Quick & Easy "Crab Cake" Sandwich

I needed to go grocery shopping yesterday, but with two exams this week, it just isn't happening until tomorrow. So, for once, I checked the freezer last night to see what I could defrost. I found Imitation Crab Meat - the kind you find in salad bars and is pre-cooked. I figured the worst case scenario was that I would eat it straight out of the bag as a snack. Well turns out inspiration came at the right time and I had delicious and light crab cake sandwiches for lunch!

Ingredients:

Whole wheat bread, 2 slices

I package (7 oz) Imitation Crab Meat

Two stalks of celery, finely chopped

2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped

4 Tbsp stone-ground mustard

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Zesty lemon seasoning, to taste

Pepper, to taste 

Sliced Cheese (optional)

Directions:

Mix together last 7 ingredients in a bowl and spread on toasted bread. Grill in George Foreman grill or panini maker until warm, or cheese is melted.

Easy, Healthy, Quick Meals - Part IV

This is a great convenience meal because most of the ingredients can be frozen - I ate it several times during exams! This is a great way to get vegetables, and saves time because the pasta is precooked. The whole bag of veggies is only 270 calories so load up! Recipe Courtesy of  Birds Eye (see product website). 

Ingredients:

Birds Eye Asparagus Stir Fry (w/ Asparagus, Carrots, Cauliflower, Noodles, Green Beans)
Frozen, Uncooked, Peeled Shrimp
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
Sesame Oil

Directions:

1. Cook shrimp in a skillet in 1-2 Tbsp of sesame oil until pink, being sure to flip them occasionally
2. Pour in as many vegetables as you want (you may need to add some more oil too!)
3. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
4. Cook until hot

Easy, Healthy, Quick Meals - Part III

Cheese Tortellini with Green beans steamed in a Microwaveable bag and topped with fresh grape tomatoes - a sprinkle of basil or a pinch of pesto make this meal quick and gourmet!
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Easy, Healthy, Quick Meals - Part II

Finals are around the corner, but no matter how many times I try to convince myself to stop cooking for a while, I always slip back... I went to the grocery store yesterday, my biggest inspiration for cooking, and I was excited to try a new sauce I bought - Bertolli's Four Cheese Rosa. I normally don't love cream sauces, but this version of Alfredo Sauce has added tomatoes and four different cheeses (In case you couldn't tell from the name). When I opened the jar, the cheesiness was a little overwhelming, and I felt kind of nauseous. As I was cooking, I couldn't decide whether I should use the sauce or not. Luckily, I had made enough vegetables for two meals, and I set one aside before adding the sauce. However, with all my concerns about the sauce being totally gross and inedible, it was actually really good!

My Shrimp Campanelle Recipe
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
Campanelle (or other fun-shaped pasta)
1 small bag of Frozen shrimp
1 jar Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa sauce
1 Red bell pepper
1 Vine-ripened tomato
1 Onion
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder

Directions
1. Start the water boiling and toss in the pasta - campanelle takes a little longer to cook than most
2. Dice the onion and tomato; cut the pepper in slices; defrost the shrimp
3. Saute the onions on medium heat for a few minutes and throw in the tomato and bell pepper
4. Pour in the shrimp, cover the vegetables in herbs and spices and let them simmer
5. Once the pasta is done, and the shrimp has turned pink on both sides, heat up the sauce with the vegetables and combine them all together (I used two heaping spoonfuls of sauce)

This took me only about thirty minutes to prepare, and I think it is a great meal for beginning cooks that want something a little gourmet. Shrimp is one of the easiest meats to cook because they take only a few minutes to cook and they turn pink when their done. Enjoy!

Easy, Healthy, Quick Meals - Part I

Before I came to college, I had already tried many different kinds of "veggie burgers". My family ate Boca Burger's, Gardenburgers and Dr.Praeger's California Burgers. My Dad even puts them in his grilled chicken sandwiches to get extra veggies in his diet. Consequently, I feel somewhat qualified to say that these are real tasty, especially when cooked in a George Foreman Grill, covered in melted provolone cheese and served in/on your favorite form of bread (today, I used Naan). 

After talking a lot about people in college who "don't cook", I hope I can give people some ideas or inspiration to take simple steps towards eating healthy. These are really great because they can be frozen for later...I am going to find out how long they stay good in the refrigerator.