College Kid Fajitas

Hello Friends,

Today we are gonna talk about a beautiful beautiful food. The Fajita MMMM soooo GOOOD

This little number can be very pricy at a restaurant and who has the money to buy all the different spices that go in a Fajita recipe so I have a cooking hack for you that you are not going to be able to resist.

In college I always was budgeting, why buy name brand when the store brand is 85 cents?

So in a pinch this recipe would pull me through to impress friends. An easy way to do this in a room mate situation is to divvy up the ingredients and have everyone help with the shopping.

College Kid Fajitas

Ingredients:

1lb of “Meat” ( Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu, and if you have that cash money steak)

1 sweet onion divided in half and sliced

1lb Mushrooms (optional)

1 Green bell pepper

1 Orange bell pepper

1 Red bell pepper

1 Yellow bell pepper

(peppers are optional but its good to have at least one)

Flour or Corn Tortillas of your choice

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning

2 table spoons of worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic

Directions:

Slice thin the “meat” (unless tofu do chunks, or shrimp leave whole or butterfly if large) ALSO if you are using tofu you might want to use the marinade below to soak the tofu overnight.

Combine the Worcestershire sauce and taco seasoning add the meat and toss. Allow to rest while prepping the vegetables.

Cook the onion in a large sauté pan with the chopped clove of garlic till soft and tender. Toss in the meat and sauté for about 2 min, then add the peppers and mushrooms and sautee until the peppers are tender and the mushrooms have become tender, mushrooms tend to shrink once they are cooked through.

Once everything is ready heat up the tortillas in the microwave buy stacking them on a plate and placing a damp NOT WET paper towel over them, microwave for 30 seconds or until steamed.

Assemble and enjoy.

Popcorn Chicken Madness!

Hey everyone,

Tried a really fun recipe today,

POPCORN CHICKEN

YEAH

Sorry

I'm passionate about the chicken

See it was my favorite food when I was a little kid and unfortunately its fried… I know big shocker. Well fried food is not good for you and in my pursuit for better health … “better”…. Anyways I had given it up so that I could be healthier and not have clogged arteries and blah blah blah yah know

Any ways that’s when I discovered the beautiful world of Oven Fried Chicken (ANGELS SINGING) yes there is such thing as better for your fried food.

SO I tried this recipe and I AM HOOKED I love it I made 2 pounds of them and I’m not ashamed.

I found some recipes online so I mixed and matched, If I had to do it again I would have added Tabasco sauce to the milk until it turned orange J

Garlic Popcorn Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken cut into bite sized pieces

½ tsp salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup flour

2 ½ cups corn flakes

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp granulated garlic

¼ cup milk

Tabasco sauce, adjust amount depending on how hot you want em ;)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F

Crush cornflakes in a large zip lock bag until grainy but not powdery, add parmesan, paprika, and garlic. Seal and shake bag until completely combined. Set aside

To another plastic bag add flour salt and pepper and shake until combined. Add the chicken to the flour mixture and shake until chicken is completely covered. Add milk seal the bag and massage the milk into the chicken, this will make the chicken sticky

Add the sticky chicken to the corn flake mixture and shake until the tenders are covered on all sides.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place the chicken on the sheet so the nuggets are distributed and not touching.

Once oven is preheated

Bake for 20 min

Then an additional 2 min under the broiler (WATCH THEM UNDER THE BOILER)

Serve and enjoy and let the chicken pop.

Summer is Here! Spicy Adobo Pork Kabobs and Sweet Sugar Snap Pea Salad

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Wow Guys it's been a crazy Month, Graduating College, Waiting on grad schools and playing baby sitter its been a crazy time but I'm back to report on my cooking adventures along the way.

Recently it's been hot out and I mean 90F HOT. It finally feels like summer and when I think summer I think grilling out and spending time with family. I think fresh fruits and veggies, I think spicy and savory. So what better kind of thing to make than to grill out with the family.

I chose to make Spicy adobo Pork Kabobs and Sweet Sugar snap Pea Salad. I get inspiration from recipes I see in magazines all the time and there have been a lot of recipes about kabobs lately.

First a little back ground.

