Meg Goes Nom Nom

Greetings! Today I wanted to share with you the details of my participation in an “Away from Home Cooking” Challenge. As this blog has made very evident, two of my very favorite things in the world are, (1) cooking and recipe testing, and (2) traveling! So clearly, this seemed like a match.

When I was approached to participate in this challenge, it sounded like a lot of fun, so I accepted.

“Up for the challenge? We promise it won’t be much of one now that the Food Network’s Sunny Anderson has teamed up with Extended Stay America — the largest hotel chain with kitchens in every guest room — to create the “Away From Home Cooking” in-room cookbook filled with Sunny’s exclusive recipes and expert tips to cook great meals wherever the road may lead.

Sunny invites you to re-create her signature recipes the same way she did — utilizing less than eight ingredients and only the equipment found in every Extended Stay America hotel room, including a full-size fridge and freezer, two-burner stove top, microwave, toaster and coffee maker, plus cooking utensils, dishes and cutlery to create home-cooked meals on-the-go. “

A copy of Sunny’s 24-recipe cookbook was shared with me, and my mission was to test out one of the recipes using only the cookware, appliances, and utensils available in an Extended Stay America hotel room, which includes:

Cooking Utensils
Two-quart saucepan with lid 
12-inch frying pan with lid 
Colander
Cutting board,
Plastic serving spoon
Plastic spatula
Can opener

Dishes
Two plates 
Two bowls
Two drinking cups
Two coffee mugs

Cutlery
One serrated knife
Two butter knives
Two forks
Two spoons

Appliances: full-size fridge and freezer, two-burner stove top, microwave, toaster, and coffee maker.

The recipe I chose actually used very few of these items and could easily be made in a hotel.

All of the recipes in the mini cookbook use eight ingredients or less, and the one I chose, Mini Cheese Burritos, needed only four:

The dish only took minutes to assemble and cook – seriously can’t beat that for a post-work Meatless Monday.

To assemble the burritos, I spread refried beans on flour tortillas, spooned salsa over the beans, added a cheese stick to the middle, rolled them up, and microwaved for 1.5 – 2 minutes. Done!

Oozing cheesy goodness:

Mini Cheese Burritos

Recipe from “Away From Home Cooking” cookbook by Sunny Anderson.  Additional Away from Home Cooking recipes can be found here as well.

• 1/4 cup canned refried beans
• 2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup chunky salsa
• 2 (3/4 oz) cheddar cheese sticks

1. Spread beans over tortillas leaving 1/2 inch border around edges. Spoon salsa over beans.
2. Place cheese stick on one side of each tortillas. Fold edge of tortilla over cheese stick; roll up. Place burritos, seam side down, in microwavable dish.
3. Microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes before serving.

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These burritos were surprisingly addicting! To balance out the meal, I also prepared a simple salad to accompany them.

The recipes in this mini cookbook would be great not only when cooking on the road in hotel rooms, but also vacation homes and campers, learning to cook in a first apartment, or just looking for fast and easy meals to make at home. Plus it is very compact and easy to take with you on your next trip. I’m really intrigued by the Philly Cheesesteak Rice Bowl and will probably try that next!

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GIVEAWAY

If you’d like to win your own copy of Sunny Anderson’s Away From Home Cooking 24-recipe cookbook, simply LEAVE A COMMENT on this post answering the following question:

• What is the most memorable place you’ve ever visited?

My visit to the Cinque Terre was pretty unforgettable, myself.

Contest will close on Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 5:00 PM EST. Five winners will be randomly selected.

UPDATED 12/22/13: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Winners are:

• Manni P.
• Liz
• Emily Lynn
• Gabriele
• Sue B.

Congrats! Please contact me at meggoesnomnom [at] gmail [dot] com to claim your prize.