Meals for Uni

mrs_motivated

DD is about to go off to uni (in four weeks to be precise).

Anyway on the student forums i have read with shock that many fresher students cant even operate a toaster or a microwave :eek:.

Now while I am confident mine can manage this and knows enough not to starve, I am keen to brush up her skills in the next few weeks and she is going to be taking over the cooking for me and DD2 on three days a week. The idea is that she will have at least 12, nutricious , cheap and tasty meals to start her off at uni. She had got really into this idea and said if we come up with some recipes, she will shop for the ingredients, looking for bargains etc and wash up after we have eaten! :T

Any ideas anyone?? She will eat just about anything - doesnt eat much bread at all, loves pasta and just about everything else though.

caitybabes

When I was at uni I made lots of pasta with homemade tomato sauce, stir fries, soup, curry, I bought pizza bases and added toppings...

caitybabes

Ooh and a good skill to teach her is how to freeze things (ingredients or leftovers) in single portions. I think one of the biggest challenges is not the cooking but the fact you are only cooking and shopping for one. I used to still buy value veg but chopped and froze in portions.Homemade ready meals are a boon when a deadline is looming. Learning to meal plan would help too.

mrs_motivated

caitybabes wrote: »

Ooh and a good skill to teach her is how to freeze things (ingredients or leftovers) in single portions. I think one of the biggest challenges is not the cooking but the fact you are only cooking and shopping for one. I used to still buy value veg but chopped and froze in portions.Homemade ready meals are a boon when a deadline is looming. Learning to meal plan would help too.

Thats a great idea and something I hadnt thought about. Perhaps i will get her to make an extra portion which she can freeze and take with her.

b_girl

If she likes mince then that's a good direction to go. When I was at uni a few years ago I would use mince a lot becuase it was one of the cheaper meats and could go a long way. Things like basic bolognase sauce which can then be made for spag bol, lasagna and maybe chilli. Then there's shepherds/cottage pies which will be lovely with the colder months coming.

I also used to make chicken fajitas and stir frys quite a lot as they were fast and easy to make after lectures. Healthy too!

I loved the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food recipe book because I was new to cooking and it had lots of basic meals in from roasts to soups to salads. Would really recommend it for new cooks!

SpikyHedgehog

I was at uni as a mature student, living at home & cooking for the family still, so it didn't change anything for me ;-) But it did for DS1, as I needed him to help more - I got him a student cookbook, which was brilliant as it clearly said what to do & how to cook in advance.

thefamousexcuse

One of the things I would try and teach her is how to budget and plan - as we all know students don't really take food into consideration when they are "budgeting" for the coming months - I know I was terrible!! The only thing I knew had to be there was money for the pub!

Things like a basic tomato sauce that can then be adapted into they usual suspects, spag bol, lasagne, chili etc. Or how about mac'n'cheese or a vegetable pasta bake. I lived on pasta when I was a student. Actually I have a recipe for a turkey pasta bake that is really simple and cheap to make I will try and find it for you if you like?

Sausage casserole or some type of stew - will she have access to a SC - if she does something like this would be brilliant!

Hope that helps, and you enjoy the three nights off from being chef!!

TFE

xxx

valk_scot

Basic tomato pasta sauce recipe, basic mince recipe, basic curry recipes (one meat, one vegetable, one daal), how to cook pasta, rice, potatoes, a few basic vegetables, make vegetable soup and how to read the back of a packet. Plus a good basic cookery book like Ministry of Food by Jamie Oliver.

There's plenty of adults can't do that lot btw, let alone students.

SmallL

I have a few 'set meals'. All totally made from scratch!

Chilli con carne
Chicken Fahjitas
Paella
Pasta and sauce
chicken Kievs, peas and chips
Lamb saag
Sweet and sour chicken with rice
Hotpot
Shepherds pie
Pasta bake
veg bake
Stir fry

If you want any recipes, feel free to ask

hilstep2000

When my son went to Uni I bought him this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Really-Useful-Ultimate-Student-Cookbook/dp/174196024X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345649390&sr=1-3
and this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Students-Sausage-Egg-Beans-Cookbook/dp/0572026218/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345649466&sr=1-1
He loved them!

Stephen_Leak

I usually start novice cooks with a simple tomato pasta sauce. 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tin of tomatoes, 1 tin of tomato puree (it thickens the sauce without reducing it, and is cheaper than a second tin of tomatoes), 2 teaspoons of mixed herbs. Fry the onions and garlic, then throw in the rest. It can also be blended for a pizza topping.

This can also be used with meatballs. These Tesco ones are great value, at 24 for £1.99.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=256835228

Then, add 500g (make up any difference with chopped mushrooms) of minced meat (pork and turkey are lower in fat and cheaper than beef) and maybe an OXO cube for Bolognese sauce.

Then, swap the garlic and herbs for a tin of red kidney beans and chilli powder and you've got chilli con carne.

Then, we move on to curries. To start with, I have a basic all purpose one. Then, add some onion rings halfway through cooking for a Dopiaza. Or, use chicken and just 1/4 of a teaspoon of chilli powder and add some yoghurt and part of a block of creamed coconut at the end of cooking for a Korma. Use minced meat and add some potatoes and peas for Keema.

If you'd like any recipes, let me know.