Spinach and Feta Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Another winner from Cooking Light! This one is from the December 2014 issue and we were drawn to it because of the unique crust. The cooked quinoa gives this quiche a welcome crunch. Because of the ingredients, this could be a very impressive brunch entree! According to Cooking Light, this costs $2.09 per serving. We'll let you do the math on this one. 

Prep time: 20 mins
Bake time: 35 mins

What you'll need:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
• dash of black pepper and salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 bag of fresh baby spinach, about 6 oz
• 1/2 cup milk
• dash of salt, black pepper and red pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 oz feta, crumbled

What you'll need to do:

For the crust combine the quinoa, black pepper and egg in a bowl. Mix well until combined then press the mixture into a 9 inch pie pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 20 mins. Cool and set aside.

For the filling, saute onion until translucent, then add spinach. Saute for about 3 mins. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk milk, salt, black pepper, red pepper, 4 eggs, 2 egg white.  

Arrange the spinach mixture on the bottom of the crust then pour the egg mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle the feta over the whole quiche. Bake for 35 minutes at 375, until mixture solidifies. Let sit for about 5 mins then serve!

Vietnamese BBQ Pork & Noodle Salad

This is a new one for us-trying Vietnamese flavors at home. Pork, delicate rice noodles and some great spice make for a light yet filling meal. The rice noodles are called "rice sticks" or "rice vermicelli" and can be found in most large grocery stories in the Asian food aisle. Don't be fooled by the actual rice noodles, which are flatter and a bit larger.

The recipe calls for pork loin, but we wanted to use chops for thrifty reasons (natch).

It's a great meal for the week as it stores separately and heats up great.

This is from the September 2014 issue of Cooking Light and has been adapted to take advantage of our pantry and tastes, which tend to run a bit spicier than most.

Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 60 mins + 1 hour marinate time

What you need:

• 5 teaspoons of sesame oil (not usually found with the other oils, but is in a smaller bottle in the Asian food aisle)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sriracha paste (it's not the type with the squeeze top, but a screw top)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large shallot, chopped (or 2 medium shallots)
• 6 pork chops. thinly sliced 
• 1 package rice vermicelli 
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch of carrots, julienne cut
• 2 tablespoons chopped, dry roasted peanuts

What to do:

• Combine 1 tablespoon sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha paste, brown sugar, garlic and shallot in food processor until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.Place pork in ziptop bag and marinate with remaining sauce for at least an hour. 
• Cook noodles according to directions, toss with 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. 
• Pre-heat broiler and place pork on broiler pan covered in foil. Broil about 3 minutes on each side, until pork is no longer pink in center.
• To serve, plate amount of noodles desired with 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup cucumber, 2 tablespoons carrot and drizzle with 1 tablespoons of marinade. Top with pork chop and 1.5 teaspoons chopped peanuts and enjoy. 

Couscous with Tofu and Heirloom Tomatoes

We enjoyed our very first couscous recipe so much (Whole Wheat Couscous with White Beans, Tomatoes, Spinach and Red Peppers) we went searching for another way to use our box of couscous. We ended up combining ingredients that looked good at the store and the lucky winners were tofu and mini heirloom tomatoes.

This dish is flavorful, high in protein, and makes for great leftovers. 

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 16 oz. packages of firm tofu, cubed and dried
• 1 16 oz package of mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup dry couscous
• Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sriracha 
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 medium sized cucumber, sliced (optional) 

In a shallow pan, make the couscous according to the directions. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and brown the onion. Place the onions in a bowl. 

In a very hot pan, pan fry the tofu until it is browned, about 3 minutes per side. Place the browned tofu in the bowl with the onions.

In the same pan, saute the tomatoes and garlic for 2-3 minutes. 

Combine the onions, tofu and couscous with the tomatoes and heat for about 5 minutes. mix in the sriracha. Feel free to top with the cucumbers, if desired. 

Chicken with Feta, Vegetables

Low carb meals don't necessarily have to be dry, tasteless affairs. We consulted old, reliable Cooking Light and added to the delicious Feta Chicken and Vegetables recipe. 

