College life is busy, between classes, jobs, and a social life. Cooking often gets pushed to the back burner, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. If you’re looking for an easy, satisfying, and flavorful dish, Shakshuka is a great choice! This dish by Holly on Spendwithpennies.com only requires one-pot and 30 minutes of your time. Shakshuka is a simple combination of poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. Its origins are debated but it has early ties to many North African countries. Today Shakshuka is a very popular dish in both North Africa and Middle Eastern countries, people enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home and in restaurants. It is also easy to customize and can be based on your preferences or adjusted depending on what’s in your pantry. Not only is it delicious and easy, but it is also nutritious, hearty, and perfect for any meal of the day!

Cost Breakdown

Recipe Making Process

Shakshuka is a simple sauce made up of red peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It is seasoned with incredible spices and cooked until it is a thick sauce. Red peppers are a great source of vitamin C, E, and A. Vegetables can be hard to incorporate into a college diet, but the benefits and nutrients they provide are crucial to a healthy diet. This recipe makes incorporating vegetables both easy and delicious.

The tomatoes are the bulk of the sauce and create a depth of flavor in the recipe. Fresh tomatoes are not always in season and can be quite expensive. Don’t fret! Canned tomatoes are an affordable and accessible option for college students. Canned tomatoes are a great way to save money for this recipe and they allow for a mess-free prep. Tomatoes are a great source of antioxidants and vitamins. Not only that, but they are truly tasty.

Eggs create a great source of protein within this recipe. Protein is an important part of a balanced and satisfying meal.

Shakshuka is simple and easy to make:

1. Add onions and garlic to a pot and cook until tender

2. Add diced red pepper and seasoning. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Add tomatoes and cook until thickened on simmer

Cooking the onions and garlic together creates a fragrant and flavorful meal. Adding the seasonings is crucial to the flavor and spice of this dish. The level of spice can be completely up to you!

From here, all you have to do is cook the eggs, right there in the pan by creating little wells for them to sit in. No extra dishes necessary!

Shakshuka can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is great for meal prepping and is easy to reheat on a stressful day for a college student!

Shakshuka is best served with toasted bread or roasted potatoes.

Easier than it sounds Shakshuka

Author: Ali, Allysa, Scout, Tatelyn Cuisine:Middle Eastern North African Courses:Lunch, Dinner Breakfast Brunch

Difficulty:BeginnerCook time: 25 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost: $ 13.50

Description

A simple, one pan nutritious meal for anytime of day.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Small Red Bell Peppers, diced
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, or to taste
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 28 Ounces Canned Whole Tomatoes, with juices
• 6 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Crush tomatoes with your hands (or a whisk) until they’re broken up, set aside.
2. In a 10″ skillet, cook onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add bell pepper and cook an additional 6-7 minutes or until very soft.
3. Add seasonings and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Use the back of the spoon to gently create wells for the eggs. Crack an egg into each well.
5. Turn skillet down to simmer, cover with a lid, and gently simmer for 4-6 minutes or until eggs are set.
6. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with toast or roasted potatoes.

Video

Notes

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave and refresh flavors with salt and pepper.

Keywords:easy, Eating in college, Healthy, inexpensive, nutritious, one pot, simple

One of the best parts of these muffins is their versatility. If zucchini is not your preferred vegetable, or you want to make these into a sweet fall treat, you can use apples instead. If you want to make these muffins a little sweeter, you can add your choice of chocolate chips into the batter before baking. Even sprinkling a little granulated sugar on top will add a perfect tasty crunch!  There are so many options to make these muffins your own, so get creative, and I promise you will never get bored of them!

The baking process is super simple, so even if you are new to the kitchen, or just don’t have any fancy tools, this recipe is for you! All you need are mixing bowls, a spatula, a whisk or fork, muffin tins, and an oven. After preheating the oven, the first step is mixing the dry ingredients. Next, you mix the wet ingredients. Once mixed, you combine the wet ingredients with the dry. Finally, you add in the zucchini and mix lightly. Divide evenly into muffin tins and then cook for about 17-22 minutes until light and fluffy. 

If you are concerned about the cost of these ingredients, we have a cost breakdown provided for you. If you want to make it even cheaper you can visit the SNAC pantry on campus. Additionally, a lot of people have an excess of fresh zucchini from their gardens and give it away to food banks and neighbors. Splitting the cost of baking ingredients with a friend or roommate can also relieve some financial stress. 

