As I bring the recent series of international recipes to an end, it seems appropriate to complete the progression with a dish to complete a meal—dessert! At Indian restaurants, you’ll find that one of the most delicious, classic, and simple desserts is rice pudding!

This Warm Indian Rice Pudding combines sweetness and spice to create an authentic dessert that’s almost impossible not to love. I guarantee this will be a delectable finish to our international journey!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup short grain Indian or Italian (Arborio) rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 to 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup finely chopped raw cashews or shelled pistachios
• Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• Ground cinnamon, to taste

What to Do:

1. In a saucepan, combine rice and water and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Add 2 cups of milk, sugar, raisins, nuts, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon.
3. Simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is creamy and the rice is tender. If the mixture is too thick, you can add more milk.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Credit for this recipe belongs to FoodNetwork.com. Photo from Flickr user stu_spivac, used under a Creative Commons license.

This week, we’ll be continuing our trip around the world and heading to China! Among the most classic distinctly Chinese dishes is the dumpling. These succulent bites might seem beyond anything that could be created in a dorm, but they’re actually exceptionally easy to make, and they can serve lots of people if you’re looking to have an in the dorm dinner! So for an Asian evening, try out these pork dumplings, or feel free to substitute any meat you prefer!

What You Need (Makes 15 Dumplings—enough for 1 to 2 people if served as a main dish):

• 16-1/2 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers
• 5 ounces ground pork
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2/3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sliced green onion
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/8 egg, beaten
• About 4/5 cup finely shredded Chinese cabbage

Read the rest of this entry »

My inspiration: The Chile Relleno

This week, in keeping with our new international theme, we’ll be taking a look at how to make a complete Mexican meal! In my family, whenever everyone gets together and goes out for Mexican as a large group, it is guaranteed that at least two or three of us will find our way to the chile relleno, and for many of us, we use it as the basis for our judgment of the overall quality of the restaurant, and I’ve been sucked in as well—I love them!

So the basis of our recipe this week is an easy-to-make meal based on two interpretations of my favorite Mexican dish, the chile relleno. Any of these easy recipes can be prepared separately if only one catches your interest, or you can prepare them all together as a feast for your dorm-mates!

Our Mexican meal will feature Jalepeno poppers—a simple, delicious, and flexible appetizer—followed by a Chile Relleno Casserole with Spanish rice on the side!

Jalepeno Poppers:

What You’ll Need:

• 16 jalapeno chiles
• 1 1/2 cups of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy (optional for a vegetarian)
• 3 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. crushed garlic or 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, medium or sharp, grated

Read the rest of this entry »

Across the country, the number of college students seeking psychiatric help is higher than ever before, according to the recent Healthy Minds Study.

The study reports that 90 percent of college counselors said they have seen a rise in the number of students with mental health problems and the severity of their problems.  In 2007, for example, the 15 percent of college students had been diagnosed with depression, up from 10 percent in 2000.

While the increase in reported mental health problems among college students seems troubling, it may actually be a positive trend.  The authors of the study posit that increase probably doesn’t mean that our generation is more troubled, but rather that we know where to turn for help with mental health issues.

Newfound understanding of psychiatric problems paired with a 50 percent increase in prescribed medications over the past ten years have helped people to know what mental health issues look like and recognize the resource available to address them.

The majority of the time, there is nothing I crave more than Asian food. Curry and Pad Thai would comprise 90% of my diet if it were feasible. But making the trip to Bangkok Bistro every time I feel the need for Thai food is time-consuming and gets very pricey for a college budget.

The same is true of most ethnic food, so I’ve decided that for the next few weeks, I’ll be posting quick, easy international recipe for the students like myself who love Flavors of Far-from-Home whose time commitments and budget don’t allow trips to M Street every time the desire for a new flavor arises. So please, comment and let me know what kinds of things you’d like to learn!

Today, in honor of the dish that inspired this idea, we’ll be learning how to make dorm-friendly Shrimp Pad Thai in a little more than half an hour!

What You’ll Need (Recipe Serves Two):

• 8 oz. Thai rice noodles (linguini width), or more if you’re a hungry pair
• 1-2 cups raw (or cooked) shrimp, shells removed
• 1 shallot (OR 1/4 cup purple onion), chopped
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 2-3 cups bean sprouts
• 1/8 tsp. ground white or black pepper
• 3 finely sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, ground or chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
• 3 Tbsp. chicken stock
• Wedges of lime for serving

Read the rest of this entry »

I am absolutely a dessert person. Chocolate, cookies, ice-cream, cake, cupcakes, anything. I love it all, but like many teenage girls, I tend to be laden with guilt if I indulge when I know I shouldn’t. But every now and then, I discover something so absolutely delectable that it completely negates my guilt, leaving me completely content with my decision to eat my weight in dessert.

