Cooking and college

You wake up at 7:45 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. class, take notes until 3:00 p.m. and study until dinner. It's 6:30 p.m. now, there's nothing to eat, and you are meeting someone at the library at 7:30 in the evening. But wait-- there is chicken in the refrigerator and rice in the cupboard; add some steamed carrots and you have an inexpensive, gourmet meal in about 30 minutes. Most Chef's will tell you that it takes time and energy to prepare an elegant meal. Forget it! Cooking a good tasting meal can be easy, fast and does not even require much planning. While students do not have much time to shop for food or prepare meals, they can make good tasting food.  This message I share is for the student who wants a good meal quickly, inexpensively, reliably and most importantly to some people, without a mess to clean up. Most of the following recipes can be prepared in an apartment, dorm, or house as long as there is some heat source (gas, wood, electricity, propane). In fact, one person I know survived his senior year as a political science major with a barbeque as his main cooking apparatus. Microwaves also come in handy for reheating food if there is one available (cafeteria, dorm). Gas and electric ranges work equally well.  Fresh, rather than frozen, foods always seem to taste better. While the availability of particular fresh items is dependent on geographical location and the time of year, for the highest nutritional value, fresh is best. Frozen vegetables also help in a pinch, but there is no reason to eat a frozen pizza or TV dinner.  The recipes I have in mind are designed to feed between one and four people depending on the appetite of each individual. The emphasis of each recipe is on taste, speed and ease of preparation, cost, and lack of clean-up responsibilities. You will not find a recipe for beef bourguignonne (I can't even spell it) or sweet breads with cream sauce, but you will see simple tasty dishes that are inexpensive. The manner in which each item is prepared is only one of many variation which are possible. Each recipe should be regarded as a suggestion rather than a rule to prepare the meal.  So, if you need some additional time to cram for your next test but would like a decent meal, leave a message for so I can give you a couple recipes to try but until then here is one to try now.................ENJOY.   Chicken is an inexpensive, all-around staple food which can be kept in the freezer without losing any of its flavor. Wings, breasts, drumsticks all work equally well in the recipes. Before cooking, the chicken should be defrosted (if necessary), skinned (if desired), cleaned and washed. Although chicken in easy to prepare, it does require about 30-45 min. of cooking time   Teriyaki Chicken  Teriyaki Chicken Student Style Ingredients:   2 chicken breasts (or thighs, drumsticks or wings 1 cup teriyaki sauce (for marination) spices (taragon, basil, garlic powder, pepper   A variation on the whole chicken scene. Marinate cleaned chicken in teriyaki sauce and spice overnight or in the morning until ready for cooking. Bake chicken at 350 for 45 min while your chicken is roasting you can add that boil in the bag rice thats they have in your local supermarket and some Birdseye Steam fresh Veggies that go right into your microwave to complete your meal.

 The Handicapped Chef, Carlton Haynes is owner of Triple H Catering and Consulting service/ for more information E-mail us thehandicappedchef@gmail.com