Cajun Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Mmmm the creamy goodness of Cajun Chicken Pasta. We love how the fusilli catches all the luscious spicy sauce in its gorgeous corkscrew curls. We thought, what else has little nooks and crannies for sopping up sauce? It's green and starts with a b and ends with a roccoli. To extend the sauce a little further, you can spice up your pasta with  fresh chopped tomatoes from the salad bar and a dash of black pepper. 

Cajun Chicken Broccoli Pasta

1 dish of Cajun Chicken Pasta

fresh chopped tomatoes

broccoli

basil infused olive oil

paprika

garlic powder

salt

pepper

Steam the broccoli by placing them in a single layer on a dish and drizzling on some basil infused olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and a sprinkling of salt. Cover with an inverted plate and microwave 100-120 seconds, until broccoli is just cooked through. Top the pasta with tomatoes and microwave 30 seconds to warm everything through. Toss the broccoli over the pasta and sprinkle everything with salt and pepper to taste. 

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!

Spinach with Pink Vodka Ravioli

The Ratty's pink vodka sauce is delicious. Even if you don't like spinach or mushrooms or beans, or any veggies at all - try mixing them with some pink vodka sauce from the Ratty. Now that's a combination that Sam I Am should've offered with his Green Eggs and Ham...

Spinach with Pink Vodka Ravioli

baby spinach

ravioli with pink vodka sauce

mushrooms, sliced

beans

1. Microwave spinach and mushrooms for 1.5 minutes.

2. Top with a few ravioli with pink vodka sauce and beans, and enjoy!

Lily's Glorious Cream of Wheat with Golden Raisins

Things you should never pass up for tests and papers: sleep, breakfast, and golden raisins from the Ratty.

A hearty thanks to our friend Lily for providing us with the inspiration for this recipe! Simple yet wholesome, healthy yet flavorful, this elegant take on cream of wheat is sure to satisfy a hungry appetite during finals week.

Lily's Glorious Cream of Wheat with Golden Raisins

cream of wheat

skim or whole milk

golden raisins

Mix together and enjoy!

Fruity Easter Salad

A fresh fruity salad hits the spot for brunch on a sunny Easter Sunday.

Fruity Easter Salad

baby spinach

romaine lettuce

green beans with sesame

cantaloupe, pineapple, honey dew melon chunks

cucumbers, sliced

golden raisins

feta cheese

balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Toss everything together and enjoy!

"Andreas-style" Spinach Mushroom Pita Sandwich

As I was savoring a particularly juicy, cheese-smothered mushroom in my Greek veggie sandwich the other day at Andreas, it suddenly occurred to me: I had, at the Ratty, pretty much all the ingredients conveniently at my disposal to recreate that very same sandwich.

Mushrooms, spinach, tomato, onion, swiss and American cheese are ordinary on their own but absolutely wonderful in a warm pita nuked in the microwave for a minute or so. Served with a romaine lettuce salad, you could seriously imagine that you are dining at a particular Greek restaurant on Thayer street.

"Andreas-style" Spinach Mushroom Pita Sandwich

1 pita

plateful of spinach

1 slice of American cheese

2 slices of swiss cheese

sliced mushrooms

2-3 slices of tomato

2-3 onion rings

golden raisins (optional but very yummy)

1 large piece of wax paper

1. Microwave spinach and mushrooms on a plate for 2 minutes, or until spinach is cooked.

2. Place tomatoes and onions in a pita. Layer spinach-mushroom mixture on top and sprinkle with golden raisins, if using.

3. Place cheese on top and roll the pita up on both sides. Wrap a wax paper "diaper" on one end.

4. Nuke in the microwave for about 1 minute to melt the cheese.

5. Serve warm with a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumbers (olives and feta too if available).

Sunny Side Up Grilled Cheese

What's better than an egg over easy? An egg over easy with cheese! What's better than that? An egg over easy with cheese stuffed into a toasty piece of grilled Seven Stars bread. Mmmmm.

Sunny Side Up Grilled Cheese

1 slice whole wheat Seven Stars bread

1 egg, over light, with cheese

1. Order one egg, over light, with cheese from the omelette bar. Remember to smile and say thank you.

2. Panini press a slice of Seven Stars whole wheat bread in the panini maker until golden (2-3 minutes).

3. Create a pocket in the bread by slicing horizontally into the bread with a knife. When the omelette is ready, carefully stuff it into the pocket and enjoy!

Spiced Cocoa Bread Pudding

I am a big fan of the Ratty's new coffee station. This bread pudding is excellent for finals week. Why? It contains cinnamon, coffee, cocoa, and coconut. Cinnamon is supposed to boost your memory so you can fit more names and dates into your brain before 2 pm. Coffee will help you keep your eyes open while you study. Cocoa will make you feel as if you are falling in love-a good mood-uplifter after the exam. Coconut will remind you of tropical places and the holidays - yes, my friends, the end is in sight!

Spiced Cocoa Bread Pudding (a.k.a. Finals Week Bread Pudding)

1 slice soft bread roll with glazed top, cubed

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp coffee

cinnamon

cocoa powder

raisins

coconut flakes

Put bread in a bowl and fill to the brim with milk and a little bit of coffee. Add a dash of cinnamon and cocoa powder. Microwave on high for 1/5 minutes. Sprinkle on some coconut flakes and raisins. Dust with more cinnamon and cocoa powder, if desired, and enjoy!

