Topped Ramen: Number 3

In the last Topped Ramen post, I tried the Oriental Flavor Top Ramen. I didn't really like the flavor. However, I had another package of the flavor leftover. So, I decided to try something new: making Ramen without the flavor packet. Essentially, this Topped Ramen involves Ramen stir fry.

To make this, I first chopped vegetables. I used baby carrots and regular celery, slicing in 1/4 inch pieces.
While I chopped the vegetables, I soaked the ramen noodles in boiling water.
After all the veggies were chopped and the ramen was soft, I mixed them with two tablespoons of teriyaki sauce. Then, I let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.
After a couple hours, I put the mixture onto a hot frying pan with just enough oil to keep it from sticking. I stirred constantly while it cooked, until the noodles darkened.
Finally, I put I ate, enjoyed, and cleaned up the mess.

It ended up tasting really good this way. I'd never made stir fry before, and I have a lot to learn, but for an experiment, this recipe turned out pretty well. I would recommend trying this recipe. The only change I might make to it is possibly steaming the veggies first, as the carrots, especially, were a bit too crunchy.


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Topped Ramen: Number 2

I decided to get a little adventurous. So, I tried Oriental flavored Top Ramen...apparently I don't really like it as much as the chicken or beef flavors. It wasn't bad tasting, it just wasn't great...I also ended up feeling sick afterwards, but that is probably mostly my body's fault, not the recipe.
This time, I included a lot more ingredients than I did last time. In addition to my Oriental flavored Top Ramen, I added some canned chicken, sweet peas, and some black olives. The peas and olives especially added some tastiness to this meal. The chicken was a little odd since I'm not used to canned chicken, and possibly added to the fact that I felt too sick to even finish my meal. However, it did add some much needed protein. I think it's one of those food items that I'll get used to over time. I think, too, if I start using my own sauce, I might be able to add flavor to the entire dish, instead of having flavored noodles with bland meat stirred in later. I'm still experimenting with everything...obviously.

I'd suggest trying this one out if you're a fan of oriental flavored Top Ramen and if you are already used to eating canned chicken. It really isn't all that bad, it just made me sick... (yeah, I'm probably not selling this one too well, am I?)


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Topped Ramen: Number 1

The time has come. I have begun to eat Top Ramen. It's time for true college food now. I'd like to thank my brother for giving me an electric kettle for Christmas, as well as the school for now selling Top Ramen in their new market (which is pretty much a mini-convenience store in the basement of the cafeteria, which uses meal points to pay for purchases instead of actual cash).

If I were to just eat Top Ramen as per the actual instructions on the packaging, this blog would be pretty boring, as would my meals. So, instead, I introduce to you Topped Ramen. From time to time, I will be sharing different ways that I have improved these instant noodles. Some of the inspiration comes from Serious Eats: Ramen Hacks, while some, too, comes from the Ramen Homepage.

My first Topped Ramen is extremely simple and only requires two ingredients. Yet, it tasted much better than plain top ramen. To make it, just follow the instructions on the packaging using as much or as little of the seasoning as you want. I also poured out some of the water, which makes the flavor a bit more concentrated so I didn't need to use as much and it also made it a bit less soupy. Then, I simply added a few whole, pitted black olives. I did this with Beef Flavor Top Ramen, but any brand should work, and I am sure other flavors would work quite well, too.

This ended up tasting delicious and it was super easy, fast, and cheap to make. There were very few ingredients used to make it. However, it was absolutely not healthy. While scientifically, olives are considered a vegetable, when it comes to nutrition, they should be considered an oil. Not to mention, each package of Top Ramen includes 2 servings of noodles. That makes the entire package (with flavoring) have about 22% of your daily fat intake. Plus, both olives and Top Ramen are high in sodium. So, it's not intended to be a nutritious meal, by any means. But it is hot and tasty, which was all that was important when I made this.


