Vishesh's 5-Minute Matzo Crumble

We're in the middle of Passover, and there are matzo crackers in the Ratty every day. With such crunchy texture and unassuming flavor, they just beg to be crushed and re-purposed. I tried to keep this crumble as kosher as possible by avoiding corn syrup and oats, but there is enormous potential for variation on this base.

Since the key ingredients are all pretty mellow, you can easily infuse whatever flavor you like with fruit pieces, zests, or juices! A good squeeze of lemon juice permeates the taste and aroma, but I've tried similarly delicious versions this week with half a teaspoon of orange juice, apple juice, or peanut butter instead. Oats or granola can be substituted for some of the matzo for added crunch, and if ice cream is used instead of yogurt, the cold will help it harden so the minute waiting can be skipped! :)

5-Minute Matzo Crumble 
2 packets of sugar
2 pats of butter
1 lemon slice
1 tsp of honey
1 large matzo cracker (e.g. Manischewitz)
plain yogurt (soft serve)

Add the sugar, butter, honey, and a full squeeze of lemon juice to a bowl, and melt the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. Crush the matzo into small pieces, and add it to the bowl. Stir well, so that the matzo is all lightly coated. Press the matzo to crush it further and form a thinner layer. Microwave for 15 seconds, stir and press again, and microwave for another 15 seconds. Allow a minute to let it set, top with yogurt, and enjoy!

Vishesh's Peanut Sauce

Chinese peanut sauce typically uses ginger and sesame oil to kick it up, while Thai satay depends on coconut milk and Thai curry paste. This sauce is not traditional and does not use any of those ingredients, though it would certainly be improved if and when the Ratty has them. Nevertheless, sweet and spicy peanut flavor is always tasty over rice and noodles or as a dip for vegetables and rolls.

Vishesh's Peanut Sauce

4 tbsp creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

sugar, salt, and cayenne

water

Combine all the measured ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Mix in sugar, salt, and cayenne to taste, and add water to reach the desired consistency, stirring until smooth.

Vishesh's Berry Tostadas

Tostada means "toasted" in Spanish. Usually, the "toasted" is referring to the golden fried tortilla upon which toppings, usually of the savory variety, are piled. Owing to the delightful cornucopia of seasonal ingredients at the Ratty and the boundless creativity of Brown students, tostadas at the Ratty need not be restricted by their usual meat and salt-laden accompaniments.

Special thanks to Vishesh Jain for emailing us with this elegant recipe for berry tostadas! According to Vishesh, these crunchy chips can be topped with "all kinds of yogurts and berries" - truly a recipe that is only limited by one's imagination (and the whims of the Ratty).

Vishesh's Berry Tostadas
strawberries, sliced
raspberries
blueberries
tostada chips
whipped cream
honey
mint leaves, shredded

Spread tostada chips in a circular monolayer on plate. Put dollops of whipped cream on top, then top with berries. Garnish with mint and a drizzle of honey.

Savory Spinach Tofu Wrap

Savory Spinach is delicious by itself, but downright scrumptious in a wrap. I mean, who can resist the green spinach-y cross section of a wrap filled with Savory Spinach? Your post-Thanksgiving protein/fat/sugar-laden digestive system will thank you.

Savory Spinach Tofu Wrap

1 herb (?) tortilla (the one with the greenish flecks in it)

vegan grilled Asian veggies

peanut butter

soy sauce

honey

tofu (6-8 cubes)

savory spinach

1. Mix 2 Tbsp peanut butter with a tsp of soy sauce. Spread on flour tortilla. Drizzle with honey.

2. Put veggies, tofu, and spinach on tortilla. Wrap it up, cut in half, admire the cross-section. Enjoy!

Honey Glazed Pork with Scallion Mashed Potatoes and Sesame Green Beans

An "Asian" twist on roast pork and potatoes, using sesame, scallions, and honey as flavor accents.

Don't forget that this Thursday is the AAHM Ratty Dinner special! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158222947546179&index=1

Check out the AAHM Food Fact of the Day on your left as you enter the Ratty! http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Food_Services/

Honey Glazed Pork with Scallion Mashed Potatoes and Sesame Green Beans

sesame green beans

1 baked potato

2 Tbsp scallions

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp sesame oil

1 slice of roast pork

drizzle of honey

1. Prepare the mashed potatoes: Cut a baked potato in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Use a fork to mash potatoes with scallions, sour cream, and sesame oil.

2. Arrange green beans on plate. Press the mashed potatoes into a small cup, and invert onto beans. Place sliced roast pork on top of mashed potatoes and drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

Lemon Honey Vinaigrette Salad

If you're tired of pre-made salad dressings, try making your own! This one is light, citrus-y, and perfect for cooling down on a humid day.

Lemon Honey Vinaigrette Salad

plateful of romaine lettuce

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp raisins

juice of 2 lemon wedges

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp raspberry vinaigrette

1. With a fork, whisk together last 4 ingredients in a small cup.

2. Drizzle mixture over plateful of lettuce.

3. Sprinkle raisins and sunflower seeds on top, garnish with a lemon wedge. Enjoy when the sun is out.

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.

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.

Basil Olive Oil Honey Yogurt

Olive oil on yogurt? Why not? There's something about basil infused olive oil that pairs nicely with the sweetness of honey, and the bitter yet sweet undertones of the herb with the warm spice of cinnamon create a deep flavor profile that is perfect on cool yogurt.

