Springy Spinach Pasta with Parmesan Cream

I stole a lemon zester. Stole it right off the countertop with no shame, dreaming of the minuscule curly yellow shavings destined for my future dishes.

Before I get turned in to the Citrus Police (are they in Florida?), I should also mention the burglarization victim was my sister. It was lying in a box of kitchen utensils my Grandma gave her, and I spotted it immediately amongst Grandma's old Peanuts cartoon juice glasses.

Me: "Can I have that zester?"
Carolyn: "No way. It's mine. Wait, what does it do?"
Me: "...You don't deserve the privilege."

And so I took it, saving it from a most probable demotion to beer bottle opener. A squeeze of lemon would be an okay for this recipe if you're sans zester. If you don't have one, I highly recommend getting it...but only steal if it's from your buttface, smelly, yet somehow adorable, sister.

Springy Spinach Pasta with Parmesan Cream   Serves: 1
1 cup cooked thin spaghetti
1 t. butter
1 t. flour
1/3 cup milk
1 T. parmesan cheese
1 cup (packed) baby spinach
1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used 1 T. bacon bits)
Lemon zest, about a 1/2 t. or so
Salt and pepper
1.) Melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, reduce heat to low, and cook (stirring occasionally) until thickened-- about 10 minutes.
2.) Once sauce has thickened, stir in parmesan, bacon, spinach, salt and pepper. Let spinach wilt. Toss in the spaghetti and coat with sauce.
3.) Place pasta in a serving bowl and sprinkle with lemon zest. Add extra parmesan and pepper, if desired.

Lemon Caper Mayo

Sandwich spreads are one of my weaknesses. Seriously. A burger joint I went to in D.C. offered seven kinds of mayo at the condiment bar-- and you bet I squirted out all seven into those mini paper cups.

700 calories later and it. was. awesome.

As an homage to those mayo masterpieces, I created my own. I paired it with some leftover sliced chicken, but if you're rollin' in the Benjamins, it'd be spectacular with seafood (...salmon!) . It's a great way to dress up an otherwise pedestrian turkey/chicken/tuna/protein-of-choice sandwich.

Lemon Caper Mayo   Enough for 1 Sandwich

1 T. mayonnaise

1 t. capers, roughly chopped

Lemon zest, to taste

1 t. chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread on your sandwich of choice. Eat with abandon.

Papa Drexler's Bavarian Pretzels

In the spirit of my New Year's resolution to try intimidating recipes, I'm attempting to get over my fear of using yeast.

Yeast is a scary ingredient. First of all, it's alive. What if I kill it? Is yeast murder a chargeable offense? Secondly, the term yeast has somewhat of a stigma attached to it. I won't say it, but it rhymes with...flinfection.

I wanted soft pretzels to be my first yeast-infused adventure since 1.) my grocery doesn't sell them and 2.) pretzels make my heart go pitter-patter. They were pretty simple and (phew!) fun to make. I don't know who Papa Drexler is, but hot dang, he's got a great recipe. Try yeast! These pretzels are a far cry from any sort of flinfections.

Papa Drexler's Bavarian Pretzels    Makes about 10 pretzels

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 T. active dry yeast

1 t. white sugar

2 T. butter, softened

1 1/3 cup warm (100-110 degree) water

1/4 t. salt

3 T. baking soda

3 cups water

2 T. butter, melted

1 T. coarse sea salt, or to taste

In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, 2 T. butter, and 1 1/3 cup warm water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and gradually add in the remaining flour until dough can be picked up and kneaded on the counter. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, adding more flour if needed.

Divide the dough into 10 pieces and let rest for a few minutes. Roll out one piece at a time into a 15 inch rope. Loop and twist into a pretzel shape. Set on a baking sheet while rolling out the remaining portions.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil and add baking soda. Remove from heat. Dip pretzels into the water bath for about 45 seconds. Carefully scoop the soaked pretzels on a greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. 

• • Recipe from: All Recipes

Birthday Blowtorch

My sister bestowed a (customized!) blowtorch upon me for my 22nd birthday. ...Yes, my Mom was horrified.

Don't worry, Ma. The flame is only the size of a small pick-up truck.

Leave it to my sister to take me seriously when I said I wanted a can of fire-spurting greatness. Of course, you can whip out a creme brulee or melty cheeseburger with a blowtorch, but I'd like some more inspiration.

