The nights are long, days are short. I am skint AND I have those January blues. Today, I’m going to write up a few of my favourite meals to make as a student on a budget. Delicious and cheap, what more could you want?
- Halloumi Curry
Ingredients: 1 onion, 1 block of halloumi, 2 peppers, a can of chickpeas, curry sauce jar (serves 3/4)
Firstly, start by cutting all the ingredients up. Cut the halloumi into 2cm chunks and chop the peppers into a similar size. Dice the onion up. Start off by frying your halloumi in a little oil until golden brown. This isn’t totally necessary, but my dad told me frying the halloumi until golden brown releases the flavour! Once your halloumi is cooked, place aside. Add your onion into a saucepan with a little oil and keep on low heat until cooked through. Add in the peppers and cook through for 3 minutes. Add in the curry sauce, the chic peas and halloumi. Simmer all this together for 20 minutes. Serve with naan bread and/or rice.
- Bean ratatouille
Ingredients: 1 onion, 1 courgette, 2 peppers, 1 aubergine, a can of butter beans, garlic, tin of chopped tomatoes
Start by chopping all vegetables into approximately 2cm pieces and dice the onion. Cook the onion and garlic on low heat with oil. Once these are cooked through all the aubergine. Cook for 5 minutes. Next add the peppers, courgette, chopped tomato tin and beans tin. Add in chilli flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with couscous and fried halloumi.
- Ramen
Ingredients: noodles, broccoli, pak choi, miso paste, soy sauce, sriracha, tofu
Start this recipe off by boiling your noodles for 5 minutes, add in your broccoli and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Place these aside. Next add boiling water into a saucepan with miso paste, soy sauce and sriracha – taste and add each ingredient to your liking. Allow this to simmer for 5-10 minutes. While this is simmering, fry your tofu in a frying pan. Add the noodles to the broth for 2 minutes. Add everything into a bowl, including raw pak choi. If you enjoy spice, add more sriracha or chilli flakes on top.
- Orzotto
Ingredients: orzo, peppers, broccoli, feta cheese, boullion
Begin by chopping up peppers and broccoli and bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add in your orzo, and enough boullion stock to cover the orzo and vegetables. Add in rosemary, salt, pepper and oregano. Add back into the oven for 20 minutes. Crumble feta on top then place back into the oven for 5 minutes.
- Creamy Gnocchi
Ingredients: gnocchi, peppers, tomatoes, boursin cheese
Start by baking chopped-up peppers and tomatoes with a little olive oil in the oven for 15 minutes. Add Gnocchi, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic granules and chilli flakes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the boursin and mix through, add a splash of water if needed. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until gnocchi is cooked through.