Say whaaaat? Look, my “healthy” snacks barely make it under a hundred calories. How in the world can my dinner top that?

Introducing one of my absolute favorite foods – spaghetti squash. Now, this gourd was introduced to me about a year ago, but I never actually bought into it. I thought it was just another one of those healthy food items that tasted really bland and would just be a phase. Boy, was I wrong!

It’s called spaghetti squash because it is the perfect substitute for pasta. It has a medium-heavy texture that looks like spaghetti and tastes a little sweet. Want to know the best part? Here are the nutrition facts for one cup of this delicious squash:

42 calories, 0g fat, 10g carbs, 2g fiber, and 1g protein

Ummm, amazing! It tastes great paired with marinara sauce and turkey meatballs. Due to my crazy work out schedule, I have to eat more than one cup (which is a huge splurge, I know) but it’s so fulfilling. If you ever have a food cheat day, this will easily put you back on track.

I’m not a homemaker, so anything that involves lots of preparing and waiting is not my thing. Fortunately, it’s super easy to make this. Here’s the quick and easy!

1. Purchase spaghetti squash. It’s only $2.99 at Trader Joe’s and I think it turns out to be a similar price at other supermarkets.

2. Cut the squash in half or poke 10 holes in it. If you can get it to cut open, it will look like a pumpkin inside. Simply pull out all of the seeds.

3. MICROWAVE it! I know, right? It’s like making cup of noodles. Microwave the whole squash on high for about 15-17 minutes (depending on how big the squash is). You can also steam or bake it, but it takes much longer.

4. Take it out of the microwave. Use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash. It will come out in strands, just like spaghetti! So fun. It’ll be extremely hot, so just be careful.

5. Serve with marinara sauce, meatballs or sauce up your own creation.

So easy, right? I’m not skipping any steps – I promise! Try your miracle 100-calorie dinner and let me know what you think. I’m so addicted to it and I hope you love it too. Remember, a healthy body is comprised of 80% nutrition and 20% fitness. Fill your body with only the best.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Fellow Up, Swap.com and LiveProfile) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

I’ve always been a food lover, but it wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I really developed a fondness for cooking. I’m still only a beginner, so I love trying out new recipes to practice my technique. Lucky for be, the internet is a wealth of information and I’ve discovered tons of great recipe sites on the web — but recently, I discovered one that puts all the others to shame: Foodily.

Foodily (the “-ily” stands for “I love you”) is, according to the site, the largest recipe network on the web. You can access all these recipes by searching for recipes themselves or simply by typing in certain ingredients you like (and/or excluding ingredients you don’t like). From there, Foodily will pull recipes from food blogs and food sites like FoodNetwork.com, FineCooking.com, and Martha Stewart and display them in a side-by-side gallery where you can compare recipes by  glancing at the ingredients and prep times.

Planning your meals is easy with Foodily, since you can just type in the ingredients you have on hand and find only recipes that include those ingredients. It’s perfect for if you’re sick of making the same old chicken dish and want to try something new!

Foodily also has some great social networking features. You can connect to Foodily through Facebook to “Like” recipes and see what recipes your friends like, t00 (well, your Foodily-using ones, at least). The whole idea of Foodily is to inspire conversations between friends about what you’re cooking and eating.

You can also save recipes to an online “menu” and share it on Facebook or use it to create a Facebook event — making planning a dinner party as easy as can be!

On top of all that, Foodily is just plain pretty to look at. Just looking at the beautiful photos for each recipe makes my stomach growl. Which works out well, because now I know exactly how to make them!

Need some more awesome websites to peruse when you should be studying for finals? We’re on it! Check out the other sites that are on Laura’s web radar!

[I love food. I knew when I started writing for CollegeCandy, I would inevitably write about yummy, delicious food. So when I heard CC was on the lookout for a new cooking columnist, I was all "ME ME ME!" I'll be bringing you latest and greatest college-friendly recipes every Sunday. Now let's nom nom.]

Eating food is an important part of everyone’s life. But for college students, it can really be a challenge considering we are working with some serious restrictions: time, money, and materials. This week, I’m going to introduce you to one of my staples of college life: canned white beans. I first discovered them about two years ago when I was looking for an easy way to get more protein in my diet. Since then, I have found a million and one ways to use them. Really, you can add these guys to anything. My favorites? Leftover spaghetti and salads. Mmm.

White beans are high in calcium and iron, as well as a great source of protein. They are also super cheap (score!); a can of white beans costs about 85 cents.

