Chicken Filet with Pickled Jalapeno Slaw

Let me start by saying that I am very sorry for not posting in so long; midterms are actually trying to kill me. This idea came to me a while ago back when FoClosed was serving some kind of citrus slaw chicken sandwich. What I remember was so unpleasant about the slaw was that it lacked variety in flavor and texture- essentially it all tasted like soggy, orange flavored vegetables. I wanted to reinvent their sandwich with a slaw that would have a lot of different flavors and maintain the natural textures of the vegetables involved. You can make this dish at FoClosed, or at Homeplate if you want.


You will need:

Cabbage

Onions

Jalapenos

Broccoli

Carrots

Vinegar

Relish

Mayonnaise

Lemon

A chicken filet

A bun


I know that the list of ingredients looks daunting, but trust me this isn't very hard to do. You want to get all of your vegetables in the same small salad bowl, preferably with a relatively equal amount of each vegetable. After that, you need to prepare all of the them. Fortunately for us, the carrots are already shaved, the cabbage and onions already cut, and the jalapenos already pickled. So, essentially, all you really need to do is cut the florets (the bushy-head-parts) off of the broccoli and throw away the stems. Then you want to add the following to the bowl: 1 packet of sweet relish, two packets of mayonnaise, and about 2 of the to-go condiment containers full of vinegar. Then, toss the vegetables until all of the ingredients have mixed thoroughly. Finally, take a wedge of lemon, squeeze it over the slaw, and mix it again. At that point, all that you need to do is put it on the bun and eat your…


Chicken Filet with Pickled Jalapeno Slaw, inspired by DDS, and made by Sam, I am.

Spicy Southwest Chicken Salad

Fortunately for us, FoClosed still has all of the same foods it did when it was FoCo. I think that if, in addition to the annoyingly small space and extraordinarily long lines that form at the single register, FoClosed offered limited food supply options, students might actually riot. Though I can appreciate that Thayer The Class of 1953 Commons is still being renovated, I have to say that the new upstairs seating is dismal and is hardly an improvement, and I hope that when FoClosed reopens we are in for some actual improvements. Griping aside, the food is all the same so you shouldn't have any trouble in making this dish


You will need:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Corn

Onions

Cucumbers

Shredded cheese

A spicy chicken cutlet

Volcano sauce

Ranch dressing

Avocado spread


Let me just say that what is great about this salad is that it is extremely quick to make. What you will want to do first is go to the grill and ask for spicy chicken on a plate with a side of volcano sauce (it takes no time for them to make because they are pre-made and just heated up). Then, go to the salad bar and assemble your salad fixings (the ones that I have provided above are just the ones that I enjoy, but there is no reason you can't improvise), but take one of the to go condiment cups and fill it with the ranch dressing. Then head over to the deli line and ask for some avocado spread on the side. Once you've paid, simply add the avocado and chicken to the bowl, mix a fork full of volcano sauce into the dressing, and then pour it over the salad. And there you have it:


The Spicy Southwest Chicken Salad, brought to you by DDS and Sam, I am.

FoCosadilla

The other night, I was having one of those "My God, I wish the Hop was still open because I could really use a quesadilla," kind of nights (doesn't everyone have those? No? Oh well, I'm weird). So, I sought out the challenge of creating a quesadilla at FoCo. What ended up happening was way better than I expected (even though the picture makes it look bland, maybe I should invest in a really nice camera. Then again, you might find me out if you saw a student taking photos of their food during meals.)


You will need:

A white wrap

Shredded Cheese

Grilled chicken

Onions

Peppers

Jalapenos (why can't I ever swing a tilde)


This dish may be a little annoying to make when FoCo is crowded, which is why I think it is a perfect late night snack. What you'll want to do is go to the grill line and order grilled chicken with onions and peppers. While they are working on that, head to the deli line and ask for a white wrap with shredded cheese and jalapenos, but instead of wrapping it, just tell them to fold it in half. Once you've paid for all of your items, head over to the George Foreman grill (it's the white thing next to the water and the microwave for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about). Grab a knife and cut your folded wrap in half. Then, reopen your folded halves and add your chicken, onions and peppers (in the process, try and make sure the cheese is away from the edges of the wrap because when it melts you don't want to have to clean up the grill). The grill is small so you'll have to grill each half individually. Once you have cooked your (now) quesadilla to your liking, take it off of the grill and enjoy it. This quesadilla (I find) ends up being better than those at the Hop because the George Foreman makes the wrap toasty and warm, and actually melts all of the cheese. This will not be the last FoCosadilla that I make, but for now...


Enjoy FoCosadilla #1, from DDS and Sam, I am.

Chicken Fajitas

It is an exceedingly rare thing that the name of a dish can simply be a statement of what the dish is. So, I hope you will indulge me and do not boo at my lack of creativity with the name of this meal (it's a deliberate choice). One of the things that I find frustrating about the "Mexican" food at the Hop is just that: it is "Mexican." The food at the Hop is about as Mexican as Jim Yong Kim. It doesn't even qualify as tex-mex in my mind. The nachos are made with cheese sauce, the burritos are not made using tortillas, but all that aside, the meat that can be put in the tacos and taco salads is so soggy that your pants will rarely survive the meal without getting a nice, splotchy grease stain on them. This dish is not any more Mexican than any other food you can buy on campus (by virtue of the fact that it is made using the food on campus), but it at least made it down to somewhere near the border in the realm of tex-mex cuisine.


