Bagel Panini Sandwiches

Hello and welcome! 

Today's meal was inspired by Chicago Bagel Authority, a restaurant by my high school that makes fantastic sandwiches on fantastic bagels that I've been craving for quite some time. 

                                     

Thanks Lauren, Emmy, Emma, and Keywan for having dinner with me and trusting my Improv Cooking :) 

Thanks Alec for the term Improv Cooking :) 

Thanks Aunt Connie for teaching me to make paninis :) 

                                   

Thanks dad for teaching me to maximize caramelization :) 

                                   

The Recipe: (Per serving)

• 1 Bagel
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 2 tsp Canola Oil
• 1/4 cup mixed Cucumber, Mushrooms, Tomato Slices, Red Onion

The Process:

1. Heat frying pan and panini pan on the stove. 
2. Sautee cucumber, mushrooms, tomato, and red onion on frying pan. 
3. Cut bagel in half using a serrated knife. 
4. Use a glaze brush to coat both sides of both halves of the bagel lightly with olive oil. 
5. Place the bottom half of bagel on the panini pan. 
6. Sprinkle with cheese. 
7. Add spinach. 
8. Add sauteed vegetables. 
9. Add top half of bagel. 
10. Press until cooked (should take a minute or so depending on your stove). 
11. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

Bagel: 260 calories

Cheese: 30 calories

Spinach: 3 calories

Olive Oil: 90 calories

Canola Oil: 80 calories

Vegetables: 10 calories

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TOTAL: 473 calories

What went right:

          Everyone loved these sandwiches and each only took about 5 minutes to make! Apparently they're also very good without cheese, because Keywan doesn't like cheese and loved it anyway. 

What went wrong: 

          I didn't make this sooner in the year :( 

What I would do next time: 

          Nothing, this is perfect the way it is and will be made so much more often from now on :) 

Overall, a super amazing, fast, easy addictive sandwich. Love. 

 

Dinner for Four: Cheesy Rolls and Sauteed Vegetables on Penne

Hello avid reader!

Thanks for being here :) 

Today's meal was yet another event of Improv Cooking with my favorite lovely ladies of T3 :)     

 The First Recipe: Sauteed Vegetables on Penne (single serving)

• 1 oz pasta
• 1/4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp cheese
• 1/4 tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup mixed Mushrooms, Peas, Cucumber, Zucchini, and Spinach

The First Process: 

1. Boil enough water to fill 3/4 of a pot. 
2. Cook pasta as desired. 7-8 minutes should produce al dente pasta. 
3. In a small saucepot, combine and heat butter and cheese. Stir frequently. 
4. In a pan, heat the oil. 
5. Saute mixed vegetables in heated oil. 
6. Strain pasta and mix with cheese. 
7. Top with vegetables.

The Second Recipe: Cheesy Roll (single serving)

**Almost cheating, but we do what we can**

• 1 wheat roll
• 1 tsp cheese
• 1/4 tbsp butter

The Second Process: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176.7 degrees C).
2. Cut roll open, but not all the way through. 
3. Put half of the cheese and all of the butter inside. 
4. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. 
5. Bake for 5 minutes. 
6. Enjoy!

The Calories: 

Pasta: 100 calories

Cheese: 37 calories

Butter: 50 calories

Oil: 30 calories

Vegetables: 15 calories

Roll: 76 calories

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TOTAL: 308 calories

What went right: 

         For a very satisfying meal, I'd say we did a great job with everything. The pasta and vegetables and rolls were perfect and worked quite well together. 

What went wrong: 

         The cheese sauce was a bit less creamy than I would have preferred, but it still tasted wonderful. 

What I would do next time: 

         Use a different cheese. 

Overall, a great meal and a lot of fun in the kitchen with my amazing friends :)  

Easy Caprese Chicken

Hello and welcome to one of the few meat-centered meals on my blog! 

Today's recipe was inspired by pinterest, my distaste for steak and fish, and my friend Alec's request to cook dinner together at his place :) 

                                   

Alec insisted that we improvise, but as he once messed up ramen, I was a bit more into the recipe. That said, the original plan was to grill, but sadly Atlanta decided it was the right day to rain. We tried to start the coals, but it didn't work out too well. The state of the kitchen was rather expected from a house of men, but it was great that they had a panini press. Once we cleaned it, we set to work... 

