College Cooking with Celia

Small Batch Cheesecake

Sharing the other half of my Valentine’s Day dinner today! Cheesecake is my boyfriend’s favorite dessert, so I knew I wanted to make us one. But making an entire cheesecake seemed like a lot, plus I don’t own a springform pan. Enter in Sally’s Baking Addiction with her small batch cheesecake! Baked in a loaf pan, it makes 5 hefty slices, which was absolutely perfect for the two of us + my roommates.

Sally’s recipe, and thus the one below, is for a plain cheesecake. But my boyfriend humbly requested chocolate peanut butter, so I improvised a bit. I made the crust with Oreos (just crushing up the same amount as the graham crackers), and then added about 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the filling + 1 tbs of extra sugar to balance the saltiness of the peanut butter (and also left out the lemon juice). And it turned out amazing!

So if you want a surprisingly easy but decadent dessert, try Sally’s small batch cheesecake!

Small Batch Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham cracker sheets)
3 tbs melted butter
1 tbs granulated sugar

2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional for serving: fruit, caramel, chocolate sauce, etc.

Instructions

Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the slides to remove the cheesecake from the pan (or just grease the pan well)
Mix all the crust ingredients together. Pour into prepared loaf pan and press down the crust so it is super tight and firm in the pan. Use a flat spatula to compact it down. Bake the crust for 22-24 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges and top
While the crust is pre-baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth. Beat in the sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon juice until completely combined and smooth, about two minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed.
Pour the batter on top of the warm crust and smooth into an even layer. It will look like a lot of cheesecake batter, but it will sink down as it bakes.
Bake the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes, until the entire surface is set. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cheesecake should come out *mostly* clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate the cheesecake for 4 hours up to 1 day.

Homemade Pizza

Super short post for today! For Valentine’s Day the last few years, my boyfriend and I have made homemade (heart shaped) pizzas as a fun thing to do together and a yummy dinner. So today I’m sharing my tips for making homemade pizza!

Step 1 is getting a pizza crust. I’ve made my own before from assorted recipes online, but you can also buy the “just add water” packages from the grocery store, or find homemade dough from a store or deli! There’s an Italian deli down the street from my house with the best homemade pizza dough, so that’s been my go to. Make sure you stretch the dough out (no need for a rolling pin!) and shape to whatever your heart desires.

Next, brush some olive oil over the whole crust. The fat blocks water from your sauce, cheese, and toppings from soaking into your crust and making it soggy. I also like to sprinkle some salt and garlic powder on top to make the crust extra flavorful.

Next is the sauce. The way I was taught by my straight from Italy Italian professor is that you don’t need to make or buy sauce, just buy a can of crushed tomatoes and add your own seasonings. It’s gonna cook in the oven anyway, and this is the way they do it in Italy (although no judgment if you do go for a store bought sauce haha). So spoon crushed tomatoes on to your desired level of sauciness, and then season! I like to add fresh minced garlic, salt, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Last is the toppings! The sky is the limit. Cover that baby in cheese (shredded mozzarella or an Italian mix is always good) and add whatever else you like. I’m a bell pepper and sausage fan (although make sure the sausage is cooked beforehand), and my boyfriend likes pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeños (don’t knock it till you try it!)

Then bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes until the crust is cooked and the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Homemade pizza is honestly pretty easy once you have what you need, and makes a super fun date night or Friday dinner special.

Weekly Gratitude #8

Another week down! And this one was so busy. Between thesis writing, conducting experiments in my lab at work, studying for the test I had last Friday, and prepping for a class presentation on Monday and a research presentation next Friday… I feel like I haven’t had time to breathe haha. But thankfully this weekend has been a bit of a break, so here’s hoping this week is a bit quieter. And less icy.

Dropping my weekly gratitude list below, let me know what you’re thankful for this weekend! Lots of love ❤ Ce

This week I’m thankful for:

Cold weather (which means all the warmest sweaters, specifically inherited from my Grandpa)
Pesto tortellini
Zoom calls with Shelb
Overalls
Working from home
Finishing THREE books this week (Before We Were Yours, Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and Take a Hint Dani Brown)
A delicious one pot rice dinner (recipe coming eventually)
On sale Valentine’s Day chocolates
Brownie deliveries from Shelby
Taking Friday off of work
My test going pretty well (I think)
Doing lots of knitting
Cinnamon toast crunch
Getting 9 inches (ish) cut off my hair
Super successful grocery trip/meal planning for the week
Breakfast for dinner (pink pancakes!)
Scrolling through AirBnB just for fun
Sleeping in

Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner

Another Budget Bytes recipe coming your way! I hope you don’t get tired of these, but she’s just my favorite source for easy and cheap recipes. Today’s recipe is a sheet pan recipe that’s pretty similar to my Giambotto recipe from a couple years ago, but with a slightly different flavor profile. Plus made simpler with kielbasa!

