Are you tired of eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Ramen noodles or spaghetti every night of the week? Are you frustrated with dorm cooking? I have been there and have come up with a few ideas to make in-dorm cooking a bit more delicious on a small budget and little time.
I was born and raised in Germany and grew up with an amazing chef in my house - my mom. She always created astonishing dishes and surprised my family with homemade ice cream, cakes and five-course meals, so it probably doesn't shock you that I love experimenting with food and coming up with new recipes.
After three years of experimenting in the dorm kitchen, I learned to be imaginative with basic ingredients and to create simple, yet elegant, meals. All you need is a pot or two, whatever is in your pantry and a willingness to try something new.
Cooking should be easy, fun and full of great taste. More importantly, you don't have to be a great chef, spend a fortune or spend hours slaving away at the stove to eat well. So enjoy this first recipe of mine. Guten Appetit!
| Cooking Glossary*Saut? - grill over medium to high heat in a small amount of fat, butter or oil until the surface is golden brown. You may use a skillet or a saut? pan; it just needs to be large enough to comfortably contain your ingredients. Preheat your pan until a drop of water bounces around on its surface, then add the fat, butter or oil. Butter has a lower smoking point than oil. Therefore, you can place both oil and butter into the pan. If you're using only butter, wait for it to stop foaming. Then, add your ingredients. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and oil for a chicken cutlet. |
Nectarine Chicken Salad
(Serves two for an entr?e, four for an appetizer)
Salad
- 1 8-oz. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 large nectarine
- 1/2 cup fresh, sliced button (white) mushrooms
- 1 bag of red salad greens (these are always prewashed)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Dressing
- teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette out of a bottle
If you prefer to make the dressing from scratch:
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of pepper
Cooking Steps
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, saut?* over medium/high heat in a saut?/grill pan (these are just your usual frying pans) until cooked through (usually takes six to eight minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken). Once your chicken is cooked through, cut it into 1/2-inch thick slices. If you notice the chicken is not yet cooked through, place it back into the pan and continue cooking. The chicken should be white on the inside.
2.Halve the nectarine and remove the pit. Cut the nectarine into 1/4-inch slices (thin and bite size).
Tip: If you are having a hard time pitting the nectarine, cut around the pit on each side and then cut into slices.
3.Slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch thick slices if they are not already sliced for you by the grocery store. Do this by placing the round part of the mushroom on your cutting board and slicing including the stem.
4.In a serving bowl, add the dressing and mustard. Mix until blended. If you opt to make your own dressing, add all the ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
5.Add mushrooms, salad and walnuts (keep a small portion aside for a garnish) and toss gently.
Tip: While you are tossing, count to 20. That way, everything has a chance to grab some of the dressing.
6.Place the salad on serving plates. Add the nectarine slices and chicken on top and sprinkle the rest of the walnuts evenly onto each dish and serve.
NOTE: *Chicken can be cold - the salad will taste great either way.
