Fine dining...in the dorm? Short ribs, scallops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, add the oil and begin to heat over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs liberally with salt and black pepper. Brown the short ribs on all sides in the saucepan, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the short ribs to a separate platter.

Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, onion, celery and carrot. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften and turn golden around the edges, approximately 3 minutes. Add the red wine, cola, bay leaf and herbs and bring to a boil. Add the short ribs back to saucepan and add water as necessary to barely cover the saucepan’s contents. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven until the short ribs are tender, approximately 2 hours.

When the short ribs have cooled, remove the meat from the bone, roughly chop and set aside.  Strain the cooking liquid and reserve in a separate bowl. Chill for at least 4 hours and remove any fat that has solidified on the bowl’s surface. Combine the now defatted cooking liquid with the beef and set aside. The short ribs are best made one day in advance and reheated over low heat before final assembly.

Preheat an 8” skillet over medium-high heat. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and black pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and add the scallops when the oil begins to smoke very faintly.

Cook the scallops until a golden crust has formed on the first side, approximately 2 minutes.  Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes. For smaller scallops, reduce the cooking time to 1 minute on the second side.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and season with 2 pinches of salt and black pepper to taste. Distribute the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Place the cauliflower in the oven and roast until the cauliflower is golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and soy sauce and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Distribute the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Place the mushrooms in the oven and roast until they are crispy around the edges, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.