One of the most common tools in a college kitchen is the rice cooker. This can be used to make rice without having to do much, but can take a long time depending on the rice cooker being used. A much shorter way to make rice in a time crunch is to steam it in a pot. It's also a lot easier to control the temperature with pot-cooked rice, as rice in the rice cooker tends to be overcooked and mushy. Steaming rice in a pot allows you to get the perfect cook on rice every time!
Steps to getting rice perfect in the pot each time:
1. Wash the amount of rice you want to use under cold water. For best results, place the rice in a mesh strainer first.
2. Add the rice to your pot, and add water in a ratio of 5/4 (so, for 1 cup of rice, 1 1/4 cups water. Or, for 2 cups, 2 1/2 cups water... etc.).
3. Season the rice with salt and other things you want to use to infuse the rice with flavor if you so wish. Be sure to mix into the rice.
4. Bring the pot up to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to a low setting. 2 cups of rice should take about 15 minutes to simmer onto a low heat.
5. To tell if your rice is cooked, look at individual grains. Bright white grains indicate that the rice is still uncooked. Slightly opaque indicates that the rice is ready to eat.
6. Once the rice is done cooking, fluff it with a fork by just running the fork gently through the rice to make it incredibly tender and light.
This rice will be delicious, tender, and quick to make! If you need fresh rice in a hurry, this is the method to go with. Enjoy, and get cooking! =)
Monday, April 7, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Recipe: Ginger-Infused Rice with Griddled Chicken Thighs and Bok Choy
One of the challenges of cooking in college is that you are limited by your budget. As much as I want to cook lobster or filet mignon all the time, I can't do that because I'd be broke in less than a month. In college, the key thing is to take cheap ingredients and transform them into dishes that shine out and taste really delicious.
Some of the most common foods in college are rice (a super cheap starch), chicken (one of the cheapest proteins out there), and bok choy (which tend to run on the cheap side). These together can make a brilliant Asian dish if you put some time and effort into each of the ingredients.
In this particular dish, I'm using a rice cooker to steam both the rice and bok choy while infusing them with flavors like ginger and sesame oil. This gives both the rice and bok choy a great aromatic flavor that will complemented marinated chicken thighs that can be cooked in your frying pan, cut up, and served with the rice and bok choy. This makes for one tasty yet cheap meal!
Recipe will serve up to 4 people.
For the Rice:
3 cups white or brown rice
1 cup bok choy, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pepper to season
For the Chicken:
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 pound chicken thighs
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Pepper to season
Cooking/Assembling:
1. Combine the chicken thighs, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, ginger, coriander, and half of the green onions together in a bowl or container. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash the rice, then add in the bok choy, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and pepper. Cook the rice and bok choy in your rice cooker until done.
3. Place a frying pan on medium-high heat with some vegetable/canola oil. Cook the chicken thighs in the pan for about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Let the chicken rest, then serve with the rice and bok choy. Garnish with green onion.
This dish combines the richness of the dark meat in chicken thighs with the aromaticity of the ginger in the rice and bok choy to create a balanced dish with lots of flavor. This will be an Asian dish to enjoy, and its cheap enough that anyone can make it!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy, and get cooking! =)
Some of the most common foods in college are rice (a super cheap starch), chicken (one of the cheapest proteins out there), and bok choy (which tend to run on the cheap side). These together can make a brilliant Asian dish if you put some time and effort into each of the ingredients.
In this particular dish, I'm using a rice cooker to steam both the rice and bok choy while infusing them with flavors like ginger and sesame oil. This gives both the rice and bok choy a great aromatic flavor that will complemented marinated chicken thighs that can be cooked in your frying pan, cut up, and served with the rice and bok choy. This makes for one tasty yet cheap meal!
Recipe will serve up to 4 people.
For the Rice:
3 cups white or brown rice
1 cup bok choy, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pepper to season
For the Chicken:
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 pound chicken thighs
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Pepper to season
Cooking/Assembling:
1. Combine the chicken thighs, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, ginger, coriander, and half of the green onions together in a bowl or container. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash the rice, then add in the bok choy, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and pepper. Cook the rice and bok choy in your rice cooker until done.
3. Place a frying pan on medium-high heat with some vegetable/canola oil. Cook the chicken thighs in the pan for about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Let the chicken rest, then serve with the rice and bok choy. Garnish with green onion.
This dish combines the richness of the dark meat in chicken thighs with the aromaticity of the ginger in the rice and bok choy to create a balanced dish with lots of flavor. This will be an Asian dish to enjoy, and its cheap enough that anyone can make it!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy, and get cooking! =)
Monday, March 31, 2014
More College Recipes from the Broke College Kid: Recipes I'm Too Broke to Make.
