An Amateur's Kitchen

Photo Roundup

12:23 PM

Hey y'all! Today's post is just going to be pictures. If you follow me on Instagram, I recently said in a post that I prefer to mostly post iPhone pictures on my account because it is the fastest and most convenient option. I will use this blog to post pictures from my Nikon, so if you like seeing those pictures, you can always stop by here. :) Here are some pictures of lunch and dinner I've made recently, which I will also link the recipes to.

This is a healthier version of top ramen, aka the college/amateur student staple. I stopped eating ramen a while ago, except for some days where I really craved it, and decided to just make a better alternative for when I do eat it. The soup is made of vegetable broth, soy sauce, Sriracha, lemon juice, white pepper, and a tiny dash of seasonings from the ramen packet. I know thats a cheat, but I have yet to come up with a seasoning mix that will taste similar. Once I get to it, I will definitely update this with the recipe! You can also use different noodles for this to make it less processed. I just used the same noodles because thats all we had on hand at the time.

This is a Caesar salad wrap. It was a great quick lunch, and the dressing was good! Here is the recipe.

Lastly, this delicious creamy cajun shrimp pasta. It is definitely on the richer side, but it was yummy! I made my own cajun seasoning (without salt! salt free seasonings help you have more control over the salt in your recipes) and first cooked the shrimp with the seasoning, and then added a little more seasoning once I made the sauce. The recipe can be found here.

That is all for this week! I hope you enjoyed, and please be on the look out for some more exciting things coming up!

Love,
Saba

breakfast

Fruit Smoothie Roundup

12:17 PM

Lately, I've been obsessed with fruit smoothies. I used to make green smoothies a while back when I was homeschooled, but quickly stopped because I found them to be a bit bland. I disliked adding bananas or any dairy (including yogurt) so they mostly just tasted like cold water with seeds. Sad, I know. I tried to give smoothies another shot because I realized smoothie bowls were a thing and they might be more filling to eat for breakfast. Breakfast has always been an issue for me, because I usually don't eat much, rather, just snack on little things and end up still being hungry.

Once I made my first smoothie bowl, loosely based off of my favorite smoothie from Jamba Juice, I was hooked. I love drinking smoothies now because they make me feel more full and I can start my day off on the right track. I find that eating healthy foods from the start of the day helps me make better choices throughout the day.

This is not really a recipe post, but rather some ideas for some fruit combinations. I like my smoothies more tart, so a lot of tart fruit is used. The ingredients are listed in order of which one is more predominent. There are no measurements because I usually add however much I feel so add more fruit if you want, or add more liquid to make them thinner. I prefer thick smoothies so I use more frozen ingredients. You can also add dairy or nut milk or yogurt.

Smoothie 1: Strawberry Orange (Jamba Juice copycat)

-frozen strawberries

-peach

-orange juice

-few squeezes of lemon juice

-quarter piece of banana or honey for sweetness

Smoothie 2: Strawberry Mango

-frozen strawberries

-mango

-orange juice

Smoothie 3: Pineapple Mango

-frozen pineapple

-frozen mango

-coconut milk

Smoothie 4: Raspberry Peach

-frozen raspberries

-peach

-frozen strawberries

-orange juice

Smoothie 5: Mango Peach

-peach

-frozen mango

-water

Smoothie 6: Mixed berry

-frozen raspberries

-frozen strawberries

-frozen blueberries

-frozen kiwi

-apple juice

easy

Herb Roasted Potatoes

3:12 PM

Ahh, potatoes. I love them fried, roasted, baked, mashed, you name it. It took me a while to get to that stage, sadly, but now I love any type of potato that isn't only fries or chips. I disliked how grainy mashed potatoes could be sometimes, or how the texture of baked potatoes were a little too soft. I finally started to realize that they didn't all have to be like that once I learned how to cook them to my liking.

One of the potato recipes I've really come to enjoy is this super simple, quick recipe for roasted potatoes that can be customized however one wishes. The basic ingredients are potatoes, a fat (oil or butter), and seasoning. I've learned that small red or white potatoes are best for roasting, as they have lots of flavor, hold their shape nicely, and can crisp up pretty nicely on the outside. I usually eyeball most ingredients, so these are a good estimate of ingredients needed for one serving as a side dish.

Ingredients

3-4 small red or white potatoes

1 Tablespoon Olive oil or melted butter, or half amounts of each

1 teaspoon dried herbs such as dried rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450℉.

2. Cut potatoes into small pieces. I've learned that cutting them in 6 pieces allows for them to crisp up nicely in a short amount of time because they're smaller.

3. Place in a bowl and add oil or butter and seasonings and mix.

4. On a baking tray lined with aluminum foil, spread potatoes evenly and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Bake for longer to make them crispier.

easy

Black Bean Soup

10:36 AM

Hey y'all! The first post of this blog is a recipe that has been tried and tested many times and is so easy and delicious. It also has very few ingredients and is pretty cheap, yet healthy. So, naturally, something that I love and that fits the theme of this blog is the first of my posts :)

This soup can be eaten with rice for a more filling meal, or without.

Lets get started!

Ingredients

1 can of black beans, drained

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I've also just used water many times!)

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Salt to taste

Lime juice, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips to garnish

Directions

1. Sautee onions, garlic, jalapeño, and spices in olive oil until softened on medium heat. Add broth or water, and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

2. Turn the heat off. Using an immersion blender, blend soup for a few seconds until it has reached a more soupy consistency. If you dont have an immersion blender, you can take half of the beans and blend them in a regular blender.

3. Taste and add salt and/or lime juice. Serve over rice or by itself. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from here.

Welcome!

8:41 AM

I have entered the blogosphere! Here I will document my journey into eating and living better through school life. There will still be unhealthy stuff, but my main focus is to at least try to be more balanced, make more fresh food at home, and not indulge too much when times get harder to cook through. I will share whatever tips I have for someone in a similar budget and time issue as me, as college can be stressful enough without worrying about what food to make and how much it will cost. Hope you stick around!

An Amateur's Kitchen

Photo Roundup

Fruit Smoothie Roundup

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Black Bean Soup

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