Okay, I probably made these more than I should've last summer, but they were seriously addicting. And super cheap. Okay, probably not nutritious in any way, but they were delicious.
Here's my alterations and suggestions:
1. I didn't do the garlic butter glaze. In all honesty, I didn't even look at the directions, I just say the picture and thought it would be a good idea. The recipe still is great when you just do crescent rolls, pepperoni and cheese.
2. I halved the cheese sticks, but only did three to five pepperoni per roll, depending on how much of a pepperoni mood I was in.
3. I bought a pack of four crescent rolls instead of the typical eight. I was just cooking for myself, and four of these were more than enough for me.
4. Because I wasn't working off of this recipe, I just used the time and temperature printed on the crescent roll package. I believe I cooked them for about 10 minutes and they were perfect.
These are super easy, super quick and super cheap. And they taste good too! What better combination could you ask for?
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Utensil Essentials for Apartment Cooking
After writing my "Kitchenware Essentials for Apartment Cooking" post, I thought it would be beneficial to also include a post that mentioned essential utensils when cooking. Below is my list.
Necessities (in no particular order)
1. Can opener
I honestly can't stress the importance of having a can opener enough. Have you ever tried to open a can of shredded chicken with a dull knife? Well, I have. Technically, I let my boyfriend handle that, but still. It wasn't pretty, I can tell you that. He ended up cutting himself and some flecks of the metal got into the chicken, so we couldn't use it anyway. Now, I have this one, but that's mainly because I was fortunate enough to have one in our basement at home. It's really nice because it creates a smooth edge and is SUPER easy to operate (my roommate might disagree with you, but I swear it is once you get used to it). You don't have to puncture the metal as you're opening it, so it doesn't take as much force on your part. This summer, I was living away from home and bought a can opener at Target for $3 or less. It wasn't the best quality, but it worked. I just suggest you have some kind of can opener if you're going to be doing any type of cooking.
2. Measuring cups
This is mainly because I'm obsessive when I cook and like to have all the exact measurements. Honestly, though, who doesn't? So making sure you have a pack of measuring cups with 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup measurements will help immensely. I think most sets come with a more complete pack, but those measurements are the only essential ones you'll need.
3. Knife set
I suppose this isn't as essential if you're not going to be doing a lot of recipes with diced chicken or cut vegetables. However, I think it's nice to have a knife set for those types of occasions. Having at least one or two sharp knives that you can use to dice chicken is extremely helpful if you ever find a recipe that calls for it (and a good amount call for either diced or shredded chicken). Even when a recipe calls for shredded chicken I can usually substitute diced chicken in instead so I don't have to wait for the chicken to cook in the crockpot.
4. Multiple stirring spoons
Especially if you're a pasta lover like me, it's a good idea to have multiple stirring spoons. That way, you don't have to wash it every time you want to make a meal. Even two or three instead of one can make a difference.
5. Spatula
I have a few spatulas, but they're extremely helpful to scrape the sides of the mixing bowls or the inside of a can. I have what I consider a large and small spatula that I use most often. I use the large spatula for a lot of batter mixing, and the small spatula for scraping the insides of soup cans.
Non-necessities (but nice to have every once in a while)
1. Garlic press
Okay, so I don't actually have one of these in my apartment, but I wish I did. I tried to buy a tiny jar with already pre-diced garlic, but it didn't work the best. Plus, bulbs of garlic stay good way longer than this jar did. I keep meaning to swipe a garlic press, but I always forget. Story of my life. The one we have at home is this one. It's insanely awesome because you don't have to peel the clove of garlic before you press it. The press does it for you. Talk about lazy perfection
2. Measure-All Cup
If you have measuring cups, you don't technically need this, but I find myself using this more than the measuring cups. It's nice because you don't have to scrape the food out of it. You just push up the base and the measured food pops into the bowl. Now they make them so you can measure liquid in the base. This isn't ideal for all situations, which is why I put regular measuring cups under the necessities, but it's nice when you're feeling just a little lazy. Pampered Chef now has a large and small version of these, which I must admit I have both. If I had to pick one, I would pick the larger size. In my opinion, it's better to have the possibility for larger measurements, even if you don't use them that often.