We needed more on the vegetable front and added mushrooms and yellow and orange peppers to their mix. The original recipe only accounted for two servings, so we increased it to about 8. 

The dish is savory and filling, and the vegetables add a satisfying crunch. 

This is a bit time consuming, but the effort is worthwhile, as the dish heats up well and makes great leftovers.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 thin sliced chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 orange pepper, diced
• 2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 10 oz sliced white mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350. 

Combine flour, chili powder, black pepper and salt in a shallow dish and coat each chicken breast in mixture. 

Heat oil in a deep pan and cook chicken for 3 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer chicken to a 9x13 dish, sprinkle with 1/8 cup feta and bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. 

Saute vegetable mix in the same pan for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and vinegar and stir until tender, about five minutes. In a separate bowl, mix vegetables and 1/8 cup of feta cheese.

Serve!

Veggie Pizza (no pizza stone necessary)

Homemade pizza is a satisfying meal because you can put whatever you want on it! For this run through, we went with veggie toppings and a delicious garlic and herb crust from Trader Joe's. 

The instructions on most pizza dough call for a pizza stone, but don't offer any tips if you don't have one. Having limited space, we went about trying to find the best way to achieve the same crispy crust. Pre-baking the crust is key!

Prep time: 40  minutes
Cook time: 17-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 orange pepper, chopped
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1 package pizza dough

Lightly flour a surface and rest the dough out of its packaging for 20-30 minutes. 

Pre-heat the oven to 400. When the dough is ready, roll it out to about a 11x17 rectangle. Place the dough on a greased 11x17 pan. Bake the dough for 8-9 minutes. 

Pan fry the peppers, spinach and onion for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are slightly browned. 

Cool the dough for about 10 minutes, then evenly spread the sauce. Sprinkle 2/3 of the cheese, and spread the vegetable toppings. Top with the remaining cheese. 

Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble.

Vanilla Rice Pudding

Rice pudding recipes are pretty easy to find online (thanks Google!). However, we wanted to post this as we used our fresh vanilla beans. 

While we've always read about the difference in taste with fresh vanilla, we didn't fully believe it until we actually had some.

Here's a standard recipe for vanilla rice pudding-with the added bonus of using fresh beans. Note: the thought crossed our mind to reduce the fat intake ever-so-slightly with skim milk. We learned the hard way that it tastes watery and not great with skim. Go with the whole milk and pretend it's skim.

Cook time: 45 minutes

• 1.5 cups water
• 3/4 cup basmati or short grain rice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups whole milk 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 vanilla bean scrapings

Bring the water, rice, and salt to simmer in a large pot, uncovered. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cover. Stir occasionally and simmer until the rice absorbs the water.

Add in the milk, whipping cream, and sugar, then scrape in the vanilla. Uncover and set to medium heat.

Cook until it thickens (about 35-45 minutes) and enjoy. We enjoy a cold rice pudding, but this can be served warm as well.

Black Bean Taco Salad & Lime Vinaigrette

A new favorite from Cooking Light! We take out the chicken to make this a vegetarian dish. The black beans gives the salad a protein punch, yet with a spicy and tangy side, courtesy of the vinaigrette. 


By taking out the chicken, this becomes a very thrifty meal. Canned black beans are less than $2.00 and the fresh produce doesn't add up to much. If you have the spices for the vinaigrette, this is also one of the easiest meals to prepare. For leftovers, just be sure to store the bean mixtures separately if you would like to heat them up.


With these ingredients, this meal can last two people about 4 dinners.


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes


Ingredients:

• Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded, ripe Roma tomatoes (about 4)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  
• Salad:
• • You favorite salad greens (spinach works well, a nice spring mix, or even hearts of romaine) 
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
  • (optional: tortilla strips salad toppers,  1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese )
  • 
    
  • To make the vinaigrette, throw everything in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Store in a convenient bottle and chill for at least an hour before serving.
  • For the salad, saute the beans, onion and green pepper in a pan until the onions are slightly translucent. Cool and top with vinaigrette and cheese and tortilla strips if using. 
  • 
    
• 
  

Broiled Tilapia with Parmesan

This recipe may be my new favorite fish recipe. Tilapia is a very light, white fish, that does not have a very strong taste. The Parmesan coating adds a nice crust, while the broiling method makes this recipe a good fit for a quick mid-week meal. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, but modified it to suit a spicier, less savory taste bud.

