We’ve all been there, staring into an empty fridge of what seem to be incompatible
ingredients. Eventually the hunger takes control and we find ourselves eating yet
another frozen pizza or questionable cup ‘o noodles. It’s hard being a student let
alone having to make nutritious meals each day on a budget. These dead easy,
healthy and cheap meals will make you the most popular person in your flat-
promise. All the recipes are vegetarian and can be made vegan which makes things
a lot cheaper as well as being a lot kinder to the planet and the animals.
Head over to @foodsday_tuesday to Instagram to follow our student cooking
endeavours.
Beans for All Occasions
Possibly the easiest go to recipe, beans for all occasions, is perfect with roasted
potato, over a bed of rice, on toast, in a burrito and even by its self! The recipe can
be made in bulk and tastes delicious the next day for an easy on the go lunch. This
meal should make for about 2-4 meals depending on your appetite.
Ingredients:
● ½ onion
● ½ tablespoon cooking oil
● Can of mixed pulses or any canned beans of your choice
● Can of corn
● 1 tomato
● Cheese (optional)
● Dried mixed herbs
● Salt & pepper (to taste)
● BBQ sauce
Method
1. Dice your onion- do yourself a favour and watch a YouTube tutorial on how
best to do this and avoid tearing up, it’s never too late to learn.
2. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and add your onion, fry until soft
3. Dice your fresh tomato
4. Add drained beans, corn and diced tomato to your pan
5. After a few minutes add dried mixed herbs, salt & pepper and BBQ sauce.
6. Mix to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly coated
7. Leave on heat until the BBQ sauce smells fragrant and your mixture is warm
Potato Lovers Unite
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celcius
2. Slice your potatoes lengthwise
3. Lightly coat with oil, mixed herbs, salt and pepper
4. Roast for about 30 minutes until soft, keep an eye on them throughout the
process to ensure they aren’t overcooking
5. Remove potato from oven and scoop out a little bit of the middle- you can add
this potato to your bean mixture
6. Spoon the bean mixture over the roasted potato and top with cheese if you
wish
7. Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted
8. Serve with sauce of your choice- my favourite is mayonnaise and sweet chilli
Budget Burrito Bowl
1. Cook 1 cup of rice however you usually would, over the stove, in the
microwave or if you are lucky enough to own one- in a rice cooker
2. Add a handful of baby spinach to your bowl and spoon the rice on top
3. Top with the bean mixture and some fresh avocado if you’re feeling fancy
Nutty Asian Stir-fry
If you’re a sucker for peanut butter you have to try this recipe- you’ll forget how many
vegetables you’re eating. Plus, this recipe is tasty the next day, even served cold if
you’re caught out without a microwave.
Ingredients:
● Block of tofu (soft or hard depending on your preference)
● Fresh or frozen vegetables of choice (e.g. carrots, broccoli, zucchini)
● ½ onion
● ½ tablespoon olive oil
● ¼ cup of peanut butter
● ¼ cup of soy sauce
● Chilli to taste
● Rice noodles
Method
1. Dice your tofu into cubes
2. In a separate pot cook your rice noodles, following the instructions on the
packet
3. Heat oil in a pan over a medium heat and add in onion, cook until onion is soft
4. Add tofu to the pan, frequently stirring to ensure even cooking
5. Add vegetables and cook on a medium heat until they begin to soften
6. In a separate bowl combine peanut butter, soy sauce and chilli
7. Add a dash of hot water to make a thick sauce like consistency
8. Add the sauce into the pan and stir to thoroughly coat the tofu and vegetables
9. Add cooked rice noodles and combine with the stir-fried mixture
10. Serve with crushed peanuts and enjoy your (almost) restaurant quality meal
Words By Neesha Sinnya