Recipes – Page 5

Dorm-Friendly Popcorn Hacks

Published on October 13, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Caroline Gentile ’17

Growing up, my dad was obsessed with popcorn. Every time my family got together to watch a movie, he made an obscene amount of it, but only made it plain. As a result, I love popcorn, but I always thought that plain popcorn was well, plain. Even buttered popcorn can get pretty boring, too.

On my most recent visit home, my younger sister had her friends over for a slumber party, and they all wanted popcorn. This was the perfect opportunity to test some more flavorful popcorn recipes!

The girls and I decided we wanted to do two sweet recipes and one salty. After looking at what we had in our pantry, we were inspired to make cinnamon toast crunch, nacho, and Oreo-flavored popcorn. Even though we ultimately made all of these popcorn recipes in my home kitchen, a kitchen isn’t necessary at all. As long as you have a microwave, these popcorn recipes are completely dorm-friendly!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

1 bag of popped, plain popcorn

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 T granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Pour butter over the popped popcorn, either in a bag or a bowl. Toss. Add sugar and cinnamon, and toss again.

Nacho

1 bag of plain, popped popcorn

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 cup Fritos

Pour butter over popcorn, in a microwave safe bowl. Toss. Add chili powder and Fritos, and toss again. Sprinkle the cheese over the popcorn. Put bowl of cheesy popcorn back into the microwave for a minute, or until the cheese is melted to your liking.

Oreo

1 bag of popped, plain popcorn

4 oz. sweetened condensed milk

14 Oreos, crushed (you can use any kind of Oreo you’d like!)

Pour sweetened condensed milk over the popcorn, either in a bag or a bowl. Toss. Sprinkle the crushed Oreos over the popcorn and toss again to make sure the popcorn is evenly coated in Oreo deliciousness.

Enjoy!

Beyond the Salad Bar: Arugula and Sweet Potato Salad

Published on September 22, 2014September 30, 2014 by danaferranteLeave a comment

By Dana Ferrante ’17

Many times, the salad bar in the d-hall seems a bit lackluster. After looking at the same vegetable options each day, it often feels like there isn’t a single thing you could put on your greens to make them taste better.

It is for this –and many other reasons– why sweet potato night is one of my favorite days of the week. Each perfectly browned cube holds the potential to make your salad the best one you’ve had all week. Not only are sweet potatoes a super-vegetable, packed with vitamin A and vitamin C, but they are also an oh-so-sweet source of fiber.

You’ll need:

-2 bowls (for optimized salad tossed-ness)

Ingredients:

-2 cups of arugula

-1 cup of sweet potatoes

-one large serving spoon of feta cheese

-one large serving spoon (or however much you can personally endure) of red onions (either raw or in olive oil)

-olive oil to taste

-grounded black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.) Take a large bowl, and fill it with arugula, sweet potatoes, feta and red onions.

2.) Season with olive oil and grounded black pepper.

3.) Grab another large bowl. Cover the salad with the bowl, and holding down the sides, gently toss the salad.

4.) Enjoy!

Inspired by a recipe from the kitchen of Chef Diane Kochilas. Check out her website here: http://www.dianekochilas.com/.

Overnight Oats

Published on September 15, 2014September 15, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Eliza Hale

I like making overnight oats because they are delicious and healthy, and they are one of the only meals I can make myself in my dorm room. The only appliance you need to make them is a fridge, and some of the ingredients are available in the dining hall. Hence, perfect dorm-room food. They are easy to prepare, and you can get creative with the quantities and types of ingredients. No matter how creative you get, they will still *almost* always turn out edible.

My boyfriend calls overnight oats ‘baby-food’ and my sister calls them ‘mush’. I’ll admit that overnight oats don’t look especially appealing, but even the boyfriend and sister agree that they are awesome.

So what the heck are overnight oats?

They’re just like oatmeal, but instead of cooking the oatmeal in hot water or milk, you soak the oats in cold water or milk. They need to soak for at least a couple of hours; I usually make them the night before and let them sit overnight.

You could make overnight oats with just rolled oats and milk, but I like to add a few more ingredients to up the deliciousness factor. One of these ingredients is chia seeds. They’re not strictly necessary, but I always use chia seeds because they add so much. They make the overnight oats seem creamy. Chia seeds are the same seeds you might have used to grow a chia pet when you were little; you can buy them from most grocery stores (probably in the health food section). They soak up about four times their volume in liquid. They don’t add much flavor, but they add to the texture of the oats.