You will need:

Chicken

Onions

Peppers

3 tortillas

Sour cream

Shredded cheese

Jalapenos (again, I'm not sure why I can't swing a tilde)

Salsa


This dish may take a while to make because you have to wait on two lines. If you get to the Hop when the lines are short, however, it is a cinch to prepare. Go to the grill line and ask for grilled chicken (no sauces, no bun, no lettuce or tomato) and a side of grilled onions and peppers (the photo above has 2 chicken breasts, which I found to be way too much food, but by all means go for it if you're hungry). Then go to the sandwich line and ask for 3 tortillas, sour cream, cheese, salsa and jalapenos. Once you've paid, go over to the toaster. Make sure that it is set to medium darkness and then toast your tortillas (they are much better and slightly more authentic tasting when they are warm). After that, cut your chicken into slices. Then, make your fajitas. It's really a great meal and definitely a step up from all of the "Mexican" food DDS serves. Enjoy…

Chicken Fajitas, brought to you by DDS and Sam, I am.

The Brovertones' Special

I am not going to take credit for coming up with this dish. I was told to try it by a friend who is in the Brovertones (hence the title). Hopefully this will encourage you guys to start posting ideas (or post something, dear God it's been too many posts without comments). I am very receptive to suggestions and I want to hear what you guys have to say. That being said, I think this is perhaps the most delicious dish that has hit the blog yet, but please be warned: this is not for the weak of heart (actually though, if you have a cardiovascular condition: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. this dish is not for you).


You will need:

Chicken tenders

Two slices of bread

Cheese

2 eggs


This is another one of those wonderful dishes where you will not have to do anything beyond ordering (unless, you want to add some hot sauce to the sandwich, which is not a bad idea if you have the tongue for it). All you've got to do is hit up The Hop and ask for a tender melt with 2 over easy eggs in it. Trust me, you want the eggs over easy, the runny yolks make for the absolute perfect "sauce." The only other advice that I have is simply to tell them not to cut the sandwich for you; you will lose egg yolk and they will get agitated by the mess. Try not to get addicted to…


The Brovertones' Special, brought to you by (the Brovertones,) DDS and Sam, I am.

Sweet & Sour Salad With Chicken

Good God it has been a while. I'm sorry for not posting in so long, but mid-term crunch is not treating me so well. I'm at that point where my eyes have begun to hurt from reading so much. I promise that though I haven't been posting I have been creating treats for you guys (assuming you exist- that's my not so subtle way of encouraging you to comment). I'm actually so food obsessed that I have been eagerly awaiting dinner tonight because I have such a good idea (I think… we'll see, it may shock you to learn that many of the things I try do not work at all and don't make it to the blog. Read: my DBA is suffering for you). So, don't doubt that I am thinking of you and your rumbly tummies. Today's recipe is another one of those "salads" that is only marginally healthy, but it will nonetheless keep you eating your veggies!


You will need:

Lettuce

Corn

Tomatoes

Onions

Cucumbers

(Any other salad fixings that you love)

Soy sauce

Sweet & sour sauce

Vinegar

Chicken nuggets


Obviously you need to go to FoCo to make this salad. The construction of the salad should not be a difficult task. If it is, I would recommend getting immediate help. Do not put any dressing on the salad and do not put the nuggets in it before you pay (unless you like spending extra cash unnecessarily). The only truly meticulous part of this recipe is making the dressing. You need to get one of those to-go condiment containers and put 2 squirts of vinegar and 1 squirt of soy sauce in it. Then, mix in 1 packet of sweet & sour sauce. Once you have mixed it thoroughly pour it over your salad. If you like a heavily dressed salad, then I would recommend you double the recipe for the dressing, but make sure you keep it proportional. It is also worth noting that unless your salad contains a minimal number of vegetables, you will have extra nuggets (maybe find a friend and split the order of nuggets to save money) I hope you enjoy the…


Sweet & Sour Salad With Chicken, courtesy of DDS and Sam, I am.

Sweet & Savory Tender Wrap

Courtyard has a lot of incredibly good options that often go overlooked because they are similar to other items that somehow are more popular. One of the things that I have never understood is why the Tender Wrap is less popular than the Tender Queso, and why it is that when choosing between them, people always seem to go with the Queso. I think that a lot of it has to do with the amount of cheese in a Queso and how savory it is in comparison to the Wrap. This dish pays homage to the Tender Wrap and is going to forever change how people feel about it.

