QUICK & CHEAP

meals for busy students

Quick and cheap meals for busy students Recipes are a combination of ingredients which have been found to work well together. Feel free to add bits and change things - dried herbs will do fine if you don’t have fresh ones, noodles work in place of rice, cheap tomatoes might need a bit more seasoning than top of the range ones. If you don’t have enough to make a full amount, put less of everything in and cook for one! Use your imagination and try out new variations, but here are a few ideas to start you off…

Tomato Soup 2 onions chopped 2 clove garlic chopped 1 kg fresh tomatoes 2 potatoes chopped 2 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon tomato puree 1 pint of stock (chicken or vegetable) dash of worcestershire sauce or Maggies sauce Heat the oil in a pot and gently sweat the onions until soft then add the garlic, potatoes, sugar, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, stock and tomato puree. Simmer for an hour. Blitz the soup in a blender until smooth then strain through a sieve. Return to a clean pan to heat through. Variations: add cream at the final stage, or add carrots, peppers, basil, a bit of chilli, or Italian herbs (This soup freezes well too).

Easy Minestrone Soup 1oz/25g butter or 1 tablespoon oil 1 onion chopped 50g/2oz frozen carrots ¼ green cabbage shredded 2 x 425g tins tomatoes 1 pint/600ml chicken or vegetable stock 4oz/100g macaroni/or any dried pasta 1 425g/15oz can cannelloni beans drained garlic salt ground black pepper coarsely chopped parsley Melt the butter or oil in a heavy based pot. Add the onion, cabbage and carrots and fry for 3 minutes.Pour in the tomatoes and stock then bring to the boil. Add the pasta and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the beans and season to taste. Sprinkle generously with parsley and serve with bread sticks/ crusty bread.

Cream of Vegetable Soup 1¼ lbs of frozen or fresh vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, courgettes, parsnips etc) 1 oz of butter ½ pint of milk ½ pint of chicken stock milk Salt and pepper Boil the veg in a pan for 10 minutes in the chicken stock. Cool and puree. Add butter, milk and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.’ Optional: thicken with flour and water, or add a chopped potato if you need to. Nice with grated parmesan cheese stirred in.

Welsh Rarebit 2 slices of bread 1oz butter 4oz strong cheese (grated) ½ teaspoon English mustard Worcester sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper Black pepper 1 tablespoon of milk, or beer Toast bread on one side. Put it, toasted side down, in an ovenproof dish or grill pan. Make the topping by melting the butter in a saucepan.Remove from the heat and quickly add and beat in the other ingredients. Spread the mix on top of the bread, and toast the topping under a medium grill. Optional: Beat in an egg yolk to the mix to make it really rich and filling.

Corned Beef Hash (serves 4) 1 chopped onion 1 tin of corned beef Tomato puree (or tomato ketchup) Butter (or oil) 4 large potatoes I beef stock cube Make mashed potatoes: Boil the potatoes, drain and mash them with a little butter, milk and salt & pepper. In a pan, cook the onion with a tablespoon of butter (or oil) until transparent, then add the corned beef (broken into small pieces) and stir it through. Crumble a stock cube through the mix, stir in the mashed potato and put it all into a baking dish and bake in the oven at 180C for 35 minutes. Variation: grate cheese over the top, add sliced tomatoes, stir some frozen peas or other vegetables through the mix. You can substitute the corned beef for flaked stewing steak, or brisket beef leftovers. Mix in a tin of beans before baking.

Vegetable and Lentil Casserole 1 onion Clove of garlic Vegetables (eg 2 potatos, broccoli, 2 carrots and 2 parsnips) 1 stock cube Curry paste or powder Lentils (approx. a teacup full - bigger lentils take longer to cook) Heat a small amount of water in a large pan add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring and adding water occasionally. Add chopped vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water if it sticks. Add curry paste or powder. Crumble in a stock cube and at least a litre of boiling water, so that everything in the pan is covered. Bring to the boil, and then add the lentils. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper and other spices. Fresh coriander optional. TIP: the flavour of stews, soups, curries and dhals improves after the day of cooking.

Chicken Myers 1 tin of condensed chicken soup 4 Chicken breast fillets 2 large tablespoons of mayonnaise 1 teaspoon of mustard (or curry powder) 1 ounce of grated cheese To make the sauce: pour the can of soup into a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise, mustard and grated cheese. Add salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in a casserole pot and pour the sauce over it. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes at 180C. Variation: add more or less cheese to taste, and you can substitute the chicken for turkey or pork. Use leftover cooked chicken (in which case, reduce the cooking time to 25 minutes). You can also add celery (cut into slices) to the mix before cooking, and put a layer of crushed crisps on top, like a savoury crumble.