Be sure to adhere to the very short broiling time, because it is very easy to overcook the fish.

On a thrifty note,tilapia is one of the most inexpensive fish, especially if bought frozen. If using frozen fillets for this recipe, be sure to defrost them overnight.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients: 

• • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated or ready made)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2.5 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular, not light)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
  • 1/2 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 6 tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler and take butter out of the fridge to bring to room temperature
2. Line broiler pan with aluminum foil
3. Mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes, sriracha  and lemon juice.
4. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Place the pan on the top rack and broil for 3 minutes. 
5. Flip the fillets over and broil for 3 minutes. 
6. Remove the fillets from the oven. Cover the top and sides with the cheese mixture.
7. Broil for 3 more minutes or browned and the fillet flakes easily. Serve with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Appetizers: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

It's time to use that red pepper you roasted to make roasted red pepper hummus. It's no secret that The Galley Kitchen loves hummus, we've done the classic recipe and its edamame counterpart. Today we look to a colorful alternative and add a roasted red pepper. The pepper gives the hummus a slight kick, but not enough to turn off those adverse to some spice.

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

• 2 15.5 oz cans of chick peas (drained)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (the squeeze bottle kind or fresh, whatever)
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to cover 1/3 of the peas with oil)
• Salt to taste
• 1 medium roasted red pepper, sliced into quarters

1. Place the garlic and pepper in a food process and pulse until blended.
2. Add the chick peas, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until all ingredients are mixed.

Roasting a Red Pepper

Roasted red peppers bring a complex texture and taste to any dish, from sandwiches to hummus. The ease and convenience of buying bottled, pre-made roasted red peppers is tempting, but doing it at home saves money and gives a tiny sense of accomplishment. Who doesn't love playing with fire a bit? 

• Before you start, prepare a bowl with cling wrap, as you'll need it quickly after the pepper is roasted.
• If you have a gas stove, you can roast the pepper directly on the range. If an open flame is not to your liking, you can roast them in the oven.
• With either method, use tongs to make sure all sides of the pepper are equally heated. On a gas range, turn it up to high and blacken all sides.
• When it is blackened, transfer the pepper to the bowl and cover it. The steam helps loosen the skin. Do not lift the cling wrap and let steam escape.
• The pepper will be cool enough to handle in 15-20 minutes. 
• Cut a small slit by the stem and remove it. 
• To peel the skin, lay the pepper on a cutting board and begin peeling. An easy way to do that is by rubbing the skin with your thumb.
• Slice the pepper, using the ribs as a guide line. To remove any remaining membrane and seeds, use a small teaspoon and scrape the inside.

Side Dishes: Cheese Biscuits

Everyone has experienced the slight panic that comes with a potluck or group dinner. You never want to make the dish that has the least amount of traffic at the table, but you also don't want to be slaving in the kitchen for days. These cheese biscuits are an easy option and will appeal to every crowd because who doesn't love cheese?


This is a dish that requires a minimal number of dishes and space so it's great for apartment dwellers and students.

There are many variations of the basic biscuit recipe and a great place to start looking for interesting additions are right on the back of the biscuit mix box!

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 12-14 mins per batch

Kitchen tip: These are best made in muffin molds because they will not keep their shape as well if made as drop biscuits.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups biscuit mix (such as Bisquick or other all purpose baking mixes)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (sharp cheese gives the biscuits more flavor)
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 cup of softened butter

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease the muffin pan.

Cube the softened butter and combine with biscuit mix until the butter is no longer in large pieces.

Stir in the cheddar cheese, sour cream and water.

Fill the greased muffin cups 1/2 full with the mixture. Bake until tops are golden brown.