Who doesn’t like the idea of cooked meat on a stick, everything tastes great on a stick. Well ok maybe not everything… Kabobs could originate as far back as cavemen or at least the term was coined in South Atlanta Georgia, when a food company decided to use it as a fast food restaurant. Its Old fashioned fast food I guess you could say. Kabob is an English term for many types of food, hence the variety of items found on a kabob. It is the variety that separates them from being cooked meat on a stick to being a cooked meal on a stick. Traditional Kabobs have Pork on them so to keep in tradition we will be using pork chops.

I have altered these recipes a little bit because of the amount of spice and the picky audience I cook for (My little Brother).

First the main course:

Spiced Pork (and chicken) and Cherry kabobs. 1-3 hours

Ingredients:

2 canned Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of sauce- Important if you are sensitive to spicy use the sauce sparingly ie 1 tsp and only one pepper, these are extremely spicy the first time I used them in a recipe I over did it cuz Im tough and can take the heat *Eye Roll* trust me I regretted it.

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon coriander- coriander is used to give a smoky spicy feel it really brings heat to the dish, again I say if you are sensitive to spicy do not even add this to the sauce trust me when I say you wont be missing any heat

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 lb Pork tenderloin or chops (Or chicken) cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb cherries pitted and stemmed

Directions:

If you are making this to eat with in an hour preheat the grill, if you are making this to eat in a few hours hold off on preheating the grill.

Place the first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Cut the pork into 1 inch chunks and set a side in a separate bowl.

If you are cooking in a few hours toss the meat with ¼ cup sauce and set aside covered to really soak up the sauce.

If you are eating immediately toss the pork in ¼ cup of the sauce and begin assembling the kabobs alternating meat with cherries. Use the remainder sauce to brush with sauce during cooking.

While grilling: let cook on one side until pork releases easily from the grate about 2 min, flip, brush with sauce, grill for an additional 2 min then flip again and brush with sauce. Continue this cycle until the pork is nearly white in the center, it will complete cooking while it cools and this will keep it from becoming dry.

Serves 4

242 calories

5g fat

25g carbs

25 g protein

3g fiber

467 mg sodium

The side dish I chose was a veggie recipe I was just dying to try. I love sugar snap peas and blackberries so obviously this was going to be good.

I cooked this while the kabobs were cooling

Sweet-and-sour BlackBerry Snap Peas

Ingredients

1 ½ tsp oil

12 oz sugar snap peas, halved on an angle if large

2 tablespoons water

6 oz blackberries

1 ½ tsp honey

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.

Add peas, sprinkle with salt, and stir

Add water, cook, and stirring until the water has completely evaporated and the peas are bright green and tender about 2 min

Transfer the peas to a serving dish

Add the black berries, honey, and vinegar to hot skillet, cook swirling the pan until the vinegar evaporates and the berries are glazed

Scatter berries over the peas

Serve hot

Serves 4

77 calories

2g fat

13g carbs

3g protein

4g fiber

127 mg sodium

Thanks for reading if you have any chef requests or cooking related questions please let me know.

These Recipes came from the June Issue of Shape Magazine.

Valentines Day!

February 14, 2016

Hey guys! It’s officially Valentines day! A day used to celebrate all forms of love and to remember St. Valentine. Valentines day is a holiday based on an ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on the 15th.  Most scholars believe St. Valentine was a priest who attracted disfavor of Roman Emperor Claudius II. ( I you ask me it sounds like he messed up his groove)

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Anyways..Since Claudius II had prohibited marriage of young men (to keep his soldiers single) St. Valentine secretly performed marriages for them but was eventually apprehended by the Romans to e put to death. The legend goes that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of the jailer and would send her letters often signed “from your Valentine”. … Isn't that cute? It would be like me sending love letters and signing “from your Sydney”… or would I use Syd?... anyways..

All right the real reason you are all here is to get a sweet new recipe for Valentines day. Personally I don’t feel like you can pin “special” or “love” on one specific  food because it is different for everyone. So that being said I am going to give you a new recipe but first I have to tell you another love story. (I promise it will include the food).

There are many kinds of love: Romantic, Brotherly, and the love of Friendship. My good friend Lizz came to me and asked me to help her with a baking project for valentines day. She is friends with one of the British Foreign exchange students and wanted to give him something that would remind them oh home.

