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!

Harvest Veggie Melt

On below-freezing days nothing hits the spot better than hot steamy veggies and melted cheese. Just look at that ooey cheesy broccoli goodness - it's calling your name.

Harvest Veggie Melt

broccoli

onions

mushrooms

spinach

tomatoes

raisins (optional)

chickpeas

shredded cheese

garden veggie pasta sauce

1. Gather veggies on a plate.

2. Drizzle with garden veggie pasta sauce.

3. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Enjoy on a cold day.

Raymond's Crunchy Lettuce Chickpea Salad

All food is beautiful on the inside, wouldn't you agree? This one was thought up by our creative genius friend, Raymond, who insisted that it was ugly and I shouldn't take a picture of it. But I did, since I thought it was a pretty genius salad combination of crunchy, crispy, and protein-y elements.

Raymond's Crunchy Lettuce Chickpea Salad

lettuce

dollop of chickpea salad (roots and shoots line)

crunchy crouton strips (is that what they're called?)

Mix everything together 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)

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.

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!

Scallion Mashed Potatoes

An East-meets-West twist on a Thanksgiving classic.

Scallion Mashed Potatoes

1 baked potato

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 Tbsp sesame oil

splash of milk

1/4 cup scallions

Scrape out the insides of the potato and combine with the rest of the ingredients, minus the scallions. Stir in the scallions once the potato mixture is as smooth as you want it (I like it a bit chunky).

Cheesy Broccoli, Corn, and Carrots

We tried in vain to come up with a less cheesy name. This dish uses almost every color of the rainbow! Which means it's loaded with a variety of nutrients, right? It's just missing red, violet, and blue. Maybe we should've added tomatoes, eggplant, and...uh...blueberries? Or maybe those blue moon marshmallows from Lucky Charms...mmm, marshmallows and veggies.

Cheesy Broccoli, Corn, and Carrots

1 cup broccoli, broken into smaller florets

1 Tbsp basil-infused olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup corn

1/4 cup shredded carrots

2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp sour cream

2 Tbsp guacamole

1. Toss broccoli with basil-infused olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Add corn, carrots, and cheese. Microwave for 2 minutes, or until veggies are just cooked.

3. Add a dollop each of sour cream and guacamole.

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!

Baked Chicken and Garden Greens

Why are they called garden greens? Do they grow in your garden? Maybe someone just made it up because mesclun mix didn't sound appetizing enough. Anyhow, these leaves are pretty delicious especially when tossed with cranberries and pumpkin seeds, and a chicken leg! You can add a simple vinegar and oil dressing if you like; if not, it's delicious as is.

Baked Chicken and Garden Greens

1 bed of garden greens

cranberries

pumpkin seeds

chicken leg

vinegar and oil (optional)

1. Put everything on one plate. Drizzle with vinegar and oil, if desired.