King Ranch Chicken

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Sarah J. Mills

King Ranch Chicken by Robin Johnson
Videography and Production by Sarah J. Mills

St. Mary’s student Robin Johnson creates King Ranch Chicken, one of her favorite dishes. King Ranch Chicken is a cheesy casserole mixed with corn tortilla pieces, boiled chicken, and a zesty can of Rotel among other ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz can of Rotel Tomatoes
  • One large onion
  • 8 skinless chicken breasts
  • Two 8 oz cans of cream of chicken soup (do not add water)
  • One 4 oz can of mushrooms
  • 3 cups of shredded cheese
  • 1 package of 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 tsp of salt, pepper, and poultry seasonings

Directions
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Boil chicken in water seasoned with 1 tsp salt and pepper, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, onion slices and celery stick until done. Cut chicken into cubes. Finely chop remaining onion and sauté in butter until tender. Mix Rotel tomatoes with soup, onions and mushrooms in a bowl. Cut tortillas in ¼ triangles. Spray cooking dish with Pam. Layer tortilla quarters in bottom of cooking dish. Add chicken, tomato mixture and shredded cheese for three layers. Finish the dish with a layer of shredded cheese. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

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Pasta Salad

Posted on March 28, 2011 by jasminegarciaa

Pasta Salad by Gaby Hernandez
Videography and Production by Jasmine Garcia

Gaby Hernandez is a senior criminal justice major at St. Mary’s University. She learned how to cook through her culinary arts teacher in high school and her sister. She enjoys cooking for her family and friends.

Ingredients

  • Parmesan cheese
  • Kraft Free Zefty Italian dressing
  • 4.25 oz can Baby Corn
  • 14.5 oz can Artichoke Hearts
  • 14.5 oz can Hearts of Palm salad cuts
  • 16 oz bag of mixed frozen vegetables (carrots, water chestnuts and broccoli)
  • 16 oz bag Garden Rotini pasta

Directions

First you fill a medium sized pot with water and boil at high temperature. Once the water is at a boiling point, pour the pasta into the boiling water. If it looks like the water is about to overflow, pour some of the water out into the sink. While the pasta is cooking, microwave the frozen vegetables for about 4-5 minutes with two tablespoons of water in a microwaveable bowl. Then, cut the hearts of pam and baby corn into small bite size pieces. Pour the hearts of palm and baby corn into a large bowl. Mix it all together with a large cooking spoon. Pour the italian dressing and parmesan cheese (as desired) and mix. 6-8 servings.

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Macadamia Blondies with Caramel Maple Topping

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Veronica Luna

Macadamia Blondies with Caramel Maple Topping by Kimberly Vela
Videography and Production by Veronica Luna

Kimberly Vela is an alumna and graduate student at St. Mary’s University. As a vegetarian for six years, Vela learned how to cook for herself and loves to share her recipes with her friends.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces firm silken tofu
  • ¼ cup rice or soy milk
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups raw macadamias, partially chopped and partially ground

Ingredients for the topping:

  • ¼ cup nonhydrogenated margarine
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado or other brown sugar
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup raw macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan. In blender or food processor, blend tofu and soy milk until smooth. Add oil, sugar and vanilla, then blend. Combine the dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well. Fold in nuts. Dough will be thick. Spread in baking pan, bake 25 minutes.

Prepare topping: Mix all ingredients except nuts in saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat, bring to boil one minute. Stir in nuts, remove from heat. Remove blondies from oven, pour on topping, then bake 10 more minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

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Green Chicken Curry

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Gerardo Mendez

Green Chicken Curry by Nathian Mambru
Videography and Production by Gerardo Mendez

Nathian Mambru, a senior at St.Mary’s University, learned to cook from his mother at the age of four. He has since grown a love for cooking which can be enjoyed with his many dishes. In this video, Mambru prepares Green Chicken Curry, a delicious Indian dish with a kick.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs skinless chicken breast, diced
  • 2 cups Basmati rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 half sticks of unsalted butter
  • 1 tbs ground marjoram
  • 2 tbs curry power
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tbs garlic powder
  • 24 oz premium coconut milk
  • 1 cup green diced chile
  • 1/2 cup jalapeno diced chile
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

Basmati Rice: Melt half sticks of butter in saucepan. Once melted, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of milk along with 2 cups of rice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow it to boil, then let simmer for 15 minutes. Fold rice every 10-15 minutes.

