Sweet Stuffed Crescent Rolls

First, I'd like to give credit to my friend Camo for introducing me to this yummy treat. It only takes a few minutes to make and you can completely change it with different fillings. So far I have tried it with three different types of fillings (chocolate chips, raspberries, blueberries) and have loved all of them. A side note, unless you use a non-vegan filling, this is a vegan snack (just check the package of the pastry to make sure you get a vegan flavor).

Ingredients:
1 package of Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 cup of chosen filling (chocolate chips, berries, cinnamon and sugar, flavored butter, etc.)

Preheat oven according to package instructions. Open the package and separate the triangles. Place triangles on an ungreased baking pan. Put about a tablespoon of the filling in the shortest side of the triangle (see image). Carefully roll the crescent up as on the directions and gently pinch the edges to make sure nothing leaks out. Spread the rolls out on the baking sheet evenly and cook according to the instructions on the package. Remove from oven promptly when the rolls turn slightly brown (about 10 minutes). Serve warm.

Mac'n Cheese with Tuna and Peas (and Poor Man's Tuna Casserole)

This is a recipe that my Mom used when we were growing up that snuck some healthy food into our junk food nights. In college I would make this dish both as a comfort food and a huge power booster for my mascoting season. Its quick, easy, and yummy! Even the Phoenix likes it!

Mac'n Cheese with Tuna and Peas:
1 Family size box Kraft Mac and Cheese
Stick Margarine
Skim milk
1 can of peas, drained
1 can tuna in water, drained

Make the Mac and Cheese according to the directions on the box. Make sure the cheese power is completely dissolved or else the whole dish gets a weird texture. Once the mac is done, mix in the drained tuna and stir in well. Mix in the peas, stirring gently so not to break them into a yucky mush. Serve hot in a bowl.

To make the Mac'n Cheese with Tuna and Peas into a Poor Man's Tuna Casserole:

In addition to the ingredients above, also have:
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Pam spray
1 small bag plain potato chips (optional but yummy)

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a baking pan with Pam. Take the finished Mac'n Cheese with Tuna and Peas and put it into baking pan. Take the potato chips (if you choose to use them) and crunch them up thoroughly in the bag. Sprinkle the chip crumbs on top. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Put in oven and watch closely through the window until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Mediterranean Panini

This afternoon I was feeling a surge of culinary creativity. While I'm still starting with cooking, I decided to try making up a recipe for a simple panini with the ingredients I had in the house. I served it with the leftover carrot chips from my stir fry, which added a nice cold crisp to the plate. The results were outstanding! Even my anti-vegetarian minded sister loved this lunch!



Paninis:
3 ciabatta breads
1 jar pesto (I used Classico brand)
3 small tomatoes
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Kraft that had cream cheese in it for added creamy texture)

Preheat broiler on high. Cut bread in half and place on pan with the inside facing up. Spread pesto on both sides of the bread. Sprinkle on most of the cheese leaving a small amount. Slice tomatoes and place the slices on one side of the bread. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the tomatoes. Put the pan in the oven. Leave in the oven until the cheese starts to bubble and brown slightly (should just be a few minutes so watch carefully through the window). Remove, flip bread to make sandwiches and serve warm. Makes 3 sandwiches.




If you have leftover pesto, you can throw it into some penne pasta and have that as a side dish or for dinner! Add some pine nuts and fresh diced tomato for an added yum factor!

Refreshing Minty Lemonade

Lemonade for those hot days when life gives you lemons. This is a basic lemonade with a twist. Adding mint to the lemonade makes it have a refreshing effect on this classic drink.

Start with a pitcher filled with ice. Fill the pitcher with water until you have about 4 inches on the top left. Add about a cup of sugar and half a cup of lemon juice (fresh is best). Play around with the amounts to suit your individual tastes. Once you get the lemonade the way you want it, add some fresh mint leaves. I find it best if you break them apart in your hands before adding them. It is great right away but the mint flavor gets stronger if you let it sit for a bit in the fridge. A variation for those of you with herb gardens is to use some thyme leaves or lemon balm leaves.

Caitlin's Colorful Stir fry Veggies

Today's experiment in cooking was stir fry veggies. I used the veggies in the ingredient list below, but you could probably use any veggies you want, as long as you start the harder and thicker veggies first, and the softer and thinner ones next. I plan on trying it out with new veggies and a variety of nuts and sauces as well. Its a simple recipe that allows you to use whatever you have on hand. This serves 8, so cut the recipe as needed or have leftovers. To add even more variety, put the veggies on rice, noodles, or with tofu. I made it with tofu and included the recipe for the tofu below. These tofu bites are very salty and add a nice soy flavor if you don't add a sauce to the veggies.