This sheet pan dinner features kielbasa, potatoes, onions, and frozen green beans and it couldn’t be easier. Just chop everything up, drizzle with olive oil and season with your favorite spice mix (Beth used steak seasoning, I used chicken grilling seasoning, but there are so many tasty options out there) and then cook for 30-40 minutes! I’m always a big fan of one pan recipes particularly because they’re light on dishes to wash at the end.

If you’re new to kielbasa, it’s just a fully cooked Polish pork (or other meat) sausage. In my opinion, it kind of tastes like a grown up hot dog haha. But since it’s seasoned and a bit fatty, as the sheet pan cooks your veggies absorb all that yummy kielbasa flavor. And if you’re not a green bean fan, you could totally customize with other veggies! I think broccoli, zucchini, or Brussels sprouts would be great.

Bonus points to this recipe for making fantastic leftovers too. You could just reheat them, but why stop there? My roommate topped her leftovers with hot sauce and an over easy egg, and it looked incredible.

So if you’re looking for a super easy, super delicious weeknight dinner (that my roommate said was one of the best things I’ve ever made) try out this Kielbasa sheet pan! You won’t regret it.

I actually added sliced zucchini the first time I made this!

Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner

Ingredients

24 oz petite red (or yellow) potatoes
12 oz kielbasa
1 yellow onion
12 oz frozen green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp steak seasoning (or other seasoning mix of choice)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and slice the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Slice the kielbasa into medallions. Dice the onion into 1 inch pieces.
Add the potatoes, kielbasa, onions, and frozen green beans (no need to thaw) to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Toss everything until fully coated with oil and spices (and add more if necessary!)
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then give the ingredients a good stir. Roast an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and brown.

Tomato Lentil Soup

It is freezing in Pittsburgh today (and around much of the country) so I’m back with a Budget Bytes soup recipe. We all know I love lentils, and this tomato lentil soup is SO easy and SO warm and cozy. Pairs perfectly with a grilled cheese for a snowy or rainy lunch or dinner.

Not much else to say on that! Hope you’re staying warm and cozy this week, and I’ve got a super delicious sheet pan meal coming tomorrow.

Tomato Lentil Soup

Time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion
3 carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 russet potato (about 1 pound)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 15 oz cans stewed tomatoes
1 cup brown lentils
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
2 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the carrots (try for smaller pieces). Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and olive oil to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, peel and dice the potato into 1/2 inch cubes.
Add the tomato paste and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to coat the bottom of the pot.
Added the cubed potato, stewed tomatoes (with juices), lentils, spices, and broth and stir to combine.
Place a lid on the pot and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the soup simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are super tender and begin to break down slightly (this helps thicken the soup).
Add the soy sauce to the soup and then taste, adjusting the salt if necessary.

Weekly Gratitude #7

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you’re finding some way to treat yourself and love on your people. The boy and I went ice skating yesterday (his first time!) and today I’m making a cheesecake for after our homemade pizzas. And probably a cheesy rom-com on the schedule too.

Dropping this week’s gratitude list below. Hope you all have a lovely Sunday! Sending lots of love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

Carissa’s chicken soup
Criminal minds and soft pretzels
New wide leg pants
Monday night date night (watching a live book release event with snacks!)
More snow!
Getting off work early/working from home
Cozy sweaters
Calling mamma
Picking up even more library books (I think I have 10 checked out right now and 8 requested)
Finishing Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix
Valentine’s Day care package from my mamma ❤
Kraft mac and cheese
Excellent yoga practices
Ice skating
Sweet, thoughtful Valentine’s Day gifts
Finishing to-do lists

Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe is one of my all time favorite comfort foods from home, and I was reminded just how much I love it when my mom made it a few weeks before Christmas. Shepherd’s pie has always been a dish I enjoyed, ground meat with vegetables and cheese, topped with mashed potatoes. But my mom didn’t love it, so she made some changes that make it infinitely better (even for me!).

Number 1, she tops it with tater tots instead of mashed potatoes. This makes it SO easy, and the crispy, crunchy tater tots just bring the dish to the next level. And number 2, she mixes sriracha into the meat. To be honest, regular shepherd’s pie just seems boring to me now. The slightly spicy meat and crispy potatoes, with vegetables hidden inside and melty cheddar cheese? The perfect casserole for a chilly weeknight dinner.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

~3 lbs ground meat (I use turkey)
~2-3 tbs Sriracha sauce
Salt and pepper
1-2 bags frozen mixed veggies
1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 bag frozen tater tots

Instructions

In a large pan over medium heat, cook the ground meat with salt, pepper, and sriracha sauce to taste. Meanwhile, steam the frozen vegetables for about half the time indicated on the bag (just to thaw them, not completely cook them)
Pour the meat into the bottom of a large casserole dish. Pour the thawed (and drained, if applicable) vegetables over the top of the meat, and top with the shredded cheese.
Top with the tater tots, and lightly salt.
Bake according to tater tot package directions (generally, at about 425°F for 25-30 mins, or until tots are golden)
Serve hot, with extra cheese sprinkled on top!