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Canned Soup with Fresh Vegetables

Hmmmm....it's been a while since I actually posted a recipe. Sorry about that, guys. I swear I have excuses. I was sick; I was busy; it's getting toward the end of the semester so everything's hectic; and most importantly, I really haven't made anything lately. Every meal has been purchased (even breakfast...which lately has been a bagel and a banana, since they sell those at the coffee stand in the building all of my morning classes are in). But I have a recipe for you today. Isn't that nice of me to do since this is pretty much my equivalent of a job?
Actually, today's recipe isn't much of a recipe either. It's just the last thing I made in my room. So, here's the story:
I had this can of soup (which you might remember from Homemade Soup on a Very, Very Long Day). And, this can of soup has been sitting in my food crate beneath my bed for a very, very long time (try like 2 months). I've been saving it for my first cold. But, the other day (well, more like three weeks ago), I decided I was no longer waiting. I was tired and it was cold outside and I did NOT want to go all the way to the cafeteria just to grab dinner. And since I had nothing else edible in my room (with the exception of candy and Easy-Mac), I was left with only the can of soup to eat. So I ate it. Even though I wasn't sick. And then a few hours later (when I decided around 11:00 that I really, really wanted a cookie and walked all the way to the cafeteria to get one) I started getting a sore throat...which turned into a horrible sore throat, a cough, a runny nose, a sneezy nose, watery eyes, muscle aches, and general fatigue (on top of my "normal" stomach aches).
Beyond the poor timing, I did have one wise idea. I decided that since the celery in my fridge was getting rather old (and was still unopened...why do I buy food if I'm not going to eat it before it goes bad?), I would add some vegetable to the soup (since last time I was quite upset to realize that there were, in fact, no vegetables whatsoever in my canned chicken noodle soup).
Steps to making this canned soup with fresh(ish) vegetables:
1. Cut off all the bad parts to your celery and throw away any completely bad stalks. This left me with about 1 1/2 stalks...which ended up being enough anyway.

2. Cut the celery into fairly small pieces.
3. Steam the celery or cook it in some way. (I didn't do this step, so I can't really tell you a good way to do it. All I can tell you is the celery ended up a little bit crunchy because it wasn't cooked first).
4. Combine in a microwave-safe bowl your can of vegetable-free chicken noodle soup and your celery. Stir it.
5. Cook in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, keeping an eye on it to make sure the soup doesn't bubble over and create a mess in the microwave.
6. Stir it once more, to make sure that the heat is properly distributed and the celery is mixed thoroughly and evenly into the soup.
7. Eat, enjoy, and clean up the mess. (And make sure to take out the trash...celery in the process of becoming rotten smells up the room.)

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Grilled Salami and Mozzarella Sandwiches

I finally got my own frying pan, which means no more borrowing from my roommate. I'm super in love with it because it's super cute (and cost less than a normal one). It's already been broken in (and I will post what I made the first time, after I make it again since I forgot to take photos), but I decided to use my money's worth out of it the other day when I was making myself lunch. So, I decided to make a grilled sandwich. Though I could have done a normal grilled cheese or used some other meat (since I also have ham in my fridge), I decided to be super creative with my sandwich. Thus, a grilled salami and mozzarella sandwich.

To make the sandwich, you will need bread of any kind (I used Franz multi grain because that's what sold at my school and that's also my favorite bread company), salami (mine was Lite salami, but any kind works so long as it is thinly sliced), 1 1/2 string cheese sticks (you can eat the other half if you want), some sort of cooking spray or butter (I used canola oil, since it was cheapest), a frying pan, and a spatula. You might also want some lettuce or mixed greens, mayo, or mustard.

First, place 6 pieces of salami along one piece of brea so that there are no gaps between the pieces (you may need more or less depending on how large your salami pieces are and how large your bread is).

Then, slice your mozzarella string cheese sticks so that they are round disks. Place these disks in even rows across your sandwich.

Heat your frying pan over a low to medium heat, with either butter or oil on the frying pan as it heats.

Then, place your bread with its toppings onto the heated frying pan, and place another piece of bread over this, so that it is now a sandwich.

Heat until golden brown and flip. Use extra caution while flipping because it is likely that your cheese will slide off. If this happens, take off the heat immediately and reorganize your sandwich.

Heat the other side until it, too, is golden brown. Then remove the frying pan from heat and place your sandwich on a plate.

From here, you can do as you please. You can add mustard, mayo, lettuce, whatever you want. I added mixed spring greens and spinach, which gave made it nice and earthy. But you can do whatever you feel like doing. Note that the mozzarella is likely not melted. Again (as I've said in previous posts), mozzarella cheese doesn't really like to melt. But do not fret over this. Your sandwich is still warm and your bread is crispy.

 I'm really fond of this sandwich. It was super delicious and took only slightly longer than a normal grilled cheese takes to make. I especially liked how earthy it tasted and looked. After reading so many blog posts from other people about pumpkin and squash recipes, I've been in a very earthy mood lately, so having this sandwich was a nice continuation of that mood. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU TRY THIS RECIPE!