Green Chicken Curry: Add butter to frying pan and allow it to melt. Coat the chicken with some butter and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Put the chicken in the frying pan and let it brown and then bring the heat down to medium. In a mixing bowl, pour the coconut milk, add the diced jalapeno chile, ground marjoram, salt and pepper, and mix throughly. Pour the mixture into the pan. Simmer for for five minutes then add the green onions. Allow to simmer for 10-25 minutes more, then serve with the Basmati rice and garnish with curly parsley. Makes seven servings.

Special thanks to Nate and Aldo for preparing the dish and to Bert for letting us use his kitchen. Thanks guys in ZAX!

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Fettuccine Alfredo

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Dania Pulido

Fettuccine Alfredo by Stephanie Flores
Videography and Production by Dania Pulido

St. Mary’s University student Stephanie Flores shows us how to prepare an exotic Italian dish quickly and efficiently with minimal ingredients. It’s the perfect sit down meal for the college student looking for a change from Easy Mac!

Ingredients

  • 4-6 quarts of water
  • salt
  • pure vegetable oil
  • Alfredo sauce (150z jar)
  • Fettuccine (1 lb)

Directions

Boil water (4-6 quarts for a 1lb box of fettuccine) in a pot, sprinkling 1 tablespoon of salt, until the water begins to bubble. Add fettuccine and stir it in with a wooden spoon. Let fettuccine cook for 12-13 minutes, or until noodles are soft. Drain in strainer and return the noodles to the cooking pot. Add 2 “caps” full of pure vegetable oil. Mix it in then add entire jar of Alfredo sauce. Mix that in as well and add more salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!

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Mango Salsa

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Analicia Perez

Mango Salsa by Brian Buchmeyer
Videography and Production by Analicia Lucia Perez

Brian Buchmeyer, a junior industrial engineering major, combines two of his favorite things: listening to music and cooking with color. A seasoned chef, Buchmeyer demonstrates how to prepare one of his favorite appetizers, mango salsa—a dish that any college student can prepare in the comfort of their own dorm room, with no oven required!

Ingredients

  • 3 medium-sized mangos
  • 5 roma tomatoes
  • 1 yellow bellpepper
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 limes
  • 1/4 c. cilantro
  • 3/4 c. green onion
  • 3 medium-sized jalapenos
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

Begin by washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Then dice tomatoes into small chunks. Peel and dice mangos into medium chunks as well. Prior to chopping the bell pepper, use a small knife to remove the core, then chop in half and remove all seeds by hand, rinsing any excess seeds out with cold water, then chop into medium chunks.

Next, finely chop the cilantro and green onion. When it comes to the jalapenos, first cut them in half, then remove the core and seeds by hand and rinse out any excess seeds with cold water. After removing the seeds, chop into extra small chunks. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chip!


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Fideo

Posted on March 27, 2011 by mrstepheng

Fideo by Nettie Lucio
Videography and Production by Stephen Guzman

Nettie Lucio is the Circulation Supervisor in the Louis J. Blume Library at St. Mary’s University. As a Latina mother of three, it is important for Lucio to pass on tradition. In this short video, Lucio describes how fideo was cooked in her home as a child and how it has been adopted by her own family today. This dish, though initially cooked for its low price and accessibility, remains, in Lucio’s words, “a family favorite.”

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground comino
  • 2 ½ – 3 cups of water
  • 8 oz can of tomato sauce

Directions
First, place fideo noodles into skillet. Keep stirring until browned. After browning, add water and let boil for 1 minute. At this point, add salt, pepper, tomato sauce and ground comino into pan. Add more water if necessary. For 4 ½ minutes, let sit and stir until noodles are completely cooked. If preference is less soupy fideo, let sit for 1 minute longer. EAT!