You will need:

2 Chicken tenders

1 wrap (white or wheat)

Honey mustard

3 Strips of bacon

Lettuce

Tomato

Shredded Cheese

The simplest way to make this wrap is to order a "Honey mustard Tender Wrap with Bacon and extra cheese." One of the best parts about this recipe is that you don't need to do anything beyond order, pay and eat it. The extra cheese and bacon enhance (cheese and bacon will enhance the flavor of almost anything really so it's kind of a no brainer) the savoriness of the wrap using their own flavors and by bringing out the savoriness of the golden chicken tenders. The honey mustard gives the wrap a little sweetness to help cut some of the fat (don't be grossed out, you know it's true) from the dish, and compliments the natural sweetness of the tomato inside of the wrap. Really all you need is that and an appetite and your ready for a…

Sweet & Savory Tender Wrap courtesy of DDS and Sam, I am.

Creamy Thai Chicken Pasta

I am sick of eating at FoCo and Courtyard (the Hop for you '14s who don't know), not because the food is bad, just because, if you haven't noticed from my posts, those are the only places I've been eating. Thus, I have gone to Collis for this creation. One of the things that Collis does absolutely right is that it allows all students to improvise their own dishes and to eat new combinations of food, which is a mission I personally take to heart. I hope that you don't operate with the misconception that Collis is always crowded because it is always packed. Rather, Collis is always packed because it is small. Do not be intimidated, the lines are usually shorter than those at FoCo or the Courtyard. With that said…

You will need:

Chicken

Thai peanut sauce

Corn

Edamame

Mushrooms

Broccoli

Any kind of pasta

Alfredo sauce

The first thing that needs to be made clear is that before you attempt to make this dish you need to look up when Collis will be serving pasta and stir fry at the same time. To start, go to the salad bar and gather all of the aforementioned vegetables. Once you reach the front of the pasta line, you want to ask for 1 and a half scoops of pasta and (duh) the alfredo sauce. While that's being cooked, hop over to the stir fry line and ask for a side of chicken with peanut sauce. Once the two are done, pay (duh x 2) and get ready to mix. You want to get as much peanut sauce as possible to mix with the alfredo sauce when you add your side of chicken. If the color of the alfredo isn't ever so slightly altered by the peanut sauce then you don't have enough; go get more. Then you're ready to eat…

Note: (hah, I bet you got used to the routine epithet, but sadly for you I have more to say) You want to get your pasta on a plate. The reason for that is simple: your vegetables may not cook entirely on the pasta line. If you like your vegetables semi-raw more power to you. But, for the rest of the normal population, you will need a plate to continue heating your food in the microwave (because you can't heat flimsy plastic containers in the microwave, duh x 3). And from here…

Well, you know the drill… - Sam, I am.

The Chicken & The Egg Taco Salad

Let me start by saying that this dish may only loosely be called a salad, because in reality there is very little that is healthy about this salad (unless you don't eat the taco shell and get it without rice or beans, but why on Earth would you ever do that?). One of the big problems that I have with food on this campus is that no matter what you get, it will never be truly spicy. No, even a buffalo chicken sandwich with volcano sauce will not satisfy this heat-seeking tongue. But, I understand that this is not the case for the general student body and so I make a concerted effort to provide you with recipes from which you may easily omit any of the spicy items that you can't handle. What is even rarer on this campus is finding something that is both fresh and spicy (read: fresh as in watery and crunchy in the re-fresh-ing sense). Typically speaking spicy food requires slimy hots or dry pepper flakes. So my goal in creating this meal was to come up with something filling and delicious that had unique flavors and some fresh spice (what you get when you mix a member of Three Six Mafia with one of the Spice Girls). This "salad," is one of the most delicious things that I have eaten on campus and I hope very much that you enjoy it.

You will need:

2 eggs

Beans

Rice

Shredded cheese

Buffalo chicken

Sour cream

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onions

Olives

Carrots

Jalapenos (I don't know why I can't type a tilde into this field)

Fried tortilla bowl

Buffalo sauce

Vinegar

Clearly, this is the heftiest list of ingredients to date (although that really isn't saying much considering how long I've been posting). For this recipe, I'm going to recommend that you go to Courtyard @ The Hop. The only thing that is unfortunate about this plate is that (depending upon when you try to make it) it may take you a while because you have to wait on 2 different lines. If the lines are accommodating then I would recommend getting the salad first so that the eggs are HOT when you add them to the salad but, usually the line for the grill is longer and you probably don't want to hold on to your salad for that long just waiting. So, just do whatever you want in terms of the order that you get the items in. What you need to be sure of when you order the eggs is that you order them OVER EASY. I'm not sure if I can stress that enough, part of the beauty of this "salad" is that the egg yolks are runny and mix with the different dressings. In terms of the taco salad, you want to order a taco salad with buffalo chicken (instead of regular chicken), rice, beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, onions, olives, sour cream, buffalo sauce and the vinegar. I do NOT recommend getting guacamole or salsa on this salad because it makes it very liquid-y and we are not making a soup. The egg also does not mix very well with the salsa, and so it is inadvisable to get them both. Once you have all of your ingredients you want to toss the salad lightly. When I say lightly I mean that you want to toss it so that the different layers mix and the sauces become distributed through out the salad, I do not mean that you should stir your salad until no ingredient is distinguishable from the other. Then, you want to place your two eggs on top of the salad. At that point you should cut the eggs up to break the yokes over the top of the salad and then…

Feast upon The Chicken & The Egg Taco Salad brought to you by DDS and Sam, I am.