Fill up with a second helping of ... us!

Caviar Contessa here and ready to announce that College Contessas are back in the saddle and ready to ride off and cook (more like ride off and eat--let's not kid ourselves here.)

Though resolutions are not really our thang--and this is just slightly past the post-holiday calorie counting craze of three weeks ago--the gals and I are thoroughly, absolutely, COMPLETELY excited for picking up this new year with a bang and some "exotic" quinoa dishes.

This year we're thinking big, y'all. Stinky (but incredible) cheeses. Field trips to little gourmet shops. Ambitious recipe plans. Party planning tips. Farm dreams. A possible vlog component. Foodie internships at Athens Food Tours this semester. And living vicariously through our very own Cafe Contessa living in Italy this semester (check out her blog--masoninitaly.blogspot.com--she's fabulous, y'all!)

We're going to be doing more than watching our idol the Barefoot and dreaming of the good life--this year, we going to taste it, and we hope that you come back for second helpings too!

We've already been cooking it up this month, too. Be on the lookout for a flourless chocolate torte that will leave you in a delightful and delectable cocoa coma, and a sun-dried tomato and pesto risotto that we sent Miss Cafe Contessa across the pond on--and when those have been devoured, there will always be another course.

Peace, love, blessings, and fancy life dreams,
The Caviar Contessa

Egg In A Nest

This easy breakfast dish is one of those dishes passed on from mother to daughter in a southern kitchen. The best part of this dish is how easy it is! In just a matter of a couple of minutes, there is a hearty breakfast waiting for you. It's so simple for college students and is much better for you versus the boxes and boxes of sugared cereal or bagels and cream cheese. After all, eggs are a great source of protein! Caviar Contessa will especially love this since she loves her fried eggs!

What you need:

(Serves 2 people)

- 1/4 stick butter, softened

- 2 slice of whole wheat bread

- 1 small glass

- 2 egg

- 1 dash of pepper

- 1 dash of pepper

What you do:

1) Warm griddle. 

2) Melt butter on griddle.

3) Place glass upside down on each piece of bread cutting out a circle in the middle.

4) Place circle cut-out and remaining bread on the griddle. Toast each side of bread.

5) Crack an egg in the middle of the bread (in the nest). 

6) Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper on the egg.

7) Cook egg 1 minute before turning over and cooking the other side.

8) Serve!

Southern Living Herbed Cheese Spread

The College Contessas are cheese lovers! This may or may not be a good thing, but we are definitely fascinated by different types of cheese and even the cheese making process (Ask Caviar Contessa for details). This herbed cheese spread is perfect for holiday time when you have friends and family around the table. In my family, we call this time, cocktail hour. Just make it 24 hours a ahead of time and it will be delicious!

Makes: about 2 1/2 cups

What you need:

- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

- 1 (8-ounce) package feta cheese, softened

- 1/2 cup butter, softened

- 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

- 2 tsp. lemon zest

- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

- 1 garlic clove, pressed

Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs, sweetened dried cranberries

What to do:

1) Beat first 9 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

2) Line 2 (10-oz.) ramekins with plastic wrap, allowing 3 inches to extend over sides; spoon cheese mixture into ramekins. Cover and chill 24 hours.

3) Invert cheeses onto serving dishes. Serve with crackers and assorted veggies. Garnish if desired.

Southwestern Cornbread Taco Salad

This colorful salad is as colorful as it is delicious! This dish is great for parties or big family gatherings.  Add a little fiesta to your life with this southwestern style taco salad.

What you need:
- 1 (6-ounce) package of Mexican or plain cornbread mix
- 1/2 bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
- 1 small head romaine lettuce shredded
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce0 can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
- 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
- 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- 5 green onions, chopped

What to do:
1) Prepare cornbread according to package directions; cool and crumble. Set aside.
2) Layer in a bowl bowl half of the cornbread, lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, cheese, and bacon. Spoon half of the dressing evenly over top. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients and dressing.
3) Cover and Chill AT LEAST 2 HOURS for best taste.

Dinner Made Simply: Tomato, Herbs & Pierogies

This is a simple dinner dish for those nights when you are on-the-go and don't have much time for cooking. It's absolutely delicious! 

