A Student's Favourite Recipes

This year at university parfait became one of my favourite things to eat. I still continue to have it almost everyday - that's how much I love it! It's great because it's healthy, and you can have it for a snack, breakfast, or dessert.

The Basics:

To make a parfait is very easy. There are three basic parts to a parfait:
-yogurt
-granola
-toppings

The type of yogurt and granola you use is totally up to you. My preferences are Danone Silhouette 0+ (mixed berry or raspberry) because there is zero fat and it tastes great. As for granola I usually go for the low fat box without any add-ins like raisons or nuts. At our cafeteria we had Nature Valley granola, which was delicious but I cannot find it anywhere! Instead I buy President's Choice Original Granola.

How you choose to mix these is totally up to you. Personally, I like to use equal parts yogurt and granola. How much I use depends on how hungry I am. First I pour the yogurt into a bowl (a clear glass bowl looks nicest) and then pour the granola over top so I have two layers. Next is the toppings. It's always great (and healthy!) to top your parfait with fruit. Here's a list of my favourite toppings from which I often mix and match:

-berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
-nectarine
-banana
-grapes
-chocolate chips/chunks
-nuts (almonds, walnuts)
-chocolate candies

It tastes great when you use a variety. I love to top my parfait with mixed berries and a few chocolate chips and nuts.

Tips:

Use flavoured yogurt and fruits to match it. I often used Danone Silhouette 0+ (no fat!) in mixed berry flavour and so it's great to top it with various berries.

Granola also goes great mixed with your morning cereal (corn flakes) and topped with a few berries or banana slices!

I love bruschetta! It's so good. It's a great as an appetizer or for lunch. And of course, it's really easy to make :)
I'm going to explain how to make a serving for one, and you can easily manipulate the recipe to make it for as many people as you want.

Ingredients:

- bread (can use 1/2 of a bagel, 1 slice of bread, 1/2 of a bun, or a couple pieces of a baguette)
- 1/2 tomato
- 2 tbsp olive/veg oil
- pinch of basil
- 1/4 small onion
- cheese* (you don't have to use any cheese, it tastes great without it!) (can use 1 tbsp parmesan, grated cheddar cheese, or a few crumbled pieces of goat's cheese)
- seasoning (pinch of salt and pepper)

First chop up the tomato and onion into small pieces and mix together in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to this and mix. Next add the the basil and seasoning and mix again. Lightly toast your choice of bread. Dribble the other 1 tbsp of olive oil over the bread. Top the bread with your tomato mixture spreading it out evenly. Next sprinkle your cheese over top. Pop it in the oven at 300F for about 5 minutes. And that's it, enjoy!!

Tips:

Try spreading some light cream cheese on your lightly toasted bread before adding the tomato mixing.

Stir fry is one of my favourite meals, I made it all the time this year at school. It's easy to prepare and it's fun because you can switch it up everytime you make it! It's also very heathly so you can't lose :)

I'm going to talk about two different sources of protein that I like to put in my stir fry. These are chicken and tofu, which are both really healthy. You can then mix in a variety of vegetables. Here are some of my favourites:

-carrots
-broccoli
-peppers
-onion
-cauliflower
-you can also top your stir fry with nuts (ex: crushed peanuts)

My favourite sauce to use in stir fry is teriyaki. It's inexpensive and will last you a long time! Then I like to serve my stir fry over either whole grain rice or vermicelli noodles.

Chicken:

I always used skinless, boneless chicken breast because it's easy to work with, it tastes great and it's healthy. Once it is thawed cut the chicken breast into small strips. Add a little vegetable oil to a frying pan and once it's hot throw the chicken pieces in to cook. Toss and turn them now and then. Once they look like they're just about or almost cooked through, toss in your chopped vegetables. Toss and turn these until they're dark in colour and the chicken and vegetables are starting to brown a bit. Now add some teriyaki sauce, just enough to coat everything lightly. Fry everything in the sauce for just a couple minutes and voila you're done!

Serve it over whole grain rice or vermicelli noodles!

Tofu:

I love to make my stir fry with FIRM Tofu. Cut a portion out of the package and chop it into bite size cubes. I usually serve 8-10 pieces per person. Put the rest of the tofu (and liquid) in an air tight container and store it in the fridge. Lay out your tofu pieces on paper towel and lightly pat them dry. Next roll them in corn starch until each piece is evenly coated. Pour some vegetable oil into a frying pan until the surface has a layer of oil. Once it's nice and hot place the tofu pieces carefully in. Be careful here because the oil tends to spray up a bit, so watch the heat level don't have it up to high. Turn the tofu pieces in the oil until they're golden brown. Take them out and place them on some paper towel and gently pat them. Next you can either toss them in a frying pan with your vegetables and sauce or mix them seperately. You can cook the vegetables (either fry or boil them) and toss the tofu with the sauce in a bowl. Serve it all over your choice of rice or noodles.

Tips:

Add some seasoning to the stir fry when you're adding your sauce. My favourite is Club House Greek Seasoning and a bit of salt and pepper.

