My favourite salmon rub

Works well on the barbecue (don't put the rubbed side down, that would be silly, I actually bbq it in a deep baking pan with parchment paper to avoid sticking) and in the oven. Wouldn't recommend pan-frying, doesn't end with the same results. I love serving this with roasted brussel sprouts with asiago cheese, and with garlic mashed potatoes. I usually do this in parts so I'll make an attempt to do it in measurements but adjust everything as you see fit. These are measurements for 2-3 pieces (servings) of salmon. Sometimes there's a bit of the rub left over depending how much I actually made and how much salmon there is. Lately I've just been sprinkling that on top and letting it soak in with the rest during the cooking process.

- 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of smoked paprika (careful, this stuff is spicy)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- about 1 tsp black pepper

You'll need about a tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil. Don't pat the salmon dry. Rub the oil all over the salmon - top, bottom, sides. Mix the rub together with a fork so the flavours are evenly spread. Sprinkle evenly over each piece of salmon and rub/pat it into the oiled top. It will probably stick to your fingers and look like way too much brown sugar. I promise, it's yummy. Just try to get the stuff on your fingers onto the pieces of salmon that look bare. Bake or bbq salmon as you normally would.

Italian dressing pasta

It doesn't really have a name, unfortunately, "italian dressing pasta" is more of a description. My friend made it after I showed her that, for her picky threenager, she could freeze small portions of pasta dinners then re-heat as needed. I have to admit, when she first made it, we ate so much she had to make more to freeze! There are no real measurements, so you can decide how much of each you want.

-Macaroni noodles (cooked)
-Ground chicken, turkey, or pork
-Spinach
-Feta cheese
-Tomato (diced)
-Garlic (minced)
-Onion (diced)
-Italian salad dressing
-Veg or canola oil

1. Heat up oil in a pan, cook your onions until translucent and add the garlic. Once the garlic has cooked a little, add the ground meat and a splash of the dressing.
2. When the meat is cooked, add the spinach. When the spinach is limp, add the tomato and feta.
3. Add noodles and another splash or two of the dressing. If you want, add a bit of salt and pepper.
4. Serve! ...or divvy up into small servings and freeze for later.

**Edit: I've just been informed that this is great with greek dressing too!

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

My lovely boyfriend introduced this recipe to me, and I can't help but devour half of it every time it's made!! It's super easy, and takes pretty much no cooking talent, so anyone can make it!

-1 large head of broccoli, cut into bite-size florets

-1.5 cups minute rice

-1 can tuna, drained

-1 can condensed creme of mushroom soup

-Milk

-White canadian cheddar, or any other sharp white cheddar, shredded. At least 1 cup.

1. Dump the rice, tuna, broccoli, and condensed soup into a large glass or ceramic bowl or casserole dish. Fill the empty soup can with milk, that's the amount you need, and pour it into the bowl/casserole dish. Mix it all up, obviously making sure the tuna isn't one can-shaped chunk and that all the rice is covered with milk and soup.
2. Layer about half the cheese on top of the mix. Don't mix it in yet.
3. Microwave for 10 minutes

4. Remove from microwave, mix it all up again, getting the cheese in there.
5. Layer the rest of the cheese on top
6. Microwave for 10 minutes

Serve and enjoy!! Careful, it's freakin' hot!!!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

So it snowed (a worthwhile amount) for the first time today. Yay Canada!! It's so beautiful, I couldn't possibly deny myself a warm winter-friendly breakfast to get my day started. Thankfully, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. You can easily pack this up and run to class, too. Breakfast on the go!

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup oats
-2/3 cup milk - and a little extra for at the end
-1 sweet apple (mcintosh, gala,red delicious, empire, pink lady, whatever you'd like. I guess you could even do granny smith if that's what you like)
-2-3 tsp brown sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-pinch of salt

1. Pour your milk and oats into a bowl. Let those sit while you cut up your apple into slices. Depending how much you like, I used two slices and cut them up to tiny bits, but you can use as much as you'd like I guess. I just ate the rest while it cooked, no use in wasting fruit.
2. Mix your small chunks of apple into the oats and milk
3. Microwave for 2 minutes, 15 seconds
4. Mix in a dash of milk, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Be careful not to burn yourself taking it out of the microwave, it can be pretty hot!

Grilled cheese with no stove

I'm not kidding, this is the easiest thing in the world. Turn on your broiler in your cute little toaster oven. Make up your sandwich like you would if you were about to use a frying pan... but instead just put it on a baking sheet and pop it into your oven. Wait until that side turns golden, then flip it. When that side's golden, you're good!!

Ingredients:
Butter
Bread
Cheese

Baked potato - no baking required!

Honestly, this is the easiest thing to cook in your microwave. Yes, a baked potato, in the microwave. It's filling, familiar, warm, and I'm pretty sure everyone gets tired of minute rice as carbs on their plate pretty damn fast. I actually have to give credit to my mom, she showed me this first.

Ingredients:
-1 russet potato (whatever size you want)
-1 tbsp (maybe a bit more if you got a big potato) of canola, sunflower or vegetable oil
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper - coarse ground is best

1. Oil up the potato. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on it, rub it all over.
2. Prick it 5-10 times with a fork
3. Microwave for 5 minutes. When it's done, poke it with a fork. If it goes through nicely, it's ready. If not,
4. Microwave for 3-5 minutes more until the fork goes through. Keep doing those 3-5 minutes if the first try didn't work, until it does.

Put this on a plate with some baked chicken, done in your toaster oven, and frozen peas defrosted and cooked with boiling water from your kettle, and you're good to go! Honestly, you don't even need butter or sour cream. It's flavoured enough from the salt and pepper!

Ramen noodle upgrade: Pad thai

Alright! I'm happily settled into residence, my roommate is cool, my whole kitchenette and bedroom is well stocked, and I've started to eat dorm-style. Today, I was starving my face off after orientation so I made myself a lunch.

-1 package mr.noodle or store brand ramen

-1 tbsp all natural peanut butter (of course, you can use kraft or skippy, but I really don't like the flavour of those)

-1 tbsp soy sauce (use a little less if you're not using the 100% natural PB)

-1/2 tbsp lime juice, if you have it

-1 egg if you're in need of a little extra protein, and a splash of milk, cream, or butter

1. Boil your kettle (take this time to stir your natural peanut butter if you're opening it for the first time or if the oils have resurfaced)

2. Pour boiling water over noodles and the flavour powder in a bowl, leave it to soften up.

3. Take this time, if you're adding an egg, to mix it (and the milk/cream/butter) up in a mug and microwave for thirty second intervals, stirring after each time.

4. Once the noodles are soft, strain the liquid (leaving about 1/2 a tbsp of the liquid), add the peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice.

5. Chop up the eggs in the mug with a fork, stir the chunks of egg into the noodles. Add green onions if you have them

Eat it by itself, or serve it on a plate with some kind of veggie to pretend you're being healthy!

Good luck, and enjoy!