The recipe I’ve decided to feature is one that you can really change to include whatever you like. It provides a great stand in when you are craving bean dip… or if you just feel like dipping a salty, delicious tortilla chip in something. It is also super easy to mix up in a dorm room.

White Bean Spread

You will need:
One can of white beans, drained and rinsed well
About 1-2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (you can use the kind from the can or fresh grated)
Salt + pepper
Less than one teaspoon of red pepper flakes
About 3 tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes chopped up (or any addition that you like: jalapeños, chicken, tuna, onion, a bit of avocado…)

How to make it:
1. Drain and rinse your can of white beans really well. These bad boys are stored in a lot of salt, so give them a good bath to control your sodium intake!
2. Pop them in a large bowl and mash them up with a fork until there are relatively few big lumps. If you need to, you can add a touch of water to make them smooth.
3. Add your two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and sun dried tomatoes. Stir to combine.
4. There is no step 4. That’s it. 3 steps to a delicious and healthy white bean dip. You can eat it straight as a dip on tortilla chips (or carrots!), or you can smear a little bit on a piece of toast for a hearty afternoon snack.

Note: This spread lasts for a few days (around 3-4) if stored in an airtight container….and if your roommate can stop herself from eating it every time she opens the fridge.

Get more easy, breezy, delicious, college-friendly recipes right here.

If you’re enjoying a three-day weekend right now, you have your favorite Italian to thank for that. No, not The Situation – Cristoforo Colombo! (Ok. It’s not St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo, but for us real-life Italian Stallions, Columbus Day is as legit of a holiday as we’re going to get). So, besides an extra night of shots at the bar, why not celebrate with an easy twist on an Italian favorite–sausage and peppers!

The Ingredient: Sweet Peppers

These are one of the most versatile vegetables in any pantry. Sliced, they make a great pair with carrot sticks to dip in hummus or ranch for a snack. They’re spectacular when grilled with a lick of butter or olive oil and slapped on a sandwich. And toss ‘em in any stir fry or omelet for extra crunch. What makes the pepper so nutritious? With more than a full day’s worth of vitamins A and C, they’re poppin’ with free-radical fighting antioxidants.

The Recipe: Stuffed Peppers with Sausage

These stuffed peppers are loaded with flavor and will keep well in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients

1  pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
4 pats of butter
4 small to medium-size red bell peppers, tops removed and seeded

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 8 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper with sausage mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly.

2. Liberally rub the outside of each pepper with butter.

3. Sit each pepper on a piece of aluminum foil and push the sides in around the pepper, forming a base to keep the pepper upright and steady.

4. Place the peppers on a greased baking sheet. Cook until tops are browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165°F, about 1/2 an hour. Transfer peppers to platter, allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then sit yourself down for a family dinner, Jersey Shore style.

Or, you know, enjoy ‘em.

Though we’ve certainly celebrated our fair share of cupcake recipes here on Intro to Cooking, I hope the foodies out there can forgive me for serving up another cupcake creation. Hell, you should, because these babies combine the two most important culinary elements of college in one mind-blowing, gut-busting dessert:

BEER. CUPCAKES.

Did I know you could make cupcakes from beer? Would I have without-a-doubt gained the Freshman 500 had I known about this back then? I mean, is the freakin’ pope Catholic?

To be fair, the baking process will dilute the alcohol, so you won’t be able to get drunk off of these babies, but there are many health benefits to beer so these are basically like eating a vegetable.

Please consult the following recipe by Big City Little Kitchen, who recommends adding more Guinness to the icing for an extra kick, for the ultimate collegiate culinary bliss.

Ingredients

1 cup Guinness
1 stick, plus 1 tb, unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar.

3. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Then mix in the flour and baking soda.

4. Place cupcake liners into a cupcake tray and pour mixture into molds. Bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from tray, and let cool.

5. Using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth, sift in sugar, and beat. Add milk, and beat until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cupcakes.

6. Indulge. Then indulge in another one. With a nice, cold Guinness. Then maybe share the rest.

Summer is winding down, school is starting up, alumni are still doing the same-sh*t-different-day dance. In summary, the end of August kind of blows. Which is why this week’s Intro to Cooking is throwing nutrition to the wind (sort of), because it’s time for something indulgent!

The Ingredient: Dark Chocolate

In truth, dark chocolate IS good for you. In small servings, it can lower blood pressure, due to its richness in antioxidants. Why the dark stuff, over its milk- and white-chocolate sisters? Researchers think that the milk found in the latter two varieties may temper with the body’s absorption of the healthful nutrients found in pure chocolate.