The Recipe: Easy Caprese Chicken (Recipe per serving)

• 1 Chicken Breast
• 1-2 slices of Mozzarella Cheese 
• 1-2 slices of Tomato
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 small slice Butter (about 1/2 tsp)
• Sprinkle of shredded Basil 
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 tsp Olive Oil

The Process: 

1. Heat the panini pan. 
2. Wash the chicken breast. **Raw meats must be handled very carefully!! 
3. Rub salt, pepper, and olive oil into the chicken breast. 
4. Place chicken breast in panini press. 
5. Wash hands! 
6. Heat pan on the stove. 
7. Make balsamic reduction in the pan by mixing butter and balsamic vinegar. 
8. Wash and slice tomato. 
9. Once chicken is nearly finished, place cheese on top and allow to melt. 
10. Remove chicken from panini pan with a spatula and plate. 
11. Place tomato slices on top, drizzle with balsamic reduction, and sprinkle with basil. 
12. Enjoy! 

The Calories: 

Chicken: 250 calories

Cheese: 78 calories

Tomato: 5 calories

Butter: 10 calories

Balsamic: 26 calories

Basil/Salt/Pepper: Negligible

Olive Oil: 40 calories

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TOTAL: 409 calories

What went right: 

         The dish worked well together as a whole and we had fun cooking together! 

What went wrong: 

         Personally, I thought the chicken was a little dry which meant we either over-pressed it slightly or needed to prep it more. It was still very good considering our college kitchen. 

What I would do next time: 

         Marinate the chicken and either bake it or plan to be able to grill it rather than panini pressing it. 

Overall, the dish was a success and a great evening of kitchen experimentation and catching up with an old friend :) 

Christmas Pasta Casserole

Hello and welcome! 

Today's dish was one that could only be called "Improv Cooking" (thanks to Alec for the term). While cleaning out all the food in Turman, Lauren and I decided it was time to have an actual meal. To be honest it has little to do with Christmas other than being red and green with "snow", but I suppose that says something for my one-track mind...

The Recipe: Christmas Pasta Casserole

• 1 Box Penne Pasta
• 1 cup Spinach Leaves
• 1 can Crushed Tomatoes
• Parmesan Cheese to taste

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (176.6 degrees Celsius)
2. Boil enough water to fill 3/4 of a pot on the stove. 
3. Cook pasta to desired consistency. 7-8 minutes should produce al dente pasta, depending on your stove. 
4. Strain pasta and transfer to bowl. 
5. Mix spinach, tomatoes, and cheese with pasta. 
6. Transfer to casserole (or other oven-safe) dish. 
7. Sprinkle the top with cheese. 
8. Bake for 5-10 minutes (as desired). 
9. Enjoy!

The Calories: 

Pasta: 800 calories

Tomatoes: 136 calories 

Spinach: 7 calories

Cheese: 52 calories

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TOTAL: 995 calories

Divided by the two of us, this makes a very nice filling meal of only 498 calories each, made of quite healthy components! 

What went right: 

          The pasta was cooked nicely, the spinach was great even though it wasn't sauteed, and the whole dish really fit together quite well! 

What went wrong: 

          Nothing necessarily wrong. I don't know that I can classify it correctly as a casserole without the massive amounts of cheesy layers and far more ingredients, but I can say that it's delicious! 

What would I do next time: 

           Potentially add sauteed zucchini and mushroom. and bake slightly longer. 

Overall, this was a great dish that will definitely be made over and over! 

Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta Shells (2)

Hello and welcome Italian Food lover!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog :) Apologies for the lack of posts since I've started college. There's plenty of time to cook but not enough time to write about cooking!

Today's recipe was inspired by my love of Italian food, and the success of prior Stuffed Pasta Shells. 