Falafel Pita Sandwich

Sandwiches are some of the easiest and satisfying meals, but sometimes deli meat doesn't cut it. Falafel is a good (and thrifty) vegetarian option. Making all the patties ahead in one night means simple reheats for the rest of the week.

The recipe below should 2 people 3-4 dinners.

Cook time: 20 minutes

Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Falafel patties

• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 slice of wheat bread (the ends are fine)
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, washed and drained
• 2 eggs

Sandwich fixins:

• Whole wheat pitas, cut in half and split
• lettuce
• tomato
• store bought tzatziki (yogurt and cucumber sauce)

Combine all the falafel patty ingredients in a food processor until well blended. Chill mixture for 20 minutes to make it easier to handle.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Using a spoon, scoop out the garbanzo bean mixture. The smaller and flatter the patty, the more evenly it will cook. Heat for 3-4 minutes then flip. The underside should be a golden brown.

To assemble the sandwich, split the pita to make a pocket. Line it with lettuce, tomato and the patty. Top with tzatziki sauce.

Appetizers: Edamame Hummus

I love hummus. It's one of the most versatile food items: great for groups or a quick and easy lunch. Much like traditional hummus, edamame hummus is a good source of protein. This variation has a more distinct bean taste. There are many recipe variations and this is one of the simpler versions that can easily be made with ingredients on hand.

Bonus: great with raw vegetables or even chips.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pound frozen shelled edamame
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2-3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspooon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: 1 tablespoon of sriracha

Boil the beans in about 1/4 cup of salted water for 4 to 5 minutes. While the beans are boiling, mince the garlic in a food processor. Drain the beans and add to the food processor. Add the cumin, lemon juice and if using, the sriracha. Puree the beans and slowly add the olive oil, then the water until all the ingredients are mixed and the hummus is smooth.

Appetizers: Egg Drop Soup

The simplicity of egg drop soup makes it super satisfying but also really frustrating to make. The ingredients are simple enough, however the process takes a delicate, patient hand. Slightly adapted the below recipe from The Kitchn (How to Make Egg Drop Soup). The original lists some extras, but I like this as simple as possible.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 large eggs
• Salt or soy sauce

Cooking tip: This soup doesn't keep too well, so just try to make as much as you'll eat for a day or so.

Pour the stock into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Taste and add salt or soy sauce as needed. Make sure the soup is good and hot.

Ladle out some soup, about 1/4 cup the stock and whisk it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk this back into the stock and give it a taste to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved.

Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. Make sure your soup is at a bare simmer-this is really important because if it's too hot, the eggs will cook and be really clumpy and weird. Pour the egg mixture slowly, through the tines of a fork. As you're pouring, whisk the broth slowly. Leave it at a low simmer for a minute, just to be sure the egg is cooked.

Serve immediately.

Stroganoff, the remix

A thrifty, quick meal and a delicious, savory meal are not mutually exclusive. Remixing classic recipes can sometimes yield new family favorites. I tried my hand with the always welcome Campbell's Soup beef stroganoff (original can be found here: Campbell's Kitchen).

Due to some childhood guilt about never eating all the peas, I added one 15 oz can, though truthfully, it may taste better without it.

The Galley Kitchen remix fed two people for approximately three days (six total dinners).

Total prep time: 5 mins

Total cooking time: 20 mins

Reheating tip: To fight some of that dryness that comes with reheating food, add a spoonful of sour cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 lbs ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (98% Fat Free)
• 2 tablespoons Worchestire sauce
• 1 ice cream scoop sour cream (yes, ice cream scoop)
• 1 package egg noodles, cooked
• 1 15 oz can sweet peas, drained (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup chicken broth

Time saving tip: Start the egg noodles first so they'll be ready to rock by the time the turkey is done.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and brown. Once browned, drain of any fat.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until it's tender.

Stir the soup, sour cream, peas (if using) and Worcestershire sauce in the skillet. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix the turkey with the noodles and enjoy.

Tofu Vegetable Hot Pot

Adapted this Cooking Light recipe to use slightly more accessible ingredients and last two people about 8 dinners (4 days). The original recipes is found at MyRecipes.com (Tofu Vegetable Hot Pot ).

