Skillet Hash and Eggs
*What it looks like when someone from Food Network makes it.
*What it looks like when someone who’s in college and doesn’t have the right equipment makes it.
Ingredients:
- 3 russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large sweet onion
- 1/2 tsp dill seed
- 8 large eggs (I only used 4)
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I skipped this)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes in a few places with a fork and microwave until almost tender, about 10 minutes, turning half way through. Let cool slightly, then peel and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
2. Heat the butter in a large cast-iron skillet (the part I didn’t have) over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and dill seed and cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the potatoes, then flatten the hash into an even layer, pressing gently with a spatula. Cook undisturbed until crunchy and browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip the hash in sections and cook until browned on the other side, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Using a spoon, make 4 shallow indentations in the hash and crack 2 eggs (or 1) in each. Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites set, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with the parsley and scallions.
Recipe from Food Network Magazine (July/August 2012)
I made this tonight with dinner. It was to die for. So good that I am a little mad that I just put stir fry right on top of it. It should have been eaten alone.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 cups coconut water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, stir, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Recipe from Food Network Magazine (July/August 2012)
What is great about stir fry is you can add what ever you like to it. Tonight for dinner I made a chicken, broccoli, carrot, and onion stir fry using Panda Express Mandarin Sauce (can be purchased in most major grocery stores, I bought mine at Walmart).
I started by chopping one whole medium/large onion and cutting my chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. I began to heat canola oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat (you could use a wok, but I just don’t have one). Then I spread the chicken on a cutting board and lightly seasoned it with salt and pepper before giving them a coating of flour (this step was not yet done when photo was taken). Once the chicken was coated I placed them in the hot oil. I always like to make sure my chicken is at least kind of cooked before I start. Then I added about half a bag of broccoli florets, half a bag of carrot chips, and a generous amount of mandarin sauce. Covered and let cook for a few minutes.
After the veggies and chicken had a little bit to cook I added the onions (I like my onions crunchy). I let that cook for a couple minutes. Really just until you are confident the chicken is completely cooked. The cooking portion took about 16 minutes. The only way I know this is I made this while cooking jasmine rice at the same time and that’s how long the rice took.
Immediately serve over rice (or not) and spoon some extra sauce from the pan on top.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb lean pork chops
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves (minced/pressed)
In a medium bowl, stir together ketchup, honey, soy sauce and garlic. Set aside.
Brush each pork chop with sauce.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each side for about 5 minutes (internal temperature should reach 145 degrees). Basting often.
The preferred way to cook this dish would be on the grill, however when you live in an apartment like I do, the stove top is just as good.
I paired my entrée with fresh green beans. Snap approximately one pound of fresh green beans and steam. I used a Ziploc steam bag, so for 4 minutes on high. Then I coated them with olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic. Sautéing over medium high heat, just until the pork chops were done.
Looks pitiful on the plate, but it was outstanding. I also prepared jasmine rice and topped it with left over sauce from the chops.
So it’s not completely home made, but it was so good.
Newman’s Own, my favorite brand. All of their profits go to charity and it’s all natural; you can’t go wrong with that.
HOT Italian sausage goes great with vodka sauce, although is there really anything sausage doesn’t go with?
The finished product.
Ingredients:
- 2 Chicken Breasts (I used 3) cut in half
- All-Purpose Flour for dredging
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 5 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 rinsed capers
Melt 4 Tbsp butter and 5 Tbsp over medium-high heat.
Once oil and butter mixture begin to sizzle place dredged breast halves in skillet. Cook until brown on each side then plate chicken (about 3 minutes per side). Add lemon juice, capers, chicken stock, and 2 Tbsp butter to pan. Scraping up brown bits. Bring to boil.
Once sauce begins to boil, return chicken to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Plate chicken and pour sauce on top.
I paired my Chicken Piccata with plain cous cous with sauce from skillet, steamed carrots and a salad with Italian dressing (salad was not dressed when picture was taken).
Recipe from Everday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis
Making your own lunch as a college student can be a real pain. Especially since you are most likely short on time. Also, it never helps to have an extremely limited budget. That being said, my favorite thing to have for lunch is a good sandwich (and today it was accompanied by a salad instead of chips).
I like to use just regular bread. It doesn’t taste as good as say fresh sliced sourdough or pumpernickel roll, but it does the job cheaply. Everything except for the brownish colored dressing in the bottle with the man on it is from Walmart. And trust me, if this Walmart I live by has it, yours does too.
I really prefer to use meat from the deli, but I find that I use too much of it for that to be economical. So I tried Oscar Mayer Carving Board chicken for the first time today and loved it.
For my lettuce I bought a Half and Half mix. It is way more flavorful than standard iceberg or even romaine lettuce. It has so many different nutrients and flavors that you just don’t find in other mixes. Lastly, I have the Sargento Double Cheddar sliced cheese.
There is the finished product. The dressing I used is called Chef Reno’s Delicious Oriental Creamy Salad Dressing. It is made locally in Hawaii, which is where I live when I’m not in school. But you can buy it online here. It is very similar to the dressing you get on your salad at a Japanese restaurant. As recommended by so many dietitians, nutritionists, personal trainers, etc, I put my dressing on the side so I can control how much i have with each bite. Last but not least, I have my International Delights Iced Mocha. It can be found near the chocolate milk and is made with 100% arabica coffee (which is the one you want if you didn’t already know).
Ingredients
1 tablespoons oil for cooking
2 tablespoon butter, softened
2 slices sturdy bread (potato bread is the natural option here)
1 tablespoon sour cream
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded Cheddar cheese
small handful of thin, crisp potato chips
cooked crumbled bacon
sliced scallions
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a frying pan over low heat.
Spread the outside of both slices of bread with softened butter. Spread the “inside” of each slice of bread with a thin layer of sour cream. Place the bread buttered-side down in the oil in the pan. Top one slice of bread with shredded mozzarella cheese, the other slice with the shredded cheddar cheese. Cook until bread is toasted and cheese has melted.
Remove the grilled bread with cheese to a plate or cutting board. On one slice, carefully arrange potato chips.
Sprinkle with cooked bacon and sliced scallions. Hit the sandwich with a little bit of salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
“Close” the sandwich with the other slice of grilled bread with cheese. Press together firmly. The chips will break a little. That’s totally okay.
