One Pot, Four Dinners

We all know how tiring it can be to have to cook a healthy dinner after a long day of lectures, and mustering up the energy to do all of the washing up afterwards is even harder. These recipes are cheap and easy to cook, but most importantly only require one pot, so you and your housemates can enjoy evening meals with minimal washing up!

Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Serves 2 generously

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Thighs
• 200g Chorizo, sliced 1cm wide
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
• 2 large potatoes, skins on, in 2cm x 2cm cubes
• 2 Carrots, peeled and in 1cm wide slices
• 2 Celery Sticks, in 1cm wide slices
• 1 red pepper, in fine slices
• Handful of Savoy Cabbage
• 1 tbsp Double Cream
• Large knob of Butter
• Salt & Pepper
• Handful of fresh Parsley (TOP TIP – Her Campus recommends that to reduce waste of fresh herbs, keep them frozen and only use them when you need them!)

Method:

1. Place a deep frying pan on a medium heat and add the butter. While that heats up, make three slits in the skin of each chicken thigh before placing in the pan. fry the chicken for 15-20 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
2. Add the chorizo and crushed garlic, along with the potatoes, carrots and celery. Pour enough water into the pan to cover half of the contents.
3. Leave to simmer with a lid on for around 40 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are fully cooked. If the sauce has not thickened, simmer for a further 10 minutes with the lid off.
4. Add the pepper and cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid off.
5. Stir in the cream and parsley and then season to taste.

[pagebreak]

Bacon, Leek and Pea Risotto

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Onion, finely diced
• 5 Rashers of Bacon, finely sliced
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
• 1 and a half Cups of Risotto Rice
• 3 Pints of Chicken or Vegetable Stock (can be made using stock cubes)
• 2 Cups of Frozen Peas
• 1 Leek, in fine slices
• 3 tbsp Single Cream or Crème Fraiche
• Handful of grated Parmesan
• Knob of Butter
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. In a deep pan, fry the bacon on a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, before turning down the heat, and adding a small knob of butter and the onions.
2. Cook the onions for around 10 minutes until they are soft. Then add the rice to the pan and fry for around a minute.
3. Add a ladle full of stock to the pan and continuously stir until it is absorbed by the rice. Keep adding ladles at a time and stir throughout. You may have some stock left over at the end.
4. When the rice is soft, with just a small amount of bite left (it may take a while to get to this stage!), add the leek and peas. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the cream and season to taste.
6. Serve with a handful of grated parmesan sprinkled on top.

[pagebreak]

Spicy Baked Beans with Eggs

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 3/4 Tin of Haricot Beans
• Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
• 1 Large Onion
• 3 tbsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 Fresh Red Chili, thinly sliced (this can be replaced by 1/2 tsp of crushed dried chillis)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 4 Eggs
• Salt & Pepper

(TOP TIP – Her Campus recommends wearing an apron for this recipe as Turmeric easily stains clothes)

Method:

1. Her Campus recommends using a deep frying pan that can be used on both the hob and in the oven for this recipe – if you don’t have one, the recipe will still work but will need 2 pans. If using a pan that can go in the oven, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees or 160 degrees fan.
2. Cut the onion in half and slice into thin half cresents
3. Heat the pan up on a medium – high setting, before adding 2 tbsp oil and the spices. Cook for around 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the spices, before adding the onion and turning the heat down.
4. Cook the onions until they are soft for around 5 minutes. Then add the beans and tomatoes to the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the tomato puree, red chili, sugar and season to taste.
6. If you are using a pan to go in the oven, make deep wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into them. Put the pan in the oven for 15-20 until the whites of the eggs have set and the yolks are as you like them.
7. If you do not have an oven pan, you will need to separately poach 4 eggs, by boiling water in a pan and breaking the eggs into it. Let them cook for around 2-4 minutes, depending on how you like them. Take them out and place them in the pan with the beans.
8. Her Campus recommends you serve the egg and beans with a toasted roti or a bagel.

[pagebreak]

Warming Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Onion, roughly chopped
• 3 and a half tbsp Ground Cumin
• 1 and a half tbsp Ground Coriander
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Butternut Squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into rough chunks
• 2 Medium-sized Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into rough chunks
• 3 Carrots, peeled and cut into rough chunks
• 1 Large Potato, peeled and cut into rough chunks
• 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
• Knob of Butter
• 4 tbsp Honey
• 3 tbsp Double Cream
• Handful of fresh Coriander
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter on a low heat before adding the onion and spices. Fry for around 10 minutes until the onion is soft.
2. Add all of the vegetables, and pour in enough water to just cover them. Add the stock cubes as well. Turn up the heat to let the water boil, and once this happens turn the heat down again and place a lid on the pan to let the soup simmer.
3. Cook the soup for around half an hour to an hour, until the vegetables are fully cooked and beginning to break down.
4. Add the honey and season to taste.
5. Blend or use a masher to give the soup a smooth texture.
6. Stir in the double cream and check for seasoning again.
7. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh coriander and enjoy!

Picture Credits: www.pinterest.com

• food
• health
• recipes
• student
• weight