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How to Make Easy Mac (taste good)

So, this blog has kind of turned into more of a personal blog than a food blog, which is partially because I keep getting food from the cafeteria, rather than making it myself. So, I'm going to try to get back to the old style of things by making my own food as often as possible again (and using my food points to get ingredients at the cafeteria instead of full meals, as often as possible). Today's recipe: Easy Mac.

I tried eating Easy Mac by following the instructions and anyone who's had it before can tell you, it's quite disgusting. It tastes nothing like normal craft mac n' cheese (possibly because it contains none of the same ingredients). So, I did a little research online and found some helpful hints on making Easy Mac edible (Yahoo Answers). A compilation of everything I found that actually sounded edible, turned into this:
First, soak the noodles in warm water (however warm you can get your tap water to become) for about 2 minutes. This will slightly soften the noodles, but most importantly get all the milk powder and other disgusting stuff off the noodles.Be sure to fill the water up to the "Fill to Here" line, to ensure that all the noodles are being properly soaked.

Next, strain the noodles. This is where the strainer I picked up (in Why I Should Pay Attention to Warning Signs) comes in handy.

Then, fill the cup to just below the "Fill to Here" line using ACTUAL MILK (which can be picked up from your cafeteria, if you don't happen to have milk in your fridge).

From here on, comes the hard part. Unfortunately, in order to make Easy Mac taste good, it no longer gets to be easy. However, it's still a single serving of mac n' cheese that you can make on your own (which is the important part anyway).

Microwave the cup for about 30 seconds. Then stir.

Then another 30 seconds. And stir.

Another 30 seconds. Stir.

And yet again, 30 seconds. Stir.

Continue this until the noodles are soft enough to your taste. *NOTE: the milk will eventually start to bubble over. For this reason, try to let it cool completely between each round of microwaving, microwave for no more than 30 seconds at a time, and keep LOTS of paper towels handy. Also, be sure to watch it carefully. Once it starts bubbling over, take it out and clean up the mess immediately. Let it cool completely as you clean the mess because you'll probably need to put it back in for at least another 15 seconds after this point. Try to limit how much you let it boil over, though, because you do want to keep as much of the milk as possible.

Once the noodles are soft enough to your liking, immediately add all of the cheese packet, and stir completely so that there are absolutely no chunks of cheese powder (these taste disgusting, so avoid them like the plague).

Allow it to cool and let stand until it is thickened.

Then, eat, enjoy, and clean up the mess. Luckily, there's no bowl to clean up after this. Unluckily, the microwave will need to be washed thoroughly after you are done with it (I recommend doing this while you let it cool).

The final product should look something like this:

Easy Mac is still not the tastiest of mac n' cheese, but by following this preparation process, it is at least edible. Using the ones that come in cool shapes (mine were SpongeBob) makes your taste buds 10X happier. After all, ma n' cheese is a children's dish, so being a little silly with it is completely acceptable.
For more tips on how to make Easy Mac taste better, I recommend checking out the Yahoo Answers page I cited earlier, as well as this post by JPDsmiley.

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The Italian Grinder Sandwich

It's Thursday! Which can only mean a couple of things. It means the week is almost over; the weekend's almost here. It means tomorrow is Friday, full of infinite possibilities. It means that today I only have 2 classes: Intro to Ed and Speech (I should probably practice my speech that I'm giving today, actually...). It also means that today I get to spend time with my favorite fifth grade class. But more importantly than any of that, it means that today is Italian Grinder Sandwich day.

The Italian Grinder Sandwich is available every day of the week, but I've decided it is only to be eaten on Thursdays and the occasional Tuesday. It is also always, always, always paired with chocolate milk. This makes it the best lunch to prepare me for spending time with the fifth graders. Seriously, it is the best sandwich ever and it can be made rather simply.

All it is (and I mean really all it is, no mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, nothing) is ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, and lettuce on bread. That's it. The bread, of course, is amazing because I'm pretty sure the school makes their own bread, but even so, simply the combination of meats, provolone, and lettuce...mmmmmmmmm. Honestly, I'm salivating right now. I LOVE THIS SANDWICH!

And when paired with the deliciousness of chocolate milk, really nothing could be better for lunch than this. 

