Mitchell's Spicy Bacon-Ranch Cheese Fries

A hearty thanks to Mitchell Sibley '17 for this recipe!

"For what it lacks in health, it makes up for in flavor! In order for this recipe to work, the salad bar must have bacon bits and shredded mozzarella cheese. This is the perfect 'any-tizer' and the recipe is flexible enough that the listed amounts can vary to any personal preference."

Spicy Bacon-Ranch Cheese Fries 
1 plate of Fries (As many as you want; steak fries or waffle fries preferred)
1 Scoop of Mozzarella cheese
1-3 Jalapenos, sliced
1/2 scoop bacon bits
Ranch dressing

Get a plate of fries; steak fires are the best but any will do (sweet potato not recommended). Add jalapenos and bacon bits to fries. Cover in Mozzarella cheese and microwave for 20-40 seconds. Grab a small plate and put some ranch dressing on it for dipping.

Vishesh's Grilled Cheese Breadsticks and Marinara

One of my favorite combinations of all time is the Italian triad of flour, cheese, and tomatoes: pizza crust covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella, pasta topped with marinara and parmesan, tomato soup garnished with asiago and breadcrumbs. It's just perfection! With just a little effort, the beloved grilled cheese sandwich can be tweaked to make a fun finger-food appetizer.

Grilled Cheese Breadsticks and Marinara
1 grilled cheese sandwich
1/4 cup marinara sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground oregano and basil
salt and pepper to taste

 In a bowl, reduce the sauce in the microwave for 60 seconds. Add the spices and stir well. Cut the sandwich into 4-5 strips, de-crusting if desired. Dip and enjoy!

Vishesh's Polenta with Mushrooms in Butter Soy Sauce

Sure, I only had regular white mushrooms without any fine porcini, and the baked polenta wasn't exactly the luscious cloud shown in the original NYT recipe. But soy sauce and butter was such a mysterious and tempting combination of east and west that I could not resist trying, and the duo compensated for the other ingredients with salty, umami goodness.

Polenta with Mushrooms in Butter Soy Sauce 
1/3 cup polenta
2/3 cup mushrooms
3 pats of butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove roasted garlic
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Mince and crush the garlic as finely as possible, and then add to a bowl along with the butter. Microwave for 20 seconds, and then add the mushrooms, soy sauce, and olive oil. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 60 seconds to reduce the sauce. Add salt to taste, and then pour the mushrooms over the polenta while hot, distributing the sauce evenly around. Top with parmesan cheese and pepper, 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 Microwave Croutons with Wilted Spinach

Whether you're eating fresh salads or pouring warm soup for snowy winter days, croutons are a great way to add some texture and tie a dish together. The Ratty often lacks these crunchy ingredients, but fortunately it does supply everything you need to make your own! Plus, you can spice it up with custom seasoned croutons, featured here with some deep green spinach. Sourdough and french baguettes work the best, but each bread has its own special flavor.

Vishesh's Microwave Croutons with Wilted Spinach 
bread
olive oil
oregano flakes
garlic powder
salt
pepper
spinach

In a small plate, cut a slice of bread into 1/2-inch cubes, and mix with the olive oil and seasoning to lightly coat the bread. Microwave for 1-2 min until they start getting crunchy, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, pull any long and tough stems off the spinach, and chop the leaves roughly. Mix the spinach with the croutons, and microwave another 30 seconds to wilt. Enjoy!

Vishesh's Bread Stuffing 'Meatballs' on Pink Vodka Penne Pasta, with Portobello and Parmesan

The Ratty is famous for a number of finely crafted, salivation-inducing entrees: Cajun Chicken Pasta, Castle Hill Inn Pork Spare Ribs, Polynesian Chicken Wings, Spicy Herb Baked Chicken, and Salmon with Minted Pea Puree, to name a few.

Vegetarian entrees, however, often don't get their share in the limelight. Cue the boundless creativity of our fellow vegetarian Ratty-going Brunonians!

