Chocolate Marble Cake

Posted on April 13, 2016 by valeriexperez

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Chocolate Marble Cake by Michelle Flores
Story and Photos by Valerie Perez

The vice president of the pre-dental society, Michelle Flores, a student at St. Mary’s University, plans to bake a cake for the organizations next meeting, to show them what their future patients should not eat on a regular basis.

Flores is a junior double majoring in biochemistry and entrepreneurial studies.

“I have taken the DMAT already and in the future, I plan to attend dental school and then open up my own dentistry,” she says.

She enjoys the one-on-one interaction with professors and classmates. The campus is small, making her love the quick and easy walk to classes.

So far, she loves her classes and is excited for the future ahead.

Flores loves St. Mary’s because it is a unique and small community based.

“I love the St. Mary’s traditions like Baby Bake, Boo Bash, Continuing the Heritage, and other events that I participate in every year. I always look forward to spending Oyster Bake with my family and friends,” Flores says.

Flores is from Mission, Texas, and claims that only back home she gets the real taste of homemade Mexican food. Her favorite foods are enchiladas, tamales, and burritos; although, she likes to cook tacos and pasta.

Flores decided to bake a cake because she had not baked one in a very long time. It is also a simple and easy recipe to follow.

“Students should move off-campus if you have the opportunity because you can actually cook some healthy meals for yourself and test out new recipes. If it’s your first time making a dish, don’t make too big of a portion in case it doesn’t turn out the way you want it,” Flores advises.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 c of Vegetable oil
  • 1/4 c of milk
  • 5 Strawberries
  • Pearl white sprinkles
  • 1 can of milk chocolate frosting
  • 1 toothpick
  • Pan spray
  • Donut hole cake pan
  • 2 oven mitts
  • 1 large plate

Directions:
Begin by washing your hands for 30 seconds with warm water. After drying your hands, wash the strawberries and lay them on a cutting board. Then preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Next, open the cake mix and pour all of it onto a bowl, add three eggs, ¼ cup of milk, a cup of vegetable oil and mix it thoroughly. Use the pan spray to spray the donut hole cake pan and then pour the batter inside the pan.6. After that, place the pan inside the oven and let it bake for 35 minutes. While waiting, cut the ends off of the strawberries and then cut them into halves. Once the 35 minutes are up, put on the oven mitts and take the pan out of the oven. Flip the cake pan over carefully while the cake lands on your large plate. Let the cake cool off for 15 minutes. After, open the can of chocolate frosting and begin to frost the cake with a butter knife. Next place the half-cut strawberries on the cake to create a circular design. And then, grab two pearl sprinkles and place them in a line, between each strawberry.  Finally, enjoy your dessert! Makes 20 Servings

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Chicago Style Pizza

Posted on March 31, 2016 by agarcia188

James McCandless, junior economics major, enjoys cooking when he’s given the opportunity. Although he doesn’t do it frequently, when he does, he puts on a show and even dresses up as a chef.
“Making things work into something you can eat and enjoy is fun to do,” McCandless says. “I don’t do it often, but it’s almost therapeutic.”
Born and raised in Lubbock, McCandless says he chose St. Mary’s because of the small class sizes and because he visits part of his family that lives in San Antonio.
“I like the attentiveness of the professors to their students. You can actually build a good relationship outside of classes. As an added bonus, I get to see some family that I don’t visit often,” he says.
McCandless mentions pizza is one of his favorite foods to prepare because he enjoys the creativity that can come when preparing it.
“When I knew I was making the Chicago style pizza, I knew I had to dress up. I found a chef’s hat in amazon for $6 and had to buy it,” he says.
McCandless mentioned that this was the third time making this particular type of pizza; previously, he made it with sausage and pepperoni. This time he changed it up with beef and chicken—which he really enjoyed.
“Making a pizza from scratch is special. Not everyone does that with all of the daily options available,” he says.
“From a person who cooks migas (scrambled tortillas and eggs), bacon and eggs and several quality sandwiches, I’m still surprised how good the pizza came out,” McCandless says.