Easy recipes (do you really need an excuse?)

* Pair a few pieces with a glass of red wine (more antioxidants!) for a refined evening snack.
* Mix 2 tablespoons agave nectar with 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder for a healthier alternative to chocolate dip, and serve over pieces of apples, raspberries, and bananas.
* Toss some dark chocolate pieces in a baggie with almonds, goji berries, walnuts, and peanuts for an upscale, super-tasty trail mix for those really hectic days.

The Recipe: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Whoever discovered the combination of chocolate and peanut butter should be given the Nobel Prize, for their contribution to countless moments of decadent dessert bliss. So if you want a cupcake that is truly a religious experience (seriously, just look at that photo), pull out this recipe from Food & Wine, and you’ll be praying to the chocolate gods in no time.

Ingredients
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and position 2 racks in the lower and middle third of the oven. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

2. Put the cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the buttermilk until combined. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks of the butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the dry ingredients in 2 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Carefully spoon the cupcake batter into the lined muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

4. In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon all but 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag (or a plastic baggie with a small hole cut in the corner). Holding a cupcake in your hand, plunge the tip into the top of the cake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake, withdrawing it slowly as you squeeze; you will feel the cupcake expand slightly as you fill it. Scrape any filling from the top of the cupcake and repeat until all of the cupcakes are filled.

5. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Off the heat, add the semisweet chocolate to the cream and let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk the melted chocolate into the cream until smooth. Let the chocolate icing stand until slightly cooled and thickened, about 15 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing, letting the excess drip back into the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to racks and let stand for 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes again and transfer them to racks.

If you’ve been a CollegeCandy reader for some time, you know we run our Intro to Cooking series every week, where even the most kitchen-shy co-ed can find easy, yummy recipes to please her suitemates (and sweet tooth!). Well, we’ve changed up the syllabus for Intro to Cooking: you’ll still get the fabulous recipes you love, but we’ll be including background nutritional info on specific ingredients that are must-haves in every college girl’s pantry.

This Week’s Ingredient: Sugar Snap Peas

It’s well known that a surefire way to rev your metabolism and curb hunger is to have a healthy snack on hand for a quick nibble between meals. But have you ever noticed that most of the go-to snacks (raisins, granola bars, apples) we pack to stabilize blood sugar are really just…sugar? Although many of these items are perfectly healthy and have naturally-occurring (rather than added) sugars, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. So if you’ve been looking for a tasty, portable snack that won’t give you a sugar crash, look for a different kind of sugar: sugar snap peas!

For a one cup serving size, these little babies (a hybrid between the green and snow pea) weigh in at just 41 calories, packed with riboflavin and dietary fiber. And while most of their calories do, in fact, come from natural sugars, consider that a single serving contains but 4 grams, while just one small box of raisins contains a whopping 25 grams.

Easy Snacks

1. Toss a handful in a sandwich bag with some sea salt and/or some parmesan cheese.
2. Serve with hummus and carrot sticks as a side.
3. Serve with cold pasta as a light and summery meal or warm with a little olive oil, basil, and chicken for a complete dinner.

The Recipe: Creamy Corn with Sugar Snap Peas

This recipe from Epicurious is foolproof and a great way to work more veggies into your day. The original instructions call for fresh ingredients, but they’re modified here with the college gal (or busy summer intern) in mind.

Ingredients

3 box fresh or frozen sugar snap peas
2 boxes frozen corn
1 cup heavy cream
2 bunches scallions (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the frozen corn and sugar snap peas, respectively, according to instructions on the box. Tip: try adding the ingredients to a bowl along with ½ tablespoon kosher salt each before placing in the microwave. If boiling, add the salt to the water before placing the vegetables in to cook.
2. Drain the corn and sugar snap peas and pat dry.
3. In a separate pot, boil the heavy cream and scallions on high heat until slightly thickened, for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the corn and snap peas, tossing and stirring until they are cooked through (about another 2 minutes). Serve and enjoy!

This week’s ingredient: Blueberries!

Not only are blueberries in season, but they are an inexpensive and low-calorie (84 calories per cup!) snack. They’re loaded with elleagic acid, which prevents cell damage, as well as vitamins C and E, manganese, and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Still, be sure to wash them before eating, because they are among the foods upon which pesticides are most frequently found.

