Simple Recipes Every Student Should Know

The lessons at a glance

1. Hummus and ful medames: a two-tin mezze plate

Two tins, a jar of tahini and a lemon give you a proper Levantine lunch or breakfast in 15 minutes. Hummus and ful are cheap, filling, full of protein and fibre, and taste of home when you are far from it.

• Hummus: chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon, a little of the tin liquid, blend 1 minute.
• Ful: garlic and cumin, then beans and tahini, simmer 8 to 10 minutes, mash, lemon.
• Keep tins of chickpeas and fava beans in the cupboard.
• Chill homemade dips quickly and eat within 48 hours.
• Tahini is sesame, a major allergen.

2. Mujaddara: lentils, rice and crispy onions

Mujaddara is one of the cheapest, most comforting dishes in Levantine cooking: lentils and rice cooked together and topped with deeply browned onions. It costs very little, needs only a few cupboard ingredients and reheats well for lunches.

• Mujaddara is lentils, rice and deeply browned onions.
• Use brown or green lentils, not red.
• Patience with the onions is the whole secret.
• Rice leftovers: chill within about an hour, eat within 24 hours, reheat once only.

3. Kabsa-style chicken and rice in one pot

Kabsa (also called machboos or makboos in Gulf Arabic) is a mixed rice dish from the Arabian Peninsula, cooked so that the rice soaks up the spiced chicken stock. This simplified one-pot version for two gives you the taste of a family lunch in a student kitchen.

• Kabsa or machboos: spiced chicken stock cooked into basmati rice.
• Never wash raw chicken; cook it thoroughly instead.
• Chicken is done when steaming hot with no pink and clear juices, or 74C.
• Use about 1.5 times the rice's volume in stock, cover and do not peek.

4. Two student pastas: tuna pasta and lentil bolognese

Pasta is the student classic for a reason. These two recipes come from a university student pantry recipe book: one is ready in 15 minutes from tins, the other is a meat-free bolognese that freezes well. Both complement the three sauces in Kitchen Skills.

• Tuna pasta: vegetables go into the pasta water for the last 3 minutes.
• Lentils make a cheap, freezable bolognese.
• Minced meat must be cooked through with no pink (71C).
• Cool, freeze, defrost in the fridge, reheat once until steaming hot.

5. Frittata: the clear-the-fridge egg dinner

A frittata is a thick, open omelette that sets in the pan and finishes under the grill. It turns four eggs and leftover vegetables into dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. It builds on Eggs five ways in Kitchen Skills.

• Soften vegetables, add eggs, set on medium-low, finish under the grill.
• Use a grill-safe pan and an oven glove.
• Egg dishes are safe at 71C; the centre should be firm.
• Chill within 1 to 2 hours, eat within 48 hours.

6. Overnight oats, porridge and fast breakfasts

If no one is making breakfast for you, it is easy to skip it or grab something sugary on the way to a lecture. Oats are cheap and keep for months. Five minutes the night before gives you breakfast with no effort in the morning.

• Overnight oats: 50 g oats, 100 ml milk, cinnamon, fridge overnight, top in the morning.
• Porridge: simmer oats in milk for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Plain oats are cheaper than flavoured sachets.
• Oats and nuts are both on the UK allergen list.

7. Salmon in a parcel with chickpeas and peppers

Fish feels intimidating, but a foil parcel makes it almost foolproof: the fish steams in its own juices and there is hardly any washing up. This version, adapted from Jamie Oliver, is ready in about 25 minutes.

• A sealed foil parcel steams fish gently with little washing up.
• About 15 minutes at 220C for a 150 g fillet, then check.
• Cooked fish is opaque and flakes easily, or 63C.
• Leave out chorizo or swap for a certified halal sausage.

8. Chicken shawarma-style wraps

Real shawarma is cooked on a turning spit, but you can get close at home with a spiced yoghurt marinade and a hot pan or oven tray. These wraps cost a fraction of a takeaway and are easy to scale up for flatmates.

• Yoghurt and warm spices make a fast shawarma-style marinade.
• Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Pan 8 to 10 minutes or oven about 15 minutes; chicken must reach 74C.
• Separate boards for raw chicken and salad.

9. Store-cupboard bean chilli (with a halal beef option)

This chilli is made almost entirely from tins, costs very little and is ready in 20 minutes. It is ideal for the end of the month, and it freezes well. Add halal beef mince when you can afford it.

• Three tins and some spices make a full meal in 20 minutes.
• Fry spices for 30 seconds before adding liquids.
• Mince must be cooked with no pink (71C).
• Cool, freeze in portions, defrost in the fridge, reheat once.

10. Banana bread: the no-waste bake

Brown, spotty bananas are not rubbish: they are banana bread. This simple loaf uses basic ingredients, costs very little to make, and gives you snacks for the week. It is also a lovely thing to share with new flatmates.

