Taco Salad in a (Microwaveable!) Tortilla Bowl

As I'm nearing the end of my apartment lease, meals have become an exercise in pantry-scouring. (My favorite form of exercise!) A slightly stale tortilla package led me to this gem of a technique.

But first, I'd like to thank my tiny apartment kitchen. Thank you for enduring my teaching myself to cook--which involved an ungodly gross combo of tuna and canned unsalted tomatoes, questionable chicken nuggets, and some sort of BBQ soy "meat" infused cornbread casserole.

Sweet baby Jesus.

I expect my grad school kitchen to be much different. My mind's eye shows poring over recipes while contemplatively sucking the stem of my black-framed glasses, pondering the merits of representative democracy, and sprinkling "heretofore" and "thusly" in common conversation.

Until then, I must deal with my pantry's sparse stock. And this is one heck of a delicious recipe to honor my teeny kitchen--with no soy meat in sight.

Taco Salad in a (Microwaveable!) Tortilla Bowl  Serves: 1
1 burrito sized tortilla
Handful of salad greens, torn
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 t. chile powder
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 green onion, sliced
Couple of jarred jalapeno rings, minced
Sour cream
1.) Place tortilla over a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute. Carefully (it's hot!) mold the tortilla around the bowl and cook for one more minute. Peel tortilla off of the bowl and set aside.
2.) Stir in chile and cumin powder to the black beans. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat until warmed.
3.) Add the lettuce to the bottom of the bowl. Top with black beans, tomatoes, green onion, and jalapeno. Season with salt and a dollop of sour cream.

Roast Beef Wraps with Zucchini Blue Cheese Slaw

An Open Letter to Blue Cheese:

Dear Blue Cheese,

Our relationship kicked off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry for giving you the stink eye, dry-heaving, and fake fainting in your presence.

You just came on too strong the first time we met. Liberally laden on my cobb salad, you suffocated the merry meats and verdant vegetables gasping for attention below. Smothering is not the way to a girl's heart.

And while I would love to board the bus to Funkytown, your funk is sometimes off-putting. Sort of like those men that mistake cologne bottles for a shower head.

But you showed a less aggressive side paired with beef. Your flavor compatibility with cow has made me question my former beliefs. I think this could be the start of a beautiful relationship, blue cheese.

(As long as you forgive me for the dry-heaving, of course.)

Collegiately yours,

Katie

Roast Beef Wraps with Zucchini Blue Cheese Slaw    Serves: 1
1 large tortilla
Couple of thinly sliced deli roast beef pieces
1/2 small zucchini
1 green onion, sliced
2 T. greek yogurt
1 T. crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper
1.) Shred the zucchini with a grater. Place into a bowl with the sliced green onion. Stir in the greek yogurt and blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
2.) Place the roast beef on one side of the tortilla. Pile the slaw on the same side and roll like a burrito. Cut in half and serve.

Recipe courtesy of: My brain's activity in the wee hours of the night.

Cornbread Salad

It is my dream to be a Southerner. I imagine their lives are composed of 3 main activities: leisurely sipping sweet tea, tracing family lineage somehow to Paula Deen, and frying chicken in ruffled, pastel hoop skirts.

I'm guessing these are horrendously untrue stereotypes. But what can I say? I'm used to the Midwest. It's features are now plain vanilla to me, while the South seems to be more of a butter pecan flavor. 

But this salad helps fulfill my Southern dreams. Using cornbread as a salad base instead of, y'know--lettuce, seems to encompass all that's right in Southern food culture. Plus, a box of Jiffy cornbread mix is a college budget winner at 59 cents. 

Now if you'll be so kind as to excuse the little lady, I've got some sweet tea to sip, y'all. 

Cornbread Salad   Serves: 2 as a Main Dish
3 cornbread muffins, torn into bite-sized pieces (stale is good)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 green onions, sliced
1 T. bacon bits
Sour cream
1.) Add the olive oil and lime juice into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in the beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and bacon bits. Mix well.
2.) Carefully fold in the cornbread muffins just before serving. Season with salt and pepper. Top with a dollop of sour cream.

Adapted from: Ezra Pound Cake-- seriously an awesome website. 

Summer Veggie Pasta in Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

Chicken, Beef, and Pork confronted me the other day.

"Why are you ignoring us?", they questioned. Pork seemed to act as the ringleader, probably still riding high on his 145 degree temperature approval from the USDA. Chicken was the most reserved of the protein bunch.

I'm guessing his breasts' tendency to dry out is somewhat of a self-esteem drag.

"It's not you," I said. "It's all the wonderful fresh produce that's in season. I can't get enough!" They emitted a collective "pfffffffft," but after catching sight of this lemony, creamy, tomato-y, zucchini-y pasta, all agreed it was meant to be enjoyed in its meat-free glory. Pork suggested a crumble of bacon would add a nice touch, (because what doesn't taste better with bacon?) but it's not necessary.