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I Should Be Studying

Sorry I haven't posted all week. Midterms. 'Nuff said.

Seriously, Monday night I was already upset. It's been nothing but midterms, papers, more midterms, and, of course, drama. I am so ready for a break. And luckily, I'm getting one next week.

So, now, a week in food:

Saturday: Saturday doesn't count because I didn't really have anything interesting. Or at least, not that I can remember. I spent much of Saturday writing papers, doing laundry, and studying for my history midterm.

Sunday: Jonathon (my boyfriend), Scotty (my best guy friend), and Elle (my sister) came to visit on Sunday. Elle brought me cookies (of which I've eaten probably about 20...most of which occurred on Monday). I showed them around campus and downtown Portland, which was oh so much fun. For lunch we went to China Town and ate in my favorite restaurant ever (because they serve hot pot, which is this really obscure dish from the Chinese countryside, that basically includes anything and everything in one giant pot and the entire point of it is to keep you warm during the winter...though on a drizzly day in October it's quite delicious as well). Then, after visiting Saturday market, Powell's books, and Jackpot Records, we enjoyed dinner at Henry Weinhard's (so basically, amazing root beer, and a decent burger). Then, when they all left, I stayed up until 3 AM finishing my history paper (which had already been started beforehand).

Monday: Monday was an awful day. Let's just leave it at that. I also ate 10 cookies. And a grilled cheese sandwich. And one string cheese stick.

Tuesday: A somewhat better day. I had a delicious sandwich at the Commons which I plan to inform you all about sometime after this mess ends...so possibly two Tuesdays from now. We'll see. For dinner I had: a pork-based cheeseburger with chili on top (which I didn't finish because it was nasty), seasoned French fries dipped in my bowl of chili, a German chocolate brownie (which was rock hard, again, so I mostly just ate the frosting). I also bought, at the same time, a package of trail mix-type stuff and a Naked smoothie. I seriously looked kind of funny with an overflowing tray of assorted food.

Wednesday: 6 classes in one day (4 in a row this time because workshop added an hour to the beginning). 2 tests in a row, as well as several study sessions. I tried cream of kale soup for lunch, it was ok. And I tried a pizza bagel, which apparently needs to be heated first because it doesn't taste good cold...but I bought it with 5 minutes to get to class so...yeah. Oh, and chocolate pudding for dessert. Goodness I am in love with their chocolate pudding.

And now, today is Thursday: massive midterm day! Who knows what I'll be eating today (perhaps the homemade chicken noodle soup with a salad?) but I have been looking at great recipes to try once I get back from break (and a few cookie that I'll be trying for Christmas this year). Now I'm kind of excited to get back from fall break (and it hasn't even started!)

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Homesickness Soup

I'm not homesick. I feel guilty for two reasons:

• I bought this soup specifically for if/when I become homesick, but so far I have not had this need. I have missed my boyfriend, my cat, and my friend-friends (in that order... apologies to everyone listed below my cat...), but have yet to miss my family, my hometown, my bedroom, or the other animals at my house. This makes me feel like a horrible person. But I just don't miss them. Like, at all. What kind of person am I?!
• I also feel guilty. I just didn't feel like going down to the cafeteria after a rather long, sweaty, intense bike ride this afternoon, and I wasn't in the mood for, well, anything I have (which happens to include A LOT of food). So I made this soup.

The soup I made was on sale for 59 cents, so I decided to get it. It happens to be Grandma's canned soup (chicken noodle soup with the long, skinny noodles, thick chicken broth, and no vegetables). Just the smell takes me to my grandmother's dining room, where I have spent many a lunches eating canned chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese with cheddar cheese and wheat bread (which differed from my mother's American cheese with white bread...and only tasted good when Grandma made it). I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason we had this so much every time we spent a week with my grandparents is because it was the only thing they knew my little sister would eat (and now, she won't even eat the soup...seriously, she becomes pickier of an eater with age, though some parts of it I know aren't her being picky since she also gets sick eating certain foods, other parts (like her hating the "taste and texture of meat" and her distaste for any vegetables besides peppers) can only be summed up with one letter: Elle).

