Quick Snack: Popcorn

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. However, I am not talking about microwave popcorn. I am talking about the popcorn you make on the stove. Compared to microwave popcorn it is cheaper and healthier. Mainly - it's cheap. One 16 oz. bag of unpopped kernels should last you practically forever.

Things you'll need:
1 large pot with a tight-fitting lid
1 large serving bowl
1 stove

Ingredients:
about 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1-2 tbs. salt
about 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
2 tbs melted butter (optional)

Step 1:
Pour the popcorn kernels into the pot. You should put enough kernels in so that there is a single, even layer of kernels covering the bottom of the pot.

Step 2:
Pour in the oil. Note that the above measurement is approximate. The kernels don't need to be swimming in oil. The same rule applies for the oil as the popcorn kernels - you only need enough to cover the bottom of the pot.

Step 3:
Cover the pot and set the heat to high.

Step 4:
Once the popcorn begins to pop, reduce the heat to a low-medium setting. Once the pot has begun to fill with popped kernels, the popping will slow. Listen for it to slow down to about 3-4 seconds between pops and completely remove it from the heat.

Step 5:
Pour the popcorn into the bowl.

Step 6:
Add salt and shake the bowl so that the salt will evenly distribute throughout the popcorn. Repeat this step as necessary. If you are using butter, add it first so that the salt will stick.

That's all there is to it! This recipe makes enough popcorn for at least 4 people to share. This makes a great snack for movies, parties or any other time!

Quick Tip: Mastering Your Microwave

In the coming days I will try to post some recipes for cooking with your microwave, but for now I will share some quick tips with you.

Your microwave can cook many more foods than you think. While it cannot grill or broil, it can still make your cooking easier, faster and healthier (believe it or not). If you get a little creative, you can actually tackle most things with your microwave that you would normally use other appliances for.

One popular Lifehacker article shares a number of tips for how to cook with very little effort - something the microwave is adept at doing. 

However, what interested me most in the article, and what I wanted to share with all of you, is this - there is a popular misconception about microwaves being less healthy for the foods that you cook. 

In the article mentioned above, the author discovered that you get more vitamins and nutrients by nuking your veggies than you do from cooking them on the stove. Just throw your vegetables into a bowl with a small amount of water, cover it and microwave it for a couple of minutes and you are ready to start eating. 

Since this method is much faster and healthier than using the stove, I will probably be using my microwave much more often. 

Also, seeing as how the microwave can be a major time-saver, I will try to post some more recipes that make use of your microwave so that you can save time when cooking (something I know that everyone needs more of). 

Maybe this information will inspire you to get reacquainted with your microwave - I know it did for me!

Tools for the job: Rice Cooker

A rice cooker is an incredibly handy tool to have in the kitchen, especially if rice is something you use a lot of. I only have limited experience with rice cookers, but from the few times I have used them, I can say that they made me reluctant to go back to cooking rice on the stove.

 Also, most colleges will not allow anything inside your dorm with an exposed heating element - which means rice cookers are generally allowed.

Most of the high-end rice cookers can run upwards of $200, but I do know that there are a few that you can find for under $20.

Black & Decker makes a small, 3-cup model - the cheapest I could find. 

At the risk of sounding as though I am endorsing certain products, I would recommend the Black & Decker model pictured above. No, I am not some kind of affiliate marketer. This is just the most affordable model I know of, and I write for the cooks on a budget!

Now, if you seem to think that your money does not need to be spent on something that only makes rice - hear me out! These appliances can much more than make just rice. 

There are a whole host of rice cooker recipes to be found on the internet - including stews, pilafs, puddings, soups - some even come with a little rack so you can steam vegetables! 

For the budget cook and college student, these little appliances are worth their weight in solid, gold ninja stars. 

As I said before, I do not personally own a rice cooker (yet), but I would highly recommend them. If anyone has any rice cooker experiences/recipes/recommendations of their own that they would like to share, please comment!

Stock Your Pantry: Rice

Today, I want to give you a quick tip on something to keep in your pantry at all times - rice!

Rice is like a super food - it is super healthy, super cheap, super delicious and super easy to make. The average price you can expect to pay in the store for long grain white rice is usually around $1.50 for 2 lbs - sometimes less, depending on where you go.

If you use a lot of rice, go somewhere where you can buy it wholesale and you will pay practically nothing for a whole lot of rice (although I wouldn't suggest this if you live in a dorm - you wouldn't have anywhere to store it all!)

It is not just the price you pay at the counter that makes rice the budget cook's best friend. Rice is so versatile it can be used for almost anything. I have used rice for soups, stews, side dishes, main entrees, you name it! It is also very filling, which is a huge plus if you are pinching pennies.

 If you don't have large amounts of any one ingredient, you can throw them all together and fry it in a pan with some cooked rice, and it makes for a delicious and easy entree. When you are using rice, it doesn't take many ingredients at all to make a great meal or snack.

White rice is usually the best option because it has a very short cooking time - around 20 minutes. Brown rice - which is the healthier choice - actually takes between 45-50 minutes. So, if you often find yourself in a hurry, go with the white rice.

 If you are willing to wait, take the healthy road and go with the brown rice. Also, if you do decide to go with brown rice, you can cook lots of it on a day when you have some extra time on your hands and store it all in the fridge once it's cooked. This is actually a great idea for any kind of rice you are using, especially if you plan to make dishes like fried rice.

Additionally, rice is a great option for college life, considering rice cookers are allowed in most dorms.

Comment and share what you use rice to make!