The Recipe: Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta Shells (2)

• Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 1 bunch Spinach 
• 1 cup Pasta Sauce
• 1 cup Broccoli
• 1/2 cup Peas
• 1 cup Italian Mix Shredded Cheese
• 1 cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 sweet Red Pepper, sliced and diced
• 1-2 pieces Garlic, sliced and diced
• 5 stalks of Green Onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp butter (one small slice) 
• Salt and Pepper as desired

The Process:

• Boil water on the stove in a pot that will be large enough to hold all 20 pasta shells comfortably. 
• Once there are bubbles in the water, carefully add the pasta, be sure to not let any break. 
• Cook the pasta for 5-6 minutes. It should be al dente.
• Remove and strain the pasta. Allow it to cool. 
• Chop the Spinach into smaller pieces. 
• Using a Magic Bullet or other powerful blender, puree the Spinach. You will have to do this in smaller bunches, adding slight amounts of water. 
• Use paper towels to drain the Spinach. 
• Heat a pan on the stove. 
• Melt Butter on the pan. 
• Add Salt and Pepper to the pan. 
• Lower the heat to medium-low (depending on your stove).
• Add Garlic and Green Pepper to the pan.
• Add Broccoli to the pan. 
• Add Red Pepper to the pan. 
• Add Mushrooms to the pan. 
• Add Peas to the pan. 
• Cover the pan and continue to rotate the ingredients with a spatula until all are cooked. This should take 5-7 minutes. 
• Mix the sauteed vegetables, Spinach, and Cheese in a large bowl. 
• Pre-Heat the oven to bake at 350 degrees F.
• Pour a small amount of Sauce in an oven-safe dish. 
• Put a small amount of stuffing in each shell, and place it in the dish with the Sauce. 
• Once you have filled all shells, if you have any stuffing left over, put it on top of the pasta. 
• Coat the pasta with the remainder of the Sauce. 
• Cover the dish with an oven-safe top, or aluminum foil.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce begins to bubble. This time will depend on your oven, but the dish will also emit a powerful aroma, so you should be able to tell about when it is finished.
• Switch your oven to roast on High.
• Remove the aluminum foil or cover.
• Roast the oven safe dish on a rack close to the flame for 3-5 minutes.
• Carefully remove the dish from the oven.
• Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

The Calories:

Pasta: 720 calories
Sauce: 190 calories
Spinach: 144 calories
Broccoli: 41 calories
Pepper: 31 calories
Mushrooms: 75 calories
Garlic: 5 calories
Green Onion: 15 calories
Peas: 59 calories
Cheese: 180 calories
Butter: 20 calories
Salt and Pepper: insignificant amounts
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TOTAL: 1480 calories for 20 shells

Keep in mind that this amount also yielded additional stuffing that did not necessarily need to be included in the dish; instead, it could be refrigerated or frozen for future use. Additionally, there will be some sauce left in the jar, bowl, and dish.

Also keep in mind that one person will not eat 20 shells. 1480 calories for 20 shells means 74 calories per shell.

What went right:
         The pasta shells were delicious and the stuffing came out very nicely. I kind of liked having some of the stuffing outside the shells.

What went wrong: 
         According to my dad, the stuffing does not have enough spice, but he eats Indian pickle, so I've learned to take comments like this with a grain of sugar. Additionally, the individual shells may have been overstuffed, or cooled too long, because they were reluctant to remain closed.

What would I do next time:
         Next time I would like to try adding meat, which will also mean cooking/marinating the meat separately. The meat would determine the remainder of the stuffing, so I may need to use Italian sausage in order to balance out the vegetables.

Would I make this in college?:
         I definitely have the capability to make this in college, but not the time at present. It might be something to try over fall break (hint hint wink wink nudge nudge).

The photo below is our family dinner the night I made this dish. The two plain pasta and sausage link plates belong to my little brother, and my "little brother", who are just about the pickiest eaters I've ever met. At least they make cooking easy!

Overall, I'm a little too addicted to stuffed pasta shells now, but I really don't see a problem with that considering how healthy they can be. Especially if gluten free pasta and low fat cheese were used. Definitely can't wait to make these again! 

Happy Eating!

Skinny Pizza Panini

Hey Pizza Lovers! 

Ever had that moment where it's late at night, you just gotta have that pizza taste, and there's no pizza to be found? 

This recipe is the result of that moment for me, and unlike your traditional pizza, it's quite healthy and guilt-free! 

