COLLEGE CUISINE

Hot dogs cooked in coffee pots. Grilled cheese sandwiches made with irons.

When it comes to eating while going to college, desperation sometimes leads to creativity.

Though some Internet sites boast of such survival techniques, the vast assortment of kitchen gadgets available today make cooking quick and easy.

From microwaves and toasters to blenders, smoothie makers, fat-free grilling machines, electric hot pots, rice cookers and even quesadilla makers and football-shaped slow cookers, one need not ever turn a stove or oven on for a hearty meal.

Yes, it gets easier when you’re not confined to a dorm room. But even when all you have to work with is a mini-fridge and a microwave, there’s hope for something other than TV dinners.

For Bryce Hughes, who graduated from Gonzaga University last year, the George Foreman grill was the answer to fast food when he shared a house with friends.

Once out of dorm life, Hughes said he and his housemates took turns cooking for the group. They often found themselves together on Sunday mornings and used a waffle iron to make a special breakfast.

And on days when he was fending for himself, Hughes said the George Foreman grill provided sustenance – usually a burger or sometimes chicken – in just a few minutes. One of his housemates was a vegetarian and would grill eggplant, zucchini and Portobello mushrooms on the Foreman.

Recent high school graduate Erin Dundon said she’s been eyeing a Foreman grill.

The gadget seems like it would fit her hectic “eat-on-the-run” lifestyle, Dundon said. “I hear it’s really easy (to cook with).”

She said she makes toast in the morning – in the toaster she won at her high school’s senior all-nighter – and occasionally will cook a batch of rice that she’ll divide and eat over the course of a few days. But mostly, “I eat a lot of Taco Bell and a lot of Easy Mac. It’s cheap and it’s good.”

In her opinion, most college students either don’t have the time or desire to cook.

But new gadgets could change their minds.

Even though neither Hughes nor Dundon said they knew any college students using these appliances, the gadgets are showing up in back-to-school ads and on store shelves.

El Paso Chile Co. has launched a couple of countertop appliances that eliminate the need for digging out a frying pan. The quesadilla maker and fajita maker offer simple preparation of these Southwest favorites.

And novelty items like football and basketball-shaped slow cookers could turn sports fans into wannabe chefs once they discover the secret of the throw-it-in-the-pot-and-forget- about-it trick.

Blenders and smoothie makers can turn juice, fruits and yogurt or milk into a nutrition-packed drink-to-go.

And then there’s the Presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven, which has a strong rating on epinions.com. Users say it turns ordinary frozen pizza into something tasty. Which means you could stock up on inexpensive frozen pizzas and liven them up with a few fresh ingredients instead of calling for pizza delivery.

Even rice cookers are getting a second look for convenience cooking because they do more than just steam rice.

Granted, those kinds of gadgets probably won’t pass most universities’ dorm-room-appliance codes. For Hughes, looking back on his dorm days, real cooking was impractical.

The microwave, he said, was good for popcorn. And the fridge had enough room for just a couple of drinks. In hindsight, he said, he thinks an electric hot pot might have helped.

The gadget can be used to heat water, soups and stews. “It would be one of the more versatile items to have,” Hughes said.

The biggest problem with dorm cooking, Hughes said, is not the lack of equipment but rather, “There’s not a lot of room to store food in a dorm.”

Still, if you can squeeze some grated cheese into the fridge and tuck a can of black or pinto beans in a corner, then all you need to pick up are a pack of tortillas and a jar of salsa. Roll your own burritos, wrap them in plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer. You can even make breakfast burritos, cooking scrambled eggs in the microwave and rolling them in the tortillas. The burritos will ‘nuke’ in the microwave in just a couple of minutes when you need a quick bite.

Or, if your dorm has a community kitchen and you’re organized enough to plan for a little cooking time, consider making a double batch of pasta, chili or even a favorite casserole from home. Keep the leftovers in disposable storage bowls that can go from the freezer to the microwave.

Here are few simple recipes:

College Student’s Gourmet Pasta

From allrecipes.com16 ounces pasta

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. To saucepan, add butter, salt, milk and cheese. Cook over low heat until combined. Pour mixture over pasta and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 466 calories, 15 grams fat (9 grams saturated, 29 percent fat calories), 14 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrate, 38 milligrams cholesterol, 3.8 grams dietary fiber, 704 milligrams sodium.

Rice Cooker Simple Risotto

From www.mealsforyou.com 1/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup onions, cooked

1 cup white rice

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dried mushrooms

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/3 cup dry red or white wine

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spray rice cooker pan with nonstick cooking spray and turn on. Add butter. When melted, sauté onions 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Stir in rice and cook 2-3 minutes, coating rice with onion mixture. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cover and cook until rice cooker shuts off. Stir in Parmesan just before serving.

Yield: 4 serving

Approximate nutrition per serving: 380 calories, 16 grams fat (9.9 grams saturated, 38 percent fat calories), 10 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrate, 41 milligrams cholesterol, 1.7 grams dietary fiber, 841 milligrams sodium.

Gadgetfreak’s Double Cheese Panini

From recipecircus.com/recipes/gadgetfreak1974/

This can be made in either a George Foreman grill or a panini grill.

2 thick slices of roasted garlic bread (see note)

1 slice of prosciutto

1 portobello slice or 3 small slices of button mushrooms

Spinach leaf

Shredded asiago

Shredded mozzarella

Layer all ingredients on one slice of bread, using ingredients in order listed. Top with remaining bread slice. Place sandwich in grill, cook for 5 minutes until all ingredients are cooked and the cheese is melted. Cut diagonally and serve.

Note: Any thick-sliced bread will work.

Yield: 1 serving

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

3-Ps Turkey Burger

From “George Foreman’s Indoor Grilling Made Easy,” by George Foreman with Kathryn Kellinger

1 pound ground turkey

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnut pieces

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 to 3 tablespoons store-bought pesto

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 whole wheat pitas

4 romaine lettuce leaves or 1 small handful arugula

1/2 lemon

Preheat grill to high. Put turkey in a medium bowl and add pine nuts, Parmesan, pesto, salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix seasonings into meat and then, with your hands, form mixture into 4 patties, each about 1-inch thick.

Grill patties (in batches, if necessary, depending on the size of your grill) for about 4 minutes, until they have taken on grill marks and are cooked through. Put each burger into a pita with some lettuce and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 465 calories, 21 grams fat (5.7 grams saturated, 41 percent fat calories), 32 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrate, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 5.6 grams dietary fiber, 733 milligrams sodium.

Pizza in Reverse

Adapted from www.target.com2 round flat bread rolls, split in two

Tomato-based pasta or pizza sauce of your choice

1 medium onion, thinly sliced and cooked in grill

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

6 slices pepperoni

3/4 cup mozzarella

2 or 3 shredded basil leaves (optional)

12 black olives, slivered

Set the grill on medium heat for 7-8 minutes. Place the onion slices on the surface of the grill and cook until softened, turning with plastic tongs. Remove. Spread cut surfaces of the rolls with the pasta sauce and top with softened onions, tomato slices, pepperoni, grated cheese and shredded basil. Sprinkle with the slivered olives. Place the tops on the rolls and arrange on the preheated grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes until tops are golden and filling is heated through.

Yield: 2 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 535 calories, 24 grams fat (9 grams saturated, 41 percent fat calories), 25 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrate, 34 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 1,168 milligrams sodium.