This is a great way to introduce people to the joys of tofu. The spice is not so shocking because of the coconut milk and if served over rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 6-8 tablespoons sriracha, depending on how spicy you want it (or any type of Thai, chili paste or sauce)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 4 medium/large shiitake mushroom caps, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 pound water-packed firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tomatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
• 1 bag frozen vegetable mix that can includes: carrots, baby corn, onions, snap peas and other stir fry type vegetables
• 1/4 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
• 2 cups hot cooked jasmine rice

Total prep time: 15-20 mins

Total cook time: 25 mins

Serves: 2 for approx. 4 dinners (8 meals total)

Cooking Tip: Begin cooking the rice first, so it will be done by the time the entree is ready.

Defrost frozen vegetables and set aside.

• Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan and add shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, cabbage and defrosted vegetables. Cook 2 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in water, soy sauce and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Add tofu.
• Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Add tomato; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in onions. Serve over rice.

Weekend Meal: Southwest Chicken Soup

Count this as one of the easiest and thriftiest meals out there. The long and short of it: mix some things and let them simmer in a slow cooker for about 6 hours. I found the original recipe from a Campbell's book, but made a few adjustments.

Those things to mix are:
Serving size: 6-8 bowls of soup

• 1 lbs chicken breast, browned and shredded
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 oz chunky salsa-with heat depending on taste
• 1 cup frozen, whole corn kernels
  
• 2 tablespoons of garlic pepper
• 5-8 dashes of your favorite hot sauce
• 1 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

Brown the chicken breast and onion. Cube or shred the chicken. I think shredding it spreads the chicken love more evenly throughout the soup. To shred the chicken, take two forks and pull the chicken apart.

Mix the onion, salsa, corn, garlic pepper, chicken and onion in the slow cooker. Turn it on low for about 6 hours.

This meal is a great fix for the whole week.

Enjoy!

The New York Food Tour 2010-Day 5: Vanessa's Dumpling House

Day 5 was a cheap eats day, courtesy of Vanessa's Dumpling House. Today's lunch hunger was satiated by a sesame pancake sandwich stuffed with roasted pork, carrots, and cucumbers AND an order of five, fried pork and chive dumplings. Pork overload! Everything was great and was all under $5. The dumplings are made right in the store and taste fresh and are fried to perfection. The sandwich was equally tasty, but made tastier with the provided hot sauce. The sesame pancake is great, and the vegetables give way with a satisfying crunch.

The location doesn't offer a lot of seating, so try to avoid the lunch rush, or have a good alternative spot to go and enjoy your dumplings.

Reinventing Crispy Rice Treats

Everyone loves a fresh Rice Krispie treat. I decided to put a bit of a twist on it by using Marshmallow Fluff...Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff! The Fluff adds a bit more sweetness to the treats and the strawberry flavoring doesn't add much to the flavor, but it sure does look cool. If you can't find pink fluff, pink marshmallows could also do the trick. This is a very fun and cheap dessert that's designed to share with a group.

Check the ingredients below:

• 3 tablespoons of butter, with more for the serving dish
  
• 5 cups of crispy rice cereal
• 1 jar of Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff OR 1 package (10 oz) of regular sized, pink marshmallows

Prepare a dish with cooking spray or butter for the treats.

Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the fluff. Be warned though-fluff is tough to work with and is very, very sticky. A silicon spatula with a spoon for scraping works pretty well. Once the butter and fluff are mixed together, take the pot off the heat and add the crispy rice cereal, stir until the fluff and cereal are well mixed. When it's cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Just desserts: Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is surprisingly not a misnomer. It is literally whipped heavy cream. Fresh, homemade whipped cream adds a richness to a dessert that most store bought whipped cream is missing. It's super easy and takes about 10 minutes with a hand mixer.

• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a hand mixer on low, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Beat the sugar and vanilla...and that's it.
Make sure you use a glass or metal bowl to keep the cream cool.

I find this is cheaper than buying the pre-made stuff and only requires a small bit of effort. And in a small kitchen, this is a very easy dish as it only uses one dish!