Overall, we love these muffins. They allow college students to make healthier choices for themselves by choosing whole grains and zucchini. Zucchini is low in calories, high in fiber, and is a good source of Vitamin C which makes it a great way to add nutrients to a not-as-nutritious food like muffins. Not only do you get to incorporate more healthful foods into your diet, but you will also build confidence in your abilities in the kitchen. And most importantly, these zucchini muffins are delicious! Bon Appetit!

Cost Breakdown

As shown above, this recipe is budget friendly (and gives you your veg for the day) because even the brokest of us need and deserve a delicious treat to get us through the day (or even to start our day).

First Things First

When making this recipe it is important to remember that you are incorporating a wet vegetable into the batter, which affects consistency. When we made this recipe, our batter was running dry even after mixing in the oil and eggs. We ended up using an extra teaspoon of oil and not squeezing all the water out of the zucchini to get our batter to the right consistency and it made the end result moist and delicious! You could hold back on extra oil and instead not squeeze your zucchini dry, this could also help retain the water soluble vitamins and minerals.

The other thing to keep in mind is what you desire out of your muffin. Do you want it to be a sweet treat or feel like it hits the healthy spot. This can determine how much sugar you use, what kind of chocolate chips you use, and the type of flour. We wanted a mix of both when we made ours so we did 3/4 cup of sugar, with semi sweet/dark chocolate chips.

When mixing, you don’t want to over mix it because then you can find yourself with a dense mess of a muffin. It can also make your muffins not look as appealing (which doesn’t matter if you’re eating them yourself but can be a pain if trying to make an impression) because they will cook differently and won’t rise up to perfection. You want it to be just barely incorporated, which leads to fluffy, melt in your mouth finished product.

You’ll want to use a scoop to divide your mix into the muffin tins, or if you don’t have one you can spoon the portions in. But a scoop is preferable because it gives you even portions in each tin to ensure even baking. Another thing to consider when cooking is that the oven should be preheated and you want to clean up any spillage on your muffin tin, otherwise it can lead to burning or weird looking muffins. Use an oven light if you can, which is preferred to opening the oven too soon, as this could also deflate your muffins. We didn’t have an oven light and so we waited for the 20 minutes before we opened the oven up and stuck the muffins with a toothpick. Ours came out clean but you can adjust your time based off of how the muffin top looks and if your toothpick comes out clean.

Zucchini Muffins

Author: Thursday Group 2 Courses:Breakfast Snack Vegetarian

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:12 servingsCalories:186 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

These simple and delicious zucchini muffins are an easy way to consume veggies and whole grains on a daily basis. There are a lot of variations, so you can make the recipe your own. They are fast and perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or snack.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar*
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour***
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini****
• 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• course sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well-combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula 3-4 times until the batter starts to come together but there are still streaks of flour throughout.
5. Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips, if using, until the batter is just combined. Don’t over mix! It’s okay if the batter is still slightly lumpy.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin. Add a few chocolate chips to the top of each muffin for a prettier chocolate chip appearance (totally optional). If making the batter without chocolate chips, sprinkle a bit of raw or coarse sugar over the top of the muffins (again, optional, but super delicious).
7. Bake for 17-22 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch.
8. Let cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• * use 1/2 cup for less sweet muffin
• ** can use alternative oils (avocado, coconut, or vegetable)
• *** can use alternative flours (all- purpose , wheat, etc.)
• **** gently squeeze out excess water
• You can use apples to substitute the zucchini if desired

Keywords:Bread, Comfort food, delicious, Homemade, inexpensive, nutritious, Quick, simple, veggie

Nutrition information (per Serving)

Serving: 1 muffin

Calories: 186 kcal

Carbohydrates: 26g,

Protein: 3g, Fat:9g,

Saturated Fat: 2g,

Cholesterol: 29 mg,

Sodium:206 mg,

Fiber: 2g,

Sugar: 16g

The Ingredients:

This recipe is simple to make with ingredients you have at home. With each ingredient able to be adjusted for personal preference and budget, this recipe allows flexibility for nutrition and price. To follow the recipe, use coconut flour, protein powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, dark chocolate chocolate chips, and coconut oil.

Substitution Ideas:

• Honey or agave can replace maple syrup, for personal preference.
• Different nut butters can replace peanut butter for allergies or preference. Seed butters, like sunflower seed butter, are a good substitute for those allergic to nuts.
• Chocolate chips can be milk, dark, or white chocolate.
• Most protein powders can be used for price flexibility, different flavor profiles, and personal preference.
  