Nut Roast 150g mixed nuts, chopped (brazil, pecan, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashew nuts...some supermarkets do good deals)

2 medium carrots, chopped 125g cheddar cheese, grated 1 small onion, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon mixed herbs and half teaspoon dried basil 55g porridge oats 250ml vegetable stock 1 tablespoon tomato purée 1 egg, beaten 1 pack of passata (or 2-3 tomatoes, chopped) Sauté the onion in a little olive oil, over a low heat, until transparent. Mix the nuts, carrots, 2/3 of the cheese, oats and herbs in a bowl. Add the tomato purée to the stock and mix. Pour the stock onto the nut mixture and stir in the beaten egg to bind. Spread in a baking dish. Top with the passata or sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake in the oven at 190C (170 if fan oven) for 40-45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to make sure isn’t burning. Place greaseproof paper lightly on top if it’s browning too fast.

Pork and Beans (serves 4) 1lb/450g minced pork 1 onion sliced 1 pint/600ml dry cider 2x15oz/425 cans butter beans drained and rinsed grated zest and juice of 1 orange ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage Place the pork and onion in a non stick pan, season and fry until the meat is well browned. Pork provides enough fat for cooking so you do not need oil). Add the sage, orange zest, orange juice and cider then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes over a high heat. Add the beans and simmer gently for a further 5 minutes.

Sausage Casserole Six sausages (pork, vegetarian or beef) Tin baked beans Tin oxtail soup (or mushroom soup) 3 large potatoes 1 large onion Slice the onion and potatoes into thick slices and place a layer of each into a casserole dish. Put sausages on top and then cover with baked beans and oxtail soup. Cook in the oven for about an hour at 160C until potatoes are soft. Meat sausages: Look at the meat content in sausages before you buy. The higher the meat content the healthier they are for you, and you will feel full up for longer. Cheap sausages are full of wheat, fat, gristle, rusk and salt.

Hot Garlic Mushrooms (Serves 4) 20z/50g butter or 2 tablespoons oil 2 garlic cloves crushed 12oz/350g button mushrooms 3 tablespoons chopped parsley black pepper warm crusty bread/sticks or toast to serve Melt the butter/oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic then the mushrooms and fry over medium heat until mushrooms are heated through (approx. 2 minutes). Season generously with the pepper and stir in the parsley and add lemon wedges to garnish. You can use dried parsley, garlic paste and lemon juice.

Tomato Tart

(family size)

13oz (350g) packet puff pastry 3 tablespoons of pesto 5 or 6 vine ripened tomatoes Salt and black pepper Flour (to roll out the pastry) Olive oil Some herbs – basil, or thyme, or oregano A beaten egg Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Roll out the pastry to 14 inches by 11 inches (35cm by 28cm). Cut two half inch strips off the long edge. Brush a little bit of egg mix on, and paste them back on to the long edges, to make the edge a bit higher. Place this on the baking tray and prick the base all over with a fork, to stop it rising up. Spread the pesto over the base. Slice the tomatoes and lay them on. Brush the pastry edges with egg mix. Season with salt, pepper and scatter with some herbs. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the base is cooked and the sides have puffed up. Drizzle a little oil and salt over the top and serve.

Eggy Bread (French Toast) 1 egg 1 slice of bread Butter or oil to fry, and seasoning to taste Heat a little butter or oil in a frying pan. Beat the egg and soak the slices of bread in it. Add salt & pepper and fry on both sides. Variations: You can add a little milk to the egg to make it go a bit further then soak 2 slices of bread! Melt thin slices of cheese onto your French Toast, or spread with French mustard or marmite. Or why not try it sweet and sprinkle with sugar, spread with jam, or drizzle with maple syrup?

