Heather's Kitchen
Recipes that will make you say "yum"
Heather Haslinger
Issue date: 5/3/04 Section: Food in Albany
- Page 1 of 1
Miss mom's home cooking? Well, Freedom-quaders, Empire Commoners, and downtowners, you are lucky indeed. You have your very own kitchen that releases you from Chartwells' clutches and gives you the freedom to be inventive, healthy, and flavorful about your cooking.
Even if you have never cooked before, it is not that hard. Following the directions of a good recipe is all you really need to concoct a tasty meal. Don't forget the ingredients either!
Food is an integral part of life. If you eat crappy food, I believe you feel crappy, too. But when you can whip up some delicious delectable munchies, not only does it give you a sense of accomplishment, but you have a yummy treat to show off to your roommates as well.
I got my very first apartment this year. How glorious it felt when I first moved into my little Washington Avenue abode. I have my very own kitchen, and it couldn't be more awesome. Not only did I learn to cook this year, but I've devised a few recipes that have made my friends love to have dinner at my house.
Try these following recipes on for size- I guarantee that they are better than anything you can find in the campus dining halls or by take-out.
Heather's Best Burgers Ever (serves 4)
These are definitely not your normal burgers. I got the idea from a gourmet butcher my mom goes to back at home, but I added my own twist with easy-to-find ingredients:
*1- 1 1/2 lbs of the best ground meat you can find. I recommend Angus brand (the leaner the better), which you can find it at Hannaford grocery stores. Whether you pick turkey meat, or red meat, they both make great burgers in this recipe. Don't forget to check the expiration date!
* 1 small handful of chopped white onions
* 1 handful of chopped portabella mushrooms
* 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
* 3 strips of center cut bacon, any flavor
* 1 small handful of shredded (cooking term: julienne) lettuce (the greener the better, and you can also try baby spinach)
* 1 handful of shredded or crumbled cheese. (I recommend feta, cheddar, or Swiss)
* 4 thick chunks of cheddar, mozzarella, or American cheese
* 1/2 cup of white or red wine (white for turkey burgers, red for red meat)
* 1 dash each of salt and pepper
* 4 crusty rolls
Always start by washing your hands and getting your ingredients out and ready. Cut up your vegetables and cheese.
Begin by cooking the bacon strips in a large pan on stovetop (you will use this pan to cook everything). Drain juices into a sink after the first few minutes of cooking. This will make the bacon crispier. When the bacon strips begin to bubble and brown, flip them to cook the other sides. When they are browned to your liking, remove from heat and place bacon inside paper towels to drain the grease.
Keep bacon grease in the pan, and add your onions, garlic and mushrooms on medium heat. Stir the vegetables every few minutes. After about 7 minutes, your mushrooms will be browned, the onions won't look opaque, and the garlic will be crackling. Remove from heat and place vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Pat with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
Crumble the bacon into the bowl as bacon bits. Irregular sizes are fine, but keep the bacon down to smaller pieces.
Add julienne lettuce shreds, and the shredded or crumbled cheese to the bowl. Mix together with a spoon to get the ingredients mingling. Add a dash of salt and pepper to your liking.
Break out the ground meat. Now is the time to wash your hands again. You're going to have to get all into the meat now, so you'll want to have clean hands. Mix meat with the seasoned mixture in the bowl. Get it so everything is combined evenly, and you don't have a huge area with just bacon, or just lettuce. Equal distribution is the key.
Pat the meat down into the bowl so that it is evenly flat on top. Take a knife, or your hand, and cut a line horizontally and vertically to make 4 even slices. One at a time, take out the section and place a cheese chunk in the center of the patty. Mold the patty around the chunk of cheese, so it is in the center of the burger, like a hidden surprise.
Repeat on the remaining three burgers.
Place patties in the bacon/veggies pan. Cook on Medium heat for about 6 minutes per side, adding either the white or red wine to the pan, depending on your type of ground meat. It will retain flavor better if you cook it in wine.
Feel free to add more cheese on top of your burger, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, or whatever you usually like with your burger and buns. Brown gravy is also a great topping to smother your burger and get even more flavor.
Anyone who tries this is bound to love it. The great thing is, you can modify it any way you like, removing an ingredient here or there, or adding even more. Bon appetit!
Chocolate mousse and strawberry dessert
No cooking required. It's funny what you can come up with for dessert when the grocery store puts certain ingredients on sale together. By the fruits and vegetables section I have seen these dessert dishes on sale right next to the 2-for-1 strawberries.
* 1 package of fresh strawberries
* 1 page of cake dessert shells (6 in a pack)
* 1 package of chocolate pudding or mousse (preferably)
* Cool Whip
* 1 dash of sugar
Prepare mousse or chocolate pudding. Set in refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Wash strawberries and cut off green ends. Slice from the bottom to top to get circular, thin, wafer-like slices. Line the bottoms of the dessert shells with half of strawberry slices. Set aside the remaining slices.
