Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

  • Broccoli
  • Can of cream of chicken or celery
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Milk

Instructions:

  • Broil the broccoli head for about 5 minutes or until fully cooked
  • Chop up broccoli into florets
  • In a pot add the broccoli, can of cream of chicken, and milk on medium heat
  • Once warmed start adding in the shredded cheese one handful at a time and continue to stir until all cheese has been melted
  • Lower heat and enjoy!

Candied Yams

Ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Brown Sugar
  • Marshmallows

Instructions:

  • Cut up sweet potatoes and boil in water for about 20 minuets or until soft
  • Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
  • Use 1/4 cup of butter and slice into 6 small slices
  • Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them into a small oven safe pan
  • Place the 6 butter slices on top of the mash
  • Sprinkle brown sugar all over the top then add your marshmallows as the topping
  • Bake in the oven for 20-25 min or until the marshmallows have a nice golden brown on the top
  • Take out to cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Banana Pudding Parfait

Ingredients

  • Banana Cream Pudding Mix
  • 2 cups of milk (any kind works)
  • Nilla Wafer Cookies
  • Cool Whipped Topping
  • 2 Bananas

Start by adding two cups of milk into a large bowl. Slowly mix in the banana pudding mix with a whisk. Allow to sit for about five minutes. During this time your pudding will thicken.

After letting the pudding sit, begin assembling your banana pudding parfait. This part is up to you, however, here is an optional guide. Start by breaking a few Nilla wafers in half and making a layer at the bottom of a cup. After this, line the inside of the cup with sliced bananas. Once this is done, add a few scoops of pudding and spread it evenly with a spoon. Repeat a layer of Nilla wafers and banana slices. Add more pudding and follow up with a few spoonfuls of whipped topping. Put some Nilla wafers in a bag and break them up (you can whack them with a spoon to do this). Sprinkle the Nilla Wafer crumbs over the cool whip topping and garnish with a few more banana slices and another cookie.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Pinch of Salt

Directions:

  • In a medium put all ingredients into the bowl
  • With wet hands mix all together
  • Form mixture into 20 small balls
  • Put on a baking sheet and let rest in the freezer for 20-30 minutes
  • Take out and enjoy!
  • These can be stored in a Ziplock bag in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months

Tan’s Fried Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of rice
  • 2 tsp of oil
  • 2 tsp of Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tsp of Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp of Black Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 Lime
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1/2 of an Onion
  • Green Onions
  • 1 Tomato
  • Broccoli

Instructions:

  • Cook your rice. Use about 1.25 cups water for 1 cup of rice. If you would like softer rice add a splash more water but do not exceed 1.5 cups water total. The amount of water is a matter of personal preference. Add water and rice to a pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cook covered 15 minutes.
  • Dice Garlic, cube the onion, and slice tomato.
  • Heat pan up to medium-high heat and add oil. Add the garlic after the oil has been moved around the pan.
  • Crack two eggs into the pan and scramble them.
  • Add your cooked rice into the pan
  • Cook the rice for a minute or two, separate the rice in the pan so they aren’t in big clumps
  • Add your sauces and lime into the rice and make sure that all the sauce is mixed in with the rice.
  • Add your vegetables into the pan with your rice. Cook for another 3 minutes at a medium-high heat.

Spicy Tuna Onigiri Rice Balls

Ingredients:

  • 3 Sriracha Packets
  • 1 Mayo Packet
  • 1.5 Cups of Rice
  • 1 Can of Tuna
  • 1 Seaweed Sheet
  • 1.5 Cups of Water

Instructions:

  • Cook 1.5 cups rice with 1.5 cups water.
  • While rice cools combine 1 mayo packet, 3 sriracha packets and 1 drained can of tuna into a bowl and mix.
  • Take a palm size amount of rice and flatten it into a bowl shape in the palm of your hand.
  • Add a quarter sized ball of the tuna filling to the center of the rice in your hand.
  • Take another pinch of rice and roll it into a ball in your other hand and place it on top of the tuna pile to make something that looks like a tuna sandwich.
  • Use both hands to apply pressure to combine the top and bottom rice, incasing the tuna inside
  • Keep applying pressure until you have formed a rice ball, place a the ball on a flat surface and use your hands to mold the ball into a triangle shape.
  • Lastly cut a strip off of the seaweed sheet and apply water to one side of the sheet. Place the wet side of the seaweed strip under the the bottom part of the onigiri and fold the leftover seaweed up to the front of the onigiri. Done!

Optional: Place your onigiri in a hot pan with some sesame oil and fry both sides!

