Out of the Lunch Box: Recipes You Should Try

Tired of eating the same food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? You’re not alone, we’ve all been there. As a college student, grabbing lunch at a dining common is the quickest and easiest option, but it’s not always the most nutritious. Here are some easy options for you to make at home, and they’re all recipes from fellow college students, so you know they can be made. 

Mushroom Fried Rice 

• Make enough rice for yourself (ideally one cup of rice and, with it, one cup and a half of water).
• Cut 3-4 medium-sized mushrooms into tiny, bite-sized pieces.
• Sauté the mushrooms with olive oil in a deep pan until they’re light brown and add some spring onions in the mix too. 
• Add a dash of vinegar, two tablespoons of soy sauce and one tablespoon of Kung Pao Stir Fry sauce (more can be added according to preference). 
• Add the equivalent of rice into the mushrooms, so one does not overpower the other. 
• Mix it all together until the rice soaks up the sauce (and burns if you like the way Frank does it!)
• Add some more spring onions on top for flavor. 
• You’re all done!

Pink Pasta

• Start with boiling your favorite kind of pasta and cut up some of your favorite vegetables (my personal pasta type and vegetables have a very direct correlation. Rigatoni is with red and yellow bell peppers, and Spaghetti is with no vegetables at all).
• Add some olive oil and minced garlic/garlic paste into a pan and cover the base of the pan with it. 
• Time to add the sauce. There are two ways you can make the sauce, either with cream or with flour. 
• If you choose cream, it’s much simpler – just a tablespoon of red sauce, and two tablespoons of cream (more can be added according to preference). 
• If you choose flour – it’s one teaspoon of flour mixed with a tablespoon or two of milk, enough to make sure there are no clumps. Then it’s time to add the red sauce into it. 
• Add some cheese (I use the mozzarella from Trader Joe’s) and stir the mixture around until it thickens. 
• Add your spices (I use salt, basil, oregano, and red chili flakes), and put them in based on your preferences. 
• Keep stirring your pasta until it’s a good mix of sauce and spice and finally, put it into a bowl, ready to eat. 

Seekh Kebab Rolls

• Defrost the Seekh Kebabs on a pan with olive oil, and fry on the pan until they’re golden brown. 
• Warm up a pita bread either on the pan, or in the microwave. 
• Cover the pita bread with a layer each of hummus, tzatziki, or any dip/spread of your choice. 
• Add pickled onions, lettuce, and/or any vegetables of your choice. 
• Add the Seekh Kebabs into the wrap and roll it up. 
• Enjoy!

A little creativity in the kitchen goes a long way, and these easy student-approved recipes save time and frustration when thinking about what you’re going to cook next. Next time you want to re-do one of your recipes for the millionth time, try one of these instead. Happy eating!

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