I was given many student cookbooks when I first went to college and, to my dismay, found them secretly very complicated. For those who may want to branch out from pesto pasta, I’ve collected a few tried and tested recipes from my college days.
Some of these, like the chilli, will keep in the fridge for ages. I’ve also chosen recipes with similar ingredients, so if you’re trying multiple then they can all be bought in one shopping trip.
Vegan chilli
Old El Paso seasoning
Can of tinned tomatoes
Onion
Pepper
Courgette
Mushrooms
- Pour the tinned tomatoes and kidney beans into a pot.
- Slice your veg and add it to the mix.
- Season to taste with the Old El Paso packet.
- Simmer for around 20 minutes and enjoy! It’s as simple as that!
Add tortillas, lettuce and grated cheese to turn it into a not-so-vegan-but-equally-as-tasty Mexican wrap.
Tortilla pizza
1 Tortilla
Shredded mozzarella
Passata
Any veg you like – I use onion, peppers, mushrooms and sweetcorn.
Chorizo
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Pan fry your veg for a couple of minutes so that it’s not completely raw when it goes on the pizza. Place onto a piece of kitchen roll to remove the oil.
- Place the tortilla on an oven tray and cover with a thin layer of passata, using the back of a spoon to spread. Leave a little space around the edge for the crust.
- Sprinkle as much mozzarella on top as you like.
- Add toppings of your choice.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the crust looks crispy.
- Enjoy!
Fajitas
Chicken
Shredded cheese (the leftover mozzarella from the pizza)
Veg – onion, peppers, sweetcorn, baby tomatoes
Fajita seasoning packet
Tortilla wraps (again)
Tabasco sauce
- Slice the chicken into strips.
- Pour the fajita mix (check how many people the mix serves and work backwards from there) into a large bowl with a little bit of water. Place the chicken strips inside and cover them with the mix.
- Chop the peppers, onions and baby tomatoes.
- Cook the chicken over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the veg and a bit of water to stop it from burning (I have made this mistake many times!) and simmer until the chicken and veg are cooked through.
- Place the mixture into a tortilla. Add cheese, guac, tortilla chips, tabasco sauce – whatever takes your fancy.
Optional
For the guacamole
An avocado
Salt and pepper
Chilli powder
- Mash the avocado in a bowl along with a couple of sliced baby tomatoes.
- Add a splash of lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy in the wrap or with plain tortilla chips.
Sweet Potato Fries
A sweet potato
Cajun seasoning
Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Slice the sweet potato into strips. Place in a pan of boiling water and parboil until you can easily stick a fork into them.
- Drain and spread the chips out evenly on an oiled baking tray. Cover in a little more oil and the cajun seasoning.
- Cook for 20 minutes.
These recipes are cheap, easy, and guaranteed to make you the most popular housemate. Happy cooking!
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