Cooking Tips

• 2 microwave safe mixing bowls: 1 large and 1 small
• 9”x9” baking dish
• 2 sharp knives: 1 paring knife, and 1 larger knife for chopping, dicing, etc.
• Liquid and dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Small cutting board
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 rubber spatula
• Can opener
• Bottle opener
• Small hand grater or electric chopper
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap
• Ziplock bags
• Sponge
• Colander
• Paper towels, paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils
• Potholder

FOR THE FULL-SIZE KITCHEN, ADD TO THE ABOVE ITEMS:

• 10” non-stick fry pan
• 2 or 3 quart saucepan
• Vegetable steamer
• Toaster oven
• Dishes, glasses, silverware

• Toaster oven
• Tea kettle
• Coffee maker
• Garlic press
• Muffin tins, loaf pans, cake pans
• Blender or food processor
• George Foreman’s Lean Mean Grilling Machine

Staples for Dorm Room and Other Non-Kitchen Cooking: (Source: The College Student’s Guide to Eating Well on Campus, 2nd Edition, by Ann Selkowitz Litt, Tulip Hill Press, 2005)

• Eggs
• Light or regular butter
• Plain and flavored yogurt
• Skim milk
• Flour or corn tortillas
• Pre-shredded cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Pre-grated Parmesan cheese
• Baby carrots
• Fruit, as space permits

• Broccoli florets
• Peas
• Chopped spinach

• Boxed pasta
• Brown or white rice
• Dry cereal
• Instant cooked cereal packets
• Bagels/bread/English muffins

• Chicken and vegetable broth
• Vegetarian refried beans
• Water packed tuna fish
• Dehydrated soups (Fantastic Foods, Nile Spice, Knorrs)
• Canned soup: minestrone, lentil, vegetable, etc.
• Applesauce
• Plain microwave popcorn

• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Balsamic or red wine vinegar
• Salsa
• Soy sauce
• Mustard
• Low-fat mayonnaise
• Barbecue sauce
• Spaghetti sauce
• Peanut butter
• Jelly

• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder, onion salt, celery salt
• Sugar

• Teabags
• Coffee
• Snack foods

• This is great for chicken, beef or vegetables. It consists of heating up oil or butter in a pan and cooking it on both sides until the inside of the meat is no longer pink or until the vegetables mostly cooked with a slight crunch to them.
• Turn the oven on med-low and let it heat up for about 2-3 minutes before putting anything in it.
• ·Next, when the pan is hot, carefully add your butter or oil (usually 2 tablespoon) (Caution: Please not that oil splatters, especially olive oil, and can cause 3rd degree burns, so please be very careful if cooking with this type of oil).
• ·If cooking with chicken or beef, add your meat and cook for 3-5 minutes on both sides until the inside is no longer pink.
• If the meat is browning too quickly and the inside is still pink, add 1/3c of water to the pan and let it simmer until fully cooked. This prevents the meat from burning while allowing it to still cook.
• If cooking with vegetables, add the vegetables that will take the longest to cook first, (ex. Onions, broccoli, etc.) then a few minutes later add the softer vegetables, (peppers, tomatoes etc.).

• Steaming is a healthy way to cook vegetables because it doesn’t remove as many nutrients from the vegetables as boiling or frying them would.
• Purchasing a vegetable steamer (a small, metal, collapsible device that goes inside a medium sauce pan) is an easy way to ensure that your vegetables get steamed not boiled.
• If you have a vegetable steamer, put it inside the sauce pan and add enough water to just reach the surface level of the bottom of the steamer, about 2 cups. You don’t want water coming over the bottom of the steamer because then you’ll essentially be boiling your veggies. (Caution: if you leave the pan on the stove for too long, the water will eventually evaporate, so always keep an eye on the pots on the stove and make sure there is enough water in your pot while you’re cooking, otherwise a fire could occur.)