Yanqiang's Spinach Bolognese Rice

We are strong believers in the idea that presentation can make or break your eating experience. Some restaurants serve below-Ratty-quality food, in both nutritional value and taste, and trick you into eating it because they precariously balance the over-salted saw-dust-esque chicken breast on greasy tasteless grits and oil-laden potatoes and garnish it with a prim sprig of parsley - meanwhile robbing your wallet of 30 precious Washingtons.

This delicious dish created by Yanqiang Tan balances the rich savory flavors of bolognese with delicately cooked fresh spinach and fragrant jasmine rice. All it costs is the swipe of an ID. (...well, sorta) Bon appetit!

Yanqiang's Spinach Bolognese Rice

1 large plate of raw baby spinach

1 pinch salt

1 dash pepper

1 drizzle olive oil

1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 cup bolognese sauce
1 sprinkle fresh chives

Make the spinach: Place spinach on a plate, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and cover with another plate. Microwave 1 minute or until just cooked through. Drizzle with olive oil. 

Put it all together: Neatly plate the rice, spinach, and bolognese sauce on a clean plate. Garnish bolognese sauce with fresh chopped chives. To enjoy, mix everything together. 

Sam's Chicken Finger Friday Chicken and Waffles

Happy Chicken Finger Friday, everyone! We received this recipe from Sam Heft-Luthy. Yes, it's V-dub not Ratty Gourmet, and you should give it a try! In Sam's own words, it's a "simple yet elegant twist on a Southern staple." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Sam's Chicken Finger Friday Chicken and Waffles

4-5 V-Dub chicken fingers

1 V-Dub waffle
1-2 Tbsp Tobasco sauce
liberal drizzle of pancake syrup

This is pretty self-explanatory, but put the chicken strips on the waffle, then drizzle the tobasco and syrup over them. Add a cup of coffee and a copy of the New York Times for a Sunday brunch experience on a Friday afternoon.

Kiwi's Breakfast Pumpkin Pie

With the leaves changing color and autumn in the air, we are delighted to welcome the new season with this breakfast pumpkin pie created by Kiwi Lee. Special thanks to Kiwi for her lovely photos - the blurry Times in the background is undoubtedly a subtle yet deliberate prod to vote in the upcoming election. While you mull over who to pick to lead our country, the vitamin A in your pumpkin and cranberries will sharpen your vision for choosing the better candidate...

Kiwi's Breakfast Pumpkin Pie 

2/3 coffee cup pumpkin (from the morning steel-cut oatmeal bar)
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, craisins, and/or granola - your pick!
1/3 coffee cup soymilk, milk, or French Vanilla creamer
brown sugar, sugar or splenda (optional, to taste)
1 pinch salt

In a coffee cup, preferably the new tall kind from the Ratty:
Fill up about 2/3 with the pumpkin available in the morning steel-cut oatmeal bar. Sprinkle a dash or two of cinnamon and nutmeg (Tip from Kiwi: I like a 2:1 ratio. Also, be careful not to add too much--cinnamon/nutmeg can get bitter and overwhelming.).

Add a spoonful of pumpkin seeds, craisins, and/or granola for a bit of texture and crunch. Fill cup the rest of the way with either Original or Vanilla soymilk. (Vanilla's much sweeter than the Original but it adds flavor, too! You could always use regular milk as well.) This makes the mash smoother and creamier, but make sure to leave a little room so you can mix at the end. Sweeten to taste with brown sugar (preferred), sugar, Splenda, etc. (I usually add two packets of Splenda with original soymilk and that turns out just right for me.)

PRO TIP: Add a dash of salt, but not too much! It really enhances all of the other flavors. Mix together. Enjoy chilled or pop it in the microwave to have it warm. For added crunch, garnish with a mix of brown sugar and granola.

Abigail's Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

Tired of pancakes with maple syrup? Get creative with the toppings! This lovely pancake was made by Abigail Braiman, and we think Elvis would've approved as well.

Abigail's Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup 

1 pancake (type/flavor of choice; whole-wheat chocolate chip pictured)

1 banana, sliced

1/2 cup peanut butter (It's easiest if you put it in a coffee mug)

 Slice up banana and arrange on top of pancake. Microwave the peanut butter on high (setting 6 on the dining hall microwaves) for 1 minute. Pour on top of pancake/banana. Enjoy!

Roast Beef with Corn Bread

The recreated plate from our very own le réfectoire de sharpe, inspired by...


...a fine bistro in downtown Providence.

To be fair, the original featured a lovely blueberry compote instead of grape jelly; it wasn't actually roast beef it was foie; and the "cornbread" was actually a buttery toasted brioche.

But all that aside, this humble re-make didn't end up tasting all that bad. With a little creativity and a lot of free time we hope you'll find that playing with food can be fun, and might occasionally yield edible results.

