Posts belonging to Category Cooking

The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy publishes an online newspaper, which includes lots of great information including research topics, nutrition basics, fitness tips, and restaurant reviews.

Check out their latest issue here!!

Do you know how to cook an egg in the microwave? Believe it or not, it is actually pretty easy and requires little time and money for ingredients. You can make them in your dorm room! Check out the video below to learn about eggs and how to cook them in the microwave.

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Video done by: Maxine Builder and Kate Sweeney

Article Source: The Friedman Sprout

I love Thai food.  It is flavorful, spicy, and unique.  But, it can sometimes be a bit too greasy for my stomach and a bit too expensive for my student budget.  So instead of getting take-out, I have been making homemade Thai food. Both vegetarians’ and meat-lovers’ palates are appeased because the proteins are cooked separately.  All of my favorite Thai flavors: garlic, ginger, peanut butter, basil and curry make up the sauce.  I used a blend of late summer vegetables, but any that you have on hand would work well.  The curried vegetables are mixed with brown rice noodles and served with your protein of choice—tofu or chicken.

Thai Peanut Curry Noodles

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 8 oz brown rice noodles (may substitute spaghetti)
• 6 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 medium/large red onion, diced
• 2 oz fresh ginger*, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, diced **
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste (can buy at any local grocery store)
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water-the starchy water helps thicken the sauce
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 TBSP dried Thai Basil (may sub 1 TBSP regular dried basil, or ¼ cup chopped fresh basil)
• Salt and Pepper-to taste
• 2 scallions, sliced thin-for garnish
• 1 lime-sliced for garnish

*I keep fresh ginger in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer and remove as needed.

** if you are a crazy heat-seeker feel free to add 2 or 3

For tofu:

• 1 package tofu (pre-cubed, or cut slab into ~1/2” cubes)
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Thai Basil
• For chicken:
• 1 lb bonless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Thai Basil

Bring large pot of water to boil for noodles. When water is boiling, add in noodles and cook according to package directions.

Pre-heat skilled over medium heat.  Prepare tofu by draining excess water and cutting in cubes (if not using pre-cubed).  To skillet, add 1 TBSP of olive oil and drained tofu with seasonings. Cook 3 minutes on one side and flip in pan; cook 3 more minutes and gently move cubes around pan ensuring that each piece is browned.  Remove tofu from pan and set aside on plate.

In the same pan, add the ingredients for curry sauce: 1 TBSP olive oil, diced onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, and carrots.  Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onions have become translucent.

In a separate pan, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Season chicken breasts with half of Thai basil, and salt and pepper.  Place in pre-heated pan seasoned side down, and season the other side. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, depending on how thick your breasts are, or until the inside of the chicken is no longer pink.

In separate bowl mix together peanut butter, curry paste, ¼ cup reserved pasta water and Thai basil.  Add to veggie mix making sure and stir to evenly coat.  If needed, add a bit more water to thin the sauce.

Drain pasta and combine with curry veggies.  Serve with protein of your choice.  Garnish with chopped scallions and limes.

Enjoy!

By Lisa D’Agrosa, RD

We already know veggies are good for us. First, vegetables are packed with fiber, which helps us stay regular and shuttle cholesterol out of our system. Secondly, veggies offer an array of essential vitamins and minerals; sweet potatoes have potassium, necessary for electrolyte balance while beets are rich in antioxidants, hence their purple color. Thirdly, eating vegetables is associated with decreased risk for chronic diseases. For example, increased intake of cruciferous veggies, like brussels sprouts and cauliflower, may be inversely related to the risk for lung cancer (Lam, et al 2009).

Ok, so what about frozen veggies- are they better than fresh? Ask Michael Pollan, author of the popular Omnivore’s Dilemma, and he’ll tell you that: “Frozen vegetables and fruits are a terrific and economical option when fresh is unavailable or too expensive. The nutritional quality is just as good — and sometimes even better, because the produce is often picked and frozen at its peak of quality.” (Pollan, 2011)

Eating veggies in college is hard. Those of us who live on campus only have a microwave or access to campus eateries. Sometimes, we don’t have options we enjoy, or we get tired of the offerings on campus. That is why learning to cook veggies in the microwave is a great idea. If you get one trip to the grocery store each month, you can stock up on some frozen veggies. Steam, and then enjoy with hummus or white bean dip for a snack. And, if you have a kitchen in an off-campus apartment, you still may not have the time to steam veggies on the stove or have adequate pots and pans. By learning the microwave method for steaming, you can save time, money, and lock in the nutrients available from the veggies.

Check out the video below to learn more!

teamedveggies

By: Kate Sweeney

Sources:

Lam, T.K., Gallachio, L., Lindsley, K., Sheils, M., Hammond, E., Tao, X., Chen, L., Robinson, K., Caulfield, L., Herman, J., Guallar, E., and Alberg, A. 2009. Cruciferous Vegetable Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review. 2009. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 18; 184

Pollan, Michael. Oct 2, 2011. The Food and Drink Issue: Mysteries Solved, Riddles Explained and Readers’ Questions Answered. New York Times. New York, NY.