Eat: 02

Round two of the "Eat" series! Today's dish: fried rice! Although I have an undying love for Thai and Indian food, I am not so fond of Chinese food. But fried rice is the one exception and my go-to dish if I am ever at a Chinese restaurant with friends. Where I live in Switzerland it is very hard to find a restaurant that serves anything other than Italian food, so it is nice to change it up a bit and incorporate some other ethnicities of food every once in a while.

Simple Fried Rice 
egg
soy sauce
rice
olive oil
veggies

boil a pot of water, then add the rice.  Follow the package instructions for cooking time.
(You should use about a 1:2 ratio of rice/water)
crack egg in small bowl and whisk with fork
add a little bit of olive oil to warm pan and cook egg (like an omelet)
chop up veggies & cooked egg
combine rice, veggies, and egg in hot pan with a bit of olive oil
stir mixture and add soy sauce to taste

Tips--
+ I used olive oil because that is what I had on hand, but any kind of cooking oil would work just as well
+ I used basmati rice because (again) that is what I had, but minute rice would work just as well. Just keep in mind that the cooking instructions will differ.
+ I mostly eat vegetarian while I am at school, but feel free to add in some diced chicken to the dish.

Happy [belated] Chinese New Year and Buon Appetito!

Eat : 01

I have decided to start a new series over here on this little blog about my daily forays into cooking!

Since beginning my second year here at Franklin University I am no longer obligated to pay for a meal plan (hallelujah!).  So over the last six months I have had to amp up my pretty non-existent cooking skills. Only, living in Switzerland has added a whole other facet to the mix. While at school I don't have access to quiet a few American cooking staples (brown sugar, vanilla, any non-seasonable produce, etc.), I don't have a microwave, and groceries are quiet expensive ($10 for a small pack of pre-sliced deli meat). As you might imagine: "Single serving recipes, that can be made with Swiss ingredients (for cheap!) and in under 30min (no microwave)" unfortunately doesn't yield too many google results. So I have had to be a little innovative in my cooking endeavors!

To be honest though, I have really enjoyed the whole experience! Not only am I learning and creating, but I am experiencing European food culture in a way that the average American tourist doesn't get to.
But, I will stop the rant there and get to the important part of this post, the recipe!

Spaghettini Pomodoro 
6-8 plum tomatoes
sprig of fresh basil
1/8 of a small onion
sprinkle of salt
spaghetti
dash of olive oil

add salt to water and bring to boil
add spaghetti and cook until al dente.
finely chop the tomatoes, basil, and onion
drain pasta and mix all ingredients together
[optional] season with salt and/or parmesan cheese

Tips:
+ Don't over cook your pasta! No one likes a limp noodle.. I'm a firm believer in al dente (no pun intended)
+ I hate the seedy/slimy part of tomatoes, so I cut that part out when dicing them
+ The second time I made this I added some fresh minced garlic, which was also delicious!


Let me know if you decide to make it and have any questions! Otherwise, Buon Appetito!