Additional Protein Powder Notes:

Casein, brown rice, or paleo protein powder is preferred. Whey protein is not recommended, as the texture can be incredibly sticky and won’t form the bars well.
If your batter is too thick/crumbly, add water or milk until a firm batter remains.

We chose PB2 as our protein powder. Regular PB2 is a powdered peanut butter that you add water to to reconstitute. If you would like to use the protein, make sure you get the “Peanut Protein” version. We like this protein powder because it is protein derived from peanuts and brown rice, it provides 20 grams of protein per serving, and it uses monk fruit extract as a sweetener for a great no calorie natural sugar alternative.

Directions:

1. Line a deep pan with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars, use any size bigger.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, melt your peanut butter with sticky sweetener until combined.
4. Add to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
5. Transfer protein bar batter into the lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
6. Once firm, cut into bars and cover in optional dark chocolate and enjoy!

Chocolate (optional):

Let’s be honest – the only thing that would make these simple protein bars better is a smooth, dark chocolate top. When applying, you can cover the top while still in the pan, or slice and remove to dip fully. The more, the better, right? Melt your chocolate chips with a spoonful of coconut oil for a smoother finish, and place back in the freezer for a final set.

Nutrition, storage, and more:

When cut into 12 different bars, each bar contains approximately 20g protein. For peanut butter lovers this is it! The PB2 used creates a smooth consistency that makes your mouth water. The dark chocolate on top creates a dessert-feeling snack that is healthy and helps you achieve your goals. Protein helps build and repair muscle in the body, provides energy, and keeps you healthy. These are better cold so throw them in the freezer or fridge depending on your needs. If you need a snack in an hour or two but don’t have time to go home, you can take one out of the freezer and it will thaw by the time you want to eat. If you want one as your heading to class take one out of the fridge and eat it on your way!

Nutrition:

Serving: 1 Bar
Calories: 150kcal
Carbohydrates: 5g
Protein: 20g
Fat: 7g
Sodium: 109mg
Potassium: 150mg
Fiber: 3g
Vitamin A: 9IU
Calcium: 20mg
Iron: 1mg

References:

thebigmansworld.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-protein-bars-keto-sugar-free-vegan/

Energy bites are more than fast food. The peanut butter packs a punch of protein, while oats help stabilize blood sugar, provide antioxidants linked to heart health, and improve digestion through their fiber content. Omega-3 fatty acids have links to brain and heart health, chia seeds are a terrific source of healthy fats to support cell function and nutrient retention, and taken together the ingredients have more health benefits than can be listed here.

The recipe price is low, and it can be easily adapted based on local ingredients, seasonal flavors, or whatever you have on hand for a fast, delicious, and nutritious snack any time of the day. All of the ingredients for the energy bites can be found in a grocery store.

Cost Breakdown

Additional Budget Friendly Tips

• There is no fresh produce or ingredients in this recipe, so the quality of the ingredients comes down to price and personal preference. This also makes it easy to save by buying in bulk and storing the ingredients, or making a large batch of the energy bites and freezing them.
• Other options to reduce price include shopping around, exploring local farmers markets, or dropping by the SNAC pantry. The food at the pantry is subject to change, but staples such as peanut butter and oatmeal are almost sure to be found there and the option can shave several dollars off the recipe cost.

Recipe Making Process

• To make the recipe, simply gather together the ingredients and measure them out, then follow the recipe to combine and shape the energy bites. Collecting and measuring the ingredients prevents the nasty surprise of an impromptu grocery trip and simplifies the process over all.

• The tools needed for this recipe include measuring cups, a tablespoon measure, a mixing bowl, a spoon, and a cookie tray. A rubber spatula can also be helpful for handling sticky ingredients such as peanut butter and honey, or a quick spritz of cooking spray to the measuring cup before measuring out the ingredients works just as well or even better as it means one less dish to wash. The final tool vital to this recipe are your own hands!
• A scooper can be used to measure out and shape the finished dough, but approximating the amounts and molding the bites by hand works just as well without the need for extra tools.
• If the dough is sticky, feel free to pop it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to let it firm up before shaping the bites. Adding a bit of water to your hands, no more than is needed to make them damp, can also prevent sticking.

Reflection of the Process

When done correctly, these energy bites can’t go wrong. The energy bites should turn out perfectly every time, with evenly mixed balls that stay intact for as long as they last. While not the prettiest looking snack, these energy bites make up for appearance in taste and speed. The chocolate chips melt in your mouth, mixing with the peanut butter to create a delicious flavor with just enough sweetness. The flax seeds, coconut, and oats add a satisfying texture to every bite.