• Brown bananas make the best banana bread.
• 190C (170C fan) for about 35 to 40 minutes, until risen and golden.
• Check the middle with a skewer; cover with foil if the top browns too fast.
• Do not eat raw batter.
• Slice before freezing so you can take one piece at a time.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

1. Hummus and ful medames: a two-tin mezze plate
   • Make hummus from one tin and taste it before and after adjusting the lemon and salt. Note what you changed.
   • Make ful medames for a weekend breakfast and serve it with bread, tomato and an egg.
   • Assemble a mezze plate for yourself or a friend using only what is already in your fridge and cupboard.
2. Mujaddara: lentils, rice and crispy onions
   • Cook mujaddara for two and time how long your onions take to turn deep brown.
   • Pack the leftovers for lunch the next day, cooling and chilling them within an hour of cooking.
   • Try one swap: tinned lentils, bulgur or a fried egg on top.
3. Kabsa-style chicken and rice in one pot
   • Cook kabsa-style chicken for two and check the chicken properly before adding the rice.
   • Practise measuring the stock for the rice so it cooks without being wet or burnt.
   • Turn any leftover rice into egg-fried rice the next day, within 24 hours.
4. Two student pastas: tuna pasta and lentil bolognese
   • Cook the tuna pasta on a busy evening and time yourself from start to plate.
   • Make a double batch of lentil (or halal beef) bolognese and freeze two labelled portions.
   • Defrost one portion safely in the fridge and reheat it until steaming hot.
5. Frittata: the clear-the-fridge egg dinner
   • Make a four-egg frittata using at least two vegetables that need using up.
   • Take a cold wedge for lunch the next day with a salad.
   • Try a second flavour combination from the list.
6. Overnight oats, porridge and fast breakfasts
   • Make overnight oats tonight and eat them for breakfast tomorrow.
   • Cook a pan of porridge with tinned or fresh fruit at the weekend.
   • Write a list of three breakfasts you can make in under 5 minutes with what you usually buy.
7. Salmon in a parcel with chickpeas and peppers
   • Cook salmon in a parcel and check it is opaque and flakes before serving.
   • Try the parcel method again with a cheaper white fish and your own vegetables.
   • Use any leftover fish in a salad or wrap the next day.
8. Chicken shawarma-style wraps
   • Marinate chicken in the evening and cook shawarma-style wraps the next day.
   • Check the thickest piece of chicken is cooked before serving.
   • Pack a lunch with the chicken, salad and sauce in separate containers.
9. Store-cupboard bean chilli (with a halal beef option)
   • Cook the store-cupboard chilli from tins in under 20 minutes.
   • Freeze two labelled portions for the end of the month.
   • If you eat meat, try the halal beef version and check the mince has no pink left.
10. Banana bread: the no-waste bake
    • Bake a banana bread with bananas that are going brown.
    • Freeze a few slices individually for packed lunches.
    • Share a slice with a flatmate or neighbour as a way to say hello.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

Answer key

1. A: Gulf News: drain the chickpeas, keeping about 2 tbsp of the brine, and blend it with the other ingredients.
2. A: America's Test Kitchen: remove from the heat and mash to a coarse texture with a potato masher.
3. D: Food Network (Aarti Sequeira): 1 cup brown or green lentils, not du Puy.
4. A: Food Network: stir often until the onions reach a deep chestnut brown with crispy bits.
5. C: Southend-on-Sea City Council: washing raw chicken can splash Campylobacter onto surfaces; thorough cooking kills it.
6. B: Wikipedia: kabsa is also known as makboos or machboos in Gulf Arabic.
7. D: QUB SU Pantry Recipe Book: add the broccoli, sweetcorn and tomatoes for the last 3 minutes of the pasta's cooking time.
8. B: FoodSafety.gov: ground beef and lamb should reach 160F (71C).
9. C: Staffordshire County Council Family Hubs: avoid high heat or the base may brown before the middle is cooked.
10. C: Staffordshire Family Hubs and Food Network both finish the frittata under the grill (broiler).
11. C: QUB SU Pantry Recipe Book: 50 g oats with 100 ml milk, cinnamon, then refrigerated overnight.
12. A: QUB SU Pantry Recipe Book: mix the oats and liquid in a container and put in the fridge overnight.
13. C: FSA: fish flesh should turn opaque (no longer transparent) and separate easily with a fork.
14. A: FoodSafety.gov: fish should reach 145F (63C), or be opaque and flake easily; 74C is for poultry.
15. B: NC State University Cooking Essentials: refrigerate the chicken in its marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
16. B: NC State University Cooking Essentials: cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
17. C: Birmingham City Council: add the spices to the oil and stir for 30 seconds before adding tomatoes and beans.
18. B: FSA: defrost food in the fridge; once thawed, use within 24 hours.
19. D: North Lanarkshire Council: heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, 375F, gas mark 5).
20. C: North Lanarkshire Council: bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until risen and golden brown.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/student-recipes/