I also always add banana. I usually mash half a banana per serving. The banana and chia seeds work really well together to give the oats a nice consistency.

So here’s the darn recipe already:

banana(1/2 banana mashed) – eat the other half, nom nom
cinnamon(a pinch)
rolledoats (1/3 cup) – rolled oats work better than instant-oats
chiaseeds (1 tablespoon)
almondmilk (1 cup) – any milk will work! You can also substitute yogurt for part of the milk
nuts, seeds and dried fruit – my favorite combination is walnuts and dates

I use a mason jar to combine the ingredients because I like how it looks, and it comes with a lid; but any cup or bowl will work, just put saran-wrap on top when you soak the oats.
Mash ½ banana in mason jar, cup, or bowl.
Stir cinnamon into banana.
Add remaining ingredients (oats, chia seeds, almond milk, nuts, and dried fruit), stir, and refrigerate for anywhere between 2 hours and 2 days.
Enjoy!

Ways to get fancy:

Try adding other spices. I like nutmeg and cardamom.
Add honey, nut butters, or Nutella. Best to stir these in with the banana and spices before adding other ingredients.
Add fresh fruit to the oats right before eating. I find that fresh fruit loses its flavor if you add it before refrigerating.
Microwave the oats before eating if it’s chilly outside.

I made two variations this time around: cinnamon cranberry walnut (left), and cranberry chocolate macadamia nut (right). Both tasty, but the taste-testers and I agreed that the cinnamon cranberry walnut was better.

No-Bake Bliss: Oreo Trifle

Published on September 14, 2014September 14, 2014 by Victoria Piccione

By Victoria Piccione

The days are getting shorter; leaves are mottled with small splashes of red, a few even litter the ground, a preview of what’s to come; and finally there’s a little nip in the air. The temperature inside the cement cube that is my room has finally fallen below a stuffy and sticky 90-degrees. But just when I’m about to getexcited, pulling out my fleeces and sweaters, convinced that they’re finally here to stay…

…another heat wave rolls in as the “last blast” of summer. Oh, my dearly beloved New England, why? You see, normally I’m gung-ho about fall desserts, ready to preheat the oven that’s gotten far too little use this past summer. I don’t mean to be ungrateful to summer, but really, she makes baking a hot mess!

Not to mention autumnal desserts: spiced chocolate-butterscotch-chip pumpkin bread. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple crumb bars, apple dumplings… apples that, while delicious when pulled off the tree, are spectacularly transformed in the oven. Excuse me as I go all Julie Andrews on you, but these are a few of my fav-or-ite things.

Mother Nature, though, really couldn’t care less about my fall fantasies, so I suppose it’s best I embrace her (literal) warmth and hold out from using the oven for at least another few days. And an awesome no-bake recipe like this one certainly makes her trial on my patience more endurable!

Imagine: an Oreo cookie crumb crust, and a thick one at that. Silky chocolate mousse that requires very little prep. A layer of whole Oreos for good measure. Rich mascarpone whipped cream, studded with toasted hazelnuts if you so desire. Yet another fluffy layer of pillow-y whipped cream, garnished with more Oreo crumbs and hazelnut pieces- because it’s all about the aesthetics (sort of).

Each individual component is remarkably simple on its own. But then, brought together in the Holy Matrimony of this no-bake dessert, it’s magical. Words escape me, and thus, it can be constrained to no name. Sure, it’s not a warm slice of apple pie alla mode, but it’s a sweet and fairly simple way to enjoy the dog days of summer. Even I, who can’t keep my mind from dreaming of leaf-peeping and decorative cornstalks framing front doors, find myself thanking Mother Nature for her last taste of summer because that taste sure is a delicious one when it’s full of this blissfully bake-free dessert.

You’ll need:

A handmixer
A food processor
Refrigeration
Trifle dish or glass bowl

Ingredients:

Crust

1 package Oreos

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Mousse

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

7 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 Tbs. water

4 eggs, separated, room temperature

Pinch of salt

Whipped Cream

16 oz. heavy cream, chilled

8 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature

½ cup chopped hazelnuts, lightly toasted*

Powdered sugar, to taste

1 package Oreos for layering

*You can easily toast hazelnuts by placing them in a single layer on a paper plate in the microwave for 12-15 minutes. Just pay attention to the smell to prevent burning! More info on toasting nuts can be found here.

