Friday, September 30, 2011

Eggplant & Tomatoes

I've been bad about cooking. Very bad. But what can I say, just as some days (or weeks) I feel the sudden urge to cook or bake, there is others when I feel reluctant to do so.

This has been one of those weeks.

All week long I have been in the "I would much rather order in or buy a salad somewhere" mood. Except for Tuesday. Tuesday was a good day cooking-wise.

I recently came across a recipe of breadless bruschetta on Smitten Kitchen. Eggplant, tomatoes and cheese. My immediate thought, "I need to make this asap." And I did. Less than a week after reading the post on SK, I made my own.


I made a few alterations (which coincidentally were the same thing that SK recommended) since I didn't have all the ingredients. Turns out, the substitutions were delicious.

This eggplant based open-faced-sandwich is a perfect appetizer, side or light supper. Try it!

Eggplant with Diced Tomato and Feta (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons
  • 1 large eggplant, in 1/3 inch slices
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • S & P
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil using a brush or paper towel. Place eggplant slices on baking sheet in a single layer. Season with S & P. Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. Flip eggplant slices and check underside to see if it is browned, blistery and puffy. If not, roast a little longer.
  2. Once cooked, flip eggplant and season other side with S & P. Return to oven and roast for 10-12 more minutes. Again, check to see that slices are done.
  3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, capers, parsley, and vinegar in a large bowl. Season with S & P. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil.
  4. Place eggplant slices on plate and top with tomato melange. Serve immediately.





Thursday, September 22, 2011

Feast Your Eyes

Let me make something clear: I wish I had more time for Student Savor. Like I said in the last post, I wish I had infinite time. But I won't complain about that anymore, I have to admit my life is pretty great right now.

TasteBUds (BU Food Magazine) is in the process of its creation and it is bringing so much happiness to my days. A couple of other things are helping, mainly friends, work, and yoga. Lots and lots of yoga. Seriously though, if you have never tried it, do it!

So today I thought I would share some pictures from one of my Quad posts.

Here is the article. Go and read it! Make some Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken.

And here are the extra photos!






Sunday, September 18, 2011

STOP

There is a problem with this new semester. I barely have time to myself. It sucks.

Ergo, I barely have time to cook (cue sobbing). Also, my recipe wish-list is incessantly growing and that is an issue. I need a way to stop time, cook, restart, eat and continue my day. Oh how much easier my life would be.

I could go on for ages about what I would do if I had a life stopwatch.

I would sleep a lot more than I do now. I would run and do yoga. I would cook all three meals and some snacks almost every day (or every other day). I would finally have time to finish that book that I started at the end of the summer. I would catch up on many, many TV shows.

I would do a lot of things.

But enough with my complaining, lets get to the good stuff. Food. I made a delicious side of broccolini and mushrooms tonight. (I also made something else as my actual dinner, but that will be posted at some other point). It is very easy to make and a great alternative to the usual sauteed veggies I usually have. Enjoy!


Broccolini Salad (adapted from Serious Eats)

  • 2 lbs. broccolini, ends removed
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 cup sliced baby Portobella mushrooms
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced very thinly
  1. Fill a big pot with water, 3/4 full. Add 1/4 cup salt and bring to a boil. Fill a separate bowl with cold water and ice, about one tray's worth. When pot water is boiling, add broccolini and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until tender crisp. Immediately transfer broccolini to cold water and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegars, shallot and olive oil, mixing constantly. Season with salt and pepper. 
  3. Toss broccolini with half of the vinaigrette; dress the mushrooms with the rest of the vinaigrette. Combine vegetables and toss. Add onions. Let vegetables sit for about 10 minutes and serve.




Sunday, September 11, 2011

Savory Asparagus Soup

I'm back!

Yes it took me a while. A long while. But I have finally broken the no-cooking (no bloggable cooking) rut that I was in.

It's been weeks since my last post and more than a month since my last recipe-related post, but that is over. Done. Finito. A new semester started and that means I need to get back on track.


This semester is going to be hectic to say the least. I am trying to start a food magazine at BU, attending Bikram Yoga--which I will talk about in a second--regularly, writing for The Quad (BU's independent online magazine and taking my fair share of classes. So yeah, its not going to be easy to come home after a long day and cook dinner, but I plan on doing it. Mainly because cooking, as many of you already know, is  a great stress reliever.

I will dedicate another post to my new (and improved) kitchen, but for now lets focus on Bikram Yoga.

For all who don't know what it is, Bikram Yoga combines a series of 26 yoga postures and breathing exercises during a 90 minute class. The class takes place in a room heated to 40.5 C (105 F) so that the body can adjust to the postures. It sounds intense and that is because it is intense.

I have to admit that the first time I walked into the heated room I was grossed out. You open the door and all of a sudden a heat wave slaps you in the face as a smell of concentrated humidity tickles your nose. Needless to say, it's not the most pleasant feeling, but you have to give it a try to experience what all the buzz is about. After one session, your body says "wow."

Anyways, I had done Bikram in Mexico about two years ago and since freshman year I kept saying that I was going to give it another try in Boston. I finally did so this week. I went on Tuesday and loved it. Went back Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday (I was trying to do the ten consecutive days, but I just couldn't). So that's my take on Bikram, but now we can move onto food.

Last night I made asparagus soup. Quick, simple and delicious! Oh, and arguably healthy as well. Soups are fairly easy to make. Here is the recipe for asparagus, but if you feel like it you can substitute another veggie and still end up with a yummy dinner. Enjoy!

Savory Asparagus Soup (adapted from Epicurious)

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 32oz. container vegetable stock
  • 1 pound (about 10) asparagus, ends removed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • Pinch McCormick Savory Herb Roasting Rub 
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
  • S & P
  1. In a medium pot, melt butter at medium heat. Add olive oil and stir. Add chopped onion and cook until tender, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  2. Slowly add vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, add asparagus and rub and simmer until asparagus is very tender, 20-25 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid, leaving a slight opening for the vapor to go out. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  3. Transfer asparagus and onions, using a slotted spoon, to a blender and puree. Slowly add liquid and blend carefully. 
  4. Return soup to stove and heat until boiling. Remove from heat and add chopped parsley leaves. Stir and serve.