So I turn to you, great internet users. For what other foods shall I impart a kiss of flame upon? More importantly, what's the most fun to set on fire? I'll credit your suggestions in a proceeding post!

Tomato Risotto and Mozzarella Meatballs

Meat-a-balls! Again! I've pronounced my love for frozen meatballs in many, many posts. They're truly a busy student's lifesaver...just in spherical, meaty form over the more popular tube ring shape.

I captured pictorial evidence of my massive meatball bag just to show the amount of freakin' meatballs I'm attempting to use creatively:

So, here's attempt #48463 to eat meatballs without their stereotypical spaghetti counterpart. Though still in the Italian genre, risotto is a different, yet delicious, way to enjoy Mama Lucia's finest. But if you're looking for a Lady and The Tramp moment, a tiny grain of risotto probably won't produce quite the same results.

Tomato Risotto and Mozzarella Meatballs  Serves: 1
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 t. olive oil
1 T. white wine
1/2 cup pearl onions (I used frozen)
1.5 t. tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 T. parmesan cheese
2 T. mozzarella cheese, grated
4 pre-cooked frozen meatballs, thawed according to package directions
Chopped parsley

1.) Heat chicken stock in a pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
2.) Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat. Toast rice for 1 minute, then pour in white wine and pearl onions. Let cook for another minute. Ladle in a scoop of chicken stock and stir until almost absorbed. Repeat until all stock is used.
3.) Stir the tomato paste and parmesan into the risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with meatballs, mozzarella, and parsley.

Chicken Caesar Salad with Pretzel Croutons

Pardon my belated timing, but this sure would've been a great post two days ago:
Caesar + March 15th (Ides of March)= Caesar's brutal stabbing death.

On that happy note, let's talk about salad greens! The only way knives are utilized in this recipe is for cubing your pretzel bread into yummy, totally innocuous croutons. What's not friendly about salad accessories?

I had a similar salad at a fancy restaurant for my birthday. It was the only gift I wanted-- go out, have a great meal with friends, and not worry so much about the bill. (Thanks, Ma and Pa!) Since my pockets were significantly deeper, I went nutso and got the appetizer salad with pretzel croutons.

It was delicious, but definitely something I felt I could tackle on my own. Of course, my grocery store doesn't carry fresh pretzels, or pretzel bread, or anything beyond your standard crunchy snack pretzel, so I trekked my local bagel-ry for their pretzel bagels. Close enough. I hope you have access to pretzels so you can make this salad. It's super simple and a great twist on the traditional caesar salad.

PS- If you can't find fresh pretzels, please don't go all Ides of March on anyone.

Chicken Caesar Salad with Pretzel Croutons   Serves: 1
1 cup romaine lettuce, torn
1/3 cup cubed fresh pretzel bread
Butter cooking spray
1 small chicken breast (or two tenderloins), cooked and cubed
2 T. caesar salad dressing
2 t. parmesan cheese
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the cubed bread with butter, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.
2.) Meanwhile, toss romaine lettuce, chicken, salad dressing, and parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Add pretzel croutons and mix well.

Coffee-Rubbed Steak with Avocado Relish

This recipe poses quite the college conundrum. Why? Let's break it down. (Gimme a beat!)

Coffee- Most college students swim in coffee. It's the college-y thing to drink...besides, you know, the other obvious answer. The caffeine is especially handy in the midst of finals (Darn you, quarter system!) Just the other day I saw a guy in my Psych class double-fisting with a Starbucks and a Coke. That's real, man. Real.

Steak- Wait a minute, what? What college student has the cash to buy steak? You can buy 12,000 Ramen packets for the price of a prime cut of beef. It's the kind of protein you eat when your parents are in town.

The secret to eating steak in college is easy: watch the sales. Buy it when it's a reasonable price and store it in the freezer if you're not planning on inhaling it right away. Oh yeah, and coffee grounds + steak= GO(MG)OD.

Coffee-Rubbed Steak with Avocado Relish Serves: 1 (freeze the remaining meat)
1 4 oz. top sirloin steak
1 t. finely ground coffee
1 t. chile powder
Pinch of salt and pepper
Avocado Relish:
1 T. cut up avocado chunks
1 T. roasted red peppers, diced
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
Squeeze of lime juice
Salt and Pepper

1.) Add about 1 t. of oil into a small skillet and heat over medium-high. Mix the coffee, chile powder, salt and pepper together. Rub generously over the steak.
2.) Cook steak about 2 minutes per side (for medium), or to your desired doneness. Tent with tin foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
3.) Meanwhile, toss avocado, red peppers, parsley, and a squeeze of lime in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on top of the steak.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Check out my guest post at Jenn's Food Journey!