Weekly Gratitude #6

Does anyone else feel like Monday was months ago, not 6 days? This week was a long one. We got quite a bit of snow on Sunday and Monday which was lovely, but also made driving and walking a bit hazardous for a few days. This week also featured studying for my first test of the semester, lots of writing for work, and getting my first COVID vaccine! I volunteer at the Children’s Hospital in the city and they finally reached the volunteers for vaccines. I’m feeling very lucky, and only ended up with a bit of arm pain and a headache the next day. Looking forward to another week of cold weather and cozy sweaters, and then some fun Valentine’s Day plans next weekend!

Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! Sending lots of love, Celia ❤

This week I’m thankful for:

Tons of snow!
My green wool sweater from Ireland and my matching socks
Breakfast tacos for lunch
Phone calls with Mamma
Soup and grilled cheese
No Tuesday night class
Another successful sheet pan dinner
A good summer job interview (as a park ranger!)
Getting off work early
Overalls
Snuggles and Criminal Minds
Getting my vaccine!
Fleece lined flannels
Putting together my new bed frame
A successful grocery trip
Knitting
Making chicken parm
Finishing 2 more books this week
House breakfast of bacon and butter braids
A Michael’s/Target trip

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

Back with another lunch prep recipe! Another one from Budget Bytes (can you tell she’s my favorite?). So Beth classifies this recipe as an “autumn” salad, but I thought it sounded delicious so I pretended it was October. And it was so good! So many different textures and flavors (which is really what makes salad worth eating).

The only true “prep” for this recipe is roasting the sweet potatoes. I actually added a can of (drained and rinsed) chickpeas as well as a diced onion to bulk it up a little (and because I had them hanging around) and the mix of the chickpeas and sweet potatoes was actually so good. Plus the spices: I very rarely use cinnamon in savory settings but I promise it makes a huge difference.

After roasting your veg, you could pre-assemble the salads in containers (with or without the dressing), but I just kept all the ingredients separate since I eat lunch at home. It was a nice little routine to build my salad every afternoon! I also decided to just dress it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (and salt and pepper) because I didn’t feel like making Beth’s dressing, but you could totally use almost any store bought dressing. Balsamic, Italian, or Honey Mustard would all be good in my opinion.

So if you need some easy, tasty lunch prep for work or school, try this sweet potato and kale salad!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 lbs sweet potatoes
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large onion
1-2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt

6 cups chopped kale
1-2 medium/large apples (I used gala)
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I left these out)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, and dice the onion.
Place the sweet potato, onion, and chickpeas on a baking sheet, coat with cooking oil, and toss with spices.
Roast for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and tender, stirring once halfway through.
Chop the apples, and assemble your salad by splitting the kale, apples, and roasted vegetables evenly, and add about 1 tbsp each of pepitas, pecans, and cranberries (you can also store all components separately and assemble each day if you prefer!)
Serve with dressing of choice

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Ready for a super easy, super tasty dinner recipe? Then this post is for you. Bringing you another Pinch of Yum recipe, this time their Crunchy Roll Bowls. This is a tasty combo of tofu cooked in teriyaki sauce, fluffy rice, tons of crunchy vegetables (edamame, cucumber, jalapeño), smooth avocado, and spicy mayo!

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and it lasted me 4 dinners, and it truly couldn’t be easier! Just cook the rice, fry up the tofu, and chop all your toppings. Store everything in separate containers to keep it fresh throughout the week and you’ve got your meal prep sorted! Bonus points, this recipe is vegetarian! But if you’re a meat lover, you could definitely use chicken or pork (though the cook time will be different).

Another shoutout to Pinch of Yum for always bring super tasty recipes to the meal prep game! And try these teriyaki tofu bowls for a fresh, easy, and tasty dinner with tons of different textures

I forgot to buy jalapeños, so just imagine some sliced jalapeños on top too!

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Ingredients

1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup rice, uncooked
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 cucumber, finely diced
1 avocado, cut into chunks or slices
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
swish of neutral oil
1/2 cup teriyaki or savory-sweet Asian-inspired sauce (I like the Aldi brand!)
1/2 cup crunchy fried onions, crushed (the kind on top of green bean casserole)
spicy mayo (just mix mayo with sriracha, or other hot sauce of choice to taste)

Instructions

Press the water out of the tofu by layering in paper towels and pressing down with a large pan
Cook rice according to package directions
Cook edamame according to package directions
Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat oil over high heat and fry tofu until golden brown. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sauce (just enough to coat the tofu) and stir fry again until golden brown.
Assemble bowls with rice, tofu, more teriyaki sauce, edamame, cucumber, avocado, crunchy onions, and spicy mayo. Enjoy!
For meal prep, store ingredients in individual containers to stay fresh.