Quick and easy student meals on a shoestring budget.
The life of a student can be very hectic (especially at the moment) and often, we don’t have the time or money to put a lot of effort into what we eat. However, this doesn’t mean that a student’s diet has to be bland, boring, or wasteful.
Here are some simple ways to re-use leftovers to turn unwanted food into culinary innovations that even Gordon Ramsay wouldn’t ridicule!
One-Pot Dishes -
There’s nothing more delicious than chucking all your ingredients together in one pot and ending up with a big bowl of goodness. Plus, one-pot dishes mean less mess and, therefore, less time spent cleaning up - so everyone’s happy!
If you ever find yourself with half an onion spare and an avocado that’s slowly turning brown, why not turn the leftovers into a delicious veggie chili? Instead of a Quorn mince base, use mushrooms for a more cost-efficient and healthier option. Got a couple of veggie sausages being neglected in the fridge? They’ll make the perfect addition to any casserole or pasta bake. If meat substitutes are outside of your student budget, peppers, courgettes and aubergines are the holy trinity of ingredients in any one-pot dish - cheap, delicious and nutritious!
What’s more, by batch cooking, you can simply freeze your leftovers and be left with a tasty, pre-prepared meal, ready for the microwave. Alternatively, pool together ingredients with your flatmates to make big group meals that’ll be sure to save you lots of money and prevent any extra food waste.
Here are some links to my favourite recipes for one-pot dishes packed with flavour:
Leftover Carbs -
Carbs are the staple in my student diet as they are incredibly cost effective and release lots of energy, making it marginally easier to make it through a long day at the library.
However, I often struggle to get the right quantities when I cook and end up left with excessive amounts of rice or pasta. Instead of throwing these leftovers away, cover and save for the next day.
Day-old rice is the perfect ingredient for making fried rice as it loses its moisture overnight, making it firmer and less mushy. Cold pasta can be re-used in a hearty pasta salad and kept in the fridge for days as a side or a main. Add extra couscous to your bowl of soup to make it go that step further.
For something a little fancier, leftover risotto can be dipped in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs
to create Arancini (risotto balls in crispy breadcrumbs) which make a very impressive starter dish to any student dinner party. Serve with some tomato sauce and you’ve got yourself an authentic Sicilian meal, all from your fridge leftovers.
Here are some tasty recipes that use leftover carbs :
Fruit and Vegetables -
Fresh fruit and veg are often tricky as they have a short expiration date. No one wants to be left eating a mushy banana that’s gone brown. However, these overripe ingredients are perfectly fine to go into a juice or smoothie, which makes a great portable breakfast for students in a rush for their 9 am.
There are so many ways to make a smoothie delicious - I like to add nuts and seeds to mine for extra protein and nutrients. It’s even cheaper and easier to use frozen fruit and vegetables instead of fresh produce to make your smoothies.
Here are some quick and easy juice/smoothie recipes :
Strawberry, banana and chia seed
Kale, avocado and cucumber
Carrots, oranges, ginger
Therefore, there’s no need to throw away unused ingredients. Leftovers are cost-saving, environmentally friendly and, ultimately, can provide a source of culinary inspiration.
Here are some cookbooks I recommend packed with quick and easy recipes to get you started:
Speedy BOSH! - Henry Firth &. The Green Roasting Tin - Speedy MOB - Ben Lebus
Ian Theasby Rukmini Iver
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