Welcome to our new series “Chronicles in the Kitchen with My College Son”. This is a guest post written by my son who is a college student and will be cooking many of his own meals next year at school. He decided that this summer he would expand his cooking skills and learn how to cook multiple meals, snacks and more. So here he is documenting his cooking adventures and sharing the specific dishes he loves to make.
Background
This post is written by my college son
I grew up in a family where home cooked meals were a daily occurrence. For as long as I can remember, there have always been people in the kitchen cooking up fabulous dishes.
I have learned a lot about cooking just by being surrounded by my family, and I was competent with some basics like making a grilled cheese, grilling a hamburger or making eggs, but this summer is the first time I have been preparing full meals on my own.
I have learned everything from how to juice a lemon, to how to measure flour, to how to make several marinades.
Below are five of my favorite dishes I have learned to cook so far this summer.
Chipotle Burrito Bowls
As a college student-athlete, I frequently go to Chipotle while at school, and when I came home, one of the first things I wanted to cook was my Chipotle bowl at home.
Making this Burrito Bowl at home is easier than I ever could have imagined.
My bowl consists of rice, black beans, chicken, and avocado. In making this dish I had to learn how to make rice and seasoned beans— both were very simple to prepare. And for the chicken, I use a homemade Fajita Seasoning that gives great flavor and grill marks.
The best parts of making my Chipotle order at home is it’s much cheaper and I can customize the proportions of my dish.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
The idea of making a sauce from scratch that actually tastes good was a bit daunting at first, but this teriyaki sauce is very simple and one of my favorite weeknight dinners.
I eat a lot of food, and this dish allows me to modify the quantity to my liking and makes enough sauce for leftovers.
I use the sauce from my family’s Salmon Teriyaki Bowls (hence the photo) to marinate the chicken and dress the dish before eating.
Marinating the chicken before grilling does not take much time at all and makes a world of difference when it comes to the flavor of the dish.
Banana Bread
I am obsessed with this banana bread.
It is the first baking recipe I tried on my own. It comes together really quickly, and the recipe allows for customization.
As I have been cooking more, I have become more confident and adventurous. With this recipe I remove the chocolate chips and add cinnamon and cacao powder. With these changes the bread still comes out with the quintessential banana bread texture.
My mom has always told me modifying baking recipes can be risky and the dish may not come out, but she also told me this banana bread recipe is very forgiving and easy to prepare. So either I got lucky or she was correct, or both.
Almond Butter Energy Bites
I have been making these tasty energy bites for the longest out of any of these dishes and they are still one of my favorite snacks.
These high protein bites require little to no equipment, just a bowl and spoon.
There is room for customization and practically no way to mess up these Almond Butter Bites. I use less chocolate chips and maple syrup than the recipe calls for and they still come out sweet and tasty.
Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Lemon pepper is the perfect marinade for shrimp as it gives the shellfish a salty and crispy component that other marinades do not provide.
I have been enjoying this recipe for a while but this summer was the first time I made it on my own. I got more comfortable with the basics like juicing a lemon and putting shrimp on a skewer.
When I prepare this dish, I use metal grill skewers (Amazon affiliate link), and grill for about 9 minutes total.
You can also prepare this dish with an air fryer and stove.
Chicken Milanese
This easy dinner dish is a new favorite of mine.
It is easy to make and taste amazing. I have been enjoying our homemade breaded chicken for years, but this summer is the first time I have made it on my own. Breading chicken seems like a lot of work, but in reality it’s quite simple, only requiring 10 minutes of prep.
Assembling the salad is even quicker than the chicken, as the dressing is just lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. This dish gave me an imprecation for plating food in an aesthetically pleasing way… a dish that looks good, will taste good.
Let me know if you have any questions and what else you would like to know about my cooking adventures.
Leave a comment below. We love to hear from you!
Great job, College Son! I wish I had learned more about cooking when I was growing up. It wasn’t until I was older that I started making anything worth eating. Good for you for getting a head start!