The recipe is easy to make, so easy that one person commented it felt like cheating, and takes less than twenty minutes to prepare. For a bit of extra multitasking, listen to a recorded lecture, run through some notes, or use the time as a well deserved study break.

Overall, remember that this recipe is for the person making it. While the recipe is terrific as is, feel free to make changes to the recipe based on allergies, taste, and seasonal ingredients. If peanuts aren’t a good option, peanut butter can be replaced with almond butter or another similar choice. Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be replaced with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, M&M’s, or anything else in the pantry. This recipe is easily adaptable to all tastes and occasions. There’s nothing stopping you from giving it a try!

Energy Bites

Author: Food Literacy Students Cuisine:American Courses:Snacks

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time: 20 minutesServings:20 servingsCalories:157 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

Energy bites are an easy grab and go snack that can be stored in the freezer or the fridge for a quick boost of energy throughout the day. These satisfying treats have a delicious peanut butter chocolate twist and a wealth of nutrients-–including all the essential amino acids for a complete plant-based protein, omega-3 fatty acids that help with brain and heart health, vital macronutrients such as healthy fats and carbohydrates for energy and nutrient retention, plenty of dietary fiber to help with digestion, and many more!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Add the peanut butter and honey to a medium size mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Then add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly

Video

Notes

• Fun fact, these energy bites last up to three months in the freezer.

Keywords:easy, Easy to freeze, easy to modify, Quick, simple

There are quite a few vegetables that need to be chopped, but we will discuss proper cutting techniques and tricks in the recipe description that will help you cut each ingredient quickly.

Making Cowboy Caviar is a super fun and easy process. Once you figure out different knife cuts and the proper way to hold your knife, it is really quite relaxing. Getting to spend a little bit of time just cutting veggies can be fun! The quick and easy preparation process makes this recipe a perfect choose for those times you are in a rush or need a quick healthy side dish to bring to a party. It is also very budget friendly if you are looking to save money. You just need to buy a few vegetables and in addition to few other ingredients that you probably already have at home. This recipe can be very versatile. The vegetables in this recipe can be switched if you don’t like them or if you have other vegetables at home you are wanting to use up.

This dish is very delicious, nutritious, budget friendly, and simple to make. It tastes very fresh and would be great to use for your next home barbecue. It is best served chilled with tortilla chips.

Cost Breakdown

Tips for Making this Budget-Friendly

• The Student Nutrition Access Center food pantry on the USU campus typically has canned beans and corn.
• Buy generic products such as Great Value or Kroger to reduce ingredient cost even more.

Making Cowboy Caviar and Knife Skill Tips

Tip before cutting vegetables: Hold the knife between your thumb and pointer finger on the bolster. Then wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle.

Step 1: Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Gather the vegetables and other ingredients that will be put into the dressing.

Step 3: Rinse and drain the beans and corn.

Step 4: To cut the bell pepper, gently cut around the top. You do not want to cut all the way through the pepper. Turn it upside down so the stem is facing downward. Cut along each of the sections of the pepper (there will be three or four, depending on the pepper). Gently pull each section away from the pepper. Slice each section into four thin strips. Then dice. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 5: Cut the top of the onion off, leaving the bottom intact. Cut the onion in half. Beginning at one side, make cuts all the way across the onion. Then turn the onion and make perpendicular cuts. You should have small, diced onions. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 6: Slice the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds (you can leave some in if you like more of a kick). Cut the jalapeno into thin circles and proceed to mince the jalapeno until you are left with very small pieces. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 7: Chop the cilantro. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 8: Cut the avocado in half, throwing away the seed. Peel the skin gently off. Flip the avocado so the rounded side is facing up. Make thin slices lengthwise all the way across the avocado. Then turn it 90 degrees and slice all the way across the avocado. This should create little cubes of avocado. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 9: Add all the ingredients into the bowl with the dressing and mix well.

Eat with your favorite bag of chips, as a side for a hamburger, or just straight out of the bowl!

Cowboy Caviar

Author: Food Literacy Students Cuisine:Mexican American Courses:Lunch Dinner Snack Side dish

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time: 15 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

This Cowboy Caviar from thecozycook is an incredibly quick, easy, and nutrient dense dish that can be made in 15 minutes or less. With crazy college schedules and tight budgets, this dish is sure to save you time and money.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup red onion, diced
• 2 avocados, diced

Dressing

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

Instructions

1. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Gather the vegetables and other ingredients that will be put into the dressing and chop.
3. Rinse and drain the beans and corn.
4. Add all of the ingredients into the bowl with the dressing and mix well.
5. Eat with your favorite bag of chips, as a side for a hamburger, or just straight out of the bowl!