I also like to add a little bit of soy sauce into my stir fry for extra flavour.

I love making chunky and delicious fries. Many people who make their own fries deepfry them in a pot of oil but I'm going to show you another way of doing it. It's easier, uses up a lot less oil and is healthier.

The number of people you're serving will dictate the number of potatoes you need. If you're cooking for one then you just need one potato.

1. Take the skin off your potato and wash it.
2. Chop your potato into long pieces that resemble chunky fries.
3. Put the pieces in a bowl. Next add some vegetable or olive oil and toss them so they are lightly and evenly coated.
4. Add some seasoning. I like to add freshly ground pepper and Club House Greek Seasoning.
5. Space the fries out on a pan. Cook them in the oven at 450F for about 20-30 minutes or until they are crispy and gold brown. Flip them over every 10 minutes or so.

And that's it! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)

Tips:
For extra tastey fries after you chop up the potato into pieces put them in a boiling pot of water for about 5 minutes so they soften up a bit.

Here's an easy and yummy way to spice up your regular cooked vegetables at dinner!

Ingredients:

-your choice of vegetables (ex: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, onion, mushrooms, esparagus, etc)
-1/4 cup calorie-wise Zesty Italian Dressing
-1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

First chop up your choice of vegetables. You can be creative with your colour combinations here! Put your chopped veggies in a bowl and add the 1/4 cup of zesty italian dressing, tossing them so they are evenly coated. Lay them out on a pan and put them in the oven at 350F for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway. The more vegetables you have the longer it will take so keep an eye on them so they don't dry out. Once they're finished serve them sprinkled with the parmesan cheese.

This is a simple and very yummy way to make potato salad.

Ingredients:

-4 large potatoes
-2 hard boiled eggs
-1/2 of one small onion
-1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
-1/4 cup italian dressing
-seasoning (salt, freshly ground pepper)

1. First skin the potatoes and chop them up into bite size chunks.
2. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
3. Slice up the 2 hard boiled eggs into bite size pieces. Add them together with the potatoes in a bowl.
4. Chop up the onion and add it to the mixture carefully stirring it all together.
5. Carefully mix in the mayonnaise and italian dressing until everything is evenly coated.
6. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Tips:

Add other seasoning such as Club House Greek Seasoning to make it even better.

Chocolate dipped fruit is a great dessert for buffets, parties or other social gatherings. It's super easy to do and with certain decoration and presentation it looks great too!

These fruits work great for dipping:
-strawberries
-banana slices
-kiwi slices
-pineapple pieces

First you need to melt your chocolate. You can use Baker's Semi-Sweet chocolate or chocolate chips. You can also use regular or white chocolate or both, it's up to you! The amount of chocolate you need depends on how many fruit you will be dipping. Set a small pot of water to boil. Then place a bowl with your chocolate in it so it sits on top of the pot but the bottom of the bowl touches the water. Stir the chocolate until it's completely melted. SECRET INGREDIENT: I like to add a bit of peanut butter in to melt with the chocolate. You only need about a tbsp full. Once it's all melted take it off the pot and cover a tray with wax paper. Now you're ready to dip your fruit in the chocolate! Cover it with has much chocolate as you desire and lay each piece on the wax paper to cool. Or, you can also insert them into little paper cups or muffin cups for presentation.

Decorating Tips:

There are many ways to decorate your fruit. You can roll them or sprinkle them with a variety of toppings:

-crushed nuts
-sprinkes
-coconut

You can also drizzle them with more melted chocolate (perhaps white over dark, or vice versa), or melted peanut butter. If you're going to do this let them cool a little bit first.

Once you're finished store them in the fridge.

The Basics:

Fruit salad is such an easy and delicious dessert, especially great for summer!

Here are some great fruits I love to use - remember, the more fruit you include the better!

-berries
-banana
-apple
-melon
-kiwi
-nectarine
-orange
-pineapple

Experiment with colour combinations! Chop up your fruit and mix them together in a large bowl. Next add 1/4 cup of orange juice and 1 tsp of lemon juice and mix and toss the fruit. And that's all it takes! It looks best if you serve it in a clear glass bowl.

Toppings:

Why not top your salad with one or some of the following for extra yumminess and presentation points:

-nuts (almonds or walnuts)
-chocolate chips
-whipped cream
-or serve it with a small scoop of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt!

Tips:

Fruit salad is great because you can have it for dessert, breakfast or just a snack!

This one's really easy to do and fast! It's great for dessert or just a snack.

Ingredients:

-1 apple
-1 tbsp brown sugar
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-a few chocolate chips

Chop the apple up into small chunks and put them in a bowl. Next sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Top it with a few chocolate chips. Zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until it's warm and the chocolate chips are starting to melt. And that's all it takes! It's just a simple recipe to make with a few basic ingredients and tastes great!!

Tips:

If you're feeling indulgent you can also top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

It's really easy to make this for a group of people too and easy to serve!

SquiDirectory - A categorized Squidoo directory featuring an interesting variety of different subjects ranging from arts and literature, shopping, and eco friendly tips, to vehicles for sale, travel, and everything in between.