A few nights ago, I discovered that it is possible to concoct one such taste of heaven in the dorm—my friends and I had dorm-made Tres Leches cake that made the Top 5 List of Foods I’ve Eaten at Georgetown, and I wanted to share the joy of this recipe with you. It’s a bit complex, but when properly made, it is a little bite of melt-in-your-mouth euphoria. I hope you love it as much as I did!

What You Need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Read the rest of this entry »

Budget cooking is largely dependent on being inventive. At home, my mom tends to take whatever is sitting in our cabinets, throw it into a pot, and out comes a masterpiece. Most of us aren’t yet quite that inventive, and I know in my case, I am not skilled enough to turn out more than a pile of oddly-flavored mush if I spontaneously throw together whatever I have around.

Nonetheless, it seems to be a good skill to have, so this week’s recipe is one that allows for some slight flexibility based on availability and personal taste. The author, like me, had a mother who would add whatever happened to be in the kitchen, which leads me to believe that this is a good recipe for new chefs to use if they want to experiment a little bit with flavors.

And, for those of us who aren’t confident enough to try to branch out, it will also be delicious in this classic version. Stuffed peppers make a healthy dish that, when served, give a very gourmet impression without requiring too much real skill. However, it is an excellent introduction to more complex dishes than much of what we’ve done so far. So whether you let your adventurous side take over or stick with the classic version, these are sure to please!

What You Need:

• 3/4 to 1 cup raw white rice
• 4 to 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green—this is totally based on your taste), use 4 large, or 6 medium sized
• 1 to 1 1/4 lb of ground beef (ground chuck, 16% fat)
• 6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry summer savory
• 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram (or 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Paprika (you can substitute herbs with other herbs such as an Italian herb mix, or anything else that you think sounds fun!)

Read the rest of this entry »

As we enter into October, Halloween is beginning to creep up on the horizons, and as decorations begin to go up and the leaves begin to come down, pumpkin becomes the enticing flavor profile that pops up everywhere you go—from the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte to IHOP’s delicious pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin is in the air. So, to follow along the theme, this week’s recipes will bring that delightful scent to your dorm with two different recipes!

If you are in the mood for a comforting dessert, the pumpkin bread recipe is the one for you; whereas if you want to brighten everyone’s morning or make a late night breakfast, try the pumpkin pancakes with warm maple syrup! Either way, your common room will have the classic scent of everyone’s favorite fall food!

For Pumpkin Bread:

What You’ll Need:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Read the rest of this entry »

When I walk into Leo’s and see cheese tortellini on the hot bar, my excitement is nearly immeasurable. At home, tortellini was without question the food I prepared the most frequently for myself, because it is absolutely delicious, simple to make, and very easy to turn into an at-home gourmet dish without much effort at all!

Depending on my budget, time, and mood, I could eat and enjoy tortellini plain, with a little olive oil and salt, or with tomato sauce and vegetables. So this week, instead of making something from scratch, we will be learning to add some easy flair to what is already always a delicious, easy, speedy dish.  Also, this dish is very much based on your personal preferences, so the ingredients and amounts listed below are completely flexible!

What You’ll Need:

• 1-2 cups (depending on how hungry you are) Boxed Cheese Tortellini (Buitoni Mixed Cheese is my personal favorite—it’s delicious!)
• ½ – 1 cup Marinara sauce (there is an endless variety of types of pasta sauce, so try keeping it simple the first time, and then branch out and try something intriguing and unusual)
• ½ cup frozen peas
• ½ yellow or orange pepper (green peppers work too, but I prefer the flavor of orange and yellow for this)

Read the rest of this entry »

Go ahead, make your Jewish mother proud!

This past Saturday marked the beginning of the most important period in the Jewish Calendar—the High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is the start of the ten day period of repentance and prayer that concludes on Yom Kippur (the “Day of Atonement”), a holiday that involves fasting, asking for forgiveness, and a plethora of services.

In honor of the holidays, this week’s recipe is for Kugel, a traditional Jewish dish that is frequently served at the end of a fast, but is absolutely delicious anytime! There is a huge variety of Kugel recipes, from sweet to savory, and every Jewish mother is certain she makes the best. But for our purposes, this recipe is for a basic Sweet Noodle Kugel, upon which you can elaborate if you’re feeling adventurous!

What You’ll Need:

• 16 ounces (400 gm) broad egg noodles
• 4 Tbsp. (50 gm) butter, melted
• 1 pound (500 gm) cottage cheese
• 1 pound (500 gm) sour cream or Israeli white cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup crushed cornflakes
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

Optional (for the adventurous!):

• ½ cup raisins
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel
• ¼ cup chopped nuts

Instructions after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »