Eating gourmet on a college budget

College students often think gourmet cooking is beyond their reach, but delicious food can easily be incorporated into a budget with the right ingredients. With the holidays coming up, the following recipe will keep you from relying on the thought of Christmas dinner to get through finals.

This pasta recipe, with white wine Parmesan mushroom sauce and seared chicken breast, sounds restaurant worthy but can be prepared in an apartment. Many common ingredients are used and can be reused in other dishes. Save leftovers by freezing to have a gourmet home-cooked meal anytime.

White Wine Parmesan Mushroom Pasta with Seared Chicken Breast

1 package chicken breasts, cut into tenders

1 box angel hair pasta

Sauce:

2 teaspoons flour

4 tablespoons butter or olive oil

2 cups milk

2-3 tablespoons white wine

1 package sliced mushrooms (optional)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 tablespoon chives

1 tablespoon parsley

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse and drain.  Heat a large skillet to medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Cook chicken four to five minutes on each side or until no pink remains in the middle. Press chicken down with spatula. Season each side with paprika, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper while cooking. Remove from heat immediately when done.

Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, heat oil or butter to low heat. Stir in flour carefully and remove lumps. Heat until simmering. Stir in milk. Stir continuously and scrape the bottom of pan. Add wine, mushrooms and seasonings. Cook until thickened and mushrooms are cooked. Add Parmesan cheese.

Serve chicken over sauce and pasta. Serve with salad and garlic bread. Serves four.