Emerson’s dining hall is…quaint. We may not be BU with its multiple cafeteria style facilities, our sandwich station’s turkey may look more like dry tuna fish, and nacho night may mean stale tortillas soaked in Cheeze Wiz, but what the DH does well, it does very well. Macaroni and cheese? On point. And the French fries…oh, the French Fries! Have you ever dipped them in soft-serve?! And hey! What ever happened to Brownie Waffle Tuesday? I counted on those to get me through the week! And if all else fails, the chicken patty is a DH staple. Me oh my how I love deep-fried processed chicken in my belly! Are we sensing a pattern here? Although the DH is a great place to run into all of your past hookups, get an ego boost from the guys serving meatloaf, or work off your hangover with a chocolate chip waffle (I won’t tell if you won’t), it’s not always the place for a healthy meal that’s both satisfying and not on the LeGrain rotation.
The salad bar, one of the DH’s healthier alternatives (ranch soaked carrots don’t count), provides a plethora of opportunities for the health conscious Emersonian. But even Spinach, garbanzo beans, and turkey slices can get repetitive. Here’s a way to use the Dining Hall to create homemade meals that are both your own creations and the healthiest on campus option since straight celery.
Disclaimer: You’ll need a (stir) frying pan for this!
When you hand Maria your Emerson ID – complete with a photo that now looks nothing like you and filled with hundreds of your parents’ dollars that you definitely don’t spend on mixers or munchies or anything – make sure you let her know you’ll be needing a to-go box. Forgo the Eggplant Parm and mashed potatoes, heading straight for the salad bar. Start out by grabbing a few spoonfuls of rice or couscous, but don’t fill up on carbs…there are veggies to be had! Next, go for the spinach. When sautéed, this stuff explodes with flavor. Prance up and down the bar and stock up on veggies. I recommend onions, tomatoes, baby corn, peppers and peas, but don’t let me stop you! Get creative with tofu, celery, broccoli, and whatever else your happy heart desires! But you’re not done yet! We meat lovers should hop over to the sandwich station and ask for a few slices of grilled chicken. Last step: rather than fill your cup with Cappuccino FroYo (it’s back!), pour some olive oil (and maybe a little soy sauce if you’re feeling ambitious) into your paper goblet. As you leave the Dining Hall, don’t let the aromas of sizzling patties and rotisserie chicken get you down. REMEMBER: you’re about to create the best thing that Aramark’s ever seen! More like ambrosiamark! No? Well, I tried.
Once you get to your dorm’s common room, chop up your veggies and chicken. Pour some olive oil into the frying pan, and once its heated up, pour the rice and greens in.
But **leave out the spinach!** Since spinach cooks so quickly, you’ll want to leave this step for later. With a wooden spoon, spatula, or DH provided plastic utensils, mix everything together so that it’s all coated in oil. Continue to mix things up and add your leafy greens once you’re almost ready to chow down.
When it’s all done, make sure you let it cool. Unlike the Home Cooking station, this stuff is the real deal, which means its real hot. Permission to burn your tongue granted though. Your dinner’ll be smelling so tasty, there’s no resisting! Let’s just hope Pappa Bear and Dee aren’t offended once we begin to grace them with our presence less frequently!
Bon appétit!