If you have a potato you could… CHOP it into small cubes. Stir in sundried tomato puree, Italian herbs and garlic, then shallow fry in a pan. Variations: add ham or other leftovers when the potato is nearly cooked. Add a beaten egg to turn this into an omelette meal. SLICE it into equal width slices, and fry the potato in the same pan as your sausages, or other meat. STAB it all over with a fork and bake in an oven at 200C for 45 minutes to an hour (or use a microwave). Cut open the cooked potato, and add any filling (coleslaw, grated cheese, tomatoes, tuna mayonnaise, cream cheese, leftover chicken… the possibilities are endless). Variation: Scoop the potato’s soft middle out and mash it with grated cheese, a dash of Worcester sauce, a pinch of mustard and some spring onions, then re – stuff the potato skin with the mix and bake for a further 15 minutes in the oven or 2 or 3 minutes in microwave. Make your own crisps. Maris Pipers are great for this, but other potatoes will do fine as well. These are better (and cheaper) than bought ones! Use the slicer edge on a cheese grater, and thinly slice your potato. Separate the slices and drop them in your deep fat fryer (already hot oil). 2-3 minutes later, when they are golden and float, they’re ready. They go crispier when they dry out. Drain on kitchen roll, until all batches are cooked. Flavour with salt and vinegar. Dip in crème fraiche or mayonnaise flavoured with garlic puree, herbs, chives or chilli or salsa. No potatoes? Then make parsnip, carrot, and beetroot crisps…yum!

Make your own “Take Away”… Burgers Lamb or beef mince Tomato ketchup A slice of bread (grated on your cheese grater into crumbs) A stock cube, A sprinkle of parsley to flavour, with salt and pepper 1 beaten egg Mix the mince together with everything else, and use the egg to bind the mixture together. Shape into rounds and fry in a pan, or grill them until cooked through. Put the burgers in rolls. Variations: add a slice of cheese. Try dipping the whole burger (in its roll), into a beaten egg mix and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes. You might need to put a cocktail stick through it to keep it together. This makes it really filling and a bit different.

Make your own “Take Away”… Pizza bases (family size) 7g easy blend yeast 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ pint warm water (300ml) 1 lb strong white flour 1 teaspoon salt Warm a large bowl, and sieve the flour and salt into it. Tip in the yeast, olive oil, and water then mix to form dough. Knead on a floured board for 8 minutes until smooth. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour (or until doubled in size). Knead dough briefly and lightly oil 4 baking trays. Cut the dough into 4 and roll out into circles or rectangles to fit the tray. Leave covered on baking trays to rise again for 15 – 20 minutes. Choose toppings and bake in an oven for 15 – 20 minutes at 230C. You can buy a jar of pizza topping tomato sauce, use passata, or make your own using chopped tomatoes (fresh or tinned - add a bit of salt, a ½ teaspoon of sugar, and some herbs to taste). Freeze any spare pizza bases “naked” ready for next time.

Make your own “Take Away”… Spaghetti Carbonara (family size) 1lb spaghetti 1 tbsp olive oil 6 rashers streaky bacon, or pancetta (chopped) 1 clove of garlic (crushed) or a teaspoon of garlic puree 4-5 large eggs (beaten) 3oz (75g) parmesan cheese Salt and black pepper Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water. In a separate pan, cook the bacon and garlic in the oil until it is crisp. Drain the pasta in a colander and return to it’s warm pan. Stir the bacon and frying oil into the pasta, add the beaten eggs and a little salt and stir well. Add half the parmesan to the hot pasta and mix. Serve on heated plates, with the rest of the parmesan sprinkled on top.

Sweet Tooth? Microwave meringues 1 egg white 10 oz (275g) icing sugar, sifted Whisk the egg white until firm. Stir in the icing sugar to form a stiff mix and divide into 15 walnut sized balls. Place each in a paper case. Put them 6 at a time into the microwave on full power for 1 ½ minutes (at 750, so reduce if your microwave is more powerful). Watch them rise – these are unbelievable! Great with cream, fruit or melted chocolate.

Sweet Tooth? Chocolate Mousse 6oz (175g) good quality dark plain chocolate 2 tablespoons strong black coffee (1 heaped teaspoon to half a mug of water) 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon of soft butter 2 teaspoons of orange juice or rum (optional) Separate the eggs – yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Melt the chocolate in a bowl; over a pan of simmering hot water (don’t let the chocolate get wet as this will ruin it). Add the coffee to the chocolate, and stir it in. Tip in the egg yolks, butter (and any other flavours – see below). Beat this fast until shiny. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until white and stiff (but not dry). Tip the whites into the chocolate, and fold them through using a big metal spoon. Be gentle and keep as much air in as you can, until you have a fairly even brown mix. Spoon it into small pots / cups or glasses and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. Variations: add 2 teaspoons of orange juice, whiskey liqueur, rum or dried almonds to the mix before stirring through the egg whites.

Sweet Tooth? 5 minute chocolate cup cake 4 tablespoons of flour 4 tablespoons of sugar 2 tablespoons of cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons of milk 3 tablespoons of oil 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips (optional) A small splash of vanilla extract 1 large microwaveable coffee mug Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix, pour in the milk and oil and mix again, add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract and mix for the final time. Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top but that’s fine. Allow to cool a little and pour onto a plate (serves 2, if it has to!).

