A recipe for a rainy day

as I write from my dorm room, cooped up inside until we hear more information about our situation, I can't help but think about what a trying week this has been for Boston and the greater Boston area.  Shaken by the Boston marathon blasts and with MIT Police officer Sean Collier killed last night, a lot of us have been struggling to handle the shock, disbelief, and sadness we feel.  I want to thank all of my friends and family who have checked up on me, offered their sympathies and prayers for Boston, and been with me through this whole week.  I cannot express how much your support has meant to me.

I haven't blogged in over 2 months (school is hard), but I've decided to bring it back.  One of the reasons I started this blog in the first place was because I believe that food brings people together.  What better way to bring together my group of friends -each of us restlessly updating our twitter feeds for more information- than with food? So, this afternoon, I made a big pot of pulao and set it on the stove. Before I could take a picture of it, it was all gone!

We'll have to save that recipe for next time, but for now I've got another comfort food recipe- spaghetti with a mushroom "marinara" sauce! I use the term marinara loosely, because it definitely isn't your traditional marinara sauce. but you'll love it, i promise!

 Spaghetti with mushroom marinara sauce:

1 lb spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 green pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms

6 medium-sized vine tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 handful basil, chopped

Heat up the olive oil in a large nonstick pan.  Cook the onions and garlic until lightly brown, and add the mushrooms and peppers.  Sautee until they are slightly soft, and then add in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and the spices. if the sauce is thick, add 1/4 cup water. Allow the sauce to simmer under medium heat for 5-7 minutes, and then add the basil. Serve hot over the spaghetti. 

PS: If you would like to donate to help the victims of the tragic events of the Boston Marathon, check out The One Fund for more information.

Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches

yesterday was my 15th first day of school.  gosh do I feel old! gone are the days of new outfits and new backpacks; now i get to worry about pricy textbooks and scheduling conflicts. funsies.

anyways, its not all bad. if there's one thing that's been constant through all of my years of schooling, it's been my best friend Sarah.  That girl is amazing, and for every first day of school that i can remember, she's made a cucumber cream cheese sandwich for lunch.  She even made me a cucumber cream cheese sandwich when i left for college!

This year, I decided to honor the tradition and make one myself:)

as you've probably gathered by now, there isn't too much to this sandwich.  cucumber + cream cheese + bread = sandwich, right? close.  i like to dress it up a little by mixing the cream cheese with some lemon juice and white balsamic vinegar, and sprinkling the cucumbers with freshly ground pepper, like so:

yup, i think that's about it.  super simple, super delicious, and just a small tradition i felt like sharing.  (tradition, tradition!  fiddler on the roof, anyone?)

now excuse me while i go pester my TA about homework assignments:)  i promise i'll post something super yummy later this week!

Spicy Guacamole

Earlier this week, I had a major craving for guac. As a college student, guacamole can be impractical to make.  Avacados are expensive, they ripen and spoil quickly, and they are impossible to judge until you take them apart.  Nevertheless, the stars aligned this week for me.  TJs had moderately priced avacados that looked somewhat promising, and I jumped on the chance. 

Minestrone Soup

 

It's been an icky few days in the Boston area.  The rain, wind, and humidity have been gloomy, and definitely unexpected for June weather.  After a long and exhausting trek to Target in the rain, all I wanted was some comfort food.  One of my favorites is minestrone soup!