Hobnobs… No I didn’t sneeze

He wanted hobnobs. These are basically the British version of an oatmeal cookie but it tastes a lot like honey smacks cereal.

Considering I had never heard of this recipe I was so intrigued to try it.

Ingredients

150 grams coarsely chopped GF rolled oats (1 ½ cups)

130 grams Canteen blend flour (1 cup) (see notes)

30 grams GF oat flour (1/4 cup) (see notes)

150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 extra large egg

110 grams neutral vegetable oil (1/2 cup minus two teaspoons)

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk together oats, flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder until combined. In a small bowl whisk together egg, oil, maple syrup and vanilla until combined. Add to oat flour mixture and stir until mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl and everything is well blended. Expect the dough to feel a little oily, but don't worry about that - they aren't greasy once baked.

Scoop 1 tablespoon sized pieces of dough and squeeze together. Roll the dough into a ball in the palm of your hand. Flatten slightly. Place 8 to a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and flatten dough balls until they are about ¼-inch thick and no more than 2-inches around.

Place in the oven and bake 12 minutes. Rotate pans. Bake 4-6 minutes more or until they are dark nutty brown but don’t let them burn – watch carefully. Every oven is calibrated slightly differently so keep an eye on them because they go from nutty brown to over done in a flash. You’re looking for a crispy nutty brown and crispy cookie. They do become more crispy as they cool. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely. Makes 26-30 cookies.

A few tips with this recipe.

USE THE PARCHMENT PAPER. These cookies like to stick to the pan so make sure you use wither parchment paper or really grease the bottom of the pan and remove them from the pan immediately from the oven. If your cookie breaks while still hot you can re mold and shape them and when they cool they will be in one piece again. They might not need to bake the entire 12 min so watch these cookies like a hawk they bake quickly but they are well worth it. I would suggest checking them every 6 min.

I hope you all enjoy your cooking adventures and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

From your Sydney…… From your Syd….   

Sorry guys it’s not gonna stick like the hobnobs do to a cookie sheet.

Keep it real, 

Syd.

Super Bowl 50 Fiesta!

January 30, 2015

     Hey everyone it's that time of year again! The most epic sports event this year (other than you know the Summer Olympics) Super Bowl 50. That’s right! It’s the 50th super bowl. Americans have been celebrating the sport and hilarious television ads for 50 years.

     People always see the super bowl as dividing people between two teams; in this case it is the Panthers and the Broncos. To me however the super bowl divides everyone into two different teams: one team wanting to watch the game and the other team wanting to watch the commercials.

     That being said we can both agree on one thing. WE WANT TO EAT FOOD AND WE WANT TO EAT GOOD FOOD!

      This is a prime appetizer holiday in my book. It allows everyone to come together and bring different things to share to enjoy the game/commercials together.

Traditionally I like to try to make appetizers that represent the two teams as best I can. In the end it probably doesn’t matter because if there is food then people are happy but these are the things I take pride in.

     FIRST a little history for Denver, because I'm a nerd…the Broncos were founded in 1959 and they played their first season in 1960 as a part of the original American Football League. The team didn’t join the NFL until 1970. They had two major periods of success: the first was from 1976-1981 with no losing seasons and the second one was from 1983- 1998 with no losing seasons.

Now for Traditional Denver Food:

     Denver is known as the Napa Valley for Beer, and is home to several micro breweries including Dillon Dam Brewery, TommyKnocker Brewery, Steamworks Brewing Company and also the more well known company of Coors.

     Some Denver Food Favorites include Green Chile, Honey Pizza Crust, and the Famous Denver Omelets.

     Since Super Bowl Cuisine is based more on chips and dips almost always a crock pot of Chili ends up on the table so why not do the Denver variation this year.

Green Chili (Chili Verde)

Total Time: about 2 hours

Ingredients:

3 Anaheim Chiles

¼ cup olive oil

2 pounds of boneless Pork Shoulder cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 medium yellow onion, cut into small dice

½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

6 cloves of garlic (don’t be expecting any close small talk)

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 16oz can of crushed tomatillos

4 cups chicken stock

Directions:

     Preheat Oven for 400 Degrees F. Coat the chilies in 1 tsp of the oil and roast in the oven until the skin splits and blisters. The peppers should be soft to the touch this takes about 20 min. Once the chilies are cooked and cooled, stem seed, and chop with the skins on them (its ok if they are charred no one will notice).

