Be the Gordon Ramsay you wish to see in your Dining Hall

By: Kitty Cheung, Staff writer

Living off of a Dining Hall meal plan and tired of eating pizza for every meal? Seeking gastronomic inspiration? “My Pantry” is a wonderful section within the Dining Hall, where a kitchen with fully stocked fridge and cooking equipment await your culinary creativity. This article will help you revive your taste buds with recipes and tips on making the most out of your Dining Hall experience.

Miscellaneous tips and tricks

• Appreciate the Dining Hall staff. They are helpful and hardworking human beings; feel free to ask them any questions about My Pantry, like where to find certain ingredients, where to put away dirty dishes, etc…
• If you come to the Dining Hall for breakfast between 7:30–9:30 a.m. on weekdays, a chef will be cooking fresh omelettes upon request. His name is Javid and he is very friendly.
• If you’re getting soup, go ahead and add shredded cheese!
• Sauces from the sandwich station are also great for dipping your fries. I recommend chipotle mayo and honey mustard.

Things to know regarding dietary restrictions

• The right side of the My Pantry fridge offers gluten-free breads and desserts.
• Non-dairy milks are also in the fridge, including soy and flavoured almond milks, such as chocolate and unsweetened vanilla.
• Halal chicken is available upon request from the grill cooks.
• Vegetarian options often accompany the main dishes on the menu. Examples of plant-based proteins in the salad bar include black beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas.

Recipes

Note: All measurements for the following recipes can be eyeballed and doled out according to taste. Ingredients may also vary depending on what the Dining Hall has on hand. For example, the salad bar may feature different veggies.

Mains

Fried Rice

Any vegetables and meat of choice can be added to this wonderfully versatile dish. Feel free to experiment with ingredients. You can vary this recipe according to taste, and how many people you’re cooking for.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice (there will usually be plain white rice offered in the “Global Connections” area)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp chopped onions
• Veggies from the salad bar: bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, shredded carrots….
• Your choice of protein (cold cuts in the sandwich area include turkey, ham and roast beef, and tofu is also available in the salad bar area)
• Sauces, to taste. I use:
  • Soy sauce
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Honey garlic sauce
  • Sriracha sauce

Directions

1. In a large pan, heat up some oil and add in the onions.
2. Once the onions are fragrant, add the bell peppers and broccoli. Cook until tender, and crisp by adding in some water and covering the pan with a lid for a few minutes.
3. Add the other veggies: mushrooms, carrots, spinach. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and spinach wilted.
4. Stir in the rice. Crack your egg and scramble with the rice.
5. Add whichever sauces you prefer. Honey garlic is a favourite of mine, which can be found in the fridge in a large, labelled squeeze bottle. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce are classics, while sriracha adds a spicy kick.

Mushroom Spinach Quesadilla

Ingredients

• 1 large tortilla
• Shredded cheese (the Dining Hall offers a variety of cheeses such as sliced swiss and marble in the sandwich-making station, or shredded cheddar and blue cheese —if you’re feeling experimental— in the salad bar)
• Onions
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Salsa and sour cream (optional, can be found in the right side of the fridge)

Directions

1. Warm up the panini press located in “My Pantry” by turning the dial on the front (the light should turn on). Add some parchment paper to the press for easy clean-up.
2. In a large tortilla, place your cheese, veggies, and protein, laying them on one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla into a half-moon shape.
3. Once the panini press is hot, carefully place the quesadilla inside. Heat until the tortilla is crispy and cheese melted. Transfer to plate and compost the soiled parchment paper.
4. Cut your quesadilla and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Bonus: This recipe can also easily be converted into a burrito. In a pan, fry up some beans, veggies and rice with taco seasoning and stir in the cheese. Microwave your tortilla for 15–30 seconds before wrapping your burrito up snugly.

Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 handful tortilla chips, crushed
• Shredded lettuce
• Chopped tomatoes
• Black beans
• Corn
• Chopped onion
• Ground meat (beef, pork, or chicken can usually be found in the Pastabilities section)
• Taco seasoning (can be found with the spices in the My Pantry area)
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Salsa

Directions

1. Fire up a skillet in My Pantry. Oil your pan and sauté the chopped onions. Limited time? Skip to step 3 and omit the meat and onions for a quicker taco salad.
2. Once the onions are fragrant and slightly translucent, add your ground meat and stir in the taco seasoning. Since the meat is already cooked, your intention should be to just heat it up and infuse the flavours of the taco seasoning.
3. On a plate, combine your shredded lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, black beans, corn and ground meat. Garnish with salsa, sour cream and cheese.