Necessities (in no particular order)
1. Can opener
I honestly can't stress the importance of having a can opener enough. Have you ever tried to open a can of shredded chicken with a dull knife? Well, I have. Technically, I let my boyfriend handle that, but still. It wasn't pretty, I can tell you that. He ended up cutting himself and some flecks of the metal got into the chicken, so we couldn't use it anyway. Now, I have this one, but that's mainly because I was fortunate enough to have one in our basement at home. It's really nice because it creates a smooth edge and is SUPER easy to operate (my roommate might disagree with you, but I swear it is once you get used to it). You don't have to puncture the metal as you're opening it, so it doesn't take as much force on your part. This summer, I was living away from home and bought a can opener at Target for $3 or less. It wasn't the best quality, but it worked. I just suggest you have some kind of can opener if you're going to be doing any type of cooking.
2. Measuring cups
This is mainly because I'm obsessive when I cook and like to have all the exact measurements. Honestly, though, who doesn't? So making sure you have a pack of measuring cups with 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup measurements will help immensely. I think most sets come with a more complete pack, but those measurements are the only essential ones you'll need.
3. Knife set
I suppose this isn't as essential if you're not going to be doing a lot of recipes with diced chicken or cut vegetables. However, I think it's nice to have a knife set for those types of occasions. Having at least one or two sharp knives that you can use to dice chicken is extremely helpful if you ever find a recipe that calls for it (and a good amount call for either diced or shredded chicken). Even when a recipe calls for shredded chicken I can usually substitute diced chicken in instead so I don't have to wait for the chicken to cook in the crockpot.
4. Multiple stirring spoons
Especially if you're a pasta lover like me, it's a good idea to have multiple stirring spoons. That way, you don't have to wash it every time you want to make a meal. Even two or three instead of one can make a difference.
5. Spatula
I have a few spatulas, but they're extremely helpful to scrape the sides of the mixing bowls or the inside of a can. I have what I consider a large and small spatula that I use most often. I use the large spatula for a lot of batter mixing, and the small spatula for scraping the insides of soup cans.
Non-necessities (but nice to have every once in a while)
1. Garlic press
Okay, so I don't actually have one of these in my apartment, but I wish I did. I tried to buy a tiny jar with already pre-diced garlic, but it didn't work the best. Plus, bulbs of garlic stay good way longer than this jar did. I keep meaning to swipe a garlic press, but I always forget. Story of my life. The one we have at home is this one. It's insanely awesome because you don't have to peel the clove of garlic before you press it. The press does it for you. Talk about lazy perfection
2. Measure-All Cup
If you have measuring cups, you don't technically need this, but I find myself using this more than the measuring cups. It's nice because you don't have to scrape the food out of it. You just push up the base and the measured food pops into the bowl. Now they make them so you can measure liquid in the base. This isn't ideal for all situations, which is why I put regular measuring cups under the necessities, but it's nice when you're feeling just a little lazy. Pampered Chef now has a large and small version of these, which I must admit I have both. If I had to pick one, I would pick the larger size. In my opinion, it's better to have the possibility for larger measurements, even if you don't use them that often.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Using Coconut Oil Instead of Vegetable Oil When Baking
Last summer, I went to California for an internship. Exciting, right? Especially since it's on the other side of the country for me.
When my internship was nearing its end, I knew I had to get rid of a lot of the food I had in the apartment, especially the flour and sugar as my roommate had no use for it. So, what better to do than bake for everyone at the office?
However, in my short sight to use my available resources, I forgot to pick up vegetable oil from the grocery store. My roommate offered for me to use the coconut oil she had in the pantry as a substitute. I had heard of coconut oil being substituted for other things, so it seemed like a safe bet.
The only problem was coconut oil clumps when it reaches a certain temperature. I decided to use it regardless because I really wanted to get rid of the ingredients I had. And let's face it, I also just wanted cupcakes.
The recipe I used called for a cup of boiling water after mixing the ingredients. This eased my mind and made all of the clumps in the coconut oil disappear. I just didn't want to bite into a clump of coconut while eating a chocolate-peanut butter cupcake. Talk about confusing your taste buds.
