It only makes sense that New Orleans invented the dish that is by far the most fun to say (pronounced jamba-LAY-a. At the top of your lungs. With Jazz hands.) And it just happens to be fun to make also! Whether you’re cooking solo on a weeknight, post happy hour with your girls, or during a one-on-one iron chef battle with your s.o. (guilty), this guilt free jambalaya is delish, healthy, and so so easy to make.

You’ll need:

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Sure, the Fourth of July has passed, but we still have a couple months of lovely summer left, and what goes better with summer than throwing some food on the barbie and chowin’ down? Oh, and some beers. Afraid of the BBQ? Don’t even know where to begin? Used to letting the guys take care of it?

Ladies, grilling isn’t just for the boys! You too can become a master griller and show up those braggarts who claim the grill is man territory.

I learned how to grill at a young age because my dad is a phenomenal griller (his BBQ ribs are some of the best you’ll ever have…not that you will be having them anytime soon) and taught me the tricks of the trade right from the womb. The truth is, grilling is easy…as long as you know the rules. So, here they are.

There are two kinds of barbecuing: direct and indirect heat.
Direct heat is when you place the food directly over the source of heat/open flame. This type of grilling is best for thinner cuts of meat and items such as hot dogs, bratwurst, burgers, fish and pork chops.
Indirect heat is when you grill items outside of the main source of heat so they cook at a slower pace, more thoroughly, and without burning the outside of the meat. This is used for thicker pieces of meat such as whole chickens, beef and pork roasts. (Note: most of the “basic grilling” people do uses the direct heat method.) Read More »

When budgeting, I have two primary concerns that I think many college students share:

1) Pay rent to keep a roof of some sort over my recently highlighted head.
2) Social spending, as in, how many nights a week do the remaining funds allow for.

Please note that these are not necessarily considered in that order, which can cause trouble.

Depending on whether your college town is ridiculously expensive (see: going to college in a major city) or suuuper cheap (see: anyplace where drinks are less than $4.00 each or has promotions like “dollar long island night”), your bank account is going to take a very different sort of beating by means of your social budget.

But food is an essential, and when takeout can cost more than your bar tab, grocery shopping to save some green is a great habit to have. Read More »

I’ve detailed my love for potatoes before, and here’s a recipe that never fails for a filling lunch.

You’ll need:
One large baking potato
Half cup mixed vegetables of your choice (Zucchini and yellow squash are great, bell peppers and onion are a good topping, or some people love broccoli)
¼ cup salsa
¼ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons 2% milk shredded cheese of your choice (Monterey jack is a personal fave)
Spray butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake your potato for about an hour at 350, or until you can stab it with a fork and remove it easily.

While your potato is nearing completion, heat vegetables in a small frying pan coated in non-stick cooking spray. Season as desired. Read More »

Once upon a time, I was skinny. Not to say that I’m not within my healthy weight range now, but back then, I was mind-blowlingly small. I didn’t do anything special, really. I practiced yoga a few times a week in my basement bedroom with the door locked and mood music playing (and because of that, felt I could totally splurge on the double quarter pounder with cheese meal at McDonald’s if the urge struck.) Now, however, keeping my girlish figure takes twice the work – and my days of gorging myself with red meat are long gone.

But, when I waved goodbye to foods high in trans fat and grease and hello to raw, healthy food I discovered quite a few green gems in the world of fruits and veggies. Among them, my personal fave, the avocado.

I know what you’ve heard. Avocados are high in (gasp!) fat. But, they’re high in the good kind of fat – monosaturated fat. They also contain vitamins, dietary fiber and potassium.

But perhaps the best thing about the avocado is how effing delicious it is. It’s not super-sweet, but it is super easy to incorporate into appetizers, meals or store in the fridge as an alternative, nutritious late-night snack .

Here are a few ways you can add the av to your next meal: Read More »

Mmmmmm. If you like regular tomatoes, I personally guarantee that you will REALLY like baked tomatoes. If you’ve never tried them before, you are seriously missing out.

For one person, one small- to medium-sized tomato is plenty. You’ll also need some basil (fresh or dried), salt, pepper, a bit of olive oil, and a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

Cut out the hard upper center of the tomato and then cut the tomato either lengthwise or widthwise into slices that are between ¼” and ½” thick. Preheat the oven to 400, then arrange the tomato slices at the bottom of an 8”x8” square pan. Sprinkle them with a dash of salt, a little pepper, and some basil (fresh is best) to taste. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil, and top them with the parmesan cheese.

Then pop those suckers in the oven and bake them for about 15 minutes. You’ll probably drool when you take them out, so be prepared!