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.

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.

Pita Pizza

As most of you know by now, pizza is a staple in my house. A staple in my life. I truly believe pizza is what makes the world go round. Isn't that why pizzas are typically round? Like the EARTH.

Potato Leek Soup

October. Besides halloween, there is not much to look forward to. And for those of you who are in school up here in good ole Canada (eh?), October seems to be the month of....dum dum dum duuuummm.....midterms.

Studying and writing midterms, completing assignments AND still going to class all at the same time seems to make my head spin. No to mention the expansion of my waist line due to all the late night pizza orders and sugar rush from candy and pop.

Determined NOT to fall into my usual pattern of sugar highs and hard core crashes, I needed to stay on top of my eating habits (at least TRY to) and eat some REAL food. And if that means taking a study break to make some food then so be it. Some people would call that procrastination, I call it .....who are we kidding... it is procrastination. Just like how I am procrastinating from studying right now to write this blog post... dam.

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.

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.

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

French toast is great on its own, but why not jazz it up every once in a while and make your Sunday morning breakfast a treat. I know my goal was to stay away from PB & J sandwiches, but I couldn't help it! It is a classic combination!That is why I needed to add this to the Ultimate Student Collection.  I added fresh fruit to not only make it a bit healthier, but add another level of flavor and texture. 

Want a few tips about how to make a great basic french toast? Check it out here. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

2 slices of bread

French Toast Egg Mixture (2 eggs, splash of milk, dash of vanilla... or look here)

2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter (any kind - crunchy, smooth, natural)

2 Tbsp of Jelly/Jam

Handful of fresh fruit

Dip bread in egg mixture and cook in frying pan over medium heat until golden brown. 

While still warm, spread peanut butter and jelly over one slice of french toast. Top with fresh fruit. 

Pour over maple syrup (but be careful because the jam is already really sweet, so you may not want to add to much liquid sugar). 

Quick and Easy Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is a classic dessert that I remember having growing up. It is full of rich and creamy goodness. Now this dessert can be made to be devilishly fattening and amazingly delicious, but lets face it, our waist line can't handle it that often. So, I came up with a lighter version using ingredients that I normally have on hand. Such as.... Minute Rice. Yep... I said Minute Rice. Or instant rice. Still the same thing. All those foodies out there are probably cringing horribly right now. But what can I say? I'm a student and Minute Rice takes only.. well..minutes to cook! I bet the majority of students have a bag (or box) of rice kicking around in their pantry. Oh and did I mention I normally use brown rice too? Not traditional by any means, but it is slightly better for you so why the hey not.

Also, I mentioned earlier about how you can use Warm Apple Topping on rice pudding to take it up a notch. But you can top it with many things such as chocolate or nuts (you know, just to add a little twist here and there).

So are you ready for some easyness?

Quick and Easy Rice Pudding

1 cup of Brown Minute Rice
1 1/2 cups of Milk
1/4 cup of sugar  (use less if you want - or use brown sugar)
2 tsp of Cinnamon
Handful of Raisins (optional)
Splash of Vanilla
Pinch of Cinnamon
Glob of butter (optional)
1 egg (optional!!)

Put rice, milk, sugar, spices, vanilla and raisins in a pot and turn on high. (I like to add raisins early because they soak up some liquid and become nice and plump). Bring almost to a boil. But keep an eye on it because with milk, it can go from bubbly to overspill in seconds.

Once it hits high, turn heat to low and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked stirring occasionally. Really, just follow the directions on the Minute Rice box (haha). If you find that the rice is a little dry, you can always add more milk - especially if you like it really creamy.

Once the rice is cooked, the egg can come into play if you like. But you need to TEMPER the egg. (What the heck is that? I will tell you) You need to crack and whip the egg in a separate bowl. Add a spoon-full of hot rice pudding to the egg and stir constantly. This will bring up the temperature of the egg mixture without cooking it. Then you can put that mixture  back into the rice pudding pot and stir until it is all incorporated. Let cook for another 2 minutes. Adding an egg creates a wonderful texture - really light and creamy.

Choose no egg? Just head straight to this step. Stir in a bit of butter (this is optional of course) to add an extra level of flavor and make it more creamy.

Serve warm or cold. 

Add Warm Apple Topping for some extra goodness!

Cooking Tip for 1: This can last in the fridge for a few days and some think it is even better cold. Surprisingly, it actually makes a good breakfast too. It is a good way to spoil yourself with dessert, but not kill your diet.

Eggplant Pizza Version 1.0

Version 1.0? Yep, that means I have multiple eggplant pizza recipes. I can't seem to get enough of the whole eggplant-pizza combination. It is quite delicious and ridiculously easy. Part of the Ultimate Student Collection.

This recipe comes from my bf who grew up on it. His mother had to be creative in getting her boys to eat their veggies! Apparently they would eat anything if the word "pizza" was attached. She is also gluten-intolerant which makes eating pizza difficult. And the dough-less eggplant pizza was born.

Eggplant Pizza

1 Eggplant
1 Can of Pizza Sauce
Pepperoni
Mozzarella Cheese
Any other pizza toppings you like

 Preheat oven to  425 degrees. Slice up an eggplant (1/4 - 1/2 inch thick) and lay them flat on a baking sheet. The reason you don't want to cut the eggplant too thick is that the skin can be kinda tough and nobody likes tough stuff.

Spread pizza sauce on each slice. Top with well, toppings. I personally think the pepperoni slices are what makes this a tasty bite. It adds texture and makes it feel a little more substantial since there are no carbs present.

Place in oven for approximately 10-12 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and turn a little golden.

Let em cool before you jump in!

Cooking Tip for 1: Eggplants come in such various sizes so just try to pick a smaller one. Or try a Japanese eggplant because they are smaller and thinner. They may offer a bit of a different flavor but worth a try. Then you can make eggplant pizza bites! Yum.