Here's another list of college recipes you can find on my main blog to use!
Agedashi Tofu
This is a traditional Japanese appetizer of tempura-fried tofu. I made this particular recipe Gluten-Free for my sister, but feel free to use your own tempura batter! You won't look at tofu the same way again (boring,bland,etc) after trying this out!
Asian Fried Chicken with Curry Braised Leeks
This recipe may be complex, but it can definitely be pulled off in a college kitchen! It makes use of cheap ingredients, and apart from the marination times, is pretty quick!
Coconut-Lime "Panna Cotta"
This is a vegan version of the Panna Cotta I put in this blog's Valentine's Day Special. Try it out for a more exotic flavor!
More exciting new recipes coming soon!
Agedashi Tofu
This is a traditional Japanese appetizer of tempura-fried tofu. I made this particular recipe Gluten-Free for my sister, but feel free to use your own tempura batter! You won't look at tofu the same way again (boring,bland,etc) after trying this out!
Asian Fried Chicken with Curry Braised Leeks
This recipe may be complex, but it can definitely be pulled off in a college kitchen! It makes use of cheap ingredients, and apart from the marination times, is pretty quick!
Coconut-Lime "Panna Cotta"
This is a vegan version of the Panna Cotta I put in this blog's Valentine's Day Special. Try it out for a more exotic flavor!
More exciting new recipes coming soon!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
RECIPE: Panna Cotta (Valentine's Day Special)
In college, being able to impress your significant other on Valentine's Day is huge, but a little more challenging when cooking at home. This is because ingredients to make a great and fancy meal can run on the expensive side. This Italian dessert is a great way to balance class and cost.
Panna cotta is Italian for "cooked cream," and the name describes the dessert literally. It's pretty simple to make but takes a long time to set. You can also customize it to whatever flavor you wish! I've done lime and chocolate and it's been a huge hit, but you can flavor your panna cotta with anything from brandy to pomegranates or espresso!
One of the things you do need for this dish is a mold to serve it in. However, you can use something simple like a creme brulee dish, a martini glass, or a shallow bowl as well!
This recipe will make about 3-4 cups of panna cotta. This can serve up to 4 people.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: At least 4 hours
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
Flavoring (Here, it's all up to what you want and how much of it. Some good ideas are lime, espresso, fruit, brandy, rum, maple syrup, or mint!)
1 1/2 packets gelatin powder
Cooking/Assembling:
1. Combine your milk and cream into a small pot with the sugar. Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. At this point, add whatever flavoring you want and mix well.
3. While still at a boil, add in your gelatin and stir until dissolved. Take the mixture off of the heat, and pour into your serving dishes/glasses. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
4. Garnish with something cool that goes with your panna cotta! Chocolate shavings or ganache (rich sauce), mint leaves, or fresh fruit are all great ideas!
This dish is extremely simple to make, but it is important to let it chill for at least 3-4 hours so the gelatin can set. The end product should be slightly bouncy but not liquid anywhere. If you can nail this dish, it will be a great and cheap way to impress for Valentine's Day or any other holidays!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home or in your apartment, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy, and get cooking!
Panna cotta is Italian for "cooked cream," and the name describes the dessert literally. It's pretty simple to make but takes a long time to set. You can also customize it to whatever flavor you wish! I've done lime and chocolate and it's been a huge hit, but you can flavor your panna cotta with anything from brandy to pomegranates or espresso!
One of the things you do need for this dish is a mold to serve it in. However, you can use something simple like a creme brulee dish, a martini glass, or a shallow bowl as well!
This recipe will make about 3-4 cups of panna cotta. This can serve up to 4 people.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: At least 4 hours
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
Flavoring (Here, it's all up to what you want and how much of it. Some good ideas are lime, espresso, fruit, brandy, rum, maple syrup, or mint!)
1 1/2 packets gelatin powder
Cooking/Assembling:
1. Combine your milk and cream into a small pot with the sugar. Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. At this point, add whatever flavoring you want and mix well.
3. While still at a boil, add in your gelatin and stir until dissolved. Take the mixture off of the heat, and pour into your serving dishes/glasses. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
4. Garnish with something cool that goes with your panna cotta! Chocolate shavings or ganache (rich sauce), mint leaves, or fresh fruit are all great ideas!
This dish is extremely simple to make, but it is important to let it chill for at least 3-4 hours so the gelatin can set. The end product should be slightly bouncy but not liquid anywhere. If you can nail this dish, it will be a great and cheap way to impress for Valentine's Day or any other holidays!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home or in your apartment, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy, and get cooking!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
RECIPE: Braised Pork Shoulder
Cooking your own food in college can be time-consuming, and it's crucial to spend as little time as possible cooking when you have a whole bunch of other things to do. Things that take either a really fast time to make or that you can slow cook in an oven or pot of some kind are the best dishes to make in college because of this, since they both are easy and simple to do, extremely convenient on time, and delicious!