Summer Veggie Pasta in Lemon-Yogurt Sauce    Serves: 1
2 oz. thin spaghetti
1/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/2 zucchini, shredded
1 t. olive oil
2 T. plain greek yogurt
1 T. parmesan cheese
Lemon zest
Salt and pepper
1.) Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining.
2.) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften and zucchini is slightly tender- about 5 minutes.
3.) Toss the hot pasta with the greek yogurt, parmesan, a few shavings of lemon zest (or a bit of fresh lemon juice), and pinch of salt and pepper. Add in a bit of the reserved pasta water if the pasta is too sticky. Fold in the vegetables and top with a sprinkle of parmesan and chopped fresh parsley.

Adapted from: One of my favorite food blogs-- Ezra Pound Cake!

Avocado Salad with Fresh Tomato Dressing

I have never, ever seen/heard of a tomato dressing before. But, praise the vegetable deities, Kayotic Kitchen enlightened me to its existence. It gives new meaning to just because you haven't seen it, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Oh, man. What else exists that my naive eyes have neglected to take note of? Unicorns? Magic rice that never sticks to the bottom of the pan? A Representative named Anthony Weiner who takes pictures of his own wiener?! 

The possibilities are overwhelming. 

I'll continue my enlightenment hunt. While you're waiting for the news, give this salad a try. It'll make you believe in unicorns and magic rice and a wiener-free Congress. 

Avocado Salad with Fresh Tomato Dressing   Serves: 1

1/2 avocado, sliced

Handful of mixed salad greens

1 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn

1 t. minced red onion

Dressing:

1 roma tomato

1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/8 t. garlic powder

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper

1.) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Make an "x" at the bottom of the tomato with a knife. Drop into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and drop into a bowl of cold water. The skin should easily slide off. 

2.) Roughly chop the skinned tomato and drop into a food processor. Pulse with the olive oil, garlic powder, and a pinch of sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3.) Toss the salad greens, mozzarella, and red onion in a bowl. Top with avocado slices and tomato dressing. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Sausage Pesto Pizza with a Baked Egg

I did it. I marched across the stage in front of my many graduating peers, family, friends, faculty, crying poopy babies, strangers, and confused persons thinking they were at the R. Kelly concert to get my B.A. diploma.

And I managed to be fairly graceful, too. Considering the long list of traumas I had running through my head, I was relieved that I did not:
1.) Trip
2.) Faint
3.) Contract sudden food poisoning
4.) Go #1
5.) Go #2
6.) Go #1 + #2 in conjunction with tripping, fainting, and developing instantaneous food poisoning.

Great success!

What better way to celebrate than with pizza? It's a collegiate staple. This is definitely out of the sauce-cheese-pepperoni norm, however-- but in a very, very good way. Baking an egg on a pizza tastes incredible. And it won't leave you with traumas #1-6 either.

Sausage Pesto Pizza with a Baked Egg  Serves: 1
1 pita round
2 t. pesto
1/2 italian sausage link, cooked and crumbled
2 T. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 egg
1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Lay the pita on a baking sheet and spread the pesto on top. Layer on the cooked sausage and mozzarella. Slide into the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
3.) Remove from the oven and carefully crack the egg on top. Place gently back into the oven and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the whites are set. Sprinkle with pepper and salt (if needed).

Broiled Cheesy Tomato Risotto

I'd like to share an inspirational story-- sans heartstring-tugging graphics and I Believe I Can Fly pulsing on repeat in the background. 

This is Eric. Eric is a Junior, a soccer player, and a bacon enthusiast. He's also a Green Bay Packers diehard, but we'll forgive him for the time being. 

His proclivity for pork fat and Wisconsin cheese naturally led him to make bacon cheddar cornmeal pancakes. And his fondness for showmanship produced the above video, which chronicles his first-ever pancake flip. 

He's an awesome example of taking on the college cooking spirit: pushing aside pre-cooked crud and having fun! Not to mention getting some serious style points. 

Making broiled cheesy tomato risotto can also get you some of those sacred points, too. Especially if you can finish 'em off with flames. (Enter, blowtorch.) Even if you aren't a pyro like me, this is still a really fun (and exceptionally tasty) dish to make. I expect another video soon, Eric.

Broiled Cheesy Tomato Risotto   Serves: 1

1/3 cup arborio rice (risotto)

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 T. parmesan cheese

1 t. olive oil

3 tomato slices

1 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper

Sliced scallion (green part), for garnish.

1.) Preheat your broiler. Pour the chicken stock into a pot and bring to a simmer.

2.) Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add rice, coat with the oil, and toast for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock and stir until almost absorbed. Add another 1/4 cup and repeat the process. Repeat until all of the stock is gone. Sprinkle in the parmesan and season with salt (if needed).

3.) Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the tomato slices and season with salt and pepper. Lay on the mozzarella and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. (Or, alternatively, whip out your kitchen blowtorch!). 

4.) Lay the broiled tomatoes on top of the risotto and top with sliced scallion.

Recipe adapted from: Real Simple Magazine

Toasted Ramen and Strawberry Salad

Well, it's official. I'm done with my undergraduate education!

How does it feel? Somewhere between weird, awesome, tingly, nauseating, and supercalifragilisticexpealidocious. And weird. Did I mention weird? It's weird.