Anyway, I digress. So, I made this soup, despite the fact that I wasn't homesick, using the microwave directions. There were several off things about my soup (though it still tasted pretty good). The first was that the directions ask you to cover the bowl. The only thing I could think of that I had that could possibly be used for this was paper towel...but it fell into the bowl around minute 3 of the cooking process. The second, was that the soup was scalding hot. I cooked it for the lowest suggested cooking time, but still had to wait several minutes before I could eat it. The third was that there was something missing: the chicken. There were literally (and I'm not exaggerating) two pieces of chicken in my chicken noodle soup, making it, in essence, noodle soup with chicken garnish. Seriously. The final, and most important thing, was that it was missing something else: oyster crackers.

(insert family laughing here, other people not even caring). Oyster crackers in chicken noodle soup is just how it's done at Grandma's house. My sister does it. My older brother did it. Even my 6 year old cousin does it. It's just a necessity that there be more oyster crackers in your soup than chicken (though in my case, that only means there needs to be 3 oyster crackers...).

So, that was my diner tonight. It was...reasonable. It sort of reminded me of my grandparents' house, and wasn't used for a bout of homesickness. I feel full of guilt for the reasons I listed before, but also full in general because I ate 2.5 servings of soup today. But, hey, I haven't had any yogurt covered pretzels yet today. =)

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A Salady Salad

So today was a salad day. Mostly because I realized I have a lot of vegetables in my fridge that I haven't been eating yet. And because I really need to use up the salad dressing that's been in the soda can holder in the door. So, I decided to use all the vegetables I have (which isn't very many, sadly, as my mushrooms and green beans are off to a better place...aka the trash).

Salad making is pretty easy, so I really wonder why I don't do it more often. Anyway, this is my salad:

First, I created a bed of 50% mixed Spring Greens and 50% Spinach. This just happened to be what I had in my fridge, but it actually works really well for a salad like this.

Next, I rinsed some of my broccoli. This time, I think I used a full serving of broccoli. I then toor the ends off in punches and scattered them amungst my bed of greens.

Then, I rinsed my baby corn. Apparently you can get it fresh, which is healthier for you, but I have never heard of fresh baby corn (I just amused it grew from the ground into a can). However, canned baby corn tends to have lots of added sodium. And with all the yogurt covered pretzels I've been having lately, I don't really need more sodium. The can I got contained over 10% of my daily sodium intake, in just one serving of baby corn. After rinsing the baby corn quite a bit, I added it to my salad.

Then, I added a few Caesar Parmesan croutons. Not too many since the point of the salad is vegetables, not starch, and baby corn was already an added starch. Plus, I'm not terribly fond of the croutons I bought.

Next, I added just a bit of Caesar salad dressing. I have yogurt based dressing because a) it's half the fat and calories of normal Caesar salad dressing, and b) it's new, so it was on sale when I went to the store. Cheaper = better. However, since the yogurt makes the taste a bit sharp, it's actually kind of important to use less of it. Otherwise you won't be able to taste the rest of the salad.

Finally, toss it up. Eat, enjoy, and clean up the mess. All of the veggies and the dressing need to go into the fridge (even the baby corn). If your baby corn is in canned form, cover it with a bag and put it in the fridge. If you don't have sandwich baggies, it's totally fine, I don't either. I just use whatever plastic bag I can find (an old fruit and veggie bag from the store or a plastic grocery bag will work fine...I used an old Fuego bag, which worked great. The important part is just keeping air out).

Your final product might look like this:

I really liked this salad. I think my favorite part was the baby corn, followed closely by the broccoli and spinach. My least favorite part was the croutons. What's wrong with this picture? I kind of wish I had black olives for this salad though. This is two recipes in a row where I wish I had black olives...perhaps I need to invest in a can or two...

If you need further reasons to eat this salad, besides the fact that it is DELICIOUS, here are some health benefits of each ingredient. Spinach contains vitamin K, folate, iron, and beta carotene (spinach is one of the best sources for beta carotene, which converts Vitamin A in the intestines and liver). The mixed spring greens include quite a bit of antioxidants, as well as even more folate. The broccoli is a rich source of vitamin C, calcium, Vitamin K, and Vitamin A. Baby corn, which is not actually a vegetable, contains about 30% of your RDA of folate, close to 20% of your vitamin C, 15% of Vitamin B6, 10% RDA of riboflavin, and 10% RDA of fiber. The yogurt-based dressing contains a little less than 5% RDA of calcium and about 2 g of protein...which isn't bad for such a small amount. And a serving of Caesar parmesan croutons contains 1 g of protein and carbohydrates. Pretty good for something that actually tastes good, huh?

