Enchiladas

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Alex

Family Favorite Enchiladas by Janet Frias
Videography and Production by Alex Diaz

Janet Frias, a junior English-Communication Arts major, shares a taste of home by preparing a family favorite recipe for enchiladas. Growing up this was always the dish served for special occasions.

Ingredients

  • Corn Tortillas
  • 1 Block of Monterey Jack Cheese
  • 1 Can of Wolf Chili
  • Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set the stove to medium, to heat up oil. In a bowl, grate the monterey jack cheese, save for later. Pour the chili in a separate bowl, also set aside for later. In the hot oil, dip each tortillas for about 5 seconds. Set these aside on a plate. Line the pan with foil. In each tortilla place chili, then top with cheese. Roll up the tortillas that have the mixture and place them in the pan. Once they are all laying in the pan, add more chili over the tortillas. Continue to add cheese over the chili to your taste. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Recipe makes about 6 servings.

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Chicken Salad

Posted on April 10, 2013 by snavarro1

Chicken Salad by Nicole Mitchell
Videography and Production by Steven Navarro

Nicole Mitchell,  a senior sociology major, gives some pointers on how to make a savory chicken salad. She also tells how she first became interested in cooking at a young age.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups diced, cooked chicken
  • 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 carrot stick, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/4cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup grapes, cut in half
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tablespoon of mustard
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, carrots, walnuts and grapes. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

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Pasta de Banner

Posted on April 10, 2013 by ztn3

Pasta de Banner by Matt Banner

Videography and Production by Zachary Nicholson

 

Matt Banner, a freshman finance major, cooks up an original dish on the fly. Raised in a household of Italian chefs, Banner shows the techniques he learned growing up in the kitchen. Pasta de Banner is a simple, yet interesting mix of vegetables and pasta that is sure to please your taste-buds!

 

Ingredients

  •  1 cup of mushrooms
  •  1 cup of onions
  •  2 cloves
  •  1 pound of ground meat
  •  ½ cup of okra
  •  ½ teaspoon of salt
  •  ½ teaspoon of pepper
  •  1 serving size of noodles
  •  ½ cup Spaghetti Sauce

Directions

 

Begin by washing all of the vegetables thoroughly. Then dice the onions into small pieces. Once the onions are diced, cut the cloves into very small pieces. Also dice the okra into small chunks.

Next, place all the diced vegetables into a pan. Cook in the pan until the onions begin to caramelize or turn light brown.

After the vegetables are cooked place ground meat into pan and cook until meat is dark brown (or desired meat preference.)

Once the meat is cooked, place the vegetables and the meat in the same pan. Stir the vegetables and the meat together.

Next, bring water to a boil. Add pasta noodles once water is boiling. Cook pasta in boiling water for approximately 10-12 minutes.

Once the pasta is cooked and ready, add it to the stir-fry of vegetables and meat.

Stir the noodles and stir-fry as desired. Add Spaghetti sauce and stir.

That is it! Enjoy eating your Pasta de Banner!

Pasta de Banner completed!

Pasta de Banner completed!

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Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

Posted on April 10, 2013 by bsoto92

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce by Koryn Wade

Videography and Production by Bianca Soto

Koryn Wade, a junior english major, shows off her passion for cooking by preparing a delightful dish from a recipe that has traditionally been passed down her family for years. Spaghetti with tomato sauce is one  of her favorite meals to eat and make and can be easily prepared by anyone within a short matter of time. This delicious and easy to make dish will surely suffice the hunger buds of any person at any age.