Video

Keywords:Plant-based, Vegetarian, Vegan, Beans, Healthy, Fresh, No-cook

Are you a busy college student? Do you miss warm, homemade meals? Well we have a solution for you!

We are going to make a simplified homemade chicken pot pie. This recipe is cost effective, healthy, and quick. Between classes, working, and blooming social lives, college students have busy schedules. They don’t have the time, skills, or supplies to cook gourmet meals, however, they do need to eat balanced meals to sustain their lifestyle. This chicken pot pie is perfect because it has minimal ingredients, yet is packed full of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. You might not have time to slave away in the kitchen all day, which is why this recipe if perfect; you get the homemade taste without the time burden. Now that your mouth is watering, lets learn how to make it!

See video of each step below recipe!

Cost Breakdown

See below for the cost breakdown. Surprisingly, this recipe is relatively cheap, especially if you get ingredients from the USU SNAC Pantry. SNAC pantry ingredients may include mixed vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, and cream of chicken soup.

We highly recommend you try making this recipe as it is an inexpensive and healthy way to fuel your body. We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Campfire Chicken Pot Pie

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Pan-fry Baking Cuisine:American homemade Courses:Lunch Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time: 55 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This recipe from Allrecipes.com can easily be adapted to your liking. You can use fresh, frozen or canned ingredients, seasonings and overall size of the pot pie. We love the simplicity of the recipe and the enhanced flavor it provides.

Ingredients

• 2 (29 oz) cans mixed vegetables with potatoes
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 large cooked chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 (10 oz) can refrigerated biscuit dough

Instructions

1. 1. Gather ingredients and then prepare your chicken (canned or rotisserie chicken can also be used). Cube the chicken breasts and pan fry them in salt, pepper, and onion powder.
   
2. 2. If you want to make one large pot pie – flatten half the biscuit dough and lay it on the bottom of the casserole dish. If you would rather make mini pot pies for individual portions – flatten small portions of the dough and lay on the bottom of muffin tins.
   
3. 3. Mix together the filling which includes the canned mixed vegetables, cream of chicken soup, and cream of mushroom soup. Add the prepared chicken and stir all together.
   
4. 4. Fill your casserole dish or muffin tins with the filling. Then add another layer of flattened biscuit dough to the top.
   
5. 5. Bake in the over at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the dough is golden brown. Let cool and serve!
   

Video

Notes

• When serving a group it is recommended to make a larger casserole dish of pot pie, however when cooking for one or batch cooking for one, the muffin tins work perfect!
• To cut down on time and ingredients, we used refrigerated biscuit dough instead of homemade dough.
• Fresh or frozen vegetables can be used in place of the canned vegetables.
• It is easy to change the chicken to vegetable ratio depending on your dietary needs. If you need more protein, add more chicken!

Keywords:homemade, easy, simple

Reference: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237960/campfire-chicken-pot-pie/

Making Yeast Bread Products

Kneading dough – Is kneading dough very common?

Yes! Kneading dough is an essential skill to learn for food literacy. The skill of kneading dough is needed for many recipes. It is a critical step in making cinnamon rolls, tortillas, rolls, bread, and other yummy treats. According to the Vegan and Raw Food Blog, “During the process of kneading dough, two key proteins within the flour, gliadin and glutenin, combine to form strands of gluten. Kneading warms up those strands, which allows the proteins to expand during fermentation and encourages the molecules to bond, making for a more elastic dough with better structure,” (greengirleats.com). The blog goes on to mention that foods such as solid fats, oils, and egg yolks coat gluten proteins and prevent them from forming, therefore impeding the overall rise and development of the dough.

To learn more about gluten and bread-making and the science behind successful bread products consider visiting these sites:

– Institute of Food Science & Technology

– American’s Test Kitchen

Dough

Knowing how to knead dough is a great way to expand your food knowledge because it allows you to experiment with different food groups. Dough is used in many different recipes, so learning to knead also aids in food preparation efficacy, as it boosts one’s confidence in their ability to make different types of dough recipes and be creative with them. Flour is a huge staple for dough and is a very affordable ingredient commonly found in most homes.