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Chicken Piccata

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Austin W. Newton

Chicken Piccata by Katie O’Kelley
Videography and Production by Austin W. Newton

Freshmen Biology major Katie O’Kelley uses her culinary skills to prepare a lemon-zested chicken piccata dish.  O’Kelley has been cooking for less than three years, but her mother prepared her for making this delight viral for you to enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves.
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 can artichoke hearts (quartered)
  • ¼ cup drained capers

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add lemon juice, wine and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens. Add artichoke hearts and capers in separate pan and simmer 1 minute to heat through.

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Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Posted on March 23, 2011 by mimisoy

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce by Paulina Fernandez Adarve
Videography and Production by Mimi Soy

Junior International Relations major Paulina Fernandez Adarve from St. Mary’s University demonstrates how to make spaghetti with meat sauce. Adarve likes to cook for friends so they can enjoy eating her food. In this video, she makes spaghetti because it is easy to cook and healthy to eat.

Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic, 3 minced and 2 sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 16 ounces coarsely ground beef chuck
  • 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Pasta:

  • 1 gallon water
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound dry spaghetti

Directions

For the meat sauce: Place an 8-quart Dutch oven over low heat. Add the beef, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place a wide 4-quart pan, over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and once it shimmers, stir frequently, until the meat is well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a colander to drain.

Once the sauce has been cooking for 10 minutes, place the 4-quart pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once it simmers, add the 2 cloves of sliced garlic and cook for 30-45 seconds or until fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, and marjoram and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, approximately 30 minutes. Add the remaining tomato paste, ketchup and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high; add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook, stirring constantly, for two to three minutes.

Transfer the tomato mixture to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing the pasta.

For the pasta: Bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Carefully add the pasta, stirring quickly to separate. Cover and return to a boil, being careful that the water does not boil over. Once boiling again, uncover and continue to cook until slightly less than, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Add the pasta to the meat sauce. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Transfer pasta and sauce to a serving bowl or individual bowls and serve.

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Crusted Baked Chicken

Posted on December 2, 2010 by tasteofstmu

Crusted Baked Chicken by Anna Plote
Story and Photo by Christopher Montemayor

One look at Anna Plote and the first word that comes to mind is: intelligent.

However, after taking the time to get to know Plote, one quickly learns that beyond her aura of intelligence lies a very humorous and passionate person who also happens to be a great cook.

Plote, a senior at St. Mary’s, currently majors in biology and hopes one day to become a successful doctor. She has been interested in the sciences since she was a child, but realized in high school that she wanted to save lives through medicine.

After graduating from St. Mary’s, she hopes to attend medical school and earn a doctoral degree.

At St. Mary’s, Plote is active in programs such as Tri beta, the Catholic Student Group, St. Mary’s College Republicans and SM friends. Plote also participates in Habitat for Humanity and serves as a tutor in the Learning Assistance Center.

What Plote appreciates most about St. Mary’s is community relationships that she experiences through the various groups. As a member of the Catholic Student Group, Plote recently attended a retreat at the HEB camp which she described as an “amazing experience” that she’ll never forget.

Of the foods that she enjoy, Plote prefers meals that are quick, simple, healthy and, most importantly, of good taste. Vegetables and fruits are at the top of her list of best foods, but they do not compare to her love of crusted baked chicken, which reminds her of being at home with her family where making such a meal was a tradition.

When preparing this dish, Plote recommends that the crust be made with cereal such Special K or a rice-based product; that way, the chicken can achieve the crusted-effect without altering the final taste too much.

Another tip for preparing this recipe is to check constantly the chicken before considering it officially cooked. This takes into consideration the kind of oven used, as well as the various chicken breast themselves, because some chicken breasts cook faster or longer than others.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 c of Milk
  • 3 c Special K cereal
  • 4 servings of green beans
  • 4 c of water

Directions

Open the chicken breast package and pt them on a plate. Once that is completed, take servings of Special K cereal and crush them into a bowl. Then, fill a pan with milk. Once the milk is placed, dip the chicken into the milk and let it soak for 30 seconds. Then, dress the chicken with the Special K cereal to make the crust. Once this is completed, place the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes.To cook the green beans, un-package them and place them in a pan of boiling water. Once they are cooked properly, they can be served next to the chicken. When serving the chicken, consider each breast as a serving. Therefore the final dish should have 1 serving of baked crusted-chicken with 1-2 servings of green beans.

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