Roast Beef with Corn Bread

2 packets of grape jelly
1 slice of roast beef
1 slice of cornbread
1 peach
1 pat of butter
1 tablespoon of honey
salad greens, for garnish

Mix the grape jelly up in a small bowl. Using a fork and/or your fingers, make a smear of grape jelly on a plate. Arrange the roast beef on top. Cut the cornbread into a circular disk using an empty cup and place next to the roast beef. Crumble the rest of the cornbread and sprinkle crumbs on the plate.

To make the peaches, slice a peach into a small bowl. Add butter and honey, and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until peaches are soft and butter and sugar has dissolved. Arrange peach slices on top of cornbread.

Garnish with small salad greens.

Brant's Ziti with Bacon and Peas

We received this fantastic recipe from Brant Hoffman, who put it together using V-dub ingredients!

Looking for some home-style, hearty, pseudo-Italian food? Look no further than the the savory flavors of this delectable, colorful creation...

Brant's Ziti with Bacon and Peas
1 bowl full of Ziti
1/2 ladle of Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup of cooked peas
2 teaspoons bacon bits
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Pepper

Put the ziti (or any pasta of your choice really) in a bowl. Add the Alfredo sauce, peas, and bacon bits. Mix until toppings are evenly distributed. Transfer to a plate, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and add pepper to taste.

Olive Oil Ice Cream Sundae

There's a delicious ice cream shop in San Francisco called BiRite Creamery. It has quality ice cream AND soft serve, and their caramel sauce is incredible...teetering on the brink of amazing flavor complexity and bitter burnt-ness. They have something called "Sam's Sundae" which combines chocolate ice cream, fruity olive oil, sea salt, and whipped cream. We've never tried it, but the idea of olive oil on ice cream has been fascinating to us. This sundae, created by Yanqiang Tan, combines oilve oil with the signature Ratty vanilla soft serve and rice krispies. The flavors of the olive oil and ice cream complement each other fabulously. Don't trust us, try it for yourself.

Olive Oil Ice Cream Sundae

by Yanqiang Tan

1 3.5 second swirl of vanilla ice soft serve

1 split second drizzle of olive oil

1 sprinkle of rice krispies

1. Get ice cream.

2. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Sprinkle with rice krispies.

Charlesfield Wannabe Sandwich

The Ivy Room is such a classy place to eat lunch. Everyone has his or her favorite sandwich. For us, the clear winner is the Charlesfield. Don't let those Waterman lovers tell you otherwise. The combination of mushrooms, melted muenster cheese, tangy horseradish mayo, and a generous pile of Boar's Head roast beef make this sandwich perfectly saliva-inducing. We wouldn't change a thing about it...except maybe try to recreate it at the Ratty!

Charlesfield Wannabe Sandwich

created by Yanqiang Tan

2 slices pumpernickle bread

2 Tbsp mayo (can substitute horseradish sauce, or thousand island dressing)

2 slices meunster cheese

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced roast beef

1 lettuce leaf

3 tomato slices

1. Put beef, mushrooms, and cheese in a neat stack on a small plate, and nuke it in the microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese is just melted.

2. Spread mayo on both slices of bread.

3. Layer the bread with the beef, lettuce, and tomato.

4. Cut in half and devour.

Vegetarian Chili

Ah, Superbowl Sunday. Even for those of us non-vegetarians, a meatless meal can provide a much appreciated break from those saturated-fat-laden-protein-fests that celebratory sports-watching often dissolves into. Chock full of mushrooms, cheese, herb-y tomato sauce, and two types of beans, this hearty chili is healthy yet deliciously filling. Your arteries will thank you.

Vegetarian Chili

1/4 cup vegan Italian white beans

2 tablespoons garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup meatless tomato sauce

shredded cheese

cheese crisp and salad green leaf, for garnish

Mix the beans, bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomato sauce in a bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Top with shredded cheese. Garnish with a cheese crisp and salad leaf.

Cheese Crisp

2 tablespoons shredded cheese

Create a small mound of cheese on a plate. Melt in the microwave for 1.5 min, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, until crisp. Using a fork, peel the cheese crisp off of the plate for garnishing or snacking.

Cheesy Broccoli with Rhode Island Chicken Salad

What does that look like to you? A cyclops? Ah, great minds think alike. Yes, it is the Cyclops Salad. Odysseus would be proud.

Cheesy Broccoli with Rhode Island Chicken Salad

1 plate of raw broccoli from the salad bar

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup shredded cheese from burrito bar

1/4 cup Rhode Island Chicken Salad (the one with grapes and apples!)

1 cyclops pupil (tomato slice for Greek mythology non-fans)

1. Put broccoli and mushrooms on a plate, and cover with another plate. Steam on high power in the microwave for 80-90 seconds, until broccoli is just barely cooked through (you don't want mushy broccoli, do you?).

2. Top with shredded cheese, and microwave, uncovered, for 30 seconds to just melt the cheese.

3. Put a dollop of chicken salad on top, and garnish with a beautiful slice of tomato. Admire the cyclopsness of the dish before you, and take a moment to be thankful for both of your eyes.