Tips

This is a budget friendly way to make a yummy treat for all your friends and family to enjoy! Make sure that you have sufficient amount of time to prepare and make the recipe, as you do have to allot time for the dough to rest two separate times. A good idea to manage time would be to prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture and the icing while the dough is rising or baking, that way it will be ready to go as soon as you’re able to move onto the next step of the recipe. Make sure to drizzle plenty of icing on the rolls, so that they are completely covered.

Cost Breakdown

Delicious Cinnamon Rolls

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:Northern European Courses:Breakfast

Difficulty:IntermediatePrep time: 25 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time:2 hours Total time:2 hours 45 minutesServings:9 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Winter

Description

These cinnamon rolls by ambitiouskitchen are the warmest and fluffiest cinnamon rolls that you will ever have. Tastes like a warm hug!

Ingredients

Dough

• 3/4 cup milk, whole or 2%, warmed
• 1 whole egg, large + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3/4 tsp salt

Filling:

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Frosting:

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Combining ingredients: Warm milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. To do this you can microwave the milk (in a microwave safe bowl) for 40-45 second intervals. The milk should be warm to the touch but not hot! Place warm milk into bowl of an electric stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk, and melted butter to milk and yeast mixture. Use the electric stand mixer on low/medium until well combined. Lastly stir in flour and salt to form a dough.
2. Kneading Dough: Place a dough hook on the stand mixer. Turn onto medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough will start to form into a ball-like shape and be slightly sticky. Make sure it is not too sticky (sticks easily to your fingers or to the bowl.) If it is too sticky add 2 Tbsp of bread flour.  
   An alternative method to a stand mixer with a kneading hook is to knead the dough by hand. Make sure to have a well floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes. (To learn how to knead by hand see instructions above in blog post).
3. Rising: Grab a bowl that is bigger than the size of your dough. Oil the bowl and place the dough inside. Cover up the bowl with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Dough should be left alone to rise for 1 – 1 ½ hours. Dough should double in size.
4. Rolling out: Prepare a flat surface by dusting it with flour. Use rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 14×9-inch rectangle. Take softened butter and spread it over the dough. (Be sure to leave a ¼ inch margin at one end of the dough).
5. Filling: Place cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl. Once they are mixed well sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the brown sugar mixture into the butter.
6. Roll up: Starting from one end start to tightly roll dough up. Place the seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough. (The ends of the roll might not be as full of sugar as desired so it’s okay to cut off about an inch off the end.)
7. Cut: Use a serrated knife, floss, or thread to cut dough into 1- inch sections. You should get 9 large pieces. Take those pieces and place them in a greased 9×9 inch baking pan or round 9-inch cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
8. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake rolls for 20-25 minutes. Bake until the outsides of the rolls are golden brown. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.
9. Frosting: Combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.

Notes

• If you or those you are preparing this recipe for someone who has gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease, this recipe can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free baking flour blend. We did this and the final product was a flavorful, delicious dessert! Keep in mind that the dough will turn out more dense and crumbly. You definitely don’t get your classic, fluffy cinnamon roll when you use gluten-free flour, so when possible, all-purpose wheat flour that allows for gluten development is the way to go. The gluten-free version is still a fun way to incorporate your favorite treat into your diet and make it allergy- and intolerant- friendly.
• 

Keywords:Cinnamon rolls, Breakfast, Yeast bread product

As a college student, you might feel like you don’t have time to cook a nutritious meal or have money to buy healthy ingredients. Most don’t know you can make healthy and nutritious meals quickly at a more reasonable cost. This simple, fast, nutritious, and inexpensive meal incorporates many food groups. You could even have some grains and fruit on the side if you want to incorporate all the food groups.

This recipe really doesn’t take much time at all, especially if you measure everything out and cut the vegetables and brats up first, so all you have to do is add the ingredients as you need them.

The most difficult part about making this recipe might be making the alfredo sauce but if you follow the right amounts of flour and butter to use it should be great. Just make sure to taste test it so you can adjust it if needed! Our sauce tasted a little off at first, but we added a bit more milk and it was delicious so just keep trying! Overall, this is a great recipe because it has relatively few ingredients, takes little time to make and has only a few, easy steps to put it all together.

This meal will only cost you $12.43 breaking down into about $3.11 to $2.07 per serving. Here is the cost breakdown:

Additional Tips to Save Money

• When looking for healthy meals and snacks to make, try to find produce ingredients that are in season, they are usually the cheaper fruits and vegetables, making healthy food more affordable.
• Try looking at different stores. Some stores may be getting more of one fruit or vegetable, so the cost is less.

