DINING HALL RECIPE #1: Holier than Thou Dining Hall Stir-Fry

NB: This is one of two recipes linked to Devyn’s article. See above.

GOURMET STIR-FRY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Stir-fry night at Carmichael is dually revered for its deliciousness and feared for the legendary wait required to get your dinner. Instead of standing in line for half an hour and then jockeying for a seat at one of Carm’s crowded tables, make your own stir-fry in the comfort of your own kitchen (or your upperclassman friend’s). It’ll be tastier and you won’t have to wait in any lines.

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed vegetables from the salad bar or the grocery store, such as broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onions, chopped
6-8 oz plain tofu from salad bar or grocery store, cut into 1” cubes
1 cup uncooked rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup creamy peanut butter (preferably without hydrogenated oils or much added sugar—the sauce will taste better with natural peanut butter)
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
Juice of ½ lime, or to taste
1 tablespoon of sugar or honey, or to taste
Squirt of sriracha chili sauce (optional—found in dining halls, Jumbo Express, and pretty much all grocery stores)

Directions:

Cook the rice in a rice cooker according to instructions, or combine one part rice to two parts water (i.e. 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice) in a medium saucepot. Cover pot, bring to boil, and let cook until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lime, honey or sugar, and sriracha in a medium bowl, stirring well with a fork. Adjust ingredients to taste—some people like it sweeter, some saltier, some tangier, some spicier. It’s up to you!

In a separate small bowl, toss tofu with a splash of soy sauce for flavor, and set aside.

Put a large skillet or wok on the stove on medium-high heat. Coat pan with oil and let heat up. To test if your pan is hot enough to cook in, wet your fingers and flick water into the pan. If it spatters, it’s ready. Toss vegetables into pan and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and warm all the way through, about 5 minutes. Remove tofu to bowl or plate and toss in vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 5-10 minutes.

When vegetables are cooked, add tofu back to pan and turn heat down to low. Pour peanut sauce over mixture and stir until thoroughly coated. Remove pan from heat.

To serve, scoop rice onto a plate or bowl and top with a generous helping of stir-fry, and enjoy! Makes 2 generous servings.

– Devyn Powell

 

DINING HALL RECIPE #2: Southern Comfort

NB: This is linked to Devyn’s article and is one of the two recipes she provides for her dining services “alternative” article. See above.

APPLE CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING

This warm, hearty dessert is perfect for a crisp fall evening. Seasonal apples, brown sugar, and gooey cinnamon bread imbue this bread pudding with all the best aromas of autumn. I think this is best made from the fresh cinnamon bread found in the dining halls and in Hodgdon (not the Pepperidge Farm stuff you find near the bagels, mind you), but it can be made with any bread you may have lying around threatening to get stale. When made with regular bread, a teaspoon or so of cinnamon added to the egg mixture has the same aromatic effect.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of cinnamon swirl bread, cut into 1” cubes
¼ cup (half a stick) butter, melted
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
¼ cup raisins (optional)
6 eggs, beaten
4 cups whole milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter cubed cinnamon bread in a 9×13” pan, drizzle with melted butter, and toss. Mix in apples and raisins, if using. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, then stir in milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread mixture in pan, pushing down with a fork to make bread absorb mixture. Sprinkle top of pudding with brown sugar. Bake until top of pudding is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 45 minutes. Serve warm, drizzled with honey or topped with whipped cream.

– Devyn Powell