What you need:

- 8 Mini Frozen Pierogies - Either Four cheese stuffed or Spinach and Cheese stuffed

- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil

- 10 - 15 Grape Tomatoes

- 1 Tbsp. of basil leaves

- 1/2 clove of garlic - minced

- 1 tsp. chopped thyme

- 1 tsp. chopped Rosemary

- 1 tsp. chopped Parsley

- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

- 1 pinch Black Pepper

- 1 pinch Salt

What to do:

1) Boil 3 cups water.

2) Add Pierogies and cook for 6 - 8 mins.

3) Drain Pierogies.

4) In the same pot, add olive oil, basil leaves, garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Cook herbs for 2 minutes. 

5) Add grape tomatoes and pierogies. Cook until tomatoes are soft and pierogies have a crisp exterior. 

6) Serve!

Gorgonzola Basil Chicken

During fall break the contessas chose to forgo the "frat beach" of the Georgia-Flordia and instead decided to channel our inner housewives.  We finally had a kitchen large enough to fit our passion for the culinary arts as well as our extravagant personalities.  We vacationed in Asheville, North Carolina, home of Café Contessa, where we cooked like we never cooked before! This delectable chicken dish was only part of the exquisite meal we prepared for Café's family and friends.  

What you need:

-Boneless-Skinless Chicken Breasts (However many you are cooking for)

-Softened Gorgonzola Cheese (a wedge will do)

-Fresh Basil Leaves (about 3 per chicken breast)

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Kosher Salt

-Ground Pepper

What to do:

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat the pan with olive oil or some kind of cooking spray

-Rinse the chicken, and if you are looking to cut calories you can cut the fat

-Place the clean chicken on the oiled pan, and take a sharp knife and make a slit through the middle of the chicken that creates a pocket to place in the cheese and basil

-Massage the chicken with olive oil

-For the basil, strip the leaves from the stem and use kitchen scissors or a knife to cut the leaves into strips

-In a bowl mix the softened Gorgonzola cheese and the basil strips

-Equally divide the gorgonzola mixture (we made little balls about the size of a ping-pong ball)

-Place the divided mixtures in the pocket in the chicken breast

-You are ready to bake! Set in the oven for 40-45 min at 350 degrees.

College Contessa Rating: Corporate Pump!  We all agreed that this could of been a little juicer.  If you use chicken breasts on the bone and with skin it's going to melt in your mouth!  

TREAT YO SELF Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Everyone loves anything that's salted caramel flavored right? And chocolate chips. They don't hurt either. That's why I decided to make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars because they sound delicious and who doesn't want to treat themselves to a bar of every flavor you could ever want? Also, I have been watching reruns of Parks and Recreation and I wanted to treat myself as Donna and Tom did in one of the episodes. I decided to treat myself to something that I could only dream about: a simple recipe for combining chocolate, caramel, and a kick of salt in cookie bar form. This is so easy and delicious!

What you need:
-2 rolls of chocolate chip cookie dough
-2 bags of caramel chews (I used Werthers, each bag was about 5.5 oz)
-Sea salt
-9x11 inch pan (you can use another size, but this size worked perfectly for pressing the cookie dough into)
-cooking spray

What to do:
1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray your pan with cooking spray
2) Open up one of the cookie dough packets and break it apart into pieces to start softening it up. Then, press the pieces to the bottom of the inside of the pan to coat the bottom completely
3) Put the caramel chews into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments until it melts completely. This should take about 2 minutes. The caramel should be liquid and thick like caramel usually is.
4) Pour the caramel over the top of the cookie dough pressed into the pan until the cookie dough is completely covered. Then sprinkle the sea salt on top. You can add only a dash or a whole bunch but try to do it evenly.
5) Open up the other pack of cookie dough and break this into pieces again. This time, you place the cookie dough on top again without making the caramel ooze out. Do the best you can. I had to complete a puzzle to cover the top of the caramel because the cookie dough doesn't always press down into the shape you want. It will all bake out into an even shape as long as the top is covered relatively equally.
6) You can put some more sea salt on top if you would like. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!!

College Contessa Rating: Most definitely a Platform Stiletto

These are an undeniably delicious treat for any occasion. If you would like to make the cookie dough yourself, feel free, this will work just as well. I am a college student therefore, I didn't want to spend the time and money on making my own cookie dough. You will love these! And they keep really well so you don't have to worry about them drying out really quickly.