Chicago-Style Pizza

Dough Ingredients
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c (scant) water
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c canola oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Sauce Ingredients
3 1/2 c 6 IN 1 brand crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tbsp italian herba/seasonings

Directions
Twenty-four Hours prior to baking, in a mixing bowl, add the water, sugar, yeast, flour, cornmeal, and salt. Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the dough comes together, then slowly add the oil. Continue to mix dough for seven more minutes. The dough should be somewhat moist and smooth, not sticky, and should weigh about two pounds. Form the dough into a ball and place into a bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and then with a dish towel and place in the refrigerator for an overnight rise. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator about one hour prior to making the pizza. Set the bottom oven rack to its lowest position and preheat the oven to 450 F. for at least 30 minutes prior to baking. After resting for one hour, the dough is now ready to be placed into the baking pan. Coat the bottom of a well-seasoned 15″ × 2″ deep-dish pan with regular olive oil (do not use extra virgin). Place the dough ball in the center of the pan and press it out until it covers the entire bottom. Then, using fingers, pull the dough up the side of the pan. The edge should be pinched up against the side of the pan. If the dough resists holding shape, cover with a towel and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before trying again. Using either sliced mozzarella or a blend of sliced mozzarella and provolone, cover the bottom of the dough with cheese. Add desired toppings (sweet Italian sausage is very popular in Chicago). For this pizza sausage and pepperoni are used. Top with six inches 1 brand crushed tomatoes spooned directly from the can. (Please note that six inches 1 brand tomatoes are very fresh tasting tomatoes and are recommended for this recipe). Use hands if necessary to spread out the tomatoes. You can purchase them online from the manufacturer at http://www.escalon.net. Finish topping with Italian herbs/seasonings (chopped fresh basil and dried oregano flakes are favorites) and finally with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Place the pan in the center of the bottom oven rack and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, turning once half way through, until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven and allow to cool for about 3 minutes. Remove the pizza from the baking pan and place on a cutting board or serving pan.

This recipe makes about 8 thick slices.

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Sopa de Lima Con Pollo y Elote

Posted on February 29, 2016 by mvogel2014

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Out of the classroom and into the kitchen
Story and photos by Michelle Vogel

Student chef Deandra Barrera tells readers about herself and gives us the inside scoop on how to cook up something yummy!

The senior English major is an active student around campus and is involved in many organizations such as Sigma Alpha Phi, Beta Sigma Phi and S.M. Friends.
Barrera developed her love for cooking as a child and enhanced her skills in her seventh grade home economics class.

She continued her culinary education in high school, participating in several competitions.

Barrera earned a scholarship to attend Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, but found her home at St. Mary’s University.

“I like St. Mary’s because it feels like home,” she says.

Barrera says she loves cooking “because it is the most widely experienced form of fine art in the world.

There is no greater experience than watching the components of a dish transform before your eyes with the application of simple spices and heat,” she says.

Barrera’s favorite and most requested dish to make is Fettuccini Alfredo.

She serves this dish with a pan speared chicken breast topped with a sautéed mushrooms and a pan sauce.

For the magazine, Barrera cooked Sopa De Lima Con Pollo Y Elote.

She chose this dish because it is an easy beginner’s dish to demonstrate.

“Who doesn’t love soup?” she asks.
Her tip for cooking Sopa De Lima con Pollo is that “if the chicken has bones, it will float to the top when done.

If it doesn’t then the chicken will turn white when it is ready,” she says.

Barrera’s secret to making all dishes taste good is butter.

Another tip is “learn to make rice and boil your water” and always look for bubbles.

A final tip is always season for taste after cooking.

“Not everybody’s tastes are like your own,” she says.

Barrera looks forward to a bright future as a writer or Arson Investigator.

She plans on continuing to cook no matter her career path.

“It was always a dream of mine to be on Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Sous-Chef, or be a contestant on his show Hell’s Kitchen, or have my food critiqued by Joe Bastianich,” she says.

Ingredients

    • Salt and Pepper for taste
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 3 c chicken stock
    • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
    • 3 tbsp cilantro
    • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
    • 2 jalapeños (seeded and minced)
    • 1 c onion (1/4 in dice)
    • 1 1/2 c tomato (peeled, seeded, ¼ in dice)
    • 1 1/2 c corn kernel
    • 1 c chicken (thinly sliced)

Directions
Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup of onions (1/4 in dice) and 2 garlic cloves (minced). Cook 8-10 minutes or until very soft. Add 3 cups of chicken stock, 1 1/2 cups of tomato (peeled, seeded, 1/2 in dice), 1 1/2 cups of corn kernels, 2 jalapeños (seeded and minced) and 1 tsp of cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 5-4 minutes. Add 1 c of chicken (thinly sliced) and simmer for about 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked. You can tell chicken is cooked when there is no pink. Stir in 3 tbsp of cilantro and 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh lime juice. Makes 8 servings.