Brats and Squash with Alfredo Sauce

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:pan-fry simmer boil Cuisine:American Courses:dinner lunch

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 15 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 35 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This recipe is a quick, easy, healthy and delicious meal great for college students on a budget. This is a great recipe because it has relatively few ingredients, takes little time to make and has only a few, easy steps to put it all together.

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Flour
• 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. Garlic Salt
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• Italian seasoning, to taste (optional)
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 4 Bratwurst (thawed)

Instructions

1. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a frying pan. While it is melting, chop zucchini and squash into medium dices (½ inch cubes) or 1/4-inch-thick slices. Make sure to cut squash as uniformly as possible to ensure even cooking. When butter is melted, put chopped squash mixture into the pan and fry on medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes.
2. While squash is cooking, on a clean cutting board, cut bratwurst in half the long way, horizontal. Then cut into little pieces vertical, (about 1/2 inch thick) so they become moon shaped. Once finished, add the brat pieces to the squash mixture and brown the pieces while still cooking the squash. Can add a little salt for flavor here. Cook until the meat is browned, and the squash pieces reach desired consistency.
3. While this is cooking, begin the alfredo sauce. In another small frying pan, make a thin roux by combining the remaining 4 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp flour. Next, add the heavy whipping cream and parmesan and heat up to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and stir until a thicker alfredo-like consistency. Add in all the seasonings.
4. Plate your squash and brats and then add alfredo sauce on top. I also like to serve with a side of berries.

Notes

• It is important to realize that when dealing with meats and produce, keep them separate as much as possible during preparation to prevent cross-contamination with potential harmful pathogens from bacteria. Cut the vegetables first, then use a different cutting board and knife for meat or wash them before going on to the meat.
• In this recipe we used milk instead of the heavy cream because it’s a cheaper option but if you can, the sauce is better with the heavy cream.
• We ended up using a smaller, more hot dog-like brat in the pictures but we recommend buying the larger brats because the flavor is so much better with them.

Keywords:Quick, simple, fast, nutritious

In a typical college setting and schedule, it can be hard to incorporate variety and nutrition into our meals all the time. This recipe is an awesome option for cooking steak—a meat that is something more commonly cooked on a grill or other resources from a more established home. It can be intimidating to incorporate steak into a diet without cooking experience or understanding of preparation methods, especially given the typically limited space of a college apartment. Let’s bridge this knowledge gap and see how we can incorporate variety into our diets with our awesome, yet limited resources.

Despite the reduced space in an apartment and the typical lack of some cooking appliances, this meal is quite simple. After baking the potatoes for some time, the steak, oil, parmesan mixture, and asparagus can all be broiled in the oven:

• To broil, you simply push “broil” on the oven and place and rack closer to the top. After a few minutes, you can decide how well done you want your steak to be.
• If the potatoes or asparagus are being burned or cooked too much, you can remove them temporarily or cover them with tin foil to deflect some of the heat.

This meal may seem intimidating, expensive, and complicated, but those factors can be controlled for:

• To reduce the cost of the meat, especially for a singular college student, you can buy less and use a cheaper cut of meat than flank steak. Also buying ingredients on sale and freezing meat is a great option.
• Asparagus can be pricy when it is not in season, so either buying in season or choosing a different vegetable can reduce cost. Instead of using baby potatoes, dice up regular size potatoes into uniform sizes.
• Other ingredients, such as olive oil, can be purchased as a store brand and these ingredients are generally used frequently in other recipes. All of these suggestions for reducing the cost of this recipe were methods I used.
• If you are cooking this meal for a larger group of friends, you can suggest that everyone bring their own meat to reduce financial stress that could burden a college student in social food situations.

Here is a cost breakdown of all the ingredients in this recipe! This can be reduced by following the suggestions above:

Step-by-Step

Lets get cooking! The process is simple. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Then cut and wash potatoes and asparagus.

Fun Fact: This preparation is called, “mise en place” meaning “everything in its place”. It is the first step of any cooking process!

Step 2: After tossing the potatoes with the salt, 1/3 of the garlic, and olive oil, bake the potatoes for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Step 3: While the potatoes are cooking, make the parmesan mixture (¼ cup parmesan, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper) and spread part of it over your meat. When the potatoes are done, add the meat, asparagus, and remaining parmesan mixture to the pan.

Step 4: Set your oven to the “Broil” setting and leave the pan in the oven for 4-5 minutes. Take the pan out, flip the meat, and let cook for another 4-5 minutes (or cook until the meat is as done as you prefer).