But The College Culinarian will continue as I work towards a doctorate in political science. (Where the only prescriptions I'll write is for kicking political ass!) So embark with me on my journey to my new academic world.  It's filled with Waffle Houses instead of Chicago-style dogs and a grad student stipend. Killer.

So to cap off my undergrad years, here's a recipe that uses a hungry college-kid staple: Ramen. But definitely not in the traditional boil, season, and eat method. That's so the first few weeks of freshman year.

Traditional strawberry salads often use toasted pecans/walnuts, but nuts can get pretty expensive. Toasting Ramen gives you the same crunch for about 1/26th of the price. I'm using the extra money for a margarita-- momma needs to celebrate!

Toasted Ramen and Strawberry Salad   Serves: 1
Handful of mixed greens
2 large strawberries, sliced
2 T. crumbled goat cheese
1/6th of a package (maybe 1/4 cup?) Ramen noodles, broken into small pieces
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1.) Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add noodles and toast, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from heat when golden brown. Set aside.
2.) In a bowl, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper together. Add in the mixed salad greens, strawberries, and toasted Ramen. Toss to coat. Place in serving dish and top with goat cheese.

Grilled Steak and Parmesan Pasta Salad

'Tis the season for pasta salads! Believe me, I'm joyously singing fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-macaroni. Summer has finally announced its arrival with sunshine and hot temperatures. Also with a blazing burn on my stomach.

I saw a similar recipe in Food Network magazine and knew I had to try it. Steak in a pasta salad? Ok, large media conglomerate, I'm listening.

Steak certainly isn't a common protein for college budgets. But there are two tricks to eating steak and not blowing all of your George Washingtons: 1.) stretch how many meals you can get out of it by slicing and saving cooked steak and 2.) rummage through your grocery's clearance meat section.

I know "clearance" sounds like the place where "Bootylicious" sparkle t-shirts go to die, but it is sometimes a magically meaty place in grocery stores. Stores put them there when the meat gets close to its "sell by" date, so if you're not going to eat them immediately, just freeze for later. I found a 1/2 lb. NY strip steak in there for a good deal, but if you can't find a reasonably priced steak, deli roast beef would be a delicious substitute.

Grilled Steak and Parmesan Pasta Salad   Serves: 1
1/2 cup pasta shells, uncooked
1/3 cup diced grilled steak (or deli roast beef if steak is too pricey)
2 T. diced green bell pepper
1 t. diced yellow onion
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2 t. bacon bits
1 t. mayo
2 t. sour cream
1 t. parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1.) Cook pasta shells in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
2.) Add steak, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and bacon into a bowl. Add cooked pasta. Toss with the mayo, sour cream, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from: Food Network Magazine

Hummus-ed Rigatoni

Is stirring hummus into pasta nearly as obvious as slathering it on a pita? I've been known to captain the Obvious Boat sometimes.

Oh, well. All aboard the watercraft, baby!

My school's on the trimester system, so I'm currently in the finals crunch. This recipe comes together so quickly that your temptingly fast Ramen package will quiver enviously in its pliable plastic casing. Plus, what's better and more comforting than hummus and carbs? ...Other than getting straight A+'s on your final exams, of course.

Hummus-ed Rigatoni  Serves: 1

1 cup rigatoni pasta, cooked and cooled

2 T. hummus, any flavor (or you can make your own )

1 T. roasted red peppers, chopped (from a jar)

Palmful of romaine lettuce, torn

1/2 t. dried dill

Salt and Pepper

Goat or Feta cheese

1.) Add hummus, red peppers, lettuce, and dill into a bowl and toss well. Dump in the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Top with feta or goat cheese. Go study for your finals.

Fresh Corn and Cheddar Flatbread

Call me un-American, but I don't enjoy eating corn on the cob. I feel like I'm fertilizing my face for a fresh crop of pimples when the butter inevitably drips down my chin. I'm also quite skilled at jamming corn kernels between all of my teeth.

I do enjoy fresh corn, however. It makes the canned variety look like, y'know, shiz that came from a can. So I have no qualms with cutting the kernels off that pimple-hatching, tooth-jamming cob.

This is a great recipe for those who love fresh corn and/or can't seem to get the hang of eating corn on the cob like a normal human being. Or if your college graduation is quickly approaching and you don't want butter-induced protrusions on your face. Or if you just really want a danged delicious flatbread recipe.

Fresh Corn and Cheddar Flatbread  Serves: 1

1/2 ear of corn, kernels (carefully!) shaved off with a knife (or about 1/2 cup corn)

1 whole green chile (canned), roughly chopped

2 T. cheddar cheese, grated

1 egg white

1 small green onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

Pita round (or any flatbread)

Sour cream

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Add corn, chopped green chile, cheddar, egg white, and half of the green onion to a bowl. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

3.) Lay the pita on a baking sheet. Spread the corn mixture onto the pita and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread is crisp and golden. Top with the remaining green onion and a dollop of sour cream.

Adapted from: A Cozy Kitchen