 

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Margherita Pizza

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Brian Magloyoan

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Margherita Pizza
Story and Photos by Brian Magloyoan

When it comes to food, Joseph Hernandez, senior biology major, sees no limits when creating his favorite dishes.

The aspiring doctor from El Paso, Texas, has a taste for several types of food, his favorite being steak.

“The biggest steak you can think of, medium-rare, with just Lawry’s seasoning salt and a ton of butter,” Hernandez says. “Pretty much whatever I like to eat, I can cook.”

Hernandez shared an experience he had in a small town near El Paso, where he and his friend ran a food stand during a town festival.

“That was probably the most I had to cook for people because we were selling the food. We were making steaks, bratwurst, hamburgers, (and) hot dogs. It was hard work,” Hernandez says.

As to why he selected margherita pizza to showcase his cooking talents.

“Pizza is pretty easy to do in our type of circumstance. We’re in a dorm, (and) we only have an oven. It doesn’t take a lot of prep work. It’s pretty straightforward,” Hernandez says. “I feel like it’s the most traditional form of pizza that someone can have.”

Although it may be traditional, Hernandez did not hesitate in adding his own twist to the recipe, pepperoni.

Putting his own personal touch to pizza is nothing new to Hernandez, whose experience in pizza making includes a bratwurst pizza.

For Hernandez, his favorite part about cooking is eating the final product.

He compares it to studying for a test then getting an “A” on it. “The whole cooking part is like a buildup,” Hernandez says. “You put all this hard work into it and once it’s done, especially when it comes out really good, it’s like ‘Yeah! I accomplished something.’”

Ingredients

For dough:

  • 1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon)
  • 1 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 c warm water, divided 1 tsp salt.
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil honey

For topping:

  • 1 (14 to 15 oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
  • 3 cans of tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 basil leaves plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/4 tsp sugar pepperoni salt
  • 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • equipment: pan

Directions
First, make the dough by stirring the yeast, a tablespoon of flour, dash of honey and one fourth cup of warm water together. Let it stand until the surface appears creamy for about 5 minutes. Next, add 1 ¼ cups of flour, half cup of water, salt, and oil. Stir and add flour so the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Then, massage the dough on a floured surface, reflouring when the dough becomes sticky. Once the dough is smooth, soft and elastic, form it into a ball. Put it into a bowl and dust it with flour. Cover it with a damp paper towel then place it somewhere that is draft-free and has a warm room temperature (microwave is acceptable), to allow for the dough to rise. While the dough rises, prepare the sauce and toppings. For the sauce, put the tomato sauce into a bowl. Add salt, two tablespoons of olive oil and some flour then mix. As for the toppings, have the basil leaves chopped and tomatoes, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese sliced. Next, shape the dough onto the pan. Place olive oil on top before placing in oven, preheated at 420 degrees. Once dough is slightly baked, take out of oven. Add sauce, cheese and toppings. Place back into oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until it is crisp with a golden brown color. Serves six to eight people.

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Loaded Omelete

Posted on November 10, 2015 by chelseareneeaguilar

Loaded Omelet by Art Rodrigues

Videography and Production by Chelsea Aguilar

Art Rodrigues works at the omelet station of St. Mary’s University’s Diamond Back Cafe. Here he demonstrates how he makes the famous loaded omelet.

Ingredients: (may change to taste)
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup diced red and green bell peppers
• 1 cup diced mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced grilled chicken
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 eggs (beaten)

Directions:

Heat stovetop or pan to medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour eggs in pan or on flat stovetop. Cook eggs until firm enough to flip. Flip eggs and add desired ingredients. Ready to serve when there is no visible liquid.

