We all know food waste is a huge problem, but when you’re a university student, making weekly meal plans is often not a top priority when there’s so much else going on. We’ve all been there – discovering mouldy veggies at the back of your fridge and tossing out those sad-looking cans of beans way past their expiration date. However, cooking smart (prepping is the magical word here) and learning to make the most of leftovers and ingredients that are about to go off will help you stay on budget as well as protect the environment. Here are 3 easy and tasty recipes that you can make using things you probably already have laying about in your kitchen.
Leftover lunch bowl
Who knew microwaved leftovers could look so Pinterest-worthy! This recipe can be adapted in so many ways depending on what you have in your fridge, making it the perfect student meal.
Ingredients:
A grain of your choice: brown rice, quinoa, barley…
Protein of your choice: tofu, chicken, beans, whatever you like
Vegetables: again, whatever you have, but some suggestions are:
-carrots, swedes and onions roasted in the oven
-avodaco
-kale
-bell pepper
For the tahini sauce:
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
1 teaspoon honey, sugar or golden syrup
salt and pepper to taste
If you don’t have quinoa or rice left over, cook it according to the instructions on the packet. Prep your veg. For oven-roasted vegetables, preheat the oven to 175°C. Chop up whatever vegetables you want to use and season them with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown and beginning to crisp. To make the tahini sauce, simply combine all the ingredients and stir. (If you don’t have tahini or just fancy something else, try sweet chili sauce or different salad dressings.) Assemble your delicious bowl so it looks as cute as possible and drizzle the sauce on top. Enjoy.
Banana “ice cream”
Banana ice cream is easy to make, tastes great and there isn’t a single unhealthy ingredient in it (unless you’re allergic to bananas of course). But that’s not all – it’s the perfect way to use up those ripe bananas that have been sitting on the kitchen counter for a bit too long and they keep in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
Ingredients (1 big serving):
2 ripe bananasA flavouring of your choice: cocoa powder, berries, spices, peanut butter…
Peel and chop up your and put them in the freezer overnight or for at least 3 hours. Once they’re frozen, put the banana pieces into a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add your flavourings and blend some more to make the ice cream nice and fluffy. The ice cream is ready to eat straight away or you can put it back in the freezer for a bit if the bananas have begun to melt while you’re blending. Grab a spoon and enjoy!
Savoury Egg Muffins
These muffins are so delicious that they’ve always been devoured before any photos can be taken, but rest assured, they are as mouth-watering as your imagination lets them. The muffins are super easy to make and keep in the fridge up to several days, so are ideal for those rushed mornings when you’ve yet again sacrificed breakfast for 10 extra minutes of sleep. Pop a few muffins in the microwave for a minute or two and they’ll be as good as the day you made me. They also make tasty afternoon snacks – that is, if you still have any left after the morning.
Ingredients (make around 12 small muffins or 8 big ones)
8 eggs2 tbsp of watersalt and pepper to tastewhatever stuffings you want (eg. basil, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olives)
Whisk the eggs and add the water in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients you want and season to taste. Pour the mixture into a greased muffin tray (or sturdy muffin cups to keep the shape) and put in a 175°C preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the muffins are no longer wobbly in the middle. Resist the temptation and let cool before tasting.