Ingredients 

  • 4 oz can of Chopped Tomatoes
  • 4 oz can of Tomato Sauce
  • 2 oz can of Tomato Paste
  • 1 Tbsp of Garlic Salt
  • 1 Tbsp of Sea Salt
  • 2 Tbsp of Black Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp of Basil
  • 2 Tbsp of Oregano
  • 1 Tsp of Minced Dried Onions
  • 1 Tsp of Minced Dried Garlic
  • Angel hair pasta

Directions

Begin with a medium sized deep skillet and place it on the stove at medium heat. Open and pour in all three types of can tomatoes. Do not forget to wash out the rest of the paste into the skillet, just fill the can up with water, stir it around to get the rest of the paste and pour it into the skillet. It’ll take about 5 minutes to warm up the unseasoned sauce, while this is happening take a medium pot and fill it half way with water and sprinkle a dash of salt into the water, which will help it boil faster. Once the water is boiling, snap the angel hair in half and gently place it into the boiling water. Turn down the heat of the boiling water and let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until it is fully cooked. Then add all the seasonings to the tomato sauce, cover, and let it simmer until the pasta is ready. Finally, drain the pasta (add butter if desired), and then pour on the sauce and you’re ready to eat.

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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Posted on April 9, 2013 by jessicavalles

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad by Cassandra Antell
Videography and Production by Jessica Valles

Junior biophysics major Cassandra Antell, cooks chicken for a fresh salad. The dish is simple and tasty, perfect for a quick and healthy meal during a busy week.

Ingredients

  • 2 cooked chicken breasts
  • 1/2 granny smith apple
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Crasins)
  • 2 tbsp. chopped almonds
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1/4-cup plain Greek yogurt
  • Pinch of salt & pepper
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • Club crackers

Directions

Season the chicken to your liking and cook it thoroughly. Shred the cooked chicken and set it aside in a mixing bowl. Chop the celery, apples and onion then add it to the mixing bowl. Add the almonds and dried cranberries while also stirring in the Greek yogurt. Season with salt and pepper and serve with club crackers. This recipe makes about six servings of salad.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

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Baked Meatball Parmesan

Posted on April 8, 2013 by mrhafbreed

Baked Meatball Parmesan by David Wilkins                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Videography and Production by William W. Gilbert

Chef David Wilkins is an Engineering major. Here, he shows us how to make Baked Parmesan Meatballs. The recipe has been passed down through his family.

Ingredient List
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. While the oven is warming, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Using your hands, form mix into 12- 2″ meatballs. Place in a greased, foil-lined, 15x10x1-inch pan, then, bake for 25 min. or until done (160°F).

Serving Suggestion

Try serving with your favorite hot cooked pasta and sauce, and a quick-bagged salad tossed with your favorite dressing.
Substitute 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes for the chopped fresh parsley.
Prepare using 1 pkg. (16 oz.) ground turkey.

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Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Posted on January 18, 2013 by rgrahmann2

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Hecha Con Amor, “Made With Love”
Story and photographs by Rachel Grahmann (Magazine selected as the 2012 Professionals’ Choice Award Winner)

Not many people are able to say that they would be willing to eat one meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day; with no uncertainty or hesitation, Kristina Garcia definitely would.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, a dish often overlooked on Italian restaurant menus around the world, is an unconditional favorite for this St. Mary’s psychology major. She loves her school, especially the family atmosphere, and has come to call its 135 acres home.

A third-year student from Laredo, Texas, Garcia intends to graduate in May 2014 and attend graduate school to pursue a career as a school psychologist.

Garcia isn’t what anyone would call an avid chef. She doesn’t cook often, and prefers it that way, but has made sure to learn how to prepare her beloved meal—and, on that note, those who sample her dish will attest that she has learned to make it very well.

Any restaurant around San Antonio would likely have a hard time comparing their Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo to hers, yet no matter where she goes to eat, if it is on the menu, it won’t take many guesses to figure out what she’ll be ordering.

Her one tip for cooking Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is to make it with love.

“Any meal tastes better that way,” she says. If this is the only secret ingredient that makes her dish so amazing, love needs to be bottled and sold in grocery stores everywhere.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

  • 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 6 T butter, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 1 T Italian seasoning
  • 1 lb fettuccine pasta
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/3 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 T salt
  • 3/4 tsp ground pepper
  • 3 c milk
  • 1 c half-and-half
  • 3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 oz shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 c sour cream

Serves 6-8

Directions:

Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and swirl with a fork to melt. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top. Drop the chopped garlic between and on top of the cooking chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside to be cut.

