A New Culinary Challenge...

Merry Christmas All!!

So, after a long semester--and I do mean long--I came home for Christmas.

A few hours ago--during the Doctor Who Christmas Special, no less--my parents decided to sort through our food storage in the family room.

Guess what I got?

Two bags of this stuff.

"But Lindsey" I hear you say "you LOVE oatmeal! How is this a problem?" 

This is a problem because one cup of oatmeal makes about four servings, and I have to finish it by February.

However, oatmeal is a VERY nice, warm, filling sort of breakfast, which is quite honestly what I need if I'm to ride out the winter sickness-free, which I fully intend to do, thank you very much. It's healthy, whole-grain, and full of fiber, which will help with my one of my New Year's Resolutions {More on those next week}.

So it looks like I'm going to be posting twice a day sometimes, folks. The January 2012 oatmeal challenge will begin on the third of January {because that's when I get back to Provo}.

Much like the Mac & Cheese Challenge, it will consist of me trying to come up with different ways of serving Oatmeal. So far...I have three.

January is going to be fun!!

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Mac

This recipe was born of the desperation that only the need to rid one's fridge of perishables during and after finals week can produce. I had the stuff, it sounded good, and it was all surprisingly filling.

Prepare mac & cheese as directed on box.

Now, add any and all real cheese you have, plus that leftover ranch dressing.

Tear up the leftover chicken you're too lazy to put into a sandwich. Stor. Now add salt & pepper to taste.

I made this during finals week so there wasn't much time for pictures. There will always be pictures from now on, I promise.

The Spicy No-Sweat Sweatpant Stir-fry

Why did I make a spicy stir-fry in the middle of a Mac & Cheese Challenge?

Because I was sick of Mac & Cheese, that's why. Oh well. I got back to it.

I called this what I did because it's spicy, pretty easy to make, and I cooked it in my electric-lime-colored sweat pants.

I had peppers and turkey and broccoli, and stir-fry sounded amazing!!

I have everything in this picture but the peppers!

So, first of all, here is a little tutorial, boys & girls, on how to roast your own peppers at home, so you don't have to buy them expensive and pre-roasted in a jar. I always think everything is better homemade, cheaper and fresh.

So you have your peppers {probably red} and you put them on a cookie sheet, or a jelly-roll pan, which are the cookie sheets with the raised edges. Technically a jelly-roll pan.

Brush them with oil, or spray them with PAM. Turn your oven to broil.

When they get black on top in places, flip them over.

When they're done, take them out and let them cool down.

They will be HOT for a long time!

MEANWHILE...if you did this at the spur of the moment, thaw that ground turkey!

{I keep like three of these in my freezer at any given time. CHEAPER THAN GROUND BEEF!!}

Once your meat is thawed, brown it in a large skillet.

So, turn this

into this

At which point, add Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Garlic, cayenne {go light!}, chili powder, rotisserie seasoning {optional}, curry powder, nutmeg, and thyme. This will make the sauce you see above.

At some point, you peppers will have cooled. Remove the skin, if possible. Slice one pepper, and put the others into a tupperware {You can use them on all sorts of things later}. 

Now throw the pepper slices, seeds and all, into the skillet

Chop up your broccoli, like so:

You want small enough pieces that it can be easily eaten and stirred but large enough pieces that the broccoli retains its unique shape. 

Now put it in the skillet.

And stir it around a bit

Yes I cook in sweats, I like it

{Thank you Cherie for photographing me so I don't ruin my camera}

Anyway, then you boil your pasta {or rice, I felt like angel hair pasta this night} and it comes out looking like this:

And that is how you do the Spicy No-Sweat Sweatpant Stir-fry!!

Chili Mac

This was another idea I first thought of when this challenge occurred. I thought of using my own chili, which I had made JUST because I felt like it. But I had some Wendy's Chili lying around, so I thought I'd use that up instead.

I have to say I wish I had used my own chili--nothing against Wendy's, I just ought to have had more Chili in there.

So what you do for this one is you make the Mac & cheese, and then you want at least a cup of chili, and 1/2 C of cottage cheese. Stir and enjoy.

Sorry no photos on this one, but I made it at Cherie's house without my camera. I promise more next time!!

Salsa-Gouda Mac

Round Two!!

Also as part of the great 2011 food-storage dump, my mother gave me three jars of salsa. I learned two things from this:

1. I now understand why cheese goes so well and so often with Salsa
2. Never underestimate my ability to power through salsa. It is seriously one of my favorite snacks.

But this was one of my first ideas when I took this challenge on, and I happened to have some Gouda lying around, so I did this!!

You will need what you see here:

{Plus, of course, what it said you needed on the Blue Box}

Cook the mac & cheese as directed on the package. Now add in pieces of the Gouda, salt & pepper, 1/2c to 1 C of the Salsa, a teaspoon of the cream cheese {I used Garden vegetable} the chili powder, the cayenne pepper {go easy}, the sriracha {for gosh sakes go easy!}, the onion, and stir.

{Rather like this}

Once the cheese melts you know it's done and ready to serve. 

Bon Appetit!!