College students living in a dorm often endure challenges of maintaining a healthy eating habit due to the variety of junk food around them. Since, college food is all you can eat a student would tend to pick the more unhealthy food than a healthy meal that involves vegatables or fruit. I understand school wants students to eat healthy but 9 times out of 10 you will pick a unhealthy choice just from your stomach telling you its right rather than your mind. I see college students tend to make their own food because dining halls and other food sources around campus closes at a early time and hunger gets the best of them.
The microwave chicken quesadilla and salsa combo plays a role in eating habits in college dorms. This recipe does not require much cooking and utensils. It is rather straight foward and easy to make which results in the effort it can take to make college meals when you are really hungy. It is much effortless than relying on far food spots and closed campus food sources. The fact it only takes a microwave and a few easy ingridients from a close store like stop and shop means it is easy to get carried away with unhealthy foods on campus. I can not say a chicken quesadilla is always the best choice but it is a easy and healthy choice to keep you in place in your dorm.
Microwave Chicken Quesadilla
Ingredients
for 1 serving
· 2 medium flour tortillas
· ½ cup canned chicken
· ½ bell pepper, diced
· 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
· ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation
1. Microwave the tortillas on a plate until slightly crispy. They will dry out a bit as they cool.
2. Mix the chicken, peppers, and taco seasoning in a bowl until evenly combined, then cook for about 1-2 minutes until the peppers are soft.
3. Spread the mixture evenly on one tortilla, cover evenly with the cheese, then top with the other tortilla.
4. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, slice, then serve.
5. Enjoy!
Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo) Recipe
Prep time: 6 minutes
Yield: Makes 3 to 4 cups of salsa
Ingredients
· 2 to 3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed
· 1/2 red onion
· 2 serrano chiles or 1 jalapeño chile (stems, ribs, seeds removed), less or more to taste
· Juice of one lime
· 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
· Salt and pepper to taste
· Pinch dried oregano (crumble in your fingers before adding), more to taste
· Pinch ground cumin, more to taste
Method
1 Prep the ingredients: Finely chop the tomatoes, chiles, and onions. Be careful while handling the chile peppers. Use a plastic baggie or disposable gloves to handle them, or wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours.
2 Make the salsa: Place in a serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
From my personal experience, the making of the chicken quesadilla was quite relaxing and stress-free. I saw no struggle in mixing the chicken with the pepper and the cheese. As I added the cheese and microwaved for 1-2 minutes, I could smell the spice of the quesadilla. I noticed when I took a bite the cheese was hot and melted which was bomb. I felt like I could have improved on the amount of seasoning I added because I definitely added a whole pack worth of it as shown in the image to the left. Next, the salsa was impressive to make because it looked so clean and organized after cutting each ingridient and mixing it into one bowl. I felt I could have improved on the amount of lime I pinched in. The amount I added made the salsa quite sour and a little harsh to eat. But, Overall I would recommend this dish to any college student that struggles with no food at night to prepare this meal because you will be satified from its taste and apperance. It does not take that much effort either.