The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 24

March 2, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 7 Arts & Entertainment Try the viral Tik Tok baked feta pasta in three ways Different things go viral on Tik Tok every week, but lately, we’ve been seeing a lot of different viral recipes come across our ForYou pages. In particular, one recipe for baked feta pasta has been becoming more and more widespread. Some grocery stores in Finland actually ran out of feta cheese because people were so crazy about this recipe. We at The Current decided that, instead of just following the recipe and reviewing it, we’d try making the recipe three different ways: the original, the easy and college-friendly and the dairy and gluten-free methods. Here’s how it went and how to make all three recipes For the classic version of the recipe, check out the full article on The Current’s website. Quick and simple recipe If your schedule is full of long days and a boatload of study time, finding meals that are filling and can be thrown together in a short time frame are a must. Maybe, you have considered trying this viral recipe, but don’t think you have the time or the necessary high-quality ingredients at home. Well, don’t fear; here is the 15 minute shortcut to this trend, and all you need is a stove -- or if you are so daring, a microwave -- and some simple ingredients. Now as a forewarning, this recipe doesn’t include precise measurements, but it does have some reference measurements to allow for creativity and less added pressure of precise measurements. Have fun in the kitchen and find your inner chef. Ingredients: 1 can of diced tomatoes 1 container of crumbled feta cheese Salt and pepper (to taste) Pasta of choice (stringy noodles not recommended) Cooking oil Pre-minced garlic Chopped basil seasoning Astovetop pan (deep wide pan recommended) Apot (for traditional pasta preparation) Instructions: 1. Place a pan on the stove and heat the pan on medium- high heat. In a separate pot, prepare the pasta water. If you have a ready to eat pasta variety, ignore this step and heat up as directed on the packaging. 2. Once heated, open the can of diced tomatoes and drain the juices almost completely, leaving a small amount for moisture. Pour contents in the pan and spread the tomatoes around. 3. After waiting a minute to allow the tomatoes to get acquainted, add salt and pepper as well as a small dollop of the garlic and about a capful or two of cooking oil. Stir and let sit for an additional five minutes. 4. At this point, check on the traditional pasta and add your crumbled feta, which should be about a cup or half of the packaging, to the pan. This is to your preference or dietary restrictions. 5. Stir the contents and set your stove a few notches above medium-high heat to allow the pan to cook off the excess water and allow the feta to get a creamy consistency for five minutes. Feel pretty without the pain: Clip-on earrings I have a huge fear of needles. While my mother relentlessly tried to persuade me to get my ears pierced at the mall when I was a kid, the idea of sticking a needle through my skin on purpose was just not that appealing to me. I didn’t end up getting a piercing until I turned 18, at which point, I got my nose pierced and promptly passed out minutes later. As I got older, though, I began seeing ads for different earrings that were absolutely beautiful. I love to express myself in many different ways, and earrings were just another way to do that. Despite wanting to get earrings, I still had no desire to get my ears pierced. Then, I discovered that there was another way: clip-on earrings. It had never even occurred to me that they existed. I began getting ads for different small businesses that offered some of their classic earring styles in clip-on options. Even after I had bought several pairs of clip-on earrings, my desire for cool earrings could not be satiated with just the options available in premade clip-on format. With a quick Google search, I discovered that I could transform almost any earrings into a clip-on earring myself. Whether you want to create your own or buy pairs already made, we’ve got you covered with both recommendations and how-to’s. How to buy While it may be hard to come across clip-on earrings in stores, it’s easier than you may think to find them online. An increasing number of small businesses that create custom earrings are adding the option to make their earrings clip ons. If you don’t know where to start looking, you can do a quick Google search for “clip-on earrings.” However, I like my earrings to be a little more funky and I enjoy supporting small