Eating in college/university can be hell on earth, especially when you can’t cook, have no idea where to start, and you don’t have the time for it. More often than not, I hear my friends complaining that they just can’t be assed, which is so valid because in between lectures that seem to go on for years and extracurriculars that end at the buttcrack of dawn, who even has the time? Even when they do feel like cooking, they may not have planned their groceries, so the ingredients they have aren’t enough to cook a whole meal.
Therefore, the magic food genie (me) has decided to rescue you guys by making a list of all the easiest foods you can cook from every cuisine (yay diversity) and narrowing down the ingredients to a shopping list at the end. Keep in mind that the ingredients I list are only basic ingredients, and any specific recipe you follow may have more, but you could always make do with substitutes.
Also, the food I write down may not be authentic, but in the spirit of making it more accessible to college students, as Singaporeans say, give chance. I also haven’t included complete recipes, just the general gist.
America
- Burgers
Burgers are so simple to assemble. All you need are a few basic veggies, cheese, and a good sauce (ketchup, mayo, cut up pickles). I recommend buying pre-made patties if you can’t be bothered to season and cook your own (valid). Here’s a breakdown of what I would put in mine:
Brioche buns, burger sauce, patties grilled on a pan with cheddar/any cheese of your choice melted on top, tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, baby spinach (my favourite and most versatile leafy green), and pickles. - Chicken and salad
Season some chicken breast with whatever your little heart desires and pan fry or airfry it. I usually do Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and paprika. I love to pair it with a mayo salad. You could have baked potatoes on the side as well to make it more filling. - Mac and cheese
Not going under the Europe section for obvious reasons. Mac and cheese is super versatile and you really only need butter, cheddar and milk at the minimum. If you have cream from other recipes, and have the time to make a roux, go for it. Put hot dogs inside for protein and a bite of comfort.
Mexico and South America
- Quesadillas
Too simple. You don’t even need the individual seasonings. Just buy quesadilla seasoning, sprinkle that over your protein of choice, pan fry or air fry, and shred. Add to a tortilla with cheese, fold, and toast. If you have the ingredients, whip up guacamole (avocados, salt, lemon juice, chopped tomatoes and coriander) and pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, coriander, salt, and pepper). - Fajitas
A great way to add veggies in your diet, requires the same seasonings as quesadillas, with a few tweaks depending on the recipe you follow. The fun is in the assembly! - Nacho bowl
Dish up some tortilla chips, top it with a four cheese mix, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, canned beans and any protein of your choice.
Europe
- Pesto pasta
All you need to do is combine some store-bought pesto with butter, add heavy cream, Italian seasoning, paprika, and Parmesan. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and serve! - Tomato cream sauce pasta
Same ingredients as the pesto, but substitute the pesto for tomato paste. Gigi Hadid never let us down.
There are infinite pasta recipes, it would take me forever to list them. As long as you have cream, cheese and tomatoes, you can make any variation of any pasta ever. - Gyros
Marinate meat of choice in yogurt, Italian seasoning, garlic, lemon juice, pickle juice. If you can, make some tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt, seasoned) and chips and put it in a tortilla wrap with some lettuce and tomatoes (typically in a pita but we’re trying to save on ingredients so hopefully our Greek besties will forgive us).
Africa, South Asia and the Middle East
- Shakshuka
A simple breakfast or lunch made with cooking down garlic, onions, tomatoes with cumin and paprika and cracking a few eggs on top to cook. I love to eat mine with buttered toast or garlic bread. - Jollof rice
Sounds intimidating, but there are so many versions that don’t require too many ingredients. The basic ingredients are bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and jollof spice blend. Of course, without specific seasonings, it won’t taste as rich as traditional Jollof rice, but it’ll still be super yum for a quick fix. - Butter chicken
Sounds intimidating, but you really only need onions, garlic ginger paste, tomatoes, cream, garam masala and cumin for the most basic kind of butter chicken. Honestly, if you really don’t want to go through the hassle, you can buy butter chicken paste and cook that into the chicken, and I’m sure it’ll taste great. - West African spinach stew
Finely mince tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, habanero peppers (if you have any) and add some spinach and meat of your choice. Season with chicken bouillon, black pepper and paprika. (Caution: not authentic! Please don’t come for me.)
East Asia
- Fried rice
Super easy, all you really need is rice, whatever you want to put inside, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil drizzle. Spring onions are optional! - Chilli oil noodles
Drizzle hot oil over chilli flakes, green onions and garlic, toss into noodles (or pasta if you’re trying to save on ingredients) and toss with soy sauce. Perfect quick and easy meal. - Stir fry
The great thing about East Asian food is that it uses mostly the same ingredients. Toss veggies into fried garlic and onion and stir fry with soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Pairs perfectly with rice. - Tuna mayo poke bowl
Add tuna to some mayo with sriracha, and soy sauce. Serve with rice, topped with cucumbers and avocado and seaweed if you have some!
Shopping List:
(this is a combined shopping list for all the recipes listed here)
seasonings:
salt
pepper
paprika
Indian spice mix
Italian seasoning
Jollof spice mix
soy sauce
sesame oil
oyster sauce
chilli flakes
quesadilla seasoning
aromatics:
garlic
ginger paste
onions
chillies
spring onions
coriander
carbs:
pasta
noodles (optional)
tortilla wraps
bread
rice
Potatoes
dairy:
eggs
4 cheese mix
cream
milk
yogurt
butter
olive oil
veggies:
baby spinach
lettuce
tomatoes
avocados
lemon juice
frozen veggie mix
stir-fry veggie packet
meat:
chicken breast
fish fillets
burger patties
ham
sausages
canned tuna
others:
pesto sauce
tomato paste
ketchup
pickles
mayo
sriracha
canned beans
chicken buillon
seaweed
This will last you about a month, depending on how much you buy. Happy cooking, and don’t burn any kitchens down!