These past two weeks have been the dreaded finals period. It begins with spending a disgusting amount of time in the library and as time creeps by, the anxiety creeps up. Friends, enemies, everyone (or at least almost everyone on our campus) disappear to different dark nooks and cranies to cram in the knowledge they should have spent the past semester learning. So that explains the nausious feeling that finals incur. 
However, finals not only mark the end of school work, but also the end of the year. Summer, which students tend to use as the existential season of dreaming--"this summer, let's do blah blah blah"--pounces on you like a baby simba on zazou. (Someone, please appreciate that reference...) As you are happily celebrating with your friends, you realize "oh sh!t. I have about a million and a half things I need do before I pack up and go home... oh sh!t. I have about a million and a half things I want to do with my friends before they go home..."
So as one last "final" before the summer officially begins (for the collegiate folk at least) and the diaspora-des-amis commences, we made dinner. A scrumpious dinner, as usual. And as usual, Adriana and Livy were my wonderful suchefs. For $19.24, we made a Tsatziki-Inspired Dip, Toasted Garlic Whole Wheat Pita, Tomato-Basil Coucous, Roasted Tomatoes, Light Coriander Cumin Chicken, and as dessert--a Strawberry and Blackberry Tart. It was a very light, but nonetheless filling, meal.
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt (I personally took it from Hewitt)2/3 cup cucumbers (cut up into cubes)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp cumin
-Chop up the cucumbers and cilantro. Then mix together the yogurt, cucumbers, cilantro, and cumin.
-Serve!
Toasted Garlic Whole Wheat Pita
1 Package Whole Wheat Pita
2 Cloves Garlic
Olive Oil
-Preheat oven to broil.
-Cut the pita into pieces (according to your preference) and arrange on a baking sheet.
-Mince garlic and spread over the pita. Drizzle some olive oil over the pita.
-Put in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until it's golden-brown.
-Take out. Serve! (VERY delicious with the dip)
Tomato-Basil Coucous
1 box tomato-basil couscous
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups water (or according to the directions)
Chicken bourbillon (This makes the couscous more flavorful!)
-This recipe is based on the directions on the box. So be sure to follow those directions before you do mine. Not all boxed couscous is the same!
-Boil water in a pot on a high setting. Add chicken bourbillon (to make the chicken stock).
-It will dissolve into the water and make chicken stock. This adds a more authentic (authentically Mediterranean) and full-bodied taste.
-Pour in couscous and olive oil.
-Remove from heat and stir every now and then. Add in butter and fluff with a fork. (The butter makes the couscous fluffier)
-Allow to stand 5 minutes and serve!
Roasted Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes (as few or many as you want)
Cilantro (just enough to sprinkle)
Olive Oil (for drizzling)
Salt and Pepper
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
-Cut tomatoes lengthwise.
-Arrange in either a roasting pan or a pyrex. Drizzle a little olive oil over the tomatoes along with some cilantro, salt, and pepper.
-Put in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft to the touch. The tomato skin should be slightly browned in some areas or shriveling.-Serve and enjoy! (Personally, I recommend putting it over the couscous)
Light Coriander Cumin Chicken
Thin Chicken Breast
Coriander
Cumin
Cilantro
Olive Oil
-Sprinkle chicken with olive oil, a little bit of coriander, a little cumin, and a little cilantro, as well.
-The chicken should not be completely coated in spices.
-Put a little oil in a pan on the stovetop. Use medium-high heat.
-Put chicken on pan and cook about 5 minutes each side.
-Serve and Enjoy!
Strawberry and Blackberry Tart, Pie
Crust
-I would recommend a pre-made crust for those who are short in time and low on cash. It's much simpler and pie crusts come in unimaginable variety. (Seriously, though... the crust can make or break the pie)
-OPTIONAL: shredded coconut
Filling
-1 small package blackberries
-about 1 cup strawberries (cut into quarters)
-2.5 tbsp honey
-1 tbsp milk
-1/8 cup sliced mint leaves
-If you don't follow my suggestions and have gone to bon appetit, food network, or epicurious and found yourself a recipe for pie crust, then you should know that it's important to find out whether or not you need to bake the crust (in the pan, by itself) in the oven before putting in the filling.
-OTHERWISE, preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
-In the meanwhile, flour the pie pan and then place the pie crust in said pan. Try to make sure it's layed down evenly. You might have to use a fork to poke holes in the crust. (This is done to make sure that air can penetrate the crust and cook evenly...I think. But it's incredibly important!)
-I decided to spread a small layer of shredded coconut on the crust because I thought the flavor would pop with those of the strawberries and blackberries. (It's good)
-The crust goes into the oven for 15 minutes.
-While the crust is in the oven, mix the strawberries, blackberries, honey, milk, and mint in a bowl.
-Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the filling into the pie crust. Try not to let too much milk go into the crust (although I like to put just a little for moisture).
-Put it back into the oven for 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
-Allow to cool. Serve and Enjoy!
A little something about this pie: It's not your average loaded-with-sugar pie. It's a little more bitter with just a little bit of sweetness to balance out the flavor. This was quite the experiment of a pie, and not my most favorable one, at that. Nor was it my least... and it still tasted great! My friends and I considered the meal quite the success and the perfect study break. We ended our meal on a sad note: the food was gone and our books were continually waiting for us...
Similar to a quote I once read about Wellesley (in reference to the Wellesley dating scene, one girl said "it gets lonely... but hey, that's what friends are for!"), studying may be quite the Debbie Downer at times. But hey, that's what friends--and food--are for! They help get you through it.
Now that I'm officially out of class and am moving into a place with a fridge, expect many more summer posts. So for now, Live Well. Eat Well.
p.s. Do you know what a mnemonic is?
p.p.s. Need a hint? Look at the title.
