Making a switch to cooking for yourself or saving money during the school year can be a big adjustment. Luckily there are apps like Pinterest and TikTok that help you organize new recipes or simple cooking life hacks to help you get started . Whether you are looking for some new ideas to change up your diet or you just need ideas in general that are easy and affordable, here are a few of our favorite recipes.
Toast with Sriracha and Honey
As simple as this sounds it is something that has never occurred to me until TikTok creator Ashka Vaidya posted a video on it.
Ingredients:
- Any kind of bagel (best with something more savory, like Everything, Cheddar, etc.)
- Sriracha
- Honey
- Cream cheese
- Everything bagel seasoning (optional)
Instructions:
- Apply sriracha and honey to the bagel before toasting. Spread the sauce on the bagel evenly.
- Toast the bagel for 5-7 minutes or until the top is toasted. It should look burnt because of the sriracha and honey mixture.
- Top with cream cheese for a sweet and spicy snack.
Banana Bread muffins
This recipe is a perfect use for rotting or mushy bananas that sit on the counter and never get touched. Instead of wasting them, make these delicious muffins.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 mushy bananas (preferably browning)
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Walnuts/chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400° and either line the muffin pan with liners or butter them individually.
- Mash all of the bananas in a large bowl, until only small chunks remain. Add in melted butter and brown sugar and stir until fully combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined. Add in nuts or chocolate chips, if wanted.
- Disperse evenly into the muffin tray.
- Reduce the oven to 350° and place muffins in, cook for 20 minutes.
- Once fully cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool for five minutes.
Cake Batter Smoothie Bowl
This is a unique choice for a smoothie bowl, it is still healthy and easy to make. The plus is that this smoothie bowl tastes like cake batter and is sweet and delicious.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup almond milk
- ½ teaspoon cake batter extract or vanilla extract
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 tablespoons of oats (for texture)
- 1 scoop of protein powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of sprinkles
- ½ tablespoon of chia seeds
- Handful of ice
Instructions:
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender until mixed. Add more almond milk if too thick.
- Pour into a bowl and top with fruit or whatever you want. Enjoy!
Moving on to some meals or additions to meals, that are quick, easy and don’t break the bank. Most of these you can make large batches of and eat for more than one night.
Quick Hibachi Style Fried rice
Fried rice can be paired with a number of different add-ins, whether you want chicken, veggies or pork. You can also add it to a wrap or a salad. This recipe makes it easy and tastes just like hibachi style rice.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups of cooked white rice (or how ever much you need)
- About 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
- ¼ cup of onions (more if desired)
- 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic (more if desired)
- Garlic powder (add as desired)
- Onion powder (add as desired)
- 3-4 tablespoons of butter
- 2-3 eggs
- Oyster sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- Add garlic and onions to an already hot pan with a little olive oil. Cook until golden brown and start to smell flavorful.
- Add in cooked rice and mix together in the pan. Cook on medium heat for five minutes, turning every so often.
- Move all rice to one side of the pan and crack in your eggs. Scramble the eggs off to the side and then add into the rest of the rice mixture.
- Add in the desired amount of soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic and onion powder. Combine together and let sit for five minutes turning it often.
- Add in the butter and mix it throughout the rice, then let sit with a lid until it starts to get crunchier. (Letting it sit is optional)
- Add it to a bowl with some chicken and enjoy!
Lemon Garlic Shrimp pasta
This easy to make meal is quick and affordable and can be paired with any meat. This lasts for a while if you make enough, double the recipe and it adds more quick heatable meals.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. angel hair pasta
- 1 lb. shrimp
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
- ¼ cup of lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ cup of butter
Instructions:
- Boil pasta until fully cooked. While pasta is cooking, steam the shrimp. Drain pasta and set aside.
- In a large pan, add garlic powder, butter, salt and pepper on medium heat, until butter is fully melted.
- Add in pasta, shrimp and lemon juice, stir until combined
- Add lemon zest and parmesan cheese to taste and Enjoy!
Hawaiian Shrimp bowls
This delicious meal can be added to the fried rice recipe listed above, for a nice homemade dinner.
Ingredients:
- Rice
- 1 lb. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sriracha
- 2 tablespoons of honey
Toppings:
- 2 mangoes, diced
- 3 ears of corn, kernels removed
- ¼ cup of shredded purple cabbage
- Cilantro
- Pickled onions
Cilantro Lime Crema (optional)
- ¼ cup of sour cream
- 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1 Lime, juice and zest
- 3 tablespoons of cilantro finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions:
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha and honey. Allow the shrimp to marinate at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes, flip and cook for 2-3 minutes until shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
- Add rice to a bowl and top with shrimp, mango, corn, cabbage, pickled onions, and cilantro. Drizzle the Cilantro Lime Crema over the shrimp and Enjoy!