Fill a large pot halfway with hot water. Place on stove over high heat and salt lightly. Cover. When water begins to boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, or for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the water and set the pasta aside.

In the same skillet used for the chicken, melt 4 tablespoons of butter, swirling around the garlic. Add chopped onion, 2 more cloves of garlic and sauté. Once the onions are almost transparent, add the flour and stir, add the salt and pepper, and stir in milk and half-and-half until the mixture is well blended. Add the sour cream, Parmesan and Monterrey Jack cheeses and stir until melted.

Slice the cooked chicken and slowly add it to the sauce mixture.

Serve over the cooked fettuccine pasta.

 

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Grilled Chicken Breast topped with Mango Salsa

Posted on September 30, 2012 by cassandravara7

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Grilled Chicken Breast topped with Mango Salsa
Story and Photos by Cassandra M. Vara

Sometimes it’s hard to retain your savor for flavor when you’re trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.

After all, how can people spice up their dinner without packing on the pounds?

Well, put down those nachos and get up off the couch!

Join Ashley Nicole Reyes, senior Marketing major at St. Mary’s University, as she shows how to turn up the heat while still whittling down the midsection.

Reyes, a San Antonio native and former contender for Miss Fiesta San Antonio, loves exercising, reading, shopping and showing support for her favorite athletic team–the San Antonio Spurs.

Reyes says she chose St. Mary’s as her choice for higher education because of the student-to-faculty ratio, friendly atmosphere and small classroom size.

“The small classroom environment allows for more in-depth conversations and a better overall understanding of the course subject,” she says.

When she’s not studying or cheering in the front row at a Spurs game, Reyes loves to cook because it allows her to explore her creativity.

“Cooking is an art form,” she says. “I love that I can be very expressive with just food.”

Her favorite foods include anything Italian, good steak and fresh sushi.

Exploring her creativity wasn’t the only reason why she discovered her love of cuisine.

Reyes explains that she also began cooking out of necessity. ”I love eating healthy and sometimes my family and I just don’t want to eat the same thing.”

Reyes says she sometimes cooks her own dinner since her family’s idea of a healthy meal doesn’t always meet her expectations.

Reyes considers this her favorite dish because “it is quick, easy, and a healthy option that’s still full of flavor.”

She adds that if the dish too spicy, leave out the jalapeño for less intensity.

Or, as Reyes jokingly says when asked for her opinion on the spice factor‚”If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen!”

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breast
  • olive oil (roughly 2 oz.)
  • 4 limes
  • 2 mangoes
  • 1 pack of cherub tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • small bushel of cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 package of jasmine rice

Directions

Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Set stove to medium heat. Coat pan with olive oil. Season chicken pieces on each side with black pepper, garlic powder and lime juice. With a knife, carve small, diagonal slits into chicken breasts to intensify spices and to help cook quickly. Place chicken breasts in pan and grill for 20 minutes. Turn occasionally and add lime juice as desired. While chicken cooks, prepare package of jasmine rice and mango salsa separately. Dice mangos, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro and red onion and place in large bowl, adding juice from two whole limes to the mix. When rice is done and chicken is coated in an even, brown color, assemble the meal. Place a bed of rice on a plate with the chicken breasts along the sides. Take the mango salsa and coat chicken with about four heaping. Slice an avocado and add as garnish on the rice. Makes 1-3 servings.

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Swedish Meatballs

Posted on September 15, 2012 by mimisoy

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Swedish Meatballs by Amanda Saldivar
Story and Photos by Mimi Soy

Ever since she was young Amanda Marlyng Saldivar, a junior Political Science major, enjoyed helping her mother and grandmother prepare the meals because she loved mixing and tasting the different ingredients.

“My mother taught me a lot about food at a young age and before I knew it, I fell in love with cooking” says Saldivar.

As she learned to cook with children’s recipe books, she developed a passion for creating food dishes and sharing them with others.

