Sometimes, we all get a pizza craving. For me, it usually strikes at the worst time; I’ve spent all day eating healthy, being good, working out. And then, suddenly, the intense impulse to eat an entire pizza by myself hits. It just seems too easy. It’s just pizza! I can get it delivered to my door! Oh, and breadsticks, because I love breadsticks.

But at the end of the day, eating a day’s worth of calories and carbs isn’t a good choice. But how do I get rid of that pizza craving? You know, the desire for pepperoni, cheese and sauce? How on earth do I shake that? Through trial and error, I found the solution. And it includes three of my favorite salad greens ever: spinach, arugula and romaine. You’ll get tons of nutrients, including iron, along with some major flavor. Combined with tomatoes (full of lycopene, one of the best minerals out there), mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and tons of other yummy ingredients, your pizza craving will fade to only a memory and you won’t be left feeling guilty for eating two days’ worth of food while watching Law and Order: SVU. Read More »

I love spicy food. Okay, that’s kind of a lie; I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. I’m that person who gets teary-eyed and needs milk present at all times. Needless to say, my “spicy” or Mexican-inspired dishes are rarely all that spicy, but they are easy to customize, so you can always add more of your favorite spice (or hot sauce, or whatever you love).

Why am I talking about spicy food? I’m currently lying in bed with the flu and there’s nothing like spicy food to clear up the sinuses. I have a voice like a miniature frog; aches and pains like I’m about to give birth; and it feels like there is a small balloon locked up in my head that won’t deflate. I made spicy enchiladas to help — and of course to get some veggies in me. Read More »

When I was offered a copy of The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook, I couldn’t say no. I had watched the show a few times, but was more connected to the style of the characters and the nostalgia of an era (that I admittedly have never experienced) rather than the show itself. This cookbook takes episodes and features recipes based on what the characters ate or did. The attention to detail is kind of amazing.

I was delighted to find that the book had an impressive cocktail section. I didn’t drink much in college, but have recently gotten very interested in making fancy drinks. My favorite so far is the Sidecar, adapted from episode 8 of season 1. It includes cognac, Cointreau, and lemon and orange juice. It’s as strong as it sounds, but strangely appealing.

The only problem with some of the drinks is the recipes sometimes call for specific types of alcohol that I would say most college students would be unable to afford.

The recipes for food are at once familiar and unfamiliar. I recognize a lot of them as adaptations from cookbooks of my great-grandmother’s, but aren’t anything I’ve ever made before. Beef Wellington? Chicken Kiev? Pineapple-Glazed Ham? I guess the alien feeling of the recipes is a benefit; it makes me realize how long ago the 50s and 60s were! The recipe I attempted from this section, Miss Farrell’s Fettuccine Alfredo, was unlike any fettuccine Alfredo I’ve had before. Read More »

Over the past few weeks I’ve developed the strangest of obsessions: green beans. As a child, I hated the things, probably because my mother only knew how to serve green beans out of a can. They were gray, sour-tasting and pretty disgusting. I couldn’t stomach them. However, a few months ago, I made myself a promise: I would learn to love green beans. Why?

Because they are good for me, I told myself as I trimmed the ends and stared at them. They laid in a yellow strainer in my kitchen sink giving me the stink eye. They knew I was terrified of them. I devised a plan to cover them with enough of something delicious to forget that I was eating green beans. And guess what, guys? I ended up loving them. Read More »

Spanish rice is one of my absolute favorite quick meals — you can cram tons of veggies and whole grains into your diet with one spicy dish. It’s also super easy to add some chicken or tilapia for some extra protein. Either way, my recipe for Spanish rice will rapidly become one of your most-made dishes. I promise.

I really strongly encourage you to use brown rice in this recipe. If you hate the taste, you can of course use white rice — but brown rice is, hands down, much healthier for you. The more whole grains you have in your diet, the healthier you’ll be. With the addition of fresh tomatoes, peppers, and spinach, this recipe will give you plenty of servings of veggies and much-needed vitamins.

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I’m sure a few of you saw the title of this post and immediately blanched at “brussel sprouts.” And maybe again that time. But brussels sprouts are not as bad as you might think. They don’t have to be boiled or cooked until they are soft and mushy. Really, they don’t. They can be delicious, I promise.

You might also be wondering why I’m using this recipe for Christmas. The reason is because, after Christmas, we’re all gonna to start doing that New Year’s Resolution thing. And one of yours might be to eat a little healthier. And really, what’s healthier than tiny little cabbages? Not much. They are packed with vitamins K and C (help prevent those winter colds!), as well dietary fiber. They’re also great with a variety of comfort foods – grilled salmon, mac and cheese…everything really. Read More »

Every Sunday, CollegeCandy attempts to show you how to cook easy foods. I have never been able to cook…I messed up when making hot chocolate the other day. Obviously I should never be near a kitchen, but these recipes are all so good and — best of all — easy that it’s hard to burn down your house when making them.

Take a look, make your grocery list and then start cooking. Watch out Bobby Flay, we are becoming cooking pros over here. Read More »

I can’t promise you a spinach dip that will magically make you lose weight, but I can promise you a spinach dip that is delicious without adding a week’s worth of calories to your day. Spinach dip is easy to make, slightly healthy (it’s spinach, guys), and great for when you need a little nibble when you’re, say, finishing up your last finals (how are those papers coming!?) or getting ready to work in retail your way through Christmas. It’s the perfect blood sugar boost.

Spinach is packed with iron; combined with all these dip ingredients, you also get a bit of calcium, which isn’t too shabby. This isn’t a salad, obviously, and you probably shouldn’t eat the whole thing in one go – even though you’ll probably want to and I totally won’t judge you for doing so if you do. Read More »

I love winter. But I especially love the drinks that winter brings. It suddenly becomes acceptable to drink hot cocoa all the time and those yummy peppermint mochas show up in Starbucks. But it’s also really easy to make your own winter drinks, including some with, ahem, an extra dose of comfort.

Spiked Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte

You’ll need…

• 4-5 chai tea bags (any brand works)
• about 1 pitcher’s worth of water (or a medium sized soup pot)
• about ¼ cup of Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice creamer
• about 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 shots of Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 2 shots of rum

How to make it… Read More »

I really think my best moments during Intro to Cooking come when I’m trying to think up something to eat after getting home from work at 11 pm. Nothing inspires creativity quite like not going grocery shopping for two weeks and coming home to a house stocked with peanut butter, ramen noodles and leftover chicken of questionable date.

Let’s review some of Intro to Cooking’s best recipes — the ones I’m most proud of saying that I cooked! Read More »