Distraction #5 - Cooking Real Food

So it's not that my college's cafeteria is THAT bad, I just like to think that it is.  Plus, who doesn't make any possible excuse to have "real" food whenever possible.  My roommate is gluten free so she has to cook all the time - Great for Me!!  But it can turn into a real distraction sometimes.  When the pots and pans come out my mind instantly turns to mush . . . mashed potatoes and steak, that is.  And it probably doesn't help that we love to try new recipes we find on the internet (a whole other distraction).

The real key to easy cooking in the dorm is having the right materials.  My roommate is a big fan of goodwill and has found many treasures like those below.

Hot Plate for heating up pots and pans

Electric Skillet for cooking meat, sauteing veggies, etc. . . 

It's also important to find meals that are quick and easy to make.  

RAMON & EASY-MAC DON'T COUNT!!

Here's a couple of the things my roommate and I make when we are in a time crunch.

Tacos - Just brown the meat (or cook it beforehand and just

warm it in the skillet), microwave a shell or tortilla, add some lettuce/cheese/tomato/avocado/salsa/etc., wrap, and DONE. 

Quick Side Dish - Chips and Salsa are super easy.

Spaghetti - Quickly cook some noodles, warm up a can 

of spaghetti sauce, and DONE. If you want to get 

"fancy," add some meat or Parmesan cheese.

Quick Side Dish - Warm up some green beans and 

throw some garlic bread in the oven or microwave.

And when you have more time you can get really fancy while still keeping it pretty simple.

Here's a recipe we just tried the other night.  It was really good!

Chicken Marsala

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min

3 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
3 Tbsp white flour

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 - 1 1/2 lb chicken cutlets

3 c sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp thinly sliced shallots

1/2 c Marsala wine

1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth 

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaf

1. In a shallow bowl, combine flours and pepper. Dredge chicken in mixture and set aside. 

2. Lightly coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Add chicken and sauté until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove cutlets to a plate and keep warm.

3. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add wine to pan. Reduce to a glaze, scraping any loose brown bits from bottom of pan. 

5. Reduce heat and add broth, parsley, and thyme. Stir; cook until broth reduces by half. 

6. Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 224 cal, 2 g fat (1 g sat), 400 g sodium, 20 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 27 g protein

Make it a meal 

Mash 1/2 cup boiled red bliss potatoes (leave the skins on for maximum nutrition) with 1 Tbsp fat-free cream cheese, 1 Tbsp skim milk, and saltand pepper to taste. Serve alongside 1/2 cup peeled, sliced carrots that have been boiled, drained, and glazed with 1 tsp honey. This pair of belly-filling sides adds a mere 116 calories, for a dinnertime total of 340.

So good luck with your cooking and try not to get too distracted!