5-Minute Peanut Butter Chews

This recipe title canvasses (most) of what's right in the food world:
1.) 5-minute
2.) Peanut butter
3.) Chews

I'd like to add cheddar cheese as a What's Right #4, but unfortunately it doesn't quite fit into that matrix. Next time, my dairy darling.

I hate baking, which puts me in a serious dilemma when I'm craving cookies. Boxed treats just don't cut it for me. Too often packaged cookies are too crisp and crumbly, expelling cookie dust all over my Political Finance 328 exam review sheet. And, weirdly, crumbs get stuck in the teeny-tiny mesh holes of my computer chair. And then I've got a cookie butt. It's just a downward spiral.

But this literally takes five minutes. I timed myself for accuracy. I sprinkled some coconut and chocolate over the top, but you can really get creative with these. Dried fruit would be good, or get crazy with different kinds of cereal and/ or nut butters (Almond butter? Nutella?). They're chewy and will leave you cookie butt-free.

5- Minute Peanut Butter Chews    Makes: about 8 golf-ball sized chews
1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 T. honey
1 t. vanilla
Chocolate chips, finely chopped (optional)
Sweetened coconut
1.) Add peanut butter, honey, and vanilla into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30-40 seconds until melty.
2.) Toss in the cheerios and stir to coat. Mold golf-ball sized treats with your hands, rinsing your hands with water after each one to make forming them easier.
3.) Sprinkle with coconut and chocolate. Transfer to a plastic storage container with a lid and freeze so the treats stay together. Remove when you feel like eating a peanut-buttery treat!

Recipe adapted from: Oh She Glows

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatball Sub

Alright, I know I've made my love for frozen meatballs well-known, but this is too fabulous not to share. I'd be doing my fellow college culinarians a disservice. And I don't feel like ruffling those academic feathers today. Plus, it's a 4-ingredient recipe. Booyah.

The sub obviously tastes exactly the same as when the mozz is sprinkled directly on top, but let's get serious-- cheese oozing out of a meatball is a beautiful, beautiful sight. Smother it with marinara and you've got a very happy college student.

Mozzarella- Stuffed Meatball Sub   Serves: 1
1 sub or hot dog bun, split
4 frozen, pre-cooked meatballs (mine are pretty small)
1 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Thaw the meatballs according to package directions. Carefully cut a wedge out of the top of each meatball, taking care to not cut through to the other side.  Stuff each meatball with equal portions of cheese and place in the hot dog bun. Pour marinara over the top.

Wrap the sub in foil, seal the edges, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce warmed through.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Lemon

I don't want to jinx anything, but I'd venture to say this week has been the BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE. To sum up, I got into a political science PhD program at my dream school. It's, in fact, so dreamy that even if George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt's good looks were all combined, this school would be dreamier than a Mr. Clooeppitt.

Topping off this spectacularly spectacular last few days is this recipe. I found it while browsing The Kitchn since I am now having a ragingly difficult time focusing on homework. It's incredible and certainly worthy of a special occasion.

Excuse me, but I need to go pass out with happiness.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Lemon   Serves: 2
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 fennel bulb
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 T. white wine
1/2 lemon
3/4 t. kosher salt
Plenty of black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and set aside.

Trim the stalks and fronds from the fennel, cut the bulb into quarters, then slice each quarter in 1/2 inch slices. Mince 1 tablespoon of the fronds and add to the bowl.

Add garlic, white wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Juice and zest the lemon half. Toss to combine.

Spread the chicken and fennel on a baking sheet with the thighs on the inside and fennel surrounding it. Pour any remaining juices over the chicken.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and fennel is browned and tender.

Big News!

The College Culinarian will soon become the PhD Culinarian at an As-Of-Yet-Undecided-University.

Sidenote: I'MSOEXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, any new name suggestions would be warmly welcomed, since my brain cannot function too far past "OHMYGODIGOTACCEPTED."

More recipes soon!

Collegiately yours,

Katie