Dining halls have all you can eat buffets, so you never need any other food, right? Wrong. Sometimes pizza and french fries every night can get real old, real fast. Plus, keeping off the freshman 15 is everyone’s goal, am I right? And don’t get me started about how miserable the walk over there can be in the winter! So as an alternative, here are a few recipes you can make in your dorm room with ease.
Fried Rice
In a bowl, combine ½ cup of rice, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Stir this mixture, and then put it in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. Then add ½ cup of frozen carrots and peas in to cooked rice. In a separate mug, beat 2 eggs and a dash of a salt. Then put both the bowl and the mug into the microwave for another 1-2 minutes. Beat the eggs up into small bits, add them to the rice, then mix everything and enjoy!
Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
Get one spaghetti squash and cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and rub oil, salt, and pepper all over the inside. Microwave the squash for about 10-15 minutes. Then use a fork to shred the squash’s insides into noodle-like strands. Next, microwave frozen meatballs with pasta sauce for 2 minutes so the meatballs are warm and fully cooked. Put the meatballs on your squash noodles and eat up!
Chicken Quesadilla
Get a rotisserie chicken (always available at Wal-Mart) and shred it. Take ½ cup of the shredded chicken and mix it with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning and ½ cup of diced bell peppers. Place tortilla shells in the microwave until they are slightly crispy. Heat the chicken and pepper mixture for 1-2 minutes to cook the peppers, then spread the mix out on one of your warm tortilla shells. Cover this mixture with shredded cheese, place the other tortilla on top and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute to melt the cheese. Slice it up and enjoy your Mexican night in!
Omelet in a Mug
Mix 2 beaten eggs, ½ cup of diced bell peppers, 2 slices of ham diced up into little pieces, ¼ cup of spinach, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper in a mug. Put the mixture in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Stir and have a great breakfast!
Ramen Made Better
There are plenty of ways to upgrade your Ramen noodles. One way is to strain the noodles after they cook and then mix them with ranch dressing. Some suggest mixing peanut butter instead. A great way to make it more of a creamy soup is to add coconut milk. The easiest and least adventurous way for basic white girls like myself is to just mix in some seasonings! I like putting garlic powder, chili powder and parsley in mine to give it a little more flavor!
There are plenty of delicious things you can cook in your room! Just don’t forget the classic Easy Mac!