September 22, 2020, by Agnes

Favourite Student Recipes

I was never into cooking before university, but living in self-catered halls made me into quite the chef. Of course, being a student on a budget and having to operate out of a shared kitchen (and fridge) meant that the recipes I could choose from were a bit limited. This is because you won’t want to buy fancy ingredients you’re going to only eat once, nor will you want to spend hours on a dish. On the other hand, you won’t want to eat beans on toast or tomato pasta every single day. 

So, when you’re craving something different but don’t want to spend lots of time or money – you’ve got this post to lean on! Here are the top 3 of mine and my flatmates’ favourite student-friendly recipes.

Aggie’s Tomato Chickpea Curry

Ingredients (3-4 servings)
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1 can of chopped tomatoes
  • 3 cans of chickpeas
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tbsp of mustard (optional)
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • Oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
Method
  1. Chop the onion into cubes.
  2. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion and salt. Fry for 4-5 mins on medium heat.
  3. Add cumin, turmeric, chilli and cinnamon. Mix and fry for a few mins.
  4. Add coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, soy sauce, mustard and sugar. Cook for 5-8 mins on max heat.
  5. Add drained chickpeas, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5-6 mins. 
  6. Add salt/sugar to taste
  7. Serve with rice or veggies!

Ella’s Creamy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients (2-3 portions)
  • 2 chicken breasts (or ~300g Quorn chicken pieces)
  • Spring onions
  • Lots of garlic
  • Creme fraiche
  • Oil (Use garlic oil for extra garlic flavour)
Method
  1. Mince the garlic/chop into tiny cubes
  2. Chop some spring onions
  3. Slice the chicken into cubes
  4. Heat oil in a frying pan on high heat. 
  5. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned.
  6. Add spring onions and the garlic and cook until the chicken is fully cooked.
  7. Add creme fraiche and cook for another 3 mins while stirring. 
  8. Serve with some pasta!

Zoe’s Pork & Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients (3-4 portions)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 4 thick pork chops (If you don’t eat meat, you can replace this with your favourite veggies! I recommend carrots, potatoes and/or Brussels sprouts.)
  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • Grated rind and juice from 1 lime
  • A handful of coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
  • 2 spring onions
  • Salt and pepper
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 220℃ (Gas Mark 7)
  2. Mix the oil and ground coriander in a bowl and season well. 
  3. Toss the pork chops, sweet potatoes and garlic in the oil and spread out on a shallow baking tray.
  4. Place in a preheated oven for 10 minutes
  5. Meanwhile, stir together the honey and lime rind and juice in a bowl.
  6. Turn the meat and sweet potatoes over, then drizzle over the honey sauce.
  7. Put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden and cooked through
  8. Scatter over the chopped coriander, chilli and spring onions.
  9. Serve with salad or some veggies!

A tip for student cooking is: if you’re making a yummy meal, make loads! You’ll spend the same amount of time cooking, but you will have leftovers that will last you a few days!

Happy cooking!

Posted in Agnes

Previous Post

What to Expect during your First Few Weeks of University

Next Post

Journaling for the soul