Thankfully, this meal is not labor intensive! You could even do some of homework while the potatoes and meat are being cooked! This meal is delicious and something I regularly crave. After a long week, steak can be a great meal to celebrate accomplishing so much.

Sheet Pan Parmesan Steak and Potatoes

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Baking Broiling Cuisine:American Courses:Dinner Lunch

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 30 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:5 servingsCalories: kcal Best Season:Summer

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 1 ½ lb Baby Potatoes
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Steak and Asparagus

• 1 ½ lb Flank Steak
• 1 lb Fresh Asparagus (or in-season vegetable you want!)
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (1/4 for parmesan mixture, 1/4 as garnish)
• 2 tsp Olive Oil (1 tsp in parmesan mixture, 1 tsp over asparagus)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• Fresh Parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut and wash potatoes and asparagus. Cut steak into desired portions.
2. Put potatoes in a bag or bowl to toss with salt, garlic, and olive oil. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 min.
3. In a small bowl, mix parmesan, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. When potatoes are done, place steak and asparagus onto the sheet pan with the potatoes. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil over asparagus. Spread parmesan mixture over the meat and veggies.
4. Set oven to “broil”. Allow steak and veggies to cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove pan, flip meat, and cook for another 4-5 minutes (or until the meat is done to your liking.)
5. Allow the meat to sit for 5 minutes to allow redistribution of the juices. Plate and garnish with parsley and leftover parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

• This recipe was found and adapted from: https://therealfooddietitians.com/sheet-pan-parmesan-steak-and-potatoes/
• This recipe can be made dairy-free by replacing the parmesan with a substitute of your choice!

Keywords:Steak, Potatoes, Asparagus, Savory

The way you hold a knife can affect the precision and ease of your cuts as you prepare your food. The proper way to hold a knife for the best results is to curl pinkie, ring, and middle fingers around the handle. Then rest your pointer finger on the bolster of the knife and position your thumb on the other side of the blade.

It is also important to curl in your fingertips of the hand holding the food to be cut. This can prevent accidents as the curling protects your fingers from the blade. The knuckle can also align the knife as you cut.

This fruit pizza is the perfect recipe to practice your knife skills because you will spend some good time slicing fruit to make your masterpiece beautiful! Try to get out of your comfort zone and use cuts you’re not used to. You can also mix up the fruit depending on what’s in season and how you want your pizza to look!

Cost Breakdown

Pro tip: Buying generic brands will help make all ingredients cheaper. Buying in bulk ingredients such as flour, sugar, salt will also be cheaper. As far as fruit, research fruit that is currently in-season these will be cheaper options. The SNAC pantry will occasionally have canned fruit so be sure to check out the options there!

Crust

Do not fret if your crust turns out a little cracked or the shape is funky you’ll cover it with beautiful and tasty cream cheese frosting and you can experiment with a favorite fruit design!

Crust covered with cream cheese frosting.

If you have kids or nieces and nephews, this is a great time to enlist their help! They will love decorating the pizza with fruit, and don’t fret if it doesn’t look like a Pinterest masterpiece … it will look colorful and beautiful no matter what. Not to mention it will be super tasty!

This recipe is great for a fresh dessert to share with your friends or family. It’s fun to try new designs and different fruit depending on what is in season. It truly is a food that your eyes can enjoy as much as your stomach. Plus, it never gets old!

Fruit Pizza

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty:IntermediatePrep time:1 hour Cook time: 12 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:24 servingsCalories: kcal Best Season:Summer

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Crust

• 3/4 cup (170 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup (57 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (200 g) powdered sugar
• Pinch salt

Fruit

• Fresh strawberries, cut in slices
• Fresh blueberries
• Red grapes, cut in half
• Kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
• Canned mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
• Canned pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained and patted dry

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and light spray parchment with cooking spray.

Sugar Cookie Crust

2. In large bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric handheld or stand mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes
3. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix until no dry streaks remain
4. Press the dough into a rectangle shape in the center of the pan, about 10×14 inches.
5. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until just baked. It should be soft and not overly brown around the edges. Let crust cool completely

For the Frosting

6. In a medium bowl, add the butter and cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, 30-60 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and pinch of salt, and mix until well-combined and light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
7. Spread the frosting evenly on the cooled sugar cookie crust, leaving a thin border. Arrange fruit on top of the pizza. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Keywords:Fruit, Dessert, Seasonal