Recipes & Images by Eve Gittus
Student Recipes
Going to university and haven’t cooked before? These student recipes are an easy way to start, they’re cheap and easy to follow. With most of these ingredients already in your cupboard, these are some fun and more delicious ways to use up spare ingredients.
Miso Soup with Rice
Serves 1 person
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp miso paste
pak choi
mushrooms
dried red chili flakes
1 cup white rice
(or any vegetable of your choice)
Miso soup is traditionally made with tofu and seaweed but you can just about include anything you fancy.
With the remaining ingredients, you could make 2-3 more portions.
Method:
1. Measure 1 cup of rice, rinse thoroughly until water is clear. Cook with 1 1/2 water until fluffy.
2. Boil some water in a pot and add 1 tablespoon of miso paste. Stir and let it boil for a few minutes.
3. Chop up pak choi and mushrooms to your liking.
4. Add vegetables into the soup and cook until soft.
5. Add a shake of dried chili flakes towards the end, for taste.
6. When your rice is cooked, serve it in one bowl and in another, add your soup.
Tip: Once you’ve eaten all the vegetables, the best way to finish your soup is to add your remaining rice to the soup bowl.
Leek & Potato Soup
Serves 2-3 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 chicken stock cubes
1 onion
2 leeks
miniature potatoes
4 cloves of garlic
Method:
- Heat a pan with oil. Chop up garlic and onion into small pieces and throw into the pan. Stir for a couple of minutes.
2. Wash your leeks and cut into chunks.
3. Add leeks into the pan once your onions and garlic have caramelised.
4. Stir for a few minutes.
5. Cut up some potatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
6. Add some boiling water to a jug along with your 2 stock cubes. Stir until stock cubs have dissolved and add into your pan.
7. Throw your potatoes in and once your potatoes are soft, your soup is ready to eat.
For extra flavouring you could add a sprinkle of mixed herbs.
Instant Noodles
Serves 1 person
Prep: 2 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pack of chicken instant noodles
1 cup of frozen vegetables (or fresh vegetables of your choice)
Chili flakes
Method:
- Boil some water in a pan and add your seasoning packet along with some chilli flakes.
2. Throw a cup of frozen vegetables into the pan or chop up some fresh vegetables and add to your pan.
3. wait for about a minute then add your noodles.
4. Cook until noodles and vegetables are soft.
Pesto Pasta with Broccoli
Serves 1 person
Prep: 1 minute
Cooking: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
linguine pasta
pesto sauce
broccoli
salt & pepper
chili flakes
Method:
- Boil some water in a pan and add your pasta. Let it cook til soft.
2. Chop up some broccoli and throw into the pan when the pasta is halfway cooked.
3. Once pasta and broccoli is soft, drain the water and place back onto stove and add some chopped or minced garlic along with a few teaspoons of your pesto sauce.
4. Stir until pasta and broccoli is covered in sauce and add salt and pepper if need be.
Spaghetti Meatballs
Serves 2 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
6 beef meatballs
1 onion
garlic
white button mushrooms
1 tin of tomatoes
spaghetti pasta
mixed herbs
chili flakes
Method:
- Boil some water in a pan and cook your pasta til soft.
2. Heat up some oil in a pan
3. Add your meatballs into the pan and cook for a few minutes. Until the outside of the meatballs turn brown.
4. Open your can on tomatoes and add to your meatballs.
5. Once your pasta is cooked, drain the water and plate it out.
6. Cook your sauce for about 10-15, making sure the meatballs are cooked through.
7. Add mixed herbs and chili flakes for taste.
Tomato & Mushroom Omelette
Serves 1 person
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
white button mushrooms
cherry tomatoes
2 eggs
romaine lettuce
spring onions
sriracha sauce (any hot sauce, optional)
Method:
- Whisk 2 eggs in a bowl and leave to the side.
2. Heat up a frying pan with oil, chop up tomatoes and mushrooms into small chunks and toss into the pan. Stir for a few minutes.
3. Once vegetables are soft, take them out the pan and leave to the side.
4. Add more oil in the pan and pour in your whisked eggs. Cover the pan with the eggs and on low heat let it cook for a few minutes.
5. Cut off the ends of some romaine lettuce and lay them out on a plate.
6. Throw the vegetables onto the eggs and spread evenly.
7. Fold your omelette in half and cut in half.
8. Serve your omelette on top of your romaine lettuce.
9. For some spice, add your favourite hot sauce and enjoy.
This is one easy way to cook yourself a healthy lunch using spare vegetables in your fridge.
Avocado & Tomato on Flatbread
Serves 1 person
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 3-4 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
cherry tomatoes
2 white flatbreads
Method:
- Cut your cherry tomatoes into halves and fry them for a few minutes
2. While tomatoes are cooking, cut your avocado in half and slice them into small pieces and lay them onto one side of your sandwich
3. Add your tomatoes on top of your avocados. Add salt and pepper or any sauce of your choice.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Ham
Serves 1 person
Prep: 1 minute
Cooking: 4 minutes
Ingredients:
cooked ham
cheese of your choice
flatbread
butter
Method:
- Add two slices of ham to one slice of bread
2. Cut some slices of your cheese and place them on top of your ham
3. Add some butter to a frying pan and cook each side of your sandwich for a few minutes on each side (or until the cheese has melted)
Garlic Stir Fried Spinach with Rice
Serves 1-2 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
baby spinach
garlic
soy sauce
chilli flakes
white rice
Method:
1. Measure 1-2 (1 cup per person) cups of white rice, wash and let it cook.
2. Chop up your garlic into small pieces. (However many you want)
3. Heat up your pan with some oil, after washing your spinach, add all your spinach to the pan and stir.
4. Add your garlic and soy sauce and let it cook for a few minutes.
5. Once your rice is cooked, place it on a plate and add your spinach ontop.
This is a healthy and filling lunch. Other vegetables that go well with spinach are bak choi, beansprouts, green beans & mushrooms.