businesses, so I’ve found a lot of businesses on Instagram. I’ve bought really cute and affordable clip-on earrings from small businesses such as Shop Kikay (@shop.kikay), Ekko Deco (@ekkodeco) and Laila’s Boutique (@lailasboutiqueofficial), and there are many more out there yet to be discovered. However, if you don’t have an Instagram, there’s no need to worry. There are lots of small businesses and independent creators that sell their earrings on Etsy. If you’re not sure if a certain pair of earrings are available as clip-ons, I’ve had luck messaging the seller and asking if they’d be able to add clip- on backings to the earrings or if they offer them as clip-ons. How to build If you have a pair of earrings that were OFFSHORE CALENDAR Income Tax Seminar March 2 | 1 p.m. RSVP Images of Feminist Resistance: Artist Helen Cammock March 3 | 12 p.m. RSVP Puff Pastry 101 March 4 | 7 p.m. RSVP Comedy Crossing: The Animal Crossing Stand Up Comedy Show March 5 | 10 p.m. RSVP Gentle Yoga for Terrible Times March 6 | 9 p.m. RSVP International Women’s Day at Home 2021 March 7 | 4 p.m. RSVP Health and Happiness Workshop March 8 | 12 p.m. RSVP gifted from a relative who didn’t know that you don’t have your ears pierced or you’ve spotted a pair of earrings in store or online that aren’t offered as clip-ons, you can always buy the clip-on backings and modify them yourself. It’s pretty easy to do; all you need is your earrings, the clip-on backings, which can be ordered off of Amazon or found in most hardware and craft stores and a pair of pliers. There are different types of clip-on backings that you may need depending on the style of earring you have, so be sure to check out the different types of backings and which styles they’re used for. Once you’ve got materials, simply take the earrings and bend the post if needed, stick the post into the clip-on backing and secure the post in the backing with the ear nut. After the post is secured, you’re all set to wear your new clip-on earrings. By: Sofia Gallus Arts & Entertainment Editor 6. Check the pasta with a quick stir or taste test to determine how much longer it needs. When it needs an extra minute or so, add basil to the pan and lower the pan to medium- low heat. 7. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix the contents together to the desired consistency. At this point, adjustments can be made to taste such as pepper flakes, extra cheese toppings or whatever you would like. 8. Enjoy. Plant-based and protein-packed Just because you have dietary restrictions doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this dish. This twist on a trend is vegan, dairy and gluten-free and packed with plenty of protein. The best part? You can easily swap out pieces of this recipe with the ones above or create something new. Vegan, but not gluten free? Follow the instructions for the sauce below, but use regular pasta. Don’t mind dairy, but have an intolerance to gluten? Use the regular feta and substitute gluten-free pasta. Some easy swaps bring this recipe to a different level. Ingredients: 1 pint of cherry tomatoes ¼ red onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced Olive oil Lemon pepper, salt and an italian seasoning blend Chili flakes (optional) ½ block of soft tofu 2 teaspoons white vinegar Chickpea pasta (I used Banza) By: The Current Instructions: 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 2. Place your tomatoes, red onion and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with the lemon pepper, salt, italian seasoning and chili flakes, if you prefer a bit of spice. 3. Cut your halved block of tofu in half again (you should have 2-quarters of the whole block). 4. Place one of the halves of tofu in the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and salt. 5. Place the baking dish in the oven for 30 minutes. 6. After 15 minutes, begin boiling your pasta. Read the instructions for what the brand recommends, but cook the pasta to your liking and drain well. 7. Combine the second half of the tofu with the white vinegar and more of the seasonings in a blender or mash it very finely with a fork. Note: the tofu won’t melt like feta normally would, so blending the second half adds to the creamy texture of the sauce and the vinegar adds some sharpness that you don’t get with tofu alone. 8. Once the pasta is cooked, pull out the tomatoes and tofu block. Most of the tomatoes should have burst, but break open the remaining ones and mash them with the tofu. Pour the additional tofu into the pan and stir in the pasta. Serve with extra chili flakes. PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY UNSPLASHED.COM Clip-on earrings