Herb Baked Chicken Garden Salad

Sunday brunch getting repetitive, you say? Mix things up with a mixed greens salad!

Herb Baked Chicken Garden Salad

1 piece of Herb Baked Chicken*

mixed greens

baby tomatoes

cucumbers

olive oil and lemon wedge, if desired

salt/pepper

Use a fork and knife to shred the chicken. Toss with other ingredients. A little squirt of lemon adds some nice contrast to the fat from the chicken, as do a shaking of salt/pepper.

*the drumstick pieces are the best. (but don't tell anyone I told you that)

Berry Patch Coffee Cake

A fun way to dress up your coffee cake and pretend it's spring in the middle of this lovely fall weather.

Berry Patch Coffee Cake
1 slice of coffee cake
plain yogurt
shredded coconut
cranberries
blueberry jam
raspberry jam

1. Garnish the coffee cake with yogurt, coconut, blueberry jam, and cranberries.
2. Dot the plate with raspberry jam.

"Oyako" Chicken & Egg Sandwich

"Oyako" means parent and child in Japanese - if you've seen "oyako donburi" in Japanese restaurants, you'll know what I'm talking about (a rice dish topped with chicken and egg - bonus points if you can figure out which is the "parent" and which is the "child")

"Oya-ko" Chicken & Egg Sandwich

1 slice of whole grain 7 Stars bread

1 leg piece of spicy herb-baked chicken

mixed salad greens

1 egg over light

cranberries for garnish

Take the meat off of the chicken leg and arrange on bread. Top with salad greens, fried egg, and cranberries. Enjoy!

Sunny Arugula

I love Sunday brunches, especially when it's 65 degrees and sunny outside and the Ratty surprises you with arugula at the salad bar.

Sunny Arugula

1 egg, over light, with cheese

arugula

olive oil

Arrange arugula in center of plate; drizzle with olive oil. Place the egg on top, pierce the yolk, and get a bite of egg, cheese, and greens on a fork. Repeat.

Yogurt Pancake Stack

Perfect for Sunday Brunch! Don't be fooled by its demure beauty - this pancake tower is a dangerous sticky edible monster poised for attack. The minute you sink your fork into it, expect the pancakes to slide off of the yogurt and the honey will inevitably get on your fingers and you will be covered in a delicious mess. For serious eaters only.

Yogurt Pancake Stack

3 pancakes

strawberry yogurt

raspberry jam

sliced bananas

honey

1. Spray pancakes with cooking spray and grill both sides on the panini until toasted and crisp on the outside yet still soft and warm on the inside.

2. Put one pancake on the plate.

3. Top with yogurt and half of the sliced bananas.

4. Place another pancake on top.

5. Top with yogurt and jam.

6. Place the final pancake on top.

7. Garnish with sliced bananas and honey.

Brunch Veggies

It's sorta like a deconstructed omelet or frittata. Mushrooms, onions, and feta cheese give a good flavor boost to the other veggies.

Brunch Veggies

spinach leaves

broccoli

red onion slices

mushrooms

extra virgin olive oil

edamame

scrambled eggs

tomato wedges

feta cheese

salt and pepper

1. Combine spinach, broccoli, onion, mushrooms, and oil on a plate. Toss and cover with another plate. Microwave for 1 minute on high.

2. Mix in the edamame, eggs, and feta cheese.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garnish with tomato wedges.

Bread Pudding, by Jane Brendlinger

Thank you, Jane, for your cinnamon-honey infused "just like momma's" bread pudding. As Jane said in her e-mail to Ratty Gourmet, "I think I just had one of the best Ratty-made desserts ever. It was so good that I had to share the experience with someone, anyone, immediately." And we're sure glad she did.*

Note from Jane about bread: "experiment with this: white, cinnamon raisin, pumpkin. I used the sweet fluffy white kind from seven stars." In our recipe, we used a cinnamon swirl bread, available on select days at the soup station.

Bread Pudding, by Jane Brendlinger

1 slice of bread

milk/soy milk (soy milk adds a hint of vanilla)

honey

cinnamon

1. Break bread into pieces in a bowl.

2. Douse with milk.

3. Drizzle with honey.

4. Top with cinnamon. A lot of cinnamon.

5. Microwave, about a minute.

6. Mmm, just like momma's.

*our stomachs say thank you, too.

Egg, Cheese, and Bacon on French Toast

This makes for a delicious weekend brunch. You can also have it for breakfast, although you'd miss out on the salad and sliced cheddar. Try instead the Cranberry Passionfruit Mocktail (minus the ice cream) as a refreshing accompaniment.

Egg, Cheese, and Bacon on French Toast

1 slice french toast

2 eggs over easy, with cheese

1 slice cheddar cheese

2-3 strips of bacon

1. Slice french toast in half along edge to make two thin slices. Order 2 eggs over easy, with cheese, from the omelette station. Cut the fried eggs in half so that each half has a yolk, and set aside.

2. Place slice of cheddar, a few strips of bacon (break in half if needed), and one of the egg halves on one of the "half slices" of french toast, and top with the other.

3. Press in a panini press until nice golden grill marks appear and cheese is melted.

4. Top with other half of egg. Enjoy with the Refreshing Spinach Cucumber Salad.

Refreshing Spinach Cucumber Salad

baby spinach

cucumber slices

feta cheese

edamame (green soybeans)

splash of balsamic

Combine salad ingredients and splash some balsamic over the top. Fruity, light, and refreshing, this salad is yummy when eaten with something hot off the panini press.