Inspiration from BU Dining

I love Boston University. For many, many reasons. And one of the most important reasons is their food! Seriously, everyone always jokes about how gross college food is, but this is not the case at BU. There are so many different options that you never get sick of something. And they definitely cater to any kind of diet you may have, which made my week of veganism a sitch.

Anywho, they always have a few interesting recipes that I like that I think can easily be replicated. Here are a couple of my favorites from the past few weeks.

This is a Mango Quinoa Salad. Very simple. Arugula, quinoa, sliced almonds, mangos, and dried cranberries. Simple! They served it with a Lemon Yogurt dressing, but I think any citrusy dressing would go really well with it (if you even need dressing). It's the perfect flavor combinations. I've become obsessed with dried cranberries lately, they are the perfect little burst of sweetness. A great salad add-on! If you don't have mangos, I'm sure oranges would also taste really good. You could add some mandarin oranges and chicken instead for more of an Oriental twist. Have fun with it!

Another one of my favorite things to eat at BU lately is the Caprese pizza. Now, this isn't really anything new because I make it all the time at home with pitas as the crust. But still...it's definitely worth a mention.

Again...very simple. At BU they start with already baked flatbread, at home I usually make this with a whole wheat pita that I toast up in the oven a little bit first. Then you just add slices of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and a sprinkling of fresh basil. (I can't wait for my mom's herb garden to start growing!) And then you heat it up in the oven a little bit (if you want) and then drizzle some balsamic reduction over top. Delicious!

And lastly, here's a dish I had for lunch the other day and actually went up to get a second bowl, it was so good.

I'm not sure exactly what BU called it, but I'll call it a Fall Vegetable Barley "Risotto." Yes, I know it's spring, but the butternut squash and dried cranberries all scream fall to me.

I think this would also be simple to throw together.

First, just sauté up a few shallots (or onions) with some garlic in a little bit of oil (or butter).

Then add in your barley and toast if for a minute before deglazing the pan with a little white wine or sherry, and then add some stock of choice (look at barley cooking instructions to know how much to add.

Let the barley cook up and absorb all the liquid. Meanwhile, chop up your butternut squash into small junks and add to boiling water until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Once barley is done cooking, add in cooked squash and dried cranberries. And even some almonds for good measure if you'd like. Heck, you could even throw in some cheese! I won't stop you.

Yum!

I almost just wished you all a Happy Monday, but now I remember it's Tuesday. Yay for Monday holidays! Have a great week!