Paul's Buffalo Chicken Salad

Friday lunch isn't Friday lunch if it's not at the V-dub. We're pretty sure by now that the location of the V-dub is no longer a secret and neither are its gorgeous deep fried strips of tender poultry goodness. What might not be so obvious, however, are the creative applications in which one can enjoy this beloved Friday lunchtime staple.

Voila, Paul's Buffalo Chicken Salad! Special thanks to Paul Martino for sharing his go-to recipe for jazzing up what might be Brown Dining's most heavily sought after menu item. It is an exquisite interplay of tangy/creamy crunchy/savory goodness, all on a top of a leafy bed of romaine and veggies for added vitamins; a meal that will surely satisfy your taste buds, your muscles, your brain, and your soul.

Paul's Buffalo Chicken Salad
romaine lettuce
3 chicken fingers (sliced, diced, or whole, I usually just chop them up as I eat the salad)
shredded carrots
chopped egg (from the salad bar)
2 ladles of buffalo sauce
2 tablespoons of bleu cheese cressing
cucumber slices

Place the chicken fingers, egg, and carrots over a bed of the romaine lettuce. Add the cucumber slices, pour on the dressing and drizzle with buffalo sauce. Try it, it's great! 

Green, Purple, and Orange Salad

Ah, the start of another year.
Gotta take advantage of those stone fruits while they're in season.

Green, Purple, and Orange Salad

mixed greens
sliced green bell pepper
sliced cucumber
feta cheese
plums
apple cider vinegar
olive oil

Mix up the veggies, fruit, and cheese and drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

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).

Purple Green and Orange Pork Spareribs

Thanks to daylight savings, the Ratty was flooded with sunlight at dinnertime last Sunday and I couldn't resist pulling out my camera. In honor of the colorful-eating theme of National Nutrition Month, this "recipe" is really not a recipe at all but a modest tribute to the beautiful colors that veggies can add to one's plate.

Purple Green and Orange Pork Spareribs

Arrange steamed peas and mushrooms, cucumber, braised purple cabbage, baked sweet potatoes, and tangy pork spareribs on a plate and enjoy.

Spinach Edamame Falafel Pocket

A green spin on the falafel pocket.

Spinach Edamame Falafel Pocket

1/2 pita pocket

2-3 slices tomato

2-3 onion rings

plateful of baby spinach

scant spoonful of edamame

2-3 falafels

2 Tbsp cucumber yogurt sauce

1 Tbsp tahini

1. Microwave spinach for 1-2 minutes or until slightly wilted.

2. Cut falafel into small pieces and mix with cooked spinach, yogurt sauce, edamame, and tahini.

3. Stuff a pita pocket with spinach mixture, tomato, and onions and enjoy!

Egg Salad and Cucumber Tea Sandwich

There's something about little crustless triangular sandwiches that just make you want to make a cup of tea and stick out your pinky while you sip it.

Egg Salad and Cucumber Tea Sandwich

2 slices whole wheat bread

egg salad

cucumers

cream cheese (optional)

1. Cut crusts off of bread.

2. Spread egg salad and cream cheese on bread and top with cucumbers.

3. Make a sandwich and cut into four triangles. Be fancy.

Lydia's Gourmet Hummus Dip

Thanks to Lydia Joukowsky for sending us this delicious recipe! I couldn't get pretzels or pita but if you're a fan of cucumbers then you'll love the combo of crunchy fresh veggie-ness with nutty creamy hummus-ness in this awesome appetizer. Super easy to put together, and that tablespoon of olive oil really does wonders to kick it up a notch.

Lydia's Gourmet Hummus Dip

1 cup(ish) of hummus

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1. Put hummus on to plate and flatten into a 1 inch puck using back of fork.

2. Stick the fork into the center of the puck and spin to cut a hole in the puck.

3. Pour olive oil into the hole; overflow of oil is good. For dippers: pretzels, carrots, pita, or any kind of bread is delicious!! Enjoy!

Russian Dressing Salad

The color of this dressing is reminiscent of that pink color used in Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat storybooks.

Russian Dressing Salad

Dressing:

2 Tbsp sour cream

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp raspberry vinaigrette

sprinkling of black pepper

Salad:

lettuce

cucumbers

onions

kidney beans

tomatoes

Mix the dressing together in a small cup and drizzle over salad.

Basil Hummus with Cucumbers

Hummus and cucumbers go together like...toothbrush and toothpaste. Maybe that's not the best analogy. But it brings us to a more important point! Try this recipe, and we are confident you'll come up with something better.

Basil Hummus with Cucumbers

1 bowl of hummus

2 Tbsp basil infused olive oil (love this stuff!)

1 Tbsp chopped cucumbers

1 Tbsp white beans

2 tsp chopped red onion

sliced cucumbers

salad greens for garnish

dash of black pepper

1. Top the hummus with the oil. Take a moment to admire how it seeps artistically into the organic grooves of the lovely hummus.

2. Garnish with chopped cucumbers, white beans, red onion, and salad greens. Add some black pepper.

3. Spread on cucumber slices or crackers and enjoy!