):

  • 4 ounces of day-old French or Italian bread, cut into ¾ inch slices
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 3 ounces of cream cheese, cut into ¼ inch slices
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups of milk
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • Optional: Additional maple syrup

Materials:

  • 11 x7 baking dish
  • Non-stick cooling spray
  • Medium and small-sized mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer

Process:

  • Spray non-stick cooling spray on 11 x7 baking dish before layering ¾ inch bread slices evenly in dish. Dust golden raisins and cream cheese over bread slices.
  • Beat eggs with electric mixer in medium-sized mixing bowl until fully blended. Add milk, maple syrup and vanilla and mix well.
  • Pour egg mixture carefully over layer of bread slices.
  • Cover baking dish and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight).
  • After dish has set for at least 4 hours, preheat oven to 350°
  • Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Then, sprinkle a layer over bread.
  • Uncovered, bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Drizzle additional maple syrup over the top for a richer taste.

 

Let cool, cut into slices and enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

/ aph678 / Leave a comment

by Lexi Hill

Total Time: 30 mins       Yield: 8-10 cups

 

I LOVE cooking. It’s one of my favorites activities (as is eating), but some days I’m just not feeling it. Days like that usually end with me ordering an artery-clogging patty melt or a burrito bigger than my head from fast food restaurants. In an effort to help me out on the days I don’t feel like cooking for myself, my boyfriend made a New Year’s resolution to learn how to cook so I could still have delicious, homemade meals that won’t leave me feeling nasty afterwards. I’m looking at you, Whataburger.

Here’s a recipe I have made tons of times, and have used as a way to teach my boyfriend a handful of basic cooking techniques that he can apply to dozens of other recipes. From this chili, he’s learned how to cook meat, chop vegetables, and season a dish… and it only takes about half an hour! Even for the most inexperienced cooks out there, this one is sure to produce a hearty and healthy meal that tastes AMAZING.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3-4 boneless chicken breasts

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 2 (15 oz) cans white beans

  • 2 (4 oz) cans green chilis

  • 1/2 onion, white or yellow

  • 3-4 jalapeños

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

  • 2 teaspoons cumin

  • 2 teaspoons paprika

  • Salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pour chicken stock into a large pot, then add the chicken breasts. Cook over medium heat (5-6 setting on stove) for about 15 minutes. Check to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through by cutting into the middle of the breast. If there’s no pink on the inside, you’re good to go; if there is still pink, cook for a minute or two longer and check again. Repeat this checking process until there’s no more pink inside the chicken.
  2. While you’re waiting on the chicken to cook, use this time to chop up your veggies.
  3. When chicken is done, remove from the pot and shred it using your preferred method, then add it back to the pot you cooked it in.
  4. Drain your beans.
  5. Add beans and remaining ingredients to the pot. Simmer the chili (cook on low heat, 2-3 setting on stove) for about 10 minutes.
  6. Enjoy your creation!