The Recipe:  Skinny Pizza Panini

• 2 slices of Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• 2 tsp Pizza Sauce
• 1 leaf Basil
• 2 tbsp shredded Four Cheese Italian
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp (small slice) unsalted Butter

The Process: 

• Heat your panini pan with the stove on high
• Melt your Butter and mix it with the Olive Oil
• Using a basting brush, coat both sides of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread with the Butter and Olive Oil Mix
• Lay the Cinnamon Raisin Bread open on your panini pan 
• Lower the heat to medium-low
• Sprinkle the Four Cheese Italian on both slices of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread 
• Allow the cheese to melt slightly
• Shred your Basil, and put some on both slices of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Use a spoon to apply and spread the Pizza Sauce on one slice of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Turn the slice without Pizza Sauce over and place it on top of the slice with Pizza Sauce
• Use the panini pan press to complete your panini. It should be left on top of the panini for 1-2 minutes depending on your desired heat and grill marks. 
• Use a spatula to remove your panini from the panini press
• Enjoy!

The Calories: 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread: 156 calories (varies by brand, check your package!)

Butter: 25 calories

Olive Oil: 40 calories (In all reality you don't use all of this...much of it will end up as residue in whatever bowl you mix with, the basting brush, and on the panini pan and press)

Four Cheese Italian: 20 calories

Basil: 0 calories

Pizza Sauce: 50 calories

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TOTAL: 291 calories!

Compared to a slice of pizza (300-400 calories depending on your brand, and generally these contain many chemicals as well), that's not bad at all. For my dinner, I combined it with 1 cup of air popped, low fat kettle corn. The total dinner was about 360 calories, and very satisfying. 

What went right: 

         Everything. This is going on my favorite sandwiches list! It may sound strange to make a pizza on cinnamon raisin bread, but it works so well together. 

What went wrong: 

         Nothing. (I love when I can say this!)

What would I do next time:

         I might make it a veggie pizza panini next time, by adding my favorite vegetables in the middle, like tomato slices, mushrooms, zucchini, and maybe even some avocado! Additionally, it would be fun to try some different cheeses, and just play around with my favorite kinds of pizza and flatbreads. It would also be fun to try with different breads, bagels and bialys. Granted additional ingredients and thicker breads mean more calories, but they also mean a well-rounded, more filling meal, which would allow for fewer sides and less hunger later. 

Would I make this in college?: 

        Did I buy a mini panini press just for college? Why, yes. Yes, I did. This recipe in particular only takes a couple ingredients in low quantities, so the total cost is around $1, when buying some pretty high quality brands. It is also quick and easy to make without a lot of effort. If all that doesn't sound like college to you, I would love to have your college experience!

Overall, a yummy new way to satisfy that pizza craving without breaking your diet, or your bank!  

Macaroni & Cheese a la mi Padre

Hey Cheese Lovers!

This recipe was part of a four person family dinner including Macaroni & Cheese, Mushroom Risotto, and Easy Chicken Wings. We used to have it with French bread, but have since learned that Pretzel bread is a much better complement!

Special thanks goes to my dad, who is always willing to teach me his cooking methods. I'm more than happy to play Sous Chef :)

The Recipe: Macaroni & Cheese a la mi Padre

• 1 box of Macaroni
• 1 packet cheese mix

The Process:

• Boil 1-1.5 cups of water on the stove (depends on your pot. Essentially you want enough to saturate your macaroni)
• Cook the macaroni for 7-8 minutes on low-medium heat (around the 6 minute mark, watch it closely and remove 1-2 test noodles. Be sure to run a small amount of cold water over the noodle before eating!)
• Pour the macaroni in a strainer to remove excess water.
• Put the macaroni back in the pot and add the cheese packet as directed.
• Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Pour into a deep plate or shallow bowl. Be sure it is oven safe. (I used a ceramic plate.)
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until your macaroni becomes slightly browned at the edges.
• Enjoy!

The Calories:

Macaroni noodles: 442 calories

Cheese packet (depends on your brand): 112 calories

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 TOTAL: 554 calories

What went right:

         The macaroni was the right consistency and tasted very nice!

What went wrong: 

          Lots of cheese? Honestly that's the only thing that could ever be wrong for the diet.

What would I do next time: 

           I would like to make mac and cheese with real cheese next :)

Would I make this in college?:
           Potentially? I think the process is a larger takeaway than the dish itself.

Overall, I love mac and cheese, but I love it too much to make it in school.