Save Money Cooking Boil potatoes in a pan and steam other veg above them. (a metal collander will do, but a steamer pan is better because you can seal the heat in) The more layers your steamer pan has the more you can cook on one ring. Always put the lids on pans. Food cooks much quicker and uses less power. Don’t put much water in a pan to boil things in. You only need to cover the vegetables. You can top up later if they need a bit more water - check as you cook, so you don’t boil things dry. Don’t fill a kettle with more water than you are going to use. If you’ve got the oven on to cook a casserole, why not put several things in at the same time, like a pot roast, a chicken, bake a couple of potatoes or apples, cook a quiche, or roast some root veggies. You can freeze cooked portions of any of them and tea’s ready for another few days. Use a little water to fry in, instead of oil or butter. Make four portions of any meal and freeze 3. Cooked meat slices much easier (and thinner) if it’s cut when it is cold. After cooking, let it cool, then chill it in the fridge and slice it when it is cold. You can still reheat it in foil in the oven, the microwave (without foil) or in gravy. This is great for making sandwiches, or salad. Chilling also makes it easy to remove fatty edges.

Save Money Shopping Herbs: If you buy herbs which are growing in pots, trim them often and pop the cuttings in the freezer. Freeze bread slices in pairs, in sandwich bags. You can rinse out the sandwich bags and use them again! Buy dried beans and chick peas in big bags from large or Asian supermarkets, soak overnight and boil before adding to main dish. They are less processed, so are cheaper, healthier and more eco friendly than canned goods. Coconut powder from the same shops works out cheaper than tins of coconut milk as you only need a tablespoon or two for great flavour. If you have a market with a fruit and veg stall nearby, they will often sell a whole punnet of mushrooms, a 2 for 1 deal, or a large bag of “not so perfect” tomatoes (or other veg or fruit) cheap, as the afternoon wears on. If you can make and freeze soup or bolognaise, this is a great way to stock up the freezer. Check out sites like www.supermarket.com for cheap BOGOF deals and price comparisons. Ask your local supermarkets when they drop their prices and where they put their “reduced” items. Shop with a list which is based around the meals you plan to eat in the coming week, and try to stick to it! Remember that most money is spent in supermarkets by being tempted to buy things you didn’t come in for, or didn’t need!

Save Money Cleaning Vinegar, Bicarbonate of soda, washing soda crystals, soda water, lemon juice, salt and soap bars will clean most things just as well as the expensive products in the shops. White Vinegar: on paper towels will clean glass and mirrors. (1 part distilled vinegar to 9 parts water.) Use newspaper or paper towels. Put your mixture into a spray bottle. A “50:50” mix of vinegar and water can remove lime scale in the kitchen or bathroom. Don’t leave it on the taps for more than a few minutes. Spray on, rub and rinse it off with water. It will also descale your kettle (or put 2 denture tablets in the kettle overnight) Remember to rinse it out well afterwards! Washing soda crystals will keep drains clear. 1 cup a month down the plugholes with a kettleful or water. Lemon juice is great for cutting through grease. Coffee or red wine stains? – Pour soda water on the stain, and press a towel onto it to soak up and remove as much moisture as possible. Thump the towel onto the carpet, but don’t scrub the carpet pile flat. Bicarbonate of soda (BS): For deodorising, dissolve some BS in water, and use a cloth to wipe it round the inside of your fridge. Sprinkle it on carpets, and upholstery and leave it for an hour or longer then hoover it off. (Try BS in stinky shoes and trainers!) BS can be used to scrub tea and coffee stains off mugs. If you burn a pan black (nb. not for non-stick pans), add a teaspoon of BS and half a litre of water, boil for 10 minutes, then let it cool and it will then be much easier to scrub clean.

Where can I find other cheap and easy recipes? Adding a cheese sauce or onion sauce to any vegetable can turn it into a meal. Adding custard, or a butterscotch or chocolate sauce can make most fruits, ice cream, or crumpled biscuits or leftover cake into a substantial pudding. Check out Amazon.co.uk and eBay to get cheap copies of easy to use cookbooks. You may even find some written especially for students. We recommend Economy Gastronomy by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett and 4 Ingredients by Kim McCosker and Rachael Bermingham. The internet is also a great source of recipes. Search for recipes with certain ingredients (like leftover chicken, noodles or rice). We recommend BBC Food and studentcooking.tv We also love lovefoodhatewaste.com which offers great advice on saving money by keeping food fresher for longer and reducing food waste.

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