       Heat the remaining oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the pork, salt, pepper, and cumin and cook for 15 min until the pork is golden brown. Stir as needed to keep the pork from sticking. Remove the pork and set aside to rest. Reduce the Heat to medium or Low and add chilies, onions, cilantro, and garlic to the remaining oil in the pot. Sauté the vegetables until onions are soft and golden brown about 10 min (this is very important if you don’t get your onions cooked through now they will never be completely tender in the pot). Stir in the flour and cook for about three min. This will help thicken the broth when you add it. Return the pork to the pot along with the tomatillos and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 45 min until the pork is tender, then uncover for an additional 15 min to allow the chili to thicken.

It is best served with tortilla chips and lime wedges

     NOW we can talk about Carolina History. The Carolina Panthers were announced as the 29th franchise in 1993 and began playing in 1995. They have one six division titles one in NFC West and five in NFC South.

     Carolina is home of many different food franchises including Cheerwine, Hardee’s, Krispy Kreme, Mt. Olive Pickles, Pepsi, and good old Texas Pete.

      This might not be such a surprise as seeing when people think Carolina people think Carolina BBQ. Carolina BBQ can be characterized as Vinegary. There are two main sauces that are used in Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ: Lexington-style or “Red Sauce” consisting of ketchup, vinegar, and varying spices, as well as Eastern-style sauce that is more vinegar and pepper based, Mayonnaise is also more common in Eastern-style than Lexington-style

       So to keep the traditional theme of regional appetizers (and because I just want an excuse to eat more BBQ) I decided for a pulled pork appetizer that uses one of North Carolina's Crown Jewels: Texas Pete.

Lexington Dip

This Recipe really captures the traditional flavors of Carolina BBQ and the heat of the south.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cider vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup ketchup

1 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1-2 lbs cooked pulled pork with no sauce

And if you dare 1 tsp of Texas Pete or more if you desire

Directions:

    Combine all ingredients except for the Pork in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 min stirring occasionally. Next add the Pulled Pork and Remove from heat.

Serve with small dinner rolls, pita bread, or just spoon it on to a plate (no judgment).

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     Wow that was a long segment! I hope you all have a safe super bowl and have a fun time cooking. Keep challenging yourselves in the kitchen and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone with food and try new things.

     Let me know how things turned out and please submit suggestions if you have any questions or really want to learn about different foods or Kitchen Hacks.

Well until the next cooking adventure yours truly -Syd

Authentic French Crepes By Sydney Killian

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     It's January and for me that means the beginning of all of my food Traditions:
The first snow was recently and I make crepes every time it snows (randomly tried it one
snow day in high school and it has been a tradition ever since).
Crepes are some of the easiest things to make. Don’t let those fancy restaurants fool you!
   

      Just a little background because I'm a nerd…. The Crepe is considered the French
pancake. They were originally called Galettes which means flat cakes but was later
changed to Crepes which was taken from the Latin word “Crispus” meaning curled
(Describing the edges as you know when it is time to flip). They were first served in
Brittany France during the 12th century and were made primarily from buck wheat flour
(HMMM healthy….) They later switched to white flour after the 20th century when it
became more affordable. 
Thank goodness they changed the name Galettes doesn’t sound yummy it sounds much to
much like giblets and no offence to anyone who likes giblets I just don’t find them
appealing. 

Anyways back to the food!

     Please do not be intimidated by this cooking adventure I promise its not as bad as French
restaurants lead you to believe. You don’t need a special crepe pan to make them either. 
All you need is an omelet pan and patience
There are many variations, (I have made all) never fear the recipes are coming!

