It’s the perennial college student problem: wanting to cook but not wanting to spend more money on food. So instead of taking another trip to the grocery store, reconsider the random leftover ingredients you have just sitting around. Then what? Gojee.
Gojee is a website that has partnered with recipe writers and foodies from around the world to recommend recipes based on what its users have in their pantries and refrigerators. Users sign in through the site’s simple interface, then they can browse recipes based on what they crave or have on hand.
I’m one of those college students who cooks and doesn’t quite use up all the ingredients the first time around. So when I logged into Gojee, I went straight for the tab, “I Have,” and entered all of the ingredients I had leftover from the last dish I made. This included eggs, flour, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. I knew there must have been something I could make with these ingredients, but I wanted a surefire recipe to avoid the risk of mixing it all together and discovering the atrocity from a lack of direction.
After I entered in my ingredients into Gojee, the site compiled a selection of recipes for me to choose from. Rather than simply offering a list of recipe names, the site gives users a photo slideshow that evokes the same mouthwatering sensation as does a visit to Pinterest. Six clicks later, I landed on the one: Peanut Butter Nutella Bars.
Next time you’re hankering for something sweet, something spicy or something savory, check out Gojee. Not only is it useful for stumbling upon recipes and looking at prime food porn, but the site attempts to pin down your cravings and work around ingredients you dislike in order to present you with something new to make. With the site’s huge database of recipes, you’re sure to find a hit.
Peanut Butter Nutella Bars
Level: Medium
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serving size: 16 bars
Ingredients:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 whole crackers)
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
2 tablespoons Nutella
Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl, melt the butter in a microwave. Give it a couple minutes to cool.
Tip: If the butter has been in the refrigerator, a minute will do the trick.
2. Mix in the graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter and powdered sugar.
Photo by Denise Lu
3. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8×8 dish.
Tip: To avoid a messy clean up, line the dish with parchment paper.
Photo by Denise Lu
4. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and Nutella over low heat.
Tip: It will melt a lot faster than you think it will, so the low heat part is important. Nobody wants burnt chocolate!
Photo by Denise Lu
5. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter mixture, making sure to spread it without disrupting the peanut butter mixture.
Photo by Denise Lu
Photo by Denise Lu
6. Cool the bars in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
7. Watch as all your friends clamor for some chocolatey peanut buttery goodness.