“Growing up, I never thought I would ever cook. Cooking allowed me to get together with my family and gave me time to be active during the day doing the things I loved,” she says.

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Saldivar hopes to continue her education and eventually attend law school.

What she likes best about St. Mary’s is the presence of smiling faces, intriguing assignments and networking with lots of interesting people.

“Meeting all these approachable people and creating fun projects is tons of fun. I enjoy everyday of school,” says Saldivar.

Among some of Saldivar’s favorite foods are seafood and Mexican enchiladas. She personally loves eating sushi simply because it can be classified as a healthy food, being low in fat and calories while high in protein.

However, she fell in love with Swedish food when she visited Europe. Since then, she has specialized in recreating Swedish recipes.

“Meatballs are one of the most common dishes cooked by people all over the world. Swedish meatballs are my favorite type of meatballs because it is simple to make and loved by almost all people,” says Saldivar.

Saldivar has developed her own basic meatball recipe, building in the variations.

Each time she makes them, she varies the meat, spices, filler and sauce–depending on what she has in her refrigerator or pantry, or her taste preferences.

“Some prefer a brown gravy, others a white sauce. I prefer sour cream mixed with a bit of pan drippings tastes great. Goat cheese with some parsley or dill in the white sauce or sour cream makes a tasty treat,” says Saldivar.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3/4 c bread crumbs, soaked in 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 small onion, grated and drained
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 4 T butter
  • 1 1/2 T flour (any kind)
  • 1 c chicken or beef broth
  • Lingonberry sauce (optional)

Directions
Combine the first 8 ingredients. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.  Place 3/4 of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs for about 10 minutes. Remove them and most of the fat. Stir the flour and the remaining butter into the pan. Add the broth. Simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Strain it with a sieve to remove clumps. Return it to the pan. Return the meatballs to the pan for 1 minute. Serve with the berry sauce. Makes 2 servings.

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Steaming Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Emily Scruggs

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Steaming Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Story and Photos by Emily Scruggs

Priscilla Ortega, St. Mary’s University senior psychology major, prepares her signature dish, spaghetti, by following a coveted family recipe.

When she moved from her family’s home in McAllen, Texas, into a house she shares with her sister in San Antonio, her mother’s spaghetti recipe was one of the comforts of home that Ortega brought with her.

The small campus and strong sense of community are two aspects of St. Mary’s that encouraged Ortega to attend school there.

While these attributes are reminiscent of the small town Ortega grew up in, making her family’s spaghetti recipe is the best remedy when she feels homesick.

Ortega learned the pleasant blend of spices that makes up the spaghetti sauce at the age of 10, under the instruction of her mother and older sister.

Since then, cooking has been a relaxing hobby for her, especially when she feels the stress of balancing school and work.

Italian ranks at the top of her list of favorite foods, along with the Mexican dish botanas.

Though she typically likes diverse dishes, seafood remains to be one type of food that she dislikes.

After graduating from St. Mary’s in May 2012, Ortega plans to attend graduate school abroad to study international relations or mass communication.

She studied in London for a semester during her junior year and cannot wait to return.

London boasts a diverse cuisine, ranging from fish and chips to curry.

Even with the variety of food that will be available to her, Ortega will still keep her family’s spaghetti on the menu.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 T of butter
  • 3 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 lbs of ground beef
  • 2 tsp of garlic salt
  • 2 tsp of onion salt
  • 2 tsp of crushed red pepper
  • 2 tsp of pepper
  • 2 tsp of cumin
  • 16 oz Ragu mushroom sauce
  • 1 package of spaghetti noodles
Serves eight.
Directions

Chop onion and sauté with butter and garlic. When onion and garlic have softened, sauté ground beef until completely brown. Add to beef garlic salt, onion salt, red pepper flakes, pepper and cumin. Once everything is softened and well- cooked, pour mushroom sauce over beef and warm over low heat. Boil spaghetti noodles for 10 minutes. Once noodles are soft, serve them on a plate and cover them with beef sauce. Serve in the company of crescent rolls.

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