Deep Fried Eggplant! (and Skillet-Steamed Vegetables)

I've had deep fried onion rings before so I figured it would be fun to try using eggplant instead. They turned out alright. A little dry but with a marinara sauce or something they would be so good! 

Just cut up one large eggplant into 1/2in slices then stick them in cold water for 5 or 10 minutes. Coat them in flour (shake off the excess), dip them in an egg mixture (we used 2 eggs beat with 1 tbsp of milk), then coat them a second time in bread crumbs. Fry them up in some hot oil for a few minutes and they're good to go! Watch them too, they cook fast and some of our slices turned really brown, really fast! 

We also made a skillet-steamed vegetable dish (mine are a little overcooked...whoops) but they were perfect for me! 

I cut up a medium zucchini and a yellow squash and heated them in a pan with 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of butter. I put a lid on it so it would steam the veggies (supposedly for 3 minutes but apparently for longer since they were a little over done...). I took the lid off and let the water reduce a little so there was a butter sauce and then I served it. Super easy, healthy, and delicious! 

More Salsa!

We really did keep it simple the first few weeks of class so on the second day of cooking we made a savory mango salsa. Yummmmmmmm! 

All we did was cut up 2 mangos, 4 kiwis, about 1/2 a red onion, and 1 jalapeno and mixed it all of that with 3/4 cup of sweet corn, 2tbs minced cilantro, some lime juice, and a little bit of salt to taste.

I know, when you see a mango salsa you're not expecting a savory sweet kinda deal but believe me, it's almost better than a normal salsa. At least worth a shot! 

Food Prep!

This semester I'm in a great class that I'm so excited about called food preparation. 3 hours of lecture and then actual hands on cooking which is so much fun. It makes me want to go to culinary school more and more.

Anyways, the first day that we actually got to cook in was basics so we made a tomato salsa! 

It was a pretty simple first class. We cut up 4 tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of jalapeno, 1/4 cup of minced scallion, 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, and about 2 tablespoons of lime juice. I think we added a splash of tomato juice to thicken it just a tiny bit and added salt to taste.

It was a really good salsa. Actually it was the first salsa I've ever made so I'm pretty proud of myself. Not that it was a difficult recipe but small steps! 

ROC - Mariachi

A few of my friends and I have this great Mexican grill where we love to go. Pitchers of margaritas are a must and at Mariachis they're fantastic and not too expensive. 

Of course Mariachis moved and is now Don Patrons but it's pretty much the same exact thing only a new name. 

For my friend's 22nd birthday this past February she decided she wanted to go. It's still good. Even as Don Patron. 

It's almost a tradition to order margaritas and just about everyone upgrades and orders a giant Corona-Rita (A  margarita with a little bottle of Corona tipped upside down in it). It's a crazy. 

Back when it was Mariachis I ordered a Taco salad which was so much food and really really good.

This time around I decided on the Enchiladas Verdes O Rojas (I think?) which was really good. There's just enough sauce on top that mixes well with the rice and gives everything tons of great flavor. The plate is also a great size and is really filling! 

Since it was my friend's birthday her boyfriend arranged for a birthday dessert which turned out to be deep fried ice cream with a cute little candle on it. It was super cute! She passed it around too because we were all so full so I got a try. Deep Fried Ice Cream is Boss. I can't believe I've never had it before! I want to go back just for that right now honestly. 

Football and Pizza Buns

Sounds a little weird I know, but I did make some pizza buns just in time for the Superbowl this year! 

I found the recipe online and it was a super easy to make and a big hit at the party I went to. 

Take some of those instant pre-made biscuits in a tube, separate them out and flatten them. Then take a little pizza sauce and top it with whatever you like. The recipe I found was just classic pepperoni and cheese so I figured I'd try to go with that for my first try with these pizza buns. 

Turns out kind of knowing how to make dumplings/pork buns came in handy! Fold up the sides to make a dough-ball and bake at 425 for 18-20minutes! Brush them with an eggwash and sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano or whatever you like. I packed them in kind of tight to keep them together. We had to reheat them by the time I got to the superbowl so personally they were a little dry but I'm pretty confident that right out of the oven, they would've been perfect! 

Super easy to make and a great treat to bring to parties and whatnot. Plus it's pretty cheap to make a lot of them which is always great for broke college kids!