1) Crust: In a food processor or plastic bag, crush the Oreos until they’re small crumbs but with a few chunks remaining. In a 9×13” pan or large serving bowl with straight sides, add the crumbs and crush further with a fork. Pour the melted butter over the Oreos, and combine with the fork, making sure all crumbs are coated. Using your hands or the fork, press the Oreos into an even layer on the bottom of the pan/bowl.

2) Chocolate mousse:

A. In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or in a double boiler if you’ve got one!), combine the chocolate and water. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is almost entirely melted. Remove bowl from heat and stir until mixture is completely smooth. It should be shiny. Set aside to cool.

B. Using an electric hand-mixer or standing mixer, beat the egg whites and salt. Whip until stiff peaks form, scraping down the bowl to make sure the whites at the bottom are also whipped.

C. Once the chocolate mixture has reached near room temperature, stir in the egg yolks. Add one third of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining egg whites until streaks are no longer visible.

3) Scoop the chocolate mousse onto the crust and spread in an even layer to the sides of the pan/bowl. Next, create a layer of whole Oreo cookies on top of the chocolate mousse such that all the Oreos are touching. Refrigerate while you make the whipped cream layers.

4) Whipped cream:

A. Using an electric hand-mixer or standing mixer, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks begin to form. Transfer half of the whipped cream to another bowl and refrigerate. To the remaining half of whipped cream, add the mascarpone cheese, and gently fold it into the cream until no clumps of cheese remain. Add powdered sugar to taste. Finally, stir in the toasted hazelnuts.

photo 1-4 B. Remove the pan (with Oreo crust, chocolate mousse, and Oreo layers) from the fridge, and gently spread the mascarpone whipped cream in an even layer over the Oreos. On top of the mascarpone whipped cream, add another (and final!) layer of whole Oreos.

5) Remove the half of untouched whipped cream from the fridge, and spread over the final layer of Oreos. Garnish the trifle with any remaining Oreos, chopped, and hazelnuts. Refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!

S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Published on August 14, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Caroline Gentile ’17

When I think of s’mores, I think of summer, of sitting around a campfire with friends and family, stuffing my face with toasted marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. Even though summer is drawing to a close, and there probably won’t be many bonfires once school rolls around, that doesn’t mean that the delicious combination of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers cannot still be enjoyed (read: stuffed into one’s face). This s’mores cookie cake recipe allows us have our s’mores— and eat a chocolate chip cookie, too!

You’ll need…

– A hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment)

– A 9-inch pie or cake pan

Makes 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (9 graham crackers)
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 heaping cup marshmallow crème (Fluff)
¾ cup chocolate chips (either semi-sweet or milk chocolate, or both!)
¾ cup mini marshmallows, or 6 large marshmallows ripped into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie or cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl using handheld or stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed. Beat for about 2 minutes until smooth and combined. Add the vanilla extract and egg, beating until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as needed. Set aside.

Toss the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt together until combined.

With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined.

Press 2/3 of the graham cookie dough into prepared pan.

Spread the marshmallow creme on top. This will be tricky since the marshmallow creme is so sticky, but do the best you can to get an even layer. Sometimes I spray the bottom of a spatula with nonstick spray to spread it around. Sprinkle the marshmallow creme with chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Mold the remaining cookie dough into flat pieces and layer on top of the chocolate chips. You won’t have enough dough to make one single layer, so some chocolate chips and marshmallow creme will be exposed. That is ok! You want to see the marshmallow on top. Sprinkle the top of the cookie cake with a few more chocolate chips on top, if you prefer.

Bake the cookie cake for 25 minutes, or until the top is very lightly golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before digging in. The cookie cake looks and tastes best on the same day, as the marshmallow becomes too hard overtime.

(Recipe from sallysbakingaddiction.com)

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Published on August 12, 2014August 14, 2014 by danaferrante1 Comment

By Dana Ferrante ’17

Nothing tastes more like summer than a bite into the juiciest, pinkest, piece of watermelon and having that sweet pink liquid drizzle all down your face and hands. But watermelon is more than just a sticky finger food: try this simple recipe for watermelon salad, and turn a summer snack into a refined, fork-worthy dish.