Easy Meal Ideas

1. Toss with a salad, oatmeal, or yogurt for a sweet boost to mealtime standards.
2. Serve with cool-whip or other crème for a refreshing dessert (hold me back…!)
3. Did you know many health stores sell dried blueberries? If you’re tired of raisins or thought craisins too sugary-sweet, these babies might be the perfect portable snack.

The Recipe: Blueberry Tiramisu

There’s no dessert quite like tiramisu. It’s not quite cake, it’s lighter than pudding, fluffier than cream pie, and definitely hits the sweet spot. Here’s a twist on an old Italian favorite, modified from a Kaboose recipe to include blueberries and the lighter Neufchatel cheese (available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, baby). Best part? No steamy baking required!

Ingredients

3 cups blueberries
1 pound Neufchatel cheese
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
40 lady fingers
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

Instructions

·  Puree the blueberries (make sure to remove stems first, if any). In a large bowl stir puree into the cheese and set aside. In a clean bowl, beat the heavy cream, sugar and almond extract until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the whipped cream into Neufchatel mixture. In two more additions, fold the remaining whipped cream into Neufchatel mixture.

·  Line the bottom of a baking  pan with half the ladyfingers. Stir 2 cups of hot water into espresso powder and cocoa until smooth. Brush half the espresso mixture onto the lady fingers.

·  Spread half the Neufchatel mixture over the ladyfingers. Repeat layering with the remaining lady fingers, coffee and Neufchatel mixtures.

·  Chill for at least 4 hours.  Top with fresh blueberries. Serves 24.

We all know that in college our muffin tops don’t actually come from muffins but from vodka. And beer. And cocktails. And hangovers that cause to eat all sorts of muffins the next day: Chocolate, Egg Mc…you get the drill.

But thanks to culinary genius, Hungry Girl, who has given us healthy versions of just about all of our favorite foods, and her new book, Hungry Girl Happy Hour you can now have your favorite party foods and cocktails guilt free. This little “cookbook” is chock full of delicious cocktail recipes that are hundreds of calories less than the originals.

Sip on the Mango MMM-tini for just 102 calories (or 2 WW points) or a Pumpkin Pie-tini for only 144 calories.

Martinis not your thang? The book has all your favorite classics like Mai-Tais and Bloody Mary’s along with Margaritas (already made em…. SO GOOD), Sangria and wait for it… Jello Shots. (There are also fun blender drinks too!) And the De-Pudged Pigs in a Blanket and Jalapeno Swappers are just some of the yummy party food you can chow down on (guilt free) after a few of these delectable drinks.

And there ain’t no shame in that, my friends.

This book will start a new wave of drunk college girls gone wild. Because now you can sip on your favorite drinks without worrying if your formal dress will still fit you in two months.

And the other best part (yes there is another best part!) Hungry Girl Happy Hour is only $14.99, way less than a night at the bar and way, way less than the cost of new jeans when your $1 pitcher belly gets too big for the old ones.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Dad's on Vacation, Covet, and Any Clip) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

I love to cook, but sometimes I have trouble trying to figure out what to make–I get sick of the same old recipes over and over, and there are times when nothing sounds good.  Thankfully, I’ve discovered Yummly, a site that helps me find recipes based on what I feel like eating…. or more realistically, what I’ve got in my fridge.

Yummly is part search engine, part foodie community–and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

The site’s front page contains a giant search box (the “FoodFinder”) that asks simply, “What are you in the mood for?”  Type in “cookies,” and 13,806 recipes come up.  You can then narrow down your results by using Yummly’s extensive filters, which include: course or meal, ingredient like & dislike (for example, you can choose to see only recipes that include chocolate, but not nuts), type of cuisine (such as American, Chinese, Italian, etc.), diet and allergy restrictions (such as vegan or gluten-free), nutrition (calories, fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrate levels), price and time involved, the recipe’s source, and taste (such as sweet, savory, bitter, sour, or salty).

Once you find a recipe you like, you can click on it to get the ingredient list and directions, as well as nutrition information and options to save the recipe to your favorites and share it with friends.  You can also edit the recipe by adding or substituting ingredients (and view other’s variations) and add your own pictures.

In order to save and edit recipes, however, you’ll need to create a profile.  On your profile, you can add  info about your favorite types of foods and cuisines and find and friend people with similar tastes (“TasteBuds”).  Also, Yummly learns your what you like based on your favorite recipes and your searches, and then offers customized recommendations on your profile.

I just can’t get over how cool Yummly is! It will totally change the way we all eat (meaning, no more boring grilled cheese 5 nights a week) and expose us to tons of new foods we never new existed.

My belly thanks you, Internet.