Imagine eating dinner – but banish from your mind the cold booths of Bear’s Den and the scrape of aluminum spoons in Center Court. Where else can students go when hunger strikes? To their kitchen. That’s right – despite the many perks of living on campus, when it comes to eating, many students say that the best part of living off campus is being able to cook in their own apartment.

Senior Eric Sugar says that he likes the freedom of having a kitchen in his Kingsbury apartment. For Sugar, being able to cook at home means spending less money and having more options. “I like the variety of foods I can have and I like that I can have breakfast for dinner. Plus it’s cheaper to buy food at Schnucks than to load up on points which is really expensive.” Variety has always been the key benefit of off campus cooking, says senior Naomi Remis, who notes that it’s not always possible to eat what you want when you want when dealing with the changing schedules and limited menus of on-campus eateries. “I don’t like to be restricted to eat at certain times. Also, because I keep kosher, it’s much easier. Despite the fact that there are a lot of kosher options available on campus, I like being able to eat kosher food at my leisure.”

When deciding what to put on her ever-changing menu each night, senior Yaeli Maizel says she notices how much easier it is now that she can prepare food in the comfort and convenience of her own home. “I love having a kitchen and being able to experiment with different recipes,” says Maizel. “Cooking can be a stress-release sometimes too because I can take a break from work and do something creative.”

So whether you’re a dunce in the kitchen or a pre-scandal Martha Stewart in training, try these simple but yummy recipes courtesy of a few off-campus chefs and get ready to experience what Sugar calls “the pure, unbridled joy of cooking.”

Simple Stir-Fry: Chicken Teriyaki
Contributed by Naomi Remis

Ingredients: boneless skinless chicken breast, teriyaki sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder, honey, eggplant, mushrooms, broccoli, brown rice

1. cut up chicken breast into pieces
2. put in a plastic bag with teriyaki sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder, and a little bit of honey
3. let it sit for an hour while you do some homework
4. stir-fry it until it browns (approx. 5-10 minutes)
5. separately stir-fry eggplant, mushrooms and broccoli with teriyaki and garlic powder
6. serve chicken and vegetables over brown rice

Fast Fajitas: 6058 Fajita Lane
Contributed by Seth Klein

Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 medium yellow onion, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese

1. grill chicken breast until tender
2. slice up peppers and onion and saut‚e them together in a pan with vegetable oil
3. once the chicken is done, slice it into tenders
4. place the vegetables and the chicken on a tortilla with your choice of sour cream, guacamole and shredded cheddar cheese

Sweet Dessert: White Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Contributed by Danielle Borrin

Ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter (reduced fat, creamy, crunchy, they all work perfectly), cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup white chocolate chips separated into 2 cups (can substitute milk or semi-sweet chocolate), and 1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1. mix all together except for cup white chocolate and spread into an
8″ x 8″ brownie pan
2. bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes
3. remove from oven and pour remaining chocolate chips on top (the heat of the peanut butter bars should meet the chocolate. If not, stick the pan back into the boiler for a few seconds)
4. once the chocolate on top is melted, remove from the oven and let cool in the refrigerator
5. when cooled, cut into bars

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