Mojitos

We made soup, and just so happened to have a bunch of mint leftover. Given the warming weather, it seemed appropriate to turn the rest of the mint into a makeshift mojito. It's more of a carbonated alcoholic lemonade with mint, really. Whatever it is, it was the perfect addition to my most serene day ever.

Ingredients:
Several Leaves of Fresh Mint

1-2 shots of White Rum

1 Lime or Lemon (Traditionally made with limes, but we have a ton of lemons that need using)

2 tablespoons of Sugar

1/2 cup Club Soda

Dissolve the sugar in a little bit of hot water, then add the mint leaves and mash them up. Squeeze as much of the lime/lemon juice as desired (I used the whole thing because I like it tangy) and add the rum. Add ice, then the club soda and give it a stir. Garnish with some whole mint leaves.

Carrot and Cashew Soup

A friend and I were talking about how soup seemed to be a common theme in some of the Zelda games, and this then prompted us to want to make carrot soup. A few days later, I decided to make a similar soup to bring to work, but in a lazier fashion.

Ingredients:

5 carrots

1/2 onion

Few leaves of fresh mint

dash of cumin

dash of cinnamon

lots of black pepper

dash of salt

2 handfuls of cashews (about 1/4 cup)

 Peel and chop the carrots.

 Boil the carrots until soft, around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice the onion, then cook them in some cooking oil on medium heat until transparent. Lower the heat, then add the cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt, to taste. Shred the mint and throw that in too. Stir for about a minute. 

 Strain the carrots. If your blender is plastic, like mine (mine's not really a blender haha), then you should probably rinse the carrots in cold water first. Blend the carrot, onions, and half the cashews together, adding a little water if the mixture is too thick to blend easily. After it's blended, add the remaining cashews and blend for a few seconds so that the cashews are chopped but still a little coarse.

Eat it cold, eat it warm, whatever pleases you.

Yogurt Parfait

I really wanted cupcakes. But I also spent a weekend eating at all a bunch of Guy Fieri restaurants, which (while very delicious) mainly consisted of bbq and everything fried (we had fried pickles, fried artichokes, fried jalapenos, fried fries, fried chips, fried chicken wings... you get it). So I decided to forgo the cupcakes and settle for this yogurt parfait instead.

Ingredients:

1 small cup of yogurt (I used the 7oz cup of Fage Total 2% Plain Greek Yogurt)

2 handfuls of Fresh berries (Here I have only blueberries cause we ate everything else)

Handful of crushed Special K Red Berries Cereal

Honey

Instructions:

Wash the berries. Take one handful and dump them into a tall glass. Layer on half your yogurt, then drizzle some honey on top and half of your crushed cereal. Dump the remaining berries, another layer of yogurt and honey, and sprinkle the rest of your crushed cereal on top.

Upgrading That Jar of Spaghetti Sauce

So I've never been a huge rice fan. Or a sandwich person. Thus, during college my staple of carbs usually came in the form of pasta. Also, as I was often busy (aka. lazy), I ended up buying the pasta sauce from the little on-campus store near my apartment. Honestly though, it wasn't that good (ie. there was no meat), so I would occasionally "upgrade" a jar and store it in the fridge for the rest of the week.  

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion (I really like onions)

About a 1/2 lb of ground meat (I used pork)

1 jar desired pasta sauce (mine was a 25oz jar)

1 can of stewed tomatoes (don't get those nasty little diced ones, you want big chunky tomatoes)
1/2 cup Red Wine
1/5 cup red wine vinegar

Pinch of: Oregano, sage, basil, chives, paprika, garlic salt (If you don't have these, it's ok)

Several cloves of fresh ground garlic

tons of black pepper
Handful of capers (optional)
Tons of shredded Parmesan cheese

Step 1: Get yo' ingredients ready (I have a spice hoarding problem)

Step 2: Dice an onion (breathe through your mouth to stop some of the pain!)

Step 3: Throw the onions into a deep pot with some cooking oil* on med-high heat and cook till transparent.

Step 4: Make sure there isn't too much water from the onions left in the pan (or else your meat will end up being boiled/steamed instead of browning). Throw in your ground meat and stir for a couple minutes, seasoning it with all of your spices. I personally really like lots of fresh ground black pepper. LOTS OF IT. 

Step 5: Throw in your chunky tomatoes. Stir a bit, then pour in your wine. Turn the heat to med-low and let the wine reduce, about 5 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then.

Step 6: Pour in your jar of pasta sauce and vinegar and give it a stir. You can throw in some capers at this point if you happen to have any (most people probably don't). Reduce to low heat and let simmer for 10 minutes while you prepare your spaghetti (don't forget to salt the water! Also I personally like cooking the pasta a minute less than suggested on the packages for a more 'Al Dente' texture).

Step 7: Plate your pasta. Throw on your desired amount of freshly ground garlic, then ladle some sauce on top. Then throw on a ton of Parmesan cheese while it's still hot. Also avoid talking to your friends afterwards with your garlic breath, it turns out they don't appreciate it very much.

*When you pan fry things, try to avoid using olive oil. It burns (yuck) at a lower temperature than many other cooking oils, and a lot of its beneficial properties are lost when this happens anyways.

Smoked Salmon Salad

This salad incorporates the salty flavor of lox (smoked salmon) with the sweetness of a honey balsamic dressing over mixed greens for a refreshing dish. This light salad is great for warm days, and you'll probably be hungry again before long. Because it's a salad.

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 cups mixed spring greens

1 tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 an avocado, cut into bite-sized pieces

few slices of lox (as desired)

Lemon juice, black ground pepper and dill, to taste

Dressing:

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Put both ingredients in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to let it "reduce". Let cool. It should be slightly thicker.

Instructions:

Place the greens, tomato, and avocado in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pepper, dill, and lemon juice, then toss with the dressing. Lay the lox pieces on top. 

ALSO don't smell the vapor when you open the microwave. It buurrrnnnss.

Cinnamon-Apple Grilled Cheese

A grilled cheese sandwich soaked in butter and oozing melted cheese has always been a comfort-food classic. This recipe takes that same sandwich and adds a little sweetness and tang to it with some spiced apples. Perfect for those dreary days stuck studying in your apartment, and when you're trying to get rid of some old bread and/or apples.

Ingredients:

2 medium apples

1 tsp cinammon

1 tsp brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup water

slice of bread

1 pat of butter

2-3 slices of your favorite grilled cheese sandwich cheese (I personally like gruyere, cheddar, and harvati).

 1. Chop up apples and throw them in a pan with the cinnamon, brown sugar, salt, and water. Mix on medium-low heat for 30 seconds. 

 2. Cover and let the apples cook for about 10 minutes while you go do something else, like surf the internet or watch TV. When they're soft and golden, uncover and let the remaining liquid cook off.

 3. On a separate pan, heat the pan on medium-high heat until hot. Butter the bottom of the pan (the butter should melt upon contact and start to bubble and brown a little).

 4. Fry a slice of bread until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Butter the uncooked side while the bottom is cooking, then flip it over and fry another 30 seconds. While it's frying, do step 5.

 5. Place the cheese slices on your bread. Place some of the apple mixture on half the bread and cut the middle of the bread with a spatula to make a folding point. Turn to low heat.

6. Fold the sandwich over and allow the cheese to melt. Eat it, then make another one because a half sandwich is hardly enough for anyone and because you'll have some apple mixture left.