Chicken Tofu Teriyaki Fried Rice

Hello and welcome!

Today's recipe was one of my dinners while on Spring Break in Atlanta :)   

The Recipe: 

• Rice
• Rice vinegar
• Tofu
• Chicken (pre-baked)
• Vegetable Oil

The Process:

1. Boil enough water to fill an inch and a half of a small pot. 
2. Cook about 1/2 cup jasmine rice in the pot. 
3. When the rice is about halfway done, add a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar. 
4. Saute chicken and tofu in a pan on medium heat. 
5. Add rice to the pan and continue to heat. 
6. Add teriyaki sauce to the pan and continue to heat and mix. 
7. After about 2 minutes from the time the rice was added to the pan, it should be done. Be sure everything is cooked to desired amounts. 
8. Enjoy!

Calories:

Rice- 75 calories

Rice Vinegar- 0 calories

Chicken- 100

Teriyaki- 20 calories

Vegetable Oil- 120 calories

Tofu- 100 calories

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TOTAL: 415 calories

For under 500 calories, I got an entire pan of delicious protein and rice! 

What went right: 

         It was quite delicious and light, but also satisfying. 

What went wrong: 

         I didn't have any vegetables to add this time, but it worked out anyway. 

What I would do next time: 

          Combine the vegetable and chicken recipes. 

Would I do this again in college?: 

          For sure. I love fried rice and it's really easy to make. I can see it becoming a staple of my diet next year when Emmy and I have our own kitchen :) 

Overall, a great meal with a short cook time, perfect for college life! 

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 :)