Denver Sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread
• 2 eggs
• Chopped onion
• Chopped bell pepper
• Ham (can be found in the sandwich area)
• Cheese
• Any other veggies/meat of choice
• Milk (optional; can be dairy, almond, soy)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Begin by heating up a frying pan with oil.
2. Beat your eggs, adding the milk, salt, and pepper according to your preference.
3. Sauté your onions, bell pepper, ham, and whatever else your heart contents.
4. Place the sautéed veggies and meat on a plate.
5. Re-oil the pan and add the egg mixture. Spread the egg mixture by tilting the pan around.
6. While the omelette is cooking, toast and butter your bread.
7. When the egg becomes more solid, add the vegetables and meat. Cut the Denver omelette in half and flip each side.
8. Top with cheese. Once melted, place one half of the omelette over top of the other.
9. Sandwich your omelette with the toasted bread and enjoy!

Important note to avoid being an asshole: soak your egg/cheese-encrusted pan in the dish sink so that it’s easier for staff to wash.

Desserts

The Dining Hall has many sweet treats that can be combined to indulge your sweet-tooth desires.

Decadent Chocolate Banana Waffle

Ingredients

• Waffle batter (can be found in My Pantry, where you’ll also find a waffle iron)
• 1 banana
• Small (or huge) handful chocolate chips
• Chocolate syrup (can be found near the ice cream bar)

Directions

1. Mix the chocolate chips into your waffle batter.
2. Grease the waffle iron with cooking spray and add the batter. Once you flip the iron, a timer should begin on the machine for 3 minutes.
3. Slice your banana.
4. Once the waffle is ready, garnish with sliced banana and chocolate syrup.

Note: Many variations of this decadent waffle are possible with other Dining Hall resources. I suggest adding cocoa powder and cinnamon to the batter before cooking. Other toppings available in the Dining Hall include ice cream, peanut butter, Nutella, honey, caramel, or strawberry syrup from the ice cream section, dried cranberries or nuts from the oatmeal/toast area, crumbled up brownies or cookies from the dessert section, and assorted fruits, so feel free to get creative with your waffles!

Alternatively: skip the waffle entirely and simply dump all of these ingredients on top of an ice cream bowl.

Nutella Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bar

This dessert is inspired by two of my favourite Dining Hall desserts: the Cinnamon-Toast-Crunch Bar and Nutella-Cheerio-Oat Bar.

Ingredients

• 1 hefty scoop of Nutella
• 1 handful Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
• 1 handful oats

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together.
2. Form into a bar or eat directly from the bowl with a spoon.

Deluxe Ice Cream Cone

Directions

1. Fill a cone with ice cream. The machine is located in the desserts sections, beside the coffee area.
2. Add toppings. Similar to the waffles, this is an opportunity to get creative with Dining Hall resources. Chocolate, caramel and strawberry-flavoured syrups are available on top of the case containing ice cream cones. Chocolate chips, dried cranberries and chopped nuts can be found near the oatmeal/toast area. The dessert section also has many goodies that can be added to your cone, i.e. crumble up some brownies or cookies (or both), stick in a berry tart if that’s what you’re feeling, and make a simple ice cream cone truly deluxe.

Drinks

This section will be a quick guide on becoming a soda fountain wizard to quench any kind of thirst. As a general guideline, the following drinks can be mixed according to a 1:1 ratio, but please do adjust for your taste.

Mocha: Hot chocolate + coffee

Sparkling Cranberry Juice: Cranberry juice + soda water

Shirley Temple (variant): Orange juice + 7UP + ginger ale  

This drink is just the bomb: Strawberry kiwi juice + 7UP

Green Smoothie : Combine your choice of frozen fruit (mango, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, and peaches are available in the fridge!), spinach, almond milk, and yogurt. Blend it altogether for a quick, healthy smoothie (colour may actually vary from green to poop-brown depending on the fruits you use, yum!)

Note: The Dining Hall also has several smoothie recipes posted on the wall near its blenders, including a “Green Tea, Blueberry, and Banana Smoothie,” as well as a “Soy Good Smoothie”.

Another important note to avoid being an asshole: rinse your blender after each use!