Tuna & Cream Cheese Dip
Serves 1-2 people
Prep: 2 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
cream cheese
1 tin of tuna
salt & pepper
chilli flakes
crackers or oatcakes
Method:
1. Add half a tub of cream cheese to a bowl.
2. Train your tuna chunks and combine them with the cheese.
3. Mix until everything is combined.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
You can eat this as a dip with your choice of crackers or this works perfectly for sandwich fillings. Add some chilli flakes or ginger for a kick.
With the remaining half of your cream cheese, you can make another serving.
Pesto Eggs on Toast
Serves 1 person
Prep: 1 minute
Cooking: 4 minutes
Ingredients:
Pesto sauce
2 eggs
bread
Method:
1. Add a tablespoon of pesto sauce to a frying pan and spread it around the whole pan.
2. Once it starts to heat up, crack in two eggs, carefully.
3. Cook for a couple of minutes and add a lid to finish off the cooking.
4. Toast your choice of bread, add butter if you like.
5. Once your eggs are cooked to your desire, serve them on your toast.
Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta
Serves 2 people
Prep: 4 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
cream cheese
cherry tomatoes
spinach
garlic
penne pasta
Method:
1. Boil some water with salt and cook your pasta.
2. Heat up another pan and add oil.
3. Chop up your garlic and add to the pan, let it cook for a minute while you cut up your tomatoes.
4. Once you’ve washed your spinach and tomatoes, add to your garlic.
5. Stir until spinach is cooked and tomatoes have softened.
6. Add half a tub of cream cheese and a spoon full of some of your pasta water. Mix until you get a creamy sauce.
7. Drain your pasta and set aside.
8. Once your sauce is ready, add your pasta and mix until everything is combined.
Easy summer lunch recipes
Tomato & Feta Pasta
Serves 2 people
Prep: 2 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Plum tomatoes
Feta cheese
Spaghetti pasta
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Method:
- Boil water in a pan and cook your pasta until al dente.
2. While your pasta cooks, chop your plum tomatoes into quarters.
3. Grab a frying pan, add oil to your pan and cook your tomatoes for a few minutes.
4. Once your pasta is cooked, drain the water and add to the same pan with your tomatoes.
5. Break up the feta cheese and sprinkle it onto your pasta and serve.
Vegetable Satay Curry
Serves 2 People
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 30 – 35 minutes
Ingredients:
Long grain rice
Chickpeas
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Onions
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
165ml can of coconut milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
Method:
- Combine your coconut milk, peanut butter and soy sauce, and set aside.
2. Chop up your mushrooms, peppers and onion and fry in a pan.
3. Add your satay sauce and combine with your vegetables. Add the can of chickpeas and let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. While your satay curry is cooking, cook 2 cups of rice.
Pasta Salad
Serves 2 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 8 – 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Pasta of your choice
Feta cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Mushrooms
Cucumber
Sweet corn
Method:
- Boil water in a pan and cook your pasta until al dente.
2. Chop your vegetables into small pieces.
3. Once your pasta is cooked, drain the water and add your chopped vegetables and mix together.
4. Sprinkle some feta cheese and add salt and pepper if needed.
Spicy Honey Chicken Sandwich
Serves 1 person
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 20 – 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
Bread of your choice
Plain flour
1 egg
Paprika
Chilli powder
Honey
Rocket
Method:
- In a bowl, add 3 tbsp of plain flour, add paprika, chilli and salt and pepper and combine together.
2. In another bowl whisk 1 egg and coat your chicken breast. Then add your chicken breast to the flour mixture and coat it.
3. Heat some oil in a pan and add your chicken. Flip the chicken every 5 minutes.
4. Prepare some bread with butter and rocket (or any choice of salad).
5. Once your chicken breast is cooked, drizzle a teaspoon of honey and coat it in the frying pan.
Apple & Almond Salad
Serves 4 people
Prep: 5 – 10 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
Pink lady apple
Iceberg lettuce
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Almond flakes
Balsamic Vinegar
Method:
- Chop your apple into thin slices.
2. Chop your tomatoes into halves and iceberg lettuce into thin strips.
3. Place onto a dish and mix everything together.
4. Sprinkle some almond flakes and drizzle balsamic vinegar.
Avocado & Bacon Sandwich
Serves 2 people
Prep: 2 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Bacon
1 avocado
Cherry tomatoes
1 baguette
Method:
- Fry your bacon until crispy.
2. Cut your avocado in half, remove the seed and mash until smooth.
3. Cut up your tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
4. Once your bacon is cooked, serve on top of your smashed avocado and tomatoes.
Grilled Vegetable Wrap
Serves 1 person
Prep: 2 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Half a bell pepper
Half a courgette
Spinach
Tortilla wrap
Sauce of your choice
Method:
- Slice your courgette and bell pepper into strips and season with salt and pepper.
2. Grill your vegetables for about 5 minutes or until they are charred.
3. Once they are done, serve on a wrap with a handful of spinach and drizzle with the sauce of your choice.
Carrot & Coriander Soup
Serves 2 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 onion
Ground coriander
Olive oil
Carrots
Chicken stock
Method:
- Roughly chop your carrots and onion. Heat up a pan and cook until softened.
2. Add coriander and salt and pepper for taste.
3. Blend everything together until smooth. Pour back into the pan and add your chicken stock.
4. Add more seasoning if need be and serve with bread.