Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese. Ultimate student food. There is no denying it. We will all eat it at some point in time.
It is quick, cheap, and tasty. My three favourite things in life. However, it is clearly one of the most processed thing we can consume.

But sometimes, we just have to have it. Regardless of what the labels say we just have to have it. So my tummy and brain decided to compromise and we met in the middle. Remove half the powder stuff and add veggies. I think it works... at least gets the craving under control.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

Butternut squash soup was one of the very first things I started making while in school that actually tasted good. I can't remember exactly when I started, or for what reason I chose this soup in particular, but it sure does have a lot of memories attached to it!

I've made this at my house, at friends house, for myself to freeze, for study parties. I've made this with many people together and I have made this on my own. I have taught people how to make this and I have made 100,000 versions of it.

Snack Tip: Chocolate Popcorn

Have a sweet craving? What about a salty craving? Oh crap you have both...

It is one of the greatest dilemmas of life. Sweet or salty.

Along with soft or strong Charmin toliet paper, regular fries or sweet potato fries...or most importantly ... shower before bed and sleep in but risk bed head... or get up early and guarantee gorgeousness.

So tough.

But luckily you can once again have both. This is a little trick a friend of mine taught me and I've been hooked ever since. Super easy, super duper delicious.

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Mmmm... crème brûlée.... mmmm....

Crème brûlée is like the Kim Kardashian of desserts. Sexy, smooth, a little intimidating and appears out of reach to most... but when you look closely at it, just a hard shell on top but really easy to get into .. WHAMMY.

Haha ... creme brulee can be a birthday cake too!

I get it, it crème brûlée looks challenging. It is custard-like-thing... I was intimidated. I never thought I could even attempt it. And vanilla beans? Ya friggan right! Not in this girl's budget.

But..BUT... it was my foodie friend's birthday. And for her, cupcakes just wouldn't do. I needed to take it up a notch. I needed to go where no student ever thought they could go. And I knew her dad had a mini torch so I thought it was a perfect opportunity.

Now I know there are 100,000,000 different crème brûlée recipes out there. So mine isn't anything remotely special. I just wanted to share with you the one that worked for me. Because yes I tried it TWICE before success. Turned out the least complex recipe was the one that worked the best.

So here it is, my most successful therefore favourite crème brûlée recipe, adapted from The Sweet Pea Chef.  No tempering of eggs, no double boilers, no mess and fess.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Okay. A personal confession, I think cake from a box... is amazing. I hate to admit that anything from a box is amazing. Except for mac and cheese of course. But honestly, it's hard to compete with. Box cake is usually super moist and delicious and it is super duper easy to make not to mention cheap as hell.

So yes, I sometimes make cake from a box. But that isn't gourmet! But what is gourmet is sprucing it up with some homemade icing. That's right, you can do something fancy and call it your own.

And comeon.. anything with the word "butter" in the title has to be friggan fantastic.

Birthday Dinner!!!

The absolute best part about having a birthday, is having other people spoil the crap out of you.

And that is EXACTLY what happened on my birthday this year =)

My foodie friend out-did herself by cooking me an amazing multi-course birthday dinner. Best part about it... THE THEME WAS CHEESE!!!!!! Does she know me? Or does she know me?

Peanut Butter Stir Fry

Sounds crazy doesn't it. Peanut butter stir fry? Ya I thought my friend was nuts when she told me about this. Her boyfriend's mother's friend's sister (or something like that haha) told her about this recipe. Well if her boyfriend's mother's friend's sister said it was good, it MUST be worth a try.

Eggplant Pizza Version 2.0

Ready for Eggplant Pizza Version 2.0? If you recall, Eggplant Pizza Version 1.0 was not only easy on the taste buds, easy on the wallet as well as easy on the eyes. Version 2.0 meets all the same qualifications but takes things up a notch. In more traditional pizza format, this pizza is hearty enough for the winter yet fresh and light enough for the summer (contradicting no? Whatever - I eat it all the time and hopefully you will too!)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Switching things up here with my third crescent roll recipe. This time I use the pastry in a savory way by using them in a casserole. This recipe actually comes from a friend of mine who grew up in Sault St. Marie. The Sault is known for their very cold badass winters - and when its cold outside, there is nothing better than something warm and delicious to heat your belly. When she made this dish for me I was floored, it was so good yet so incredibly cheap and easy to make. Ever since then I have been making this dish for friends everywhere and there is yet to be a belly unsatisfied.

Warm Spinach Dip

Spinach Dip!!! Wooo! Yes, spinach dip is incredibly exciting, at least it is with my group of friends! Definitely a party staple and probably the most requested recipe I have. Which makes it an obvious addition to the Ultimate Student Collection. Its ooey, its gooey and soooo tasty! Even though it is packed with cheese, (and I mean seriously packed), I use light/low fat versions to help out a bit, but surprisingly it does not sacrifice flavour.

Now I know there are a gazillion spinach dip recipes out there, but I add a little something extra that sets mine apart. That secret is slivered almonds. It adds an element of crunch to the creamy dip. Trust me, once you have the dip without them, you will miss them.

So next time you have a girls night, or you are invited to a potluck, try bring this super easy spinach dip, its sure to please the masses.

Hummus - Just as Universal as Mayo

Hummus. Love it. Absolutely love it. I dip things in it, spread it on things, mix different ingredients into it. You can use it for just about anything! Now most pre-made hummus you find in stores contain A LOT of oil and sometimes other ingredients that I can't pronounce. So once I discovered how incredibly easy it is to make my own, I never looked back to the shelves in the grocery store again.

You can mix a million different flavors into hummus twisting and turning it into different recipes, but today I will present you with the basic hummus recipe. Simple but never boring.

An important key to a good hummus is Tahini or Tahina. Tahini is basically a sesame seed paste. You can actually make it yourself, but I opt for the easy option of buying a huge tub. Why? Well its relatively cheap and it lasts forever. Nowadays you can find it at most grocery stores. Tahini reacts with the chickpeas to make a smoother texture and richer flavor (if you have ever tried to make hummus without tahini, you know what I am talkin about!

Ok... on to the recipe!

Basic Hummus 

1 can of chickpeas
2 tbsp of Tahini
1 tbsp of water or oil
1 tbsp of lemon juice (optional)
1 garlic clove
Salt to taste

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water or oil and blend. Blender is easiest option, but of course I do not have one so I use an emersion blender. Heck I have even used a potato mashed.

I choose water over oil for a healthier option. But once everything is blended, you may need to add more liquid to reach your desired consistency (depends on how thick or thin you like yours).

Also, I love garlic, so I often put in more.. but there is such a thing as too much. I think 1-2 cloves is just fine raw, but I have made it with roasted garlic and I use a lot more.

Drizzle olive oil on top and serve with chips, pita, veggies... literally whatever!