Everyone has got to have some great recipes in their back pocket. They’re great to have when you have girlfriends in town, want to impress a first date or just want to treat yourself to a nice fancy meal without breaking the bank! I’ve compiled some great recipes that will work for any budget or appetite! Enjoy the recipes and remember that cooking is relaxing and fun!
The Healthy Collegiette
Lean Parmesan Crusted Chicken
This recipe replaces fatty cuts of chicken with lean, skinless chicken breasts and white breadcrumbs with Parmesan and dried parsley. Grilling instead of frying also cuts down on the calories per serve. Served with a Cesar or Greek salad and this meal comes in well under 350 calories which makes it tasty and great for the waistline.
Ingredients
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 5 tbsp parmesan, finely grated
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 4 chicken breast fillets, skin removed
- 1 lemon cut into four wedges
- 2 cups steamed broccoli
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium hot.
- Combine Parmesan and parsley on one plate and pour beaten egg onto another.
- Dip the chicken first in the egg then into the Parmesan mixture.
- Make sure each fillet is well covered with mixture before placing on a clean plate.
- Grill the chicken for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve chicken with steamed broccoli and squeeze lemon juice over the plate.
Makes 4 servings – 339 calories
The Pumpkin Spice Crazed
This recipe is yummy for those nights when Starbucks is closed and you really just need to get that pumpkin spice fix! It goes great with pretzels, graham crackers or apples, and even Stacy’s cinnamon sugar pita chips! My personal favorite is pretzels because who doesn’t like a little salty and sweet?
Pumpkin Spice Dip!
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 4oz of Cool Whip
- Small Package of Pumpkin Spice JELLO pudding mix
- 6oz Plain Greek Yogurt
- 8oz (1/2 can) of Pumpkin Puree
Instructions
- Whisk yogurt, pumpkin puree, and JELLO pudding mix until combined.
- Fold in the Cool Whip and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Serve with Cinnamon Sugar pita chips, pretzels, graham crackers, or apples.
For the Vegetarian with a Little Flair
Mexican Inspired Stuffed Peppers
I’m sure veggie burgers and mac and cheese gets pretty old. Here’s a recipe that will not only warm you up but also show your friends that’s there are some very delicious recipes out there that don’t involve tofu!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 large green bell peppers – tops, seeds, and membranes removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chili-style diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend (such as Sargento® Authentic Mexican)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil; cook green bell peppers in the boiling water until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the hot oil until softened and transparent, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Mix rice, black beans, tomatoes, and cooked onion in a large bowl. Add chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir until evenly mixed. Fold 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend into rice mixture. Spoon rice mixture into each bell pepper; arrange peppers in 9×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle peppers with remaining Mexican cheese blend.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
The Carbs Queen
I don’t know about you all but the first thing I run for when I get to a restaurant is the bread. Bread bread bread! I can go through breadbasket after breadbasket with no problem. So when I was thinking about what recipe I might like to make at home, I thought about warm bread and that yummy oil stuff they give you at restaurants. So here it is!
Carrabba’s Copycat Oil Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil (or 1 tbsp. fresh-if using fresh reduce parsley to 1 tbsp.)
- 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (or 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Place all ingredients except olive oil & lemon in a blender and chop until all ingredients are similar in size.
- Stir in the olive oil & lemon juice.
For Serving:
- In a small dish, place 1 1/2 tsp. spice mixture.
- Pour 3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil over top of the spice mixture. Serve with French bread for dipping.
Eating for one!
As a fellow single lady sometime you just want something yummy without having leftovers or ending up making enough to feed an army. One of the hardest things to learn when you’re starting to cook is how to only cook for yourself. It’s especially hard if you usually share meals with roommates or siblings. Every now and then though it’s good to make yourself a homemade bowl of soup just for one.
Chicken Soup For One
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups cooked egg noodles or fusilli
- 1 to 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Snipped chives, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Bring the chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the carrot and celery and simmer until slightly soft, about five minutes.
- Stir the lemon juice, cooked noodles, shredded chicken, and a pinch each salt and pepper into the simmering broth.
- Ladle into a bowl. Serve with crackers or the yummy bread recipe above!
Author’s Note: Remember ladies, food is the way to anyone’s heart including your own. I hope you enjoy these recipes and have a great week!