A big thanks to Vishesh Jain, chef and mastermind of the following recipe featuring "meatballs" with pink vodka penne pasta. Utilizing hearty bread stuffing in the shape of meatballs and topped with savory mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, it is sure to satisfy even the stubbornest of meaty cravings.

In the chef's words: "First, I did not plan the alliteration--it just happened. Yesterday they had meatballs in the Ratty, and I was craving some warm, condensed deliciousness. I'm vegetarian though, so I decided to make my own with bread stuffing, plus some portobello for marinated meatiness."

Vishesh's Bread Stuffing 'Meatballs' on Pink Vodka Penne Pasta, with Portobello and Parmesan
1 cup cooked penne pasta
2 tsp Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pink vodka sauce
6-8 slices of portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup of bread stuffing
Oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to taste

Mix 1 tsp Parmesan cheese and the bread stuffing well, and mold into balls by hand or with a spoon. On a plate, microwave for 50s, flipping them over and compressing them at 25s. Microwave the portobello lined on the side of a bowl for 30s, and press them to drain the excess liquid.

Add the sauce and stir in the seasonings to taste, and microwave for 30s more, or until the sauce has reduced to desired consistency. (The Ratty's pink vodka sauce is often a little thin and watery for my taste; if you like it that way, use less sauce and reduce it less.)

On a plate, add in order the penne, meatballs, portobello, excess sauce, and Parmesan. Microwave for 30s, and enjoy it hot!

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.

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.

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.

Cilantro Grilled Chicken with Apple Butter Mushrooms

What's the difference between regular ol' grilled chicken and Gourmet Grilled Chicken? The secret is in the Mushroom Sauce. There might be a few secrets in the grilling too, but for those of us who aren't in charge of the grilling, we can still make a hot buttery sauce to dress up our bird.

With some white space on the plate and a healthy dose of imagination, you might just trick yourself into thinking you're dining at l'refectorie Sharpe.

Cilantro Grilled Chicken with Apple Butter Mushrooms
1 large piece of roasted sweet potato
broccoli rabe
1 Cilantro Grilled Chicken breast
Apple Butter Mushrooms (see recipe below)

Scrape out the flesh of the sweet potato and mash with a fork. Discard the skin. Place mashed sweet potato on plate, then top with broccoli rabe and grilled chicken. Finish with a spoonful or two of Apple Butter Mushrooms.

Apple Butter Mushrooms
1/4 cup apple juice
2 butter packets (1 Tbps)
5-6 mushroom slices
pinch salt

Put all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until butter melts and mushrooms are cooked.

Muenster Muffin Melt

When Providence weather gives you the chills, make yourself a Muenster Muffin Melt. Thanks to our friend Yanqiang for yet another oozingly scrumptious creation!

(I confess that I personally did not taste the finished product but who really would doubt hot melted cheese on toasted English muffins?)



Yanqiang's Muenster Muffin Melt
slice of muenster
sliced mushrooms
sliced zucchini
roast beef
1 English muffin, sliced and toasted

Toast the English muffin. Place bottom of muffin on a plate, and top with veggies, beef, and cheese. Top with other half of muffin. Microwave for 40 seconds or until cheese is melted and oozing onto the plate. Eat on a chilly autumn day.

Three Course Meal

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, school is once more in full swing. Is there anything better than being welcomed back into the warm innards of our faithful friend, the Ratty, and sitting down to a three course meal a la soft serve machine and microwave? Before you answer, please wipe that drool from your chin.

Dessert: Honey Balsamic Drizzled Vanilla Soft Serve with Pepitas (inspired and approved by renowned pastry chef Yanqiang Tan)

Main: Slow-Roasted Beef with Garden Vegetables, Kidney Beans, and Melted Cheese

Appetizer: Creamy Pepperjack Mushrooms (by guest chef Yanqiang Tan)

Wrong order, you say? You got a problem with dessert first? I'm sorry we can't be friends anymore...But I digress. Allow me to analyze the beauty of this meal. Beef, broccoli, mushrooms, and cheese are just meant for each other. They are like good friends you shouldn't separate. The hearty richness of the beef and creamy, milky, salty cheese create the perfect umami base for refreshing broccoli and savory earthy mushrooms. And the assertive flavors of balsamic and honey are smoothed out by bright notes of vanilla and the warm crunch of pepitas. Bon appetit!

