Welcome back! Yes, it's time to put our noses to the grindstone again and carry on with the rest of the year. Soon the work is going to be piling up like the snow outside, so make sure you use your meals totake a real break from the day.
School can be stressful; it is important to take an hour for dinner, enjoy time with your friends, and take advantage of the chance to eat something tasty. Endeavor to make sure your meals aren't just another task in the day but something you can enjoy. And as always, Dining Hall Dish is here to help.
This week's recipes:
Double Decker Taco
This is an easy way to diversify your trip to the Mexican bar. Popularized by the ever present Taco Bell chain, double-decker tacos are a fairly successful attempt to jazz up the tried and true entree. Thanks to Charlie Vogelheim for submitting this idea.
1. Head to the Mexican bar and select a taco shell and one of the small flour tortillas.
2. Fill it up with your favorite ingredients: beef or chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa and beans. If you want to make it a bit healthier, try using beans from the salad bar rather than the refried beans (though they are pretty delicious.).
3. Spread a thin layer of refried beans onto the tortilla.
4. Wrap the tortilla around the taco shell. For another twist, add cheddar cheese on top of the refried beans and tortilla. Melt it in the microwave before wrapping it around the shell.
Southwestern Chicken Salad
Some sort of southwestern salad is featured on a lot of menus in restaurants. Here's one you can pull off in the dining hall.
Thanks to Charlie Vogelheim for inspiring this recipe and creating the dressing.
1. Fill a bowl with romaine lettuce, chicken (either use the diced chicken from the Mexican bar or shred your own from some of the grilled chicken breasts), corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, cheddar cheese and bell peppers (you may have to dice these.)
2. Select a few apple slices, dice them up, and add them to the salad.
3. For the dressing: mix one part ranch dressing with the chipotle sauce found by the Mexican bar and then drizzle in a little bit of barbeque sauce.
4. Top with either a crushed taco shell, or grill a flour tortilla in the Panini maker until it is brown and crispy and shred over the top (or serve on the side).
Quick Tip
Crave those chicken poppers but made a New Year's resolution to eat a little healthier? Use them as a topping to a salad. You'll get to enjoy them while getting your vegetables, plus you won't need as many or the sauces.
Have your own dining hall recipe? We would love to feature it! E-mail Michelle Fordice at mfordice@nd.edu.