Get mousse or pudding out of fridge, and whip quickly with a spoon. Add in Cool Whip, if pudding was used. Mix well. Pour into dessert shells, and top with remaining strawberry slices. Add more Cool Whip on top, if desired. Sprinkle with a little sugar and serve.
Even if you have never cooked before, it is not that hard. Following the directions of a good recipe is all you really need to concoct a tasty meal. Don't forget the ingredients either!
Food is an integral part of life. If you eat crappy food, I believe you feel crappy, too. But when you can whip up some delicious delectable munchies, not only does it give you a sense of accomplishment, but you have a yummy treat to show off to your roommates as well.
I got my very first apartment this year. How glorious it felt when I first moved into my little Washington Avenue abode. I have my very own kitchen, and it couldn't be more awesome. Not only did I learn to cook this year, but I've devised a few recipes that have made my friends love to have dinner at my house.
Try these following recipes on for size- I guarantee that they are better than anything you can find in the campus dining halls or by take-out.
Heather's Best Burgers Ever (serves 4)
These are definitely not your normal burgers. I got the idea from a gourmet butcher my mom goes to back at home, but I added my own twist with easy-to-find ingredients:
*1- 1 1/2 lbs of the best ground meat you can find. I recommend Angus brand (the leaner the better), which you can find it at Hannaford grocery stores. Whether you pick turkey meat, or red meat, they both make great burgers in this recipe. Don't forget to check the expiration date!
* 1 small handful of chopped white onions
* 1 handful of chopped portabella mushrooms
* 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
* 3 strips of center cut bacon, any flavor
* 1 small handful of shredded (cooking term: julienne) lettuce (the greener the better, and you can also try baby spinach)
* 1 handful of shredded or crumbled cheese. (I recommend feta, cheddar, or Swiss)
* 4 thick chunks of cheddar, mozzarella, or American cheese
* 1/2 cup of white or red wine (white for turkey burgers, red for red meat)
* 1 dash each of salt and pepper
* 4 crusty rolls
Always start by washing your hands and getting your ingredients out and ready. Cut up your vegetables and cheese.
Begin by cooking the bacon strips in a large pan on stovetop (you will use this pan to cook everything). Drain juices into a sink after the first few minutes of cooking. This will make the bacon crispier. When the bacon strips begin to bubble and brown, flip them to cook the other sides. When they are browned to your liking, remove from heat and place bacon inside paper towels to drain the grease.
Keep bacon grease in the pan, and add your onions, garlic and mushrooms on medium heat. Stir the vegetables every few minutes. After about 7 minutes, your mushrooms will be browned, the onions won't look opaque, and the garlic will be crackling. Remove from heat and place vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Pat with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
Crumble the bacon into the bowl as bacon bits. Irregular sizes are fine, but keep the bacon down to smaller pieces.
Add julienne lettuce shreds, and the shredded or crumbled cheese to the bowl. Mix together with a spoon to get the ingredients mingling. Add a dash of salt and pepper to your liking.
Break out the ground meat. Now is the time to wash your hands again. You're going to have to get all into the meat now, so you'll want to have clean hands. Mix meat with the seasoned mixture in the bowl. Get it so everything is combined evenly, and you don't have a huge area with just bacon, or just lettuce. Equal distribution is the key.
Pat the meat down into the bowl so that it is evenly flat on top. Take a knife, or your hand, and cut a line horizontally and vertically to make 4 even slices. One at a time, take out the section and place a cheese chunk in the center of the patty. Mold the patty around the chunk of cheese, so it is in the center of the burger, like a hidden surprise.
Repeat on the remaining three burgers.
Place patties in the bacon/veggies pan. Cook on Medium heat for about 6 minutes per side, adding either the white or red wine to the pan, depending on your type of ground meat. It will retain flavor better if you cook it in wine.
Feel free to add more cheese on top of your burger, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, or whatever you usually like with your burger and buns. Brown gravy is also a great topping to smother your burger and get even more flavor.
Anyone who tries this is bound to love it. The great thing is, you can modify it any way you like, removing an ingredient here or there, or adding even more. Bon appetit!
Chocolate mousse and strawberry dessert
No cooking required. It's funny what you can come up with for dessert when the grocery store puts certain ingredients on sale together. By the fruits and vegetables section I have seen these dessert dishes on sale right next to the 2-for-1 strawberries.
* 1 package of fresh strawberries
* 1 page of cake dessert shells (6 in a pack)
* 1 package of chocolate pudding or mousse (preferably)
* Cool Whip
* 1 dash of sugar
Prepare mousse or chocolate pudding. Set in refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Wash strawberries and cut off green ends. Slice from the bottom to top to get circular, thin, wafer-like slices. Line the bottoms of the dessert shells with half of strawberry slices. Set aside the remaining slices.
Get mousse or pudding out of fridge, and whip quickly with a spoon. Add in Cool Whip, if pudding was used. Mix well. Pour into dessert shells, and top with remaining strawberry slices. Add more Cool Whip on top, if desired. Sprinkle with a little sugar and serve.