September 2008 - The Parklander Magazine

COLLEGE DAYS
GREAT DORM
ROOM COOKING
By Tim Heitz
It’s that time of year again when young men and women invade college
campuses across the country and move into dorm rooms for the upcoming
semesters. Finally, your first taste of real freedom, away from your parents,
younger siblings and other distractions. However, just when you think
you’ve settling into your new surroundings, your new roommate arrives—
complete with armloads of his/her own stuff. Fortunately, most colleges and
universities across the country give you the option of rooming with someone
you already know before they pair you up with a random roomie.
By the time you have settled into your new place, there is no doubt that
you’ve already scoped out the campus diner, pizza place, and other food service
establishments for your meals and selected the best meal plans. But what
if there was a way to prepare those same meals in the confines of your own
dorm room I know what you’re thinking, is this writer crazy Actually, it is
possible and very easy to prepare most of your own delicious, satisfying
meals right inside your dorm room. Most dorms have refrigerators that you
can rent or buy for the semester to help store perishable items in your room.
Other items to bring along that are easy to store under your bed if need be
are: a small toaster oven, electric grill, portable gas burner, a small cutting
board with one or two knives, and a couple of pots and pans. Please check
ahead of time with your Dorm Supervisor to see what is and is not allowed.
Let’s say that you now have all of this equipment in your room and you want
to have a guest over. Here is a basic and easy item checklist to keep on hand
in your room at all times:
• Salt and Pepper
• Ramen noodles –usually around
$0.13 a pack
and a great money saver
• Garlic and onion- either powder
or granulated
• Cayenne pepper and Tabasco
sauce for spicing things up a bit
• Milk and/or heavy cream
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Mayonnaise
• Some variety of cheese-
Parmesan, cheddar, American
singles
• Lemon juice
• Hot dogs
• Bread
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Measuring Spoons
• Paper plates, cups and bowls
• Plastic Silverware
Now that you have your list of ingredients, let’s see what you can make with
them. Here are just a few examples:
Easy Ramen Alfredo
In a small saucepan, boil the Ramen noodles and drain them. Combine in
the same pot, after removing the noodles, combine 1 cup of heavy cream and
olive oil and bring to a simmer. Add in 2 Tbsp of butter and slowly stir in 1
cup of Romano Cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic, and pour your
noodles back into the pot. Grab a fork and knife and enjoy!
Shrimp Scampi
Buy medium sized shrimp, but have them peeled and deveined when you
purchase them (this makes for a less stinky dorm room). When you get
home, add some chopped fresh garlic and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a pan over
medium-high heat. Add in the shrimp and cook until they start to turn
pink. Turn the heat down to low and add in some butter, lemon juice and
season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl over noodles and serve with
garlic bread.
Grilled Steak Sandwiches
At the store, purchase about 1 lb. of sirloin steak and have the butcher cut it
into 4 oz pieces. Buy some sliced mushrooms, one onion, some Swiss cheese
and sandwich bread and return to your castle. Slice the onion into thin
pieces and cook in 1 Tbsp olive oil for a few minutes, then add in the sliced
mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. When the vegetables are done,
remove them from the pan and cook the steak in the same pan after
seasoning and cook until desired temperature. About 2-3 minutes per side
for medium rare and 4-5 minutes for medium-to-medium well.Toast bread
in the oven until crisp, remove and top with your steak, vegetables and
cheese. Pop it back in the oven to melt the cheese and eat.
Easy Stir Fry (either beef or chicken)
Purchase a package of frozen stir fry vegetables, cooked white rice from the
deli section, Sesame Oil, Teriyaki Sauce, and either sliced beef or chicken.
When you get back, heat the sauté pan with a little bit of the sesame oil,
about 2 Tbsp. Add in the frozen vegetables and cook for about 7-8 minutes,
until tender. Drain off most of the water that will appear after the vegetables
release it.Toss in your chicken or beef with the Teriyaki Sauce and cook until
done, about 4-5 minutes. Pour over the rice and voila, instant stir-fry.
So, there you have it—simple and easy recipes you can make in your dorm
room. You’ll impress your new friends with your new found culinary skills.
While college life may seem crazy now with studying, extra curricular
activities, work, and all the other college life festivities, you can be sure that
you will never go hungry with these basic recipes. They may just make your
college days taste a little sweeter.
86 SEPTEMBER 2008