Basil Olive Oil Honey Yogurt

1 large dollop plain yogurt

2 Tbsp basil olive oil

3 tsp honey

dash of cinnamon sugar

salad leaves for garnish

1. Drizzle a plate with honey.

2. Generously dollop (that's a technical term) the yogurt onto the center of the plate. Try to create height.

3. Drizzle with basil infused olive oil.

4. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and garnish with salad leaves.

Roasted Strawberries and Yogurt

I love these strawberries, and undoubtedly they are good with whipped cream and pound cake, but they are just as good (and good for you!) paired with cool, creamy yogurt and heart-healthy wheat germ flakes.

Roasted Strawberries and Yogurt

1 bowl of yogurt

1 tsp honey

2 roasted strawberries and some juice

2 Tbsp wheat germ

1. Top the bowl of yogurt with an even drizzle of honey.

2. Sprinkle wheat germ on top and garnish with strawberries.

PB, J, and Mozzarella

What can you do with a mozzarella ball, other than toss it with salad and/or some sort of pasta? I'm not saying that that's not delicious (frankly I love anything that involves mozzarella...or cheese for that matter), but I wanted to try something a little bit "out there." So with "an open heart and an empty stomach" (or shall I say an open mind?), I say unto you in the words of the Chairman's uncle, "Allez Cuisine, mozzarella pb and j!" (okay, I admit that last part was not in the original transcript.)

PB, J, and Mozzarella

3 mozzarella balls (from antipasto bar, Tastes of the World)

1/3 cup all natural peanut butter

2 Tbsp each of Rice Krispies, Honey granola, and Toasted wheat germ (in the soymilk fridge)

2 packets of grape jelly (about 1 Tbsp?)

1 Tbsp honey

1 tall glass of milk/soymilk/water*

1. Mix grape jelly and honey in a small cup. Put peanut butter in another cup.

2. Dip mozzarella balls, one at a time, first into the peanut butter (using a fork) to coat all over, then roll in cereal of choice.**

3. Drizzle with grape jelly-honey mixture and eat with milk/soymilk.

*optional, but highly recommended as I did not have a glass of milk as I was chewing one of these and found myself craving milk like crazy afterwards.

**while Honey granola may look pretty with its grooves and textures, it is actually quite a challenge to chew when combined with pb and a lump of mozzarella. I recommend the other two cereals, especially if you happen to have a toothache or a small mouth.

DO NOT Make this Peanut Butter Waffle!

This was originally posted a long time ago, before we were notified that no one should put peanut butter in the waffle irons because of allergies! We are sincerely sorry for setting a bad example, but instead of deleting this post, we feel that it would be helpful to keep it here as a friendly reminder for future peanut butter waffle lovers.

Original Post:

The peanut butter mixed directly into the waffle batter makes an extra crunchy crust and infuses the whole waffle with a rich peanut butter flavor.

Peanut Butter Waffle
1/2 ladle waffle batter
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 small banana, sliced
1 Tbsp honey + 1 Tbsp peanut butter
whipped cream
cinnamon

1. In a cereal bowl, mix waffle batter and 2 Tbsp peanut butter until well-blended.
2. Spray a waffle machine with non-stick spray and pour the batter in the center. (Note: We used less waffle batter to give the waffle an fun shape)
3. Cook waffle as directed.
4. In a small cup, mix honey and 1 Tbsp peanut butter. (Note: Feel free to use just honey instead of the mixture, if you prefer)
5. Garnish waffle with sliced bananas, peanut butter and honey mixture, and whipped cream.
6. Dust the top with cinnamon.

"Honey Nut Cheerios"

A friend mentioned the other day that the Ratty doesn't have Honey Nut Cheerios - well, you can make your own! And you can customize the honey-ness and nuttiness.

"Honey Nut Cheerios"

1 cup Cheerios

1 Tbsp old-fashioned peanut butter

2 tsp honey

2 tsp sunflower seeds

2 tsp pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup soymilk

1. Get a bowl of Cheerios. Drizzle on peanut butter and honey, and top with the seeds.

2. Add soymilk.

Yogurt with Grape Jelly Honey Drizzle

Grape jelly mixes with honey to create an interesting balance of fruity tartness and honey sweetness that contrasts nicely with plain yogurt and crunchy granola.

Yogurt with Grape Jelly Honey Drizzle

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 packets grape jelly

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp granola

1. In a small cup, mix grape jelly with honey.

2. In a separate bowl, toss granola with cinnamon.

3. Drizzle grape jelly honey over yogurt and sprinkle cinnamon-coated granola on top.

Grapefruit Cinnamon Honey Yogurt

If you picked up a copy of the Brown Daily Herald for Tuesday 12/1, then you'll likely recognize this yogurt creation from the front page! We would like to extend our thanks to Monique for interviewing us and writing about Ratty Gourmet, and I might add that the finishing touch of adding granola to this recipe was Monique's brilliant suggestion.

Grapefruit Cinnamon Honey Yogurt

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp cinnamon sugar

1/2 grapefruit

drizzle honey

sprinkling of granola

1. Spoon yogurt into bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

2. Cut grapefruit into small sections and arrange on top of yogurt.

3. Add a drizzle of honey, a sprinkling of granola, and enjoy.

Fruit and Yogurt Salad

It takes a little patience to cut the fruit, but it's worth it! (especially if the kiwis are ripe, the contrary to which we have all adversely experienced) Needless to say, honey with plain yogurt is a classic combo you just can't beat.

Fruit and Yogurt Salad

1 kiwi, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 orange, cut into bite-sized chunks

melon and pineapple chunks

1/2 banana, sliced

1/2 grapefruit, cut into bite-sized chunks

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tsp honey

1. Combine fruit in a bowl.

2. Spoon yogurt on top and drizzle with honey.