But first, what makes or breaks any watermelon salad is, of course, the watermelon. Picking a watermelon is always a gamble. You see a flawless, green speckled watermelon skin and you think “This is going to be the best watermelon I will ever have.” Soon after, you discover the watermelon to be subpar, not nearly as mouthwatering as you had suspected. Here’s how to prevent any further watermelon-induced disappointment:

Step 1. Find a watermelon. Pick it up. Is it heavy? It should feel heavier than you would have suspected for its size. Is it shiny? It shouldn’t be if it’s ripe.

Step 2. Turn the watermelon around until you find the field spot, or the side of the watermelon touching the ground as it was growing. Just like this pictures shows, the field spot should have a yellow, creamy color. The darker the yellow, the better, since more time on the vine means more time to ripen.

watermelon field spot — A cream-yellow field spot.

Step 3. Knock on the watermelon rind with your knuckles. You shouldn’t hear a dull thud, but a lovely hollow sound that means your melon skin is firm and ripe. It’s almost as if your knuckles bounce off the rind when the skin is good and ready.

Now that you know how to pick the perfect watermelon, it’s time to learn how to turn that giant green melon into a succulent salad.

You’ll need…

-a cutting board

-a chef’s knife

-a salad bowl

Serves: 6-8

1 small seedless watermelon (or half of a large seedless watermelon)
1 medium red onion
1 ½ cups of Greek feta cheese (not pre-crumbled)
½ cup of basil (or mint)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 lime (or ½ lemon) OR 1 tablespoon of lime (or lemon) juice
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut watermelon into 1-inch cubes, or use a melon baller to make bite size pieces. Slice red onion into half moons. Slice the block of feta in ½-inch cubes. Chiffonade basil (or mint). Then, put all these ingredients into your salad bowl.

Drizzle EVOO, lime (or lemon) juice and balsamic vinegar, and then toss. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to your liking.

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Upgrade: Neiman-Marcus Cookies

Published on August 6, 2014August 14, 2014 by The Crimson Crave1 Comment

By Dana Ferrante ’17

Who doesn’t like a cookie and a little controversy? The Neiman-Marcus cookie recipe has been circulating on forwarded emails since the invention of email itself. Long story short, a woman resorted to paying $250 for a recipe she thought was going to cost her $2.50, and as her sweet revenge, she decided to send the recipe to everyone she knew. Whether you bake them to “stick it to the man” or because two types of chocolate in one cookie seems revolutionary, these cookies will without a doubt disappear if left unattended.

Yield: 112 Cookies

Note: Yes, 112 cookies. If for some reason you don’t want that many cookies at once, the cookie dough keeps very well in the freezer. While you could just simply halve the recipe, it may be worth your while to bake just a few batches and store the rest in a sealed container in the freezer for a rainy day. Trust me, it’s great to make cookies and only have to wash half as many dishes. With that being said, make sure you take the dough out of the freezer before you want to start baking; I suggest 1-2 hours depending on the size of the container.

Equipment:

A food processor (or blender)
Cookie sheets
Hand mixer optional

Ingredients:

2 cups butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
5 cups oats (blended to a fine powder in a food processor or blender)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated or blended in food processor)
Optional: 3 cups chopped nuts (we suggest walnut)

Directions:

First, use food processor to blend the oats into a fine powder; set aside in a bowl. Next, grate the Hershey bar using either a standard hand-grater, or by breaking the Hershey bar into quarters and blend with food processor until broken into small bits about the consistency of brown sugar; set aside. Be careful not to blend the bar too long, or pieces will begin to melt and crumble together.

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and both sugars. Once well-combined, add the eggs and vanilla. Next, mix in the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Finally, add the chocolate chips, Hershey bar bits, and nuts if you are using them.

Using a cookie scoop, spoon, or your hands, form the cookies into about 1-inch balls. Leave about 1 ½ inches to 2 inches between cookies when placing them on the cookies sheet; they will spread out! I personally am a fan of the 3-2-3-2 cookie formation, but any arrangement will do the trick.

Bake each sheet pan for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since this is a butter cookie, make sure to keep them in a sealed container (if they even last that long before being eaten!).

[Where can you find a blender on campus? Try the Women’s Center kitchen in Canaday B Entryway or the Freshmen Dean’s Office.]