Creamy Pepperjack Mushrooms

1/2 cup mushrooms

1 1/2 slices pepperjack cheese

1. Place mushrooms in a bowl. Top with cheese.

2. Microwave on high for 60 seconds until cheese is melted and bubbly and mushrooms are cooked through.

Slow-Roasted Beef with Garden Vegetables, Kidney Beans, and Melted Cheese

1 plate of broccoli and spinach

1/4 cup kidney beans

1/4 cup mushrooms

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup braised beef

1. Place a plate upside down over a plate piled high with broccoli and spinach. Microwave for 2 minutes, or until veggies are just cooked through.

2. Add mushrooms, kidney beans, and cheese. Microwave for 50 seconds just to melt the cheese.

3. Spoon beef on top.

Honey Balsamic Drizzled Vanilla Soft Serve with Pepitas

1 small bowl of ice

2.1784 second swirl of vanilla soft serve

drizzle of honey

dash of balsamic vinegar

a few shakes of pepitas

1. Dispense vanilla soft serve on a bowl filled with ice.

2. Carefully dodge people holding trays as you speed-walk to the salad bar dressings. Working quickly so ice cream doesn't melt, drizzle honey over soft serve and add a splash of balsamic vinegar.

3. Shake some pepitas over ice cream.

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!

Cheesy Pasta "Bake" with Mushrooms

Despite not having been able to brown the cheese in an oven, we were able to achieve cheesy goodness with a 2 minute spin in the microwave by the V-dub's waffle station. Yes, finals are over and for those of us who've gone home for the summer, the microwave method is not strictly necessary but can still work wonders when you are in a hurry (or just overcome with that sweeping epidemic of summertime laziness).

Cheesy Pasta "Bake" with Mushrooms

pasta (fusilli is our favorite but penne is awesome too)

meatless sauce

shredded cheese blend

parmesan cheese

mushrooms

stewed tomatoes (optional but a plus if they are being served!)

1. Get pasta and sauce in a bowl.

2. Put mushrooms and stewed tomatoes on top of pasta.

3. Sprinkle shredded cheese, then parmesan, over the top of everything and microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is hot and melted and blended with sauce.

4. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, if desired, and enjoy!

Josh's Cheesy Fries with Sausage

A shout out to our friend Josh for providing the genius behind this finger-lickin' savory dish. Somewhat reminiscent of the Canadian favorite they call poutine, Josh's creation hits the spot with its comforting combination of protein, potatoes, and gooey melted cheese.

Josh's Cheesy Fries with Sausage

thick-cut fries

1 sausage, or hot dog, sliced

1 slice provolone cheese

Place sausage and fries in a bowl and top with provolone cheese. Nuke in the microwave for about 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired, and enjoy.

Josh's Italian Pita Pizza

Ever the artist, our friend Josh made a gorgeous red, white, and green-topped pizza using pita bread. Just as that melted cheese oozes among the spinach and tomatoes, the Italian flavor oozes from this dish.

Josh's Italian Pita Pizza

1 piece of pita bread

baby spinach

sliced mushrooms

cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

shredded cheese

Arrange spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and tomatoes on pita bread. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts. Slice it up 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).

Luck of the Irish Veggies and Corned Beef

Fortune shines upon those who eat a rainbow of veggies with their protein!

Luck of the Irish Veggies and Corned Beef

broccoli, microwaved with water and garlic infused olive oil for 2 min

herbed slice carrots

baby tomatoes

sliced corned beef

irish soda bread

Arrange food on plate and enjoy!