Procrastination Pro: Eggplant Parmesan

Well, it's exam time.  While I love being in Madrid and having the freedom to study by distance, finding a place to do external exams has been quite the unpleasant task.  Thankfully, everything has been sorted, I've already finished 2 exams out of 5, and with 3 remaining the only thing left to do is study.  

Anyway, as you can see, my studying has taken a tangent and somehow I've ended up breading aubergines.

Eggplant Parmesan 

(Great for dinner or for guilt-laden study breaks. )

1 eggplant, sliced in half then vertically. 

1 cup bread crumbs 

2 tbsp olive oil 

 Batter: 

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup flour 

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano 

salt + pepper to taste

To top eggplant: 

mozzarella cheese 

homemade pasta sauce   

After cutting eggplant, top with 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt and allow the eggplant to "sweat" for 30 minutes.  

(I do get how gross that sounds.) 

Next, mix together the milk, vinegar, flour, and spices.  

When your eggplant has sat for 30 minutes, rinse off in water and soak slices in batter. 

 Bread eggplant with bread crumbs and heat pan with olive oil (medium heat). 

Transfer breaded eggplant to pan and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side.  

Finally, top crispy eggplant with sauce and mozzarella cheese and serve on top of pasta or a nice salad.

I will..

(Img. source, Badlands)

I should do a lot of things. Like get a hobby. Buy new headphones (again!). Drink less coffee and more water. Paint more. Take my drivers license. Send e-mails to certain people. Not worry too much. Talk more Spanish. Floss more. Look at University stuff. Clean my room and iron my clothes. Open up more. Learn how to play an instrument (more than one song). Travel more. Work out? Buy a new computer battery and also a new camera. Write more personal in my diary. Cut my hair. Post a letter.

Yes, there are a lot of things I should do. I will, someday. Not all at once, but sometimes it feels like I am dreaming away and just focusing on a few things. Knowing all of this though shows that I am aware after all. Time will come for all of that.

Just not today.

Stuffed Peppers!

Simple and delicious.  Stuffed peppers are great for cold comfort food days.  This recipe features some green peppers of an unknown name, but it also works well with bell peppers. 

Ingredients: 

Peppers, with the top cut off and cleaned inside

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion

1/2 lb ground beef

1 1/2 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup of chopped asparagus

Salt and pepper to taste

Season with curry powder or Italian herb spices.

Cut and clean peppers.  Bring large pot of water to boil.  Add peppers and several pinches of salt and boil for 3 minutes or so, until bright and slightly softened.  Preheat oven to 350F. In small pan, fry onion and olive oil until golden and translucent. Mix onion/oil mix with hamburger, rice and chopped asparagus. Season with salt, pepper and seasons of your choice. Stuff peppers with beef mixture and bake in oven for 30-50 minutes.

B&W

Banana Coconut Chickpea Curry

Banana and coconut on curry.

It probably sound a bit strange, but give it a chance. South Africa thinks it's great, you might too. 

Ingredients: 

1 large onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 tbsp butter

1 1/4 tbsp curry

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne powder

~1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp flour

1 can of chickpeas

salt and pepper

banana and/or coconut

Cook onion and red pepper in a pan on medium heat until golden.  In a different pan, mix butter with curry, cumin and cayenne powder.  Slowly add milk and flour mixing together well to avoid lumps, you can add more milk if you want extra sauce.  Next, add chickpeas and simmer on low heat until chickpeas are cooked.  Season with salt and pepper, and top with banana and coconut to serve. 

Enjoy!