We have reached the point in the year where missing home cooking is beginning to become unbearable. It feels like we are eating the same three meals every day, every week, every month, and so on.
The struggle truly becomes real when your Hillcard money seems to vanish into thin air.
But what if there was a way to fix all of this?
If you are anything like me, you have taken up the art of cooking in your dorm.
Most housing on campus comes with a full blown kitchen. All you need is the materials and skills to use it. If you lack either, it’s okay. The odds of you knowing someone that can cook and someone that has the materials to cook are greater than you think.
As we all know, Stonehill does have policies regarding items we are and are not allowed to keep with us. This, of course, does make things more difficult. Although, as a good friend of mine always says, your mind is only as incapable of something as you allow it to be.
I for one was very determined to find a way around this.
There are a few easy and affordable meals I find to be fairly popular amongst my suitemates and myself this year. One being my college lo mein recipe. So long as you follow the steps and measurements, anyone can make it.
You’ll need a fry-pan, a spatula of sorts and a Keurig. Your ingredients include a pack of ramen, butter, minced garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, an egg, and red pepper flakes.
To start, you’ll want to heat the pan over the stove or any automatic shut-off hot plate/ griddle you may have. Yes, it does have to be an automatic shut-off, otherwise it will not be permitted.
While the pan is heating up, I would recommend making your ramen with your Keurig (if you do not own a Keurig but you do own a pot, boil the ramen on the stove until cooked). I pour as much water into the machine as it can take, and let the hot water sit in a bowl with the ramen. Then, cover the bowl with some sort of plate because this will keep the steam inside the bowl and keep the water from evaporating when cooking your noodles.
Next, take a spoon and scoop roughly a tablespoon (or enough to coat the pan) of butter and let it sizzle. Then, add a scoop of minced garlic and stir that up. After, pour a circle of soy sauce around the pan. If you like things a little saltier, do a spiral of soy sauce in the pan. Let that sizzle while you stir up your noodles (which should be soft enough to break up by now), and then add a tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir this mixture together as best you can because it can be tough sometimes.
The ramen should be cooked enough at this point. Drain the excess water from the bowl, and then dump your ramen into your pan. You’ll want to mix the ramen until the sauce is evenly distributed, and the ramen turns a golden brown color. You may want to add a splash of soy sauce to help this along.
Once the sauce has turned into a glaze on the ramen, you can put the ramen back into the bowl, take the egg and fry it in the pan. I always break the yolk and let it cook until it is complete. Then I use my spatula to chop it into pieces and dump it on top of my noodles.
Lastly, top your lo mein with red pepper flakes, and voilá!
All in all, this should only take about 10 minutes to throw together. It is a sweet and salty combination that fills your appetite. My suitemates like to request this meal often as their dinner, so we go through a lot of ramen!
I have also taken up the habit of buying food from the commons and taking it home to cook to my liking. Take brunch for example. I love getting country-style eggs, potatoes and some bacon on the weekends. But sometimes if you mobile order and do not pick it up immediately, it can be cold and soggy from sitting in those containers.
I like to take mine home and break out my trusty frying pan. I start by cooking the eggs more and adding some salt, pepper, and a Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (yes I am particular to spicy foods). Sometimes I will even scramble an extra egg with it when I feel like the portion size is not enough.
Then, I throw the bacon in the pan to let it sizzle for a few seconds. Anything longer than a few seconds and the bacon will begin to burn.
If anything, I will use the toaster oven we keep in my kitchen to reheat the potatoes and make them crunchier.
Sometimes, I will also take home food from the simple seven station at the commons. I enjoy making a stir fry out of the chicken, rice, and a veggie of my choice. I just make the same sauce I use for my lo mein, and mix it all together!
Other times I like to buy a cup of broccoli cheddar soup from ABP, and some raw broccoli from the salad station at the commons. I go home and fry the broccoli with garlic and butter, then mix it together in a soup pot with the soup. I will add extra cheese I usually keep in my fridge into the pot. The combination makes a delicious and rich broccoli cheddar soup.
All in all, I find these to be effective methods to feeding myself, all while saving a few dollars. I also find my recipes to be very popular amongst my suitemates and friends who seem to make it a routine to stop by whenever they know I am cooking.
Point being, there are simple and cheap ways to have delicious meals on campus. It is only a matter of utilizing the materials and skills you have, or bribing someone you know who has the capabilities.
Just always remember kitchen safety; never leave your pans unattended, or if you smell something burning do not continue to cook it. Also, be careful with using sharp materials, and know where the closest fire extinguisher is located. And always, clean up after yourself!
If you have any other questions or would like any other recipes to try, you can contact me through my school email at pbettencourt@students.stonehill.edu.
Happy cooking!