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Green chicken enchilada casserole

Posted on November 5, 2015 by lynettemontalvo18

Green chicken enchilada casserole by: Adrienne Guerrero
Video and production by: Lynette Montalvo

Adrienne Guerrero, junior Forensic science major at St. Mary’s University, tells us about her favorite dish and how to make it. Green chicken enchilada casserole is a simple and easy dish to make as she guides us through the process. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup of water
– 20 corn tortillas
– 1 whole chicken, precooked
– 10 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
– 3 28 oz. cans, Las Palmas green enchilada sauce

Directions:
Pre- heat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Take a whole chicken, precooked, and shred all the meat. Next, take a cooking pan and open a can of enchilada sauce. Pour the sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Take corn tortillas and begin layering on top of the sauce, followed by the shredded mozzarella and shredded chicken. Keep layering for desired amount. Place in oven for 20 minutes and enjoy!

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Jollof Rice

Posted on November 5, 2015 by rickyiruegas

Jollof Rice by Michael Afam-Obanor
Videography and Production by Ricardo Iruegas

Michael Afam-Obanor, a St. Mary’s alumnus, cooks a Nigerian dish. Obanor talks about the significance of the dish to him and his culture

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of rice
  • 5 cups of water
  • 2 small tomatoes
  • 1 purple onion
  • 2 tbsp of corn oil
  • 3 habanero peppers
  • 2 tbsp of chicken bullion
  • 1 tbsp of garlic powder
  • 1 tsp of ginger
  • cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut onion in half, dice one half to caramelize. Put oil to warm up on medium heat. Cut remaining onion, tomatoes and peppers to blend. Blend vegetables with a cup of water. Put rice and remaining water to boil, important to not let it cook all the way. When oil starts bubbling, add diced onions to caramelize. Once onions are browned, add blended vegetables. Allow to cook all the way through. Take pot of boiling rice, and strain over sieve. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Take rice and pour into stew. Don’t stir yet. Add chicken bullion, garlic powder, ginger and cayenne pepper. Mix and turn heat to low. Once all the liquid is absorbed by rice, turn off heat, give one more stir and enjoy!

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Arroz Con Leche

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Cloud Delfina Cardona

Arroz Con Leche by Norma Garza
Video and Production by Claudia D. Cardona

Norma Garza, the long time Assistant in the Alumni Relations Office, perfects one of her favorite dishes from her childhood. Not only is she an long time assistant, but she her love for cooking and baking has been with her since adolescence. The recipe she uses is simple and quick, but also requires patience and vigilance.

Ingredients

  • 7 cups water
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup golden raisins
  • Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Directions

First put the water, rice, and cinnamon stick in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium-high heat.

Then bring to a boil, uncovered, and cook until the rice is soft for about 20 minutes. Strain out the liquid, discard the cinnamon, and reserve the rice.

Return the rice to the saucepan and stir in the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered until the mixture is thick, for about 20 minutes.

Then add in the raisins and stir well. Finally, transfer the pudding to a serving bowl and dust the top of the pudding with ground cinnamon.

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Guacamole Dip

Posted on November 5, 2015 by michellemichimani

Guacamole Dip by Christopher Repka
Videography and Production by Michelle Michimani

Christoper Repka, a student at St. Mary’s University, talks about his experience with cooking. He also shares with us the guacamole dip that is shared in his family.

Ingredients
• 4 avocados
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ of an onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 lime, sliced in four pieces
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 bag of chips (your choice)

Directions

1. Mince garlic cloves, ¼ of an onion and cilantro.
2. Chop the tomato.
3. Slice the avocados in half and then scoop out the avocado into the bowl.
4. Mix all ingredients in the bowl.
5. Then slice the lime into 4 pieces.
6. Squeeze the lime juice onto the bowl.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Mix ingredients.

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Taco Tuesday

Posted on November 5, 2015 by jrodriguez182

Taco Tuesday by Micala Osuna
Videography and Production by Joe Rodriguez

Micala Osuna is a senior who has recently move into her first apartment. As such she has recently picked up cooking and her favorite meal to make is tacos on a Tuesday.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 package of taco shells (10 count)
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1 bag of shredded cheese
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 lemon (optional
  • salt and pepper
  • taco seasoning

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the ground beef in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the meat until brown, seasoning to taste. You can use the lemon to add extra flavor. While the meat is cooking chop the onion and tomatoes and place into bowls. When the meat is close to being done place the taco shell on a cookie sheet and put them into the oven. Cook the taco shells for 5-8 minutes. Place the shredded cheese into a bowl. After the meat is done cooking, use a strainer to remove the excess juices. Place everything in a bowl or on a plate, and enjoy.

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