One of my favorite slow-cooked dishes has to be slow-cooked pork. Pork is definitely a cheaper cut of meat, especially the bone-in shoulder (to give you a point of reference, more expensive markets like Whole Foods charge $4.50 per pound of this cut, which is close to the price of ground beef), and can take on a whole variety of flavors. You can flavor pork with whatever you want, and for this pork, I'm going to use a lot of ingredients that are easier for college students to acquire and utilize.
Basic vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions are necessary, as well as water to braise the pork with. I'm also going to include some kitchen essentials: garlic, sage, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some spices. When cooking, you should use about an hour to an hour and a half per pound when braising to get the most flavor out of your pork. The sauce makes a great gravy or soup for the pork as well!
This recipe uses a 5 pound, bone-in pork shoulder, and is good enough for at least 10-15 meals.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 hours
Ingredients:
1 5 pound bone-in pork shoulder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to season (about 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of meat and the same for pepper will do)
2 tablespoons dried sage
5 cloves garlic
3 onions, roughly sliced
3 carrots, roughly chopped
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
5 cups of water (if you have it, replace this with dry white wine to get a deep rich flavor)
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon coriander
Cooking:
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine your olive oil, salt and pepper, sage, cayenne pepper, paprika, and coriander together. Pierce your pork shoulder a few times, and insert the garlic cloves into these holes. Get them as evenly spaced as possible. Then, rub your spices and olive oil evenly across the entire pork shoulder.
3. In a hot roasting tray or large pot with some olive oil on medium high to high heat, sear your pork shoulder for about 3 minutes on each side to get a nice crust. Take out the pork shoulder.
4. There should be some pork fat left in the pot. Use it to help flavor your onions, carrots, and celery as you add them into the pot/roasting tray. Add your pork back in, then fill up your tray/pot with the water or wine. It should not fully cover the pork.
5. Lightly cover the tray or pot with tinfoil, then place into the oven for 7 hours. The pork will be fork-shred tender when it comes out.
One of my favorite slow-cooked dishes has to be slow-cooked pork. Pork is definitely a cheaper cut of meat, especially the bone-in shoulder (to give you a point of reference, more expensive markets like Whole Foods charge $4.50 per pound of this cut, which is close to the price of ground beef), and can take on a whole variety of flavors. You can flavor pork with whatever you want, and for this pork, I'm going to use a lot of ingredients that are easier for college students to acquire and utilize.
Basic vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions are necessary, as well as water to braise the pork with. I'm also going to include some kitchen essentials: garlic, sage, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some spices. When cooking, you should use about an hour to an hour and a half per pound when braising to get the most flavor out of your pork. The sauce makes a great gravy or soup for the pork as well!
This recipe uses a 5 pound, bone-in pork shoulder, and is good enough for at least 10-15 meals.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 hours
Ingredients:
1 5 pound bone-in pork shoulder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to season (about 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of meat and the same for pepper will do)
2 tablespoons dried sage
5 cloves garlic
3 onions, roughly sliced
3 carrots, roughly chopped
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
5 cups of water (if you have it, replace this with dry white wine to get a deep rich flavor)
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon coriander
Cooking:
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine your olive oil, salt and pepper, sage, cayenne pepper, paprika, and coriander together. Pierce your pork shoulder a few times, and insert the garlic cloves into these holes. Get them as evenly spaced as possible. Then, rub your spices and olive oil evenly across the entire pork shoulder.
3. In a hot roasting tray or large pot with some olive oil on medium high to high heat, sear your pork shoulder for about 3 minutes on each side to get a nice crust. Take out the pork shoulder.
4. There should be some pork fat left in the pot. Use it to help flavor your onions, carrots, and celery as you add them into the pot/roasting tray. Add your pork back in, then fill up your tray/pot with the water or wine. It should not fully cover the pork.
5. Lightly cover the tray or pot with tinfoil, then place into the oven for 7 hours. The pork will be fork-shred tender when it comes out.
This is what you want the pork to look like at the end. Delicious!
The pork doesn't take too much work since the oven is going to do most of it for you, but this pork will be great for just about anything! You can put into sandwiches or burritos to take it on the go to work extremely well, or eat it over rice, in pasta, or leave in the braising liquid and add some potatoes to make a great stew. Whatever you do, this pork will be a star figure in your dish!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home or in your apartment/dorm, let me know how it turns out! Go on and get cooking! =)
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