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You Gotta Love Broccoli

I am truly sorry for those of you in this world who do not enjoy the marvelous flavor of broccoli. You are truly missing out with your cliche distaste. If you don't like broccoli, you probably won't like this recipe. But maybe you will, the flavor isn't terribly strong, anyway.

This recipe is actually a spinoff of my grandmother's recipe, which calls for olives and peppers. However, I don't have olives or peppers, so I decided to subsitute with broccoli instead. It would probably work with spinach, too, and maybe even baby corn or celery (I have all of these in my fridge, but have yet to try with this).

To make this, first, spread a thin layer of cream cheese over a flour tortilla. I'm not sure if it is acceptable to use whipped cream cheese, but I would assume this would work.

Next, wash your broccoli. You won't need very much for this, actually. Maybe a piece or two (about 1/2 a serving size, I would assume). Pretty much, just rip the dark green ends off and scatter around the cream cheese side of the tortilla.

Then, roll the tortilla up without folding in the ends. Slice it as you please.

Finally, eat, enjoy, and clean up the mess. Especially the cream cheese (it should be in the fridge, of course, and the knife used for it should be cleaned quickly as the cream cheese will get a bit crusty if left on).

I decided to try this today because, well, I ate a little bit too large of a snack after math class. As in 3 servings of yogurt covered pretzels and a banana. I'm becoming a tad bit too obsessed with these yogurt covered pretzels lately, but who knows, maybe I'll teach myself to make them and it'll be a whole new blog post on its own.

Anyway, this recipe was pretty tasty. The cream cheese and broccoli both provide calcium, as well as a plethora of other vitamins. Plus, the tortilla makes a great alternative to using a bagel with your cream cheese, since bagels tend to equal carbohydrate overrode...especially on a day like today where I've probably already eaten enough...though maybe a few more yogurt covered pretzels...no, no more yogurt covered pretzels today. Goodness they are a tempting snack. But I know to beware: just because they have yogurt in the name, doesn't mean they're healthy. These things are loaded with sugar, fat, salt, and every other thing under the "Use sparingly" category. But I love them...so I will eat them anyway...just sparingly.

Anyway, back to the recipe again. This is quite delicious. Great for a light lunch (paired with yogurt covered pretzels) or a mid-afternoon snack. And rather healthy for you, as well. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU TRY THIS RECIPE (and eat yogurt covered pretzels).

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Not Quite a Burrito

Today's recipe is with much thanks to a friend that taught me this trick back in middle school. It's been a while since then, but I still remember how good this tastes. I've modified it so that it can be made in a dorm room, but it's only slightly modified since the recipe contains only three ingredients.

That's right, only three!

How's that for dorm food?

Before I tell you the recipe, though, I should specify. This is not a burrito. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but, it is not a burrito. It's not Mexican food. It has more of a Mediterranean taste to it than anything else. Or at least, that's how I feel.

Now the recipe for my not quite a burrito:

1. Place a tortilla flat on a plate.

2. Spoon about 2 spoonfuls of canned black beans onto one half of the tortilla. If you happen to have a straining spoon, that is perfect. Otherwise, avoid the juice as much as possible. Juices make your Not a Burrito sloppy and harder to eat.

3. Spread some mozzarella cheese on top. If you do not have shredded mozzarella cheese, here's a trick. String cheese is made out of mozzarella cheese. Use about half of one string cheese for each Not a Burrito and shred it by hand by tearing pieces apart. I happen to have a lot of string cheese lying around, so for me that's more convenient. You can buy individual string cheeses if you so desire, but if you eat it a lot, get the packages...much more affordable.

By this point, it should look a bit like this:

4. Microwave for 45 seconds. The black beans are cold. Especially if they came out of the fridge. So, this step is actually kind of important. Don't freak out if the mozzarella cheese isn't melted. It probably won't be.

5. Wrap like a burrito. Yes, I know. It's made with a tortilla and wrapped like a burrito. But this is Not a Burrito. The more skillfully you do this last step, the less of a mess you're likely to make. If you don't properly fold the ends of the burrito, this is what will happen:

6. Eat, enjoy, and clean up. Put the leftovers from your canned black beans in your fridge. Eat the left over string cheese if you have any. And do your dishes.

This recipe is a standard in my house. Great for a snack or for lunch, the fiber in the beans is sure to keep you full, while the cheese provides plenty of calcium. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU TRY THIS.

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