Ingredients:
Stir fry veggies:
3 bell peppers (I like red, orange, yellow to add color)
2 cups carrots (buy pre-shredded or chipped to save time)
1 small head of broccoli
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 small tomato
1 cup sugar peas
1 cup snap peas
2 tbs sesame seeds
1 cup cashews (feel free to try other nuts, but cashews work great!)
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 can sliced bamboo, drained
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1 can baby corn, drained
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Optional:
Soy sauce
Any asian stir fry sauces you like
Rice, pasta, noodles, etc.

Wash and clean all fresh veggies (leave the canned veggies alone for now). Cut them into bite size pieces and put them in a large bowl. Take a large stir fry pan and pour in even parts of the olive and sesame oil to just barely cover the bottom of the pan. Heat oil up til it sizzles when you put in a cashew. Once the oil is hot enough put the nuts in and keep stirring them until they are golden brown. Pour the fresh veggies from the bowl into the pan. Cook the veggie mix stirring frequently, until they're almost done. Add the canned veggies and cook until all veggies are tender but not mushy. Sprinkle sesame seeds in. Serve hot, alone or with rice or noodles. If you are having tofu, sprinkle the tofu on top before serving. If desired, add soy sauce or a stir fry sauce before serving.

Tofu:
1 pack extra firm tofu (save time by buying cubed or cube it yourself)
Soy sauce
Sesame seeds
Sesame oil

Drain the tofu and squeeze out the extra water in a few paper towels. Marinate in soy sauce for a 5 minutes (more for a bolder flavor, less for a more mild flavor). In a small saucepan, pour in just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Warm the oil slightly over medium heat and add the tofu. Add sesame seeds.

Easy banana fudge snacks

So on a recent trip to the beach, I discovered frozen bananas on a stick. They are basically just that, frozen bananas on a stick covered with chocolate. From what I've read, you stick the popsicle stick in the peeled banana, freeze it, then dip it in melted chocolate and refreeze it. Well that makes a wonderful snack, but for those of us without the patience for that, I came up with a variation. While I'm still working on ways to cut the banana, I encourage experimentation with that. Also, the chocolate could be left off, but who wants to leave chocolate out of anything? Not me! I also plan on experimenting with adding peanuts, coconut, mini M&Ms, etc.

Banana fudge snacks:
Wax paper
Foil
1 banana
Hershey's chocolate syrup
Any sundae toppings desired (coconut flakes, peanuts, candies, etc.)

Take one banana and peel it. Discard or compost the peel. Cut up as desired and place on wax paper. I've found cutting the bananas into bite size circles and laying them flat first, then pouring syrup on top works best. If desired, sprinkle on topping on top. Then wrap the wax paper around the banana, wrap the foil around the banana, and place in freezer. Leave in the freezer until it is frozen (a few hours). When frozen, unwrap and enjoy!

First attempt at frittata.

So last night I got a huge surge of energy. Seeing as this is a rare occasion these days, I decided to take advantage of it and cook. I had been eyeing a frittata recipe in a vegetarian cookbook. The cooking of it was surprisingly easy and would have been super fast if I had more experience with basic cooking (cracking eggs, beating them, measuring). The frittatas were made in a muffin pan, which made them a nice size. Overall, the cooking was perfect but I didn't like flavor. Cumin is a spice I wasn't familiar with, but I was willing to try it in the name of experimentation. Turns out, cumin isn't my thing. Next time I make the frittatas, I'm going to experiment with the veggies, maybe adding bell peppers or tomato. I'd try out some other spices, add more cheese, and leave the cumin out.

Miniature Mexican Frittatas
1 10-ounce package thawed chopped spinach, drained
1 cup cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
Optional: sour cream, salsa

In a medium bowl combine the spinach, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and cheddar cheese. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, cumin, and pepper. Combine the two mixtures and stir together. Add the parsley.

Spoon mixture into 12 lightly greased 2 1/2 inch muffin cups. Bake, uncovered, in a 375* oven for 20-25 minutes or til the eggs set. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from cups (I found using a fork gently worked for this). Serve with salsa and sour cream. Makes 4 servings.