Calabacitas (Mexican Style Zucchini)

Ingredients:

 3 zucchini, chopped into small cubes

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 jalapeno or serrano, chopped

1 can of corn

Butter or cooking oil, to taste

1/4 teaspoon of oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Wash and cut all vegetables. 
  1. Melt butter or heat oil in a pan over medium heat. 
  1. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes or until they are soft and clear. 
  1. Add the chopped jalapeno or serrano (optional) and chopped tomato, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomato has softened. 
  1. Add the chopped zucchini and a can of corn. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. 
  1. Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the zucchini is soft. If you prefer a soupier consistency, add a little bit of water, chicken, or vegetable broth. 
  1. Serve hot, and top with cheese or sour cream if desired. 

Notes:

  • If you don’t want your dish too spicy, remove the seeds from the peppers before chopping. 
  • To make the dish vegan, use oil instead of butter. 
  • You can also add cotija cheese and sour cream as toppings once the dish is served. 

Vegetarian Lumpia

Crispy, fried spring rolls from the Philippines

Ingredients:

  • 4 Wrappers
  • 1 Bell Pepper
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 Cup of Bean Sprouts (or small handful)
  • 1 Cup of Green Beans (or small handful)
  • 2 tbsp of Hoisin Sauce
  • 2 Packets of Soy Sauce

Ingredients not included in Beaver Bag:

  • Vegetable Oil

CAUTION: FRYING SAFETY:

  • For frying, choose a stove top safe pan or pot with a lid that fits, if oil in a pot ever catches fire, put on the tight fitting lid to extinguish by eliminating the source of air. Turn off the heat. Do not put water on a grease or oil fire. Don’t run with a grease fire to a sink. *This is unusual but it is good to know what to do.
  • Do not put too much oil in the pan, there should be space above the oil and the top of the pan. The more room in the pot above the oil, the better. See the picture below!
  • When frying use a pan lid or splash guard to prevent grease splatter.
  • Use oven mitts.
  • Use a wide, large, sturdy pan.
  • Don’t put wet food in the fryer.
  • Never leave the pan of hot oil unattended.
  • Turn pan handles away from cooker.
  • Make sure it is a child-free zone in the kitchen.
  • Add and Remove food with large heat safe slotted spoon or tongs. Move food carefully and do not splash.
  • To dispose of oil safely, leave to cool completely, put in a food container to throw away or refrigerate and reuse. Never pour down your sink.

Instructions:

  • Cut bell peppers, carrots, onions, and green beans into thin strips, julienne style. Cut garlic in small pieces.
  • Heat pot or pan over medium heat, add oil and then add your onions and garlic and saute until light brown. Add carrots and green beans and saute for 2-3 min until tender. Add the rest of the veggies and cook over medium high heat.
  • Mix occasionally to make sure they don’t stick and burn.
  • Season with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and pepper. Mix well and cook for 3-4 min or until water from vegetables has evaporated.
  • Transfer excess liquid into a bowl to use later.
  • Transfer vegetables into a new bowl to cool, this will be your filling for your lumpia.
  • Prepare room temperature wrappers. Add about 2 tbsp of filling and roll then seal with water by lining water on the edges of the wrappers.
  • Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and fry until golden brown.

Optional:

  • Something you can do after wrapping and before frying is to place your lumpias in a freezer to stiffen up
  • After you have finished frying your lumpias, use the excess liquid as a dipping sauce

Final Steps:

  • Take them out of the fryer and set aside to cool down
  • Serve with rice and you’re ready to eat!

Cold and Spicy Soba Noodles

Cold but Spicy foods are refreshing and delicious on a cloudy spring day. Here’s a recipe that you can really make on your own. Serves 2, or 4 as a side.

Ingredients:

2 bundles of Soba noodles 

4 packets of Soy sauce 

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

1 cucumber, finely sliced or chopped

1 packet of red pepper flakes

Additional Toppings: 

1 Hard boiled egg, cut in half

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

To prepare the noodles:

  1. For one bundle, boil 6 cups of water in a pot (add 2 cups water per each additional bundle). 
  2. Once the water boiled, add noodles and turn to low heat and boil the noodles for 4 minutes or until tender.
  3. Once done, drain the noodle well, rinse with cold water, drain again, and serve. 

To prepare the vegetables:

  1. Finely chopped the cucumber into thin slices.
  2. Finely chopped the scallions into bite sized pieces.

To assemble the dish:

  1. Put the noodles in a bowl and then add soy sauce, red pepper flakes, scallions, and cucumber.
  2. Mix the dish well.
  3. Add salt and pepper to your desired taste.
  4. Place hard boiled eggs on top for your additional toppings.
  5. Scallions for garnish.
  6. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top if you’d like.
  7. Serve and Enjoy!

FYI: Use soy sauce as desired for flavor.