 Savory Crepes: which are more of an equivalent of a French burrito.
 Dessert Crepes: Which are sweet and tend to be very rich in flavor
And last but not least
Breakfast crepes: These can be either of the sweet or savory variety but the flavors tend
to not be as over powering (*Heavy Breathing*)

These below are all recipes I have tried and had great success with!
First Savory!
This is a Three step Recipe

First the Filling
2 cups Cooked Chicken
4tbs butter
2 small onions, chopped
¼ lb mushrooms chopped (I suggest either cremini or baby bellas) 
32 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup Monterey Jack (or any other good melting variety) 
½ cup more Cheese for Sprinkling if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
 1 and ¼ cup milk
1-2 tbls flour if you want a thicker sauce

Instructions: 
Cut chicken in pieces. And set aside. 
melt half the butter in a medium saucepan, add flour and whisk continually for 1 min. slowly add the milk whisking constantly, add cheese whisking constantly and cook on medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. About 5 min
Heat other half of the butter in a large sauce pan and cook onions until tender.
Next add the mushrooms and cook through then add spinach. Once spinach is wilted add
chicken and cheese and set aside

Next the Crepes: 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 large eggs

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife (when baking this is the
most effective way to measure things, My mother always said “experiment with spices, 
never with flour”) Combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Combine milk, water, melted
butter, and eggs in a blender. Add the flour mixture to milk mixture, and process until
smooth. Cover batter; chill for 1 hour. (You don’t need to chill it for an hour if your in a
rush just add one more egg and you can start immediately) 

Heat an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan, skillet, or omelet pan over medium heat. Pour a 1/4
cup batter into pan; quickly tilting the pan in a circular direction so batter covers pan with
a thin film. Cook about 1 minute. Carefully lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula to test
for doneness. The edges will begin to curl when ready to turn. The crepe is ready to turn
when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned. Turn
crepe over, and cook for 30 seconds or until center is set.

Place crepe on a towel; cool completely. Repeat procedure with the remaining batter, 
stirring batter between crepes. Stack crepes between single layers of wax paper to prevent
sticking.

Now assemble!
Preheat broiler.

Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center of each crepe; fold ends and sides
over. Place, seam side down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. 
Sprinkle crepes evenly with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
Use cheese sauce generously (Heavy Breathing)

Thanks for reading I hope you all enjoy this recipe, if you have any cooking or food
questions drop me a line I'd love to answer questions. I am taking over writing for these culinary segments, it will not always going to be recipes, so check back often!
-Syd
 

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Sriracha Chicken Nuggets

This concept of putting sriracha on everything may not be new to you but it is certainly new to me. I have a new found love and I want to share it with all of you, it's called sriracha chicken nuggets and it's  basically the best thing ever. What I really love about this recipe is that it is super easy and fast depending on how much you make. The ingredients include:

2 Large Chicken Breast

Flour

3 eggs

Bread Crumbs

Sriracha

Vegetable Oil

See! Simple ingredients make marvelous food. So what I do first is set up my dipping station, and what I mean by that is I pull out a small bowl and pour my flour into the bowl. Next I  crack my three eggs into a bowl and add about half a teaspoon of the sriracha to the eggs and then whisk the eggs until mixed well. (You can add more or less sriracha depending on how spicy you want) The next step is to again pull out a small bowl and pour the bread crumbs into the bowl. Next we have to cut the chicken breast into small squares, once you are done with that then you are ready to dip the chicken! 

Dipping the chicken can get messy so I suggest using a fork and getting another plate to put the battered chicken on. What I like to do is line the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs up just like that and dip the chicken into each bowl covering the entire piece, then place it on the plate and repeat. Flour, Eggs, Crumbs, Repeat! Real simple. Once you're done with this process it is  time to cook the nuggets. I don't have a fryer so I just use a pot or pan to fry my chicken in. What I do is pour the vegetable oil about 1/4 of the bottom of the pan or pot and set the burner to medium heat. The heating process should not take long and if you want to check if the oil is hot enough just wet your fingers with water and flick a drop of water into the pot, if the oil sizzles then it is ready! 

When your oil is ready that means it is time to cook! Be sure to be-careful around the oil when you drop the nuggets in because it can splash and hurt you! The chicken nuggets will need to cook for around 5 to 7 minutes I would say before they are ready to come out of the oil. Continue this last step until all the nuggets are cooked. Oh and be sure to get an extra plate to put your cooked nuggets on! 

I love this recipe because it is crunchy and tender with a little bite! I also suggest cooking up some sweet potato fries to complement the nuggets.  Hope you guys love the recipe, and let me know in the comments if you have any questions!