The ending result? Coconut oil is a fine substitute for vegetable oil when baking, at least when baking chocolate cupcakes. I think the cocoa taste overpowered the little hints of coconut. I did smell it slightly, but I couldn't taste any difference. The only other difference was in the cake. I don't know if it was the recipe or the oil, but the cake turned out a little tackier or denser than cupcakes typically are. I'm going to assume this was from the oil.
So, if you're baking with coconut oil, have no fear about the quality of the cupcake. (I'm using cupcake as an example because that's the one time I've used it as a substitute.) The cupcake may be a little dense and give you the whiff of coconut every few bites, but it's nothing to worry about. Plus, everyone always raves about the health benefits associated with using coconut oil as a substitute. Maybe I should use it more often so I don't feel as guilty for eating sweets all the time...
When my internship was nearing its end, I knew I had to get rid of a lot of the food I had in the apartment, especially the flour and sugar as my roommate had no use for it. So, what better to do than bake for everyone at the office?
However, in my short sight to use my available resources, I forgot to pick up vegetable oil from the grocery store. My roommate offered for me to use the coconut oil she had in the pantry as a substitute. I had heard of coconut oil being substituted for other things, so it seemed like a safe bet.
The only problem was coconut oil clumps when it reaches a certain temperature. I decided to use it regardless because I really wanted to get rid of the ingredients I had. And let's face it, I also just wanted cupcakes.
The recipe I used called for a cup of boiling water after mixing the ingredients. This eased my mind and made all of the clumps in the coconut oil disappear. I just didn't want to bite into a clump of coconut while eating a chocolate-peanut butter cupcake. Talk about confusing your taste buds.
The ending result? Coconut oil is a fine substitute for vegetable oil when baking, at least when baking chocolate cupcakes. I think the cocoa taste overpowered the little hints of coconut. I did smell it slightly, but I couldn't taste any difference. The only other difference was in the cake. I don't know if it was the recipe or the oil, but the cake turned out a little tackier or denser than cupcakes typically are. I'm going to assume this was from the oil.
So, if you're baking with coconut oil, have no fear about the quality of the cupcake. (I'm using cupcake as an example because that's the one time I've used it as a substitute.) The cupcake may be a little dense and give you the whiff of coconut every few bites, but it's nothing to worry about. Plus, everyone always raves about the health benefits associated with using coconut oil as a substitute. Maybe I should use it more often so I don't feel as guilty for eating sweets all the time...
Burger Seasoning
Okay, especially since we're starting to head into summer, I thought I would share the seasoning I use whenever I cook burgers. My roommate and I wanted to have burgers on the George Foreman, but had no idea how to make them delicious. The answer? A1 and seasoned salt.
I have to admit, I thought my boyfriend was crazy when he first suggested the pair. "Trust me," he said. Thank goodness I did.
The burgers were fantastic, and were ready in about 5-10 minutes after putting them on the grill.
The way I used this duo was I put a small amount of A1 sauce at the bottom of a large cereal bowl. Then, I placed in the burger on each side to coat it with the sauce. After that, I sprinkled some of Lawry's seasoned salt on either side and stuck it on the grill. It was as simple as that.
Since we had some extra time, we toasted the burger buns in a pan before we ate them. We paired this with some Ore-Ida Zesties fries. It had just the right amount of kick to pair with the seasoned salt and A1.
I have to admit, I thought my boyfriend was crazy when he first suggested the pair. "Trust me," he said. Thank goodness I did.
The burgers were fantastic, and were ready in about 5-10 minutes after putting them on the grill.
The way I used this duo was I put a small amount of A1 sauce at the bottom of a large cereal bowl. Then, I placed in the burger on each side to coat it with the sauce. After that, I sprinkled some of Lawry's seasoned salt on either side and stuck it on the grill. It was as simple as that.
Since we had some extra time, we toasted the burger buns in a pan before we ate them. We paired this with some Ore-Ida Zesties fries. It had just the right amount of kick to pair with the seasoned salt and A1.
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