When you have decided to begin your university, the first thing that your mom will tell you is to learn a few easy recipes. Mothers are the most concerned about sending their children over to hostels. Students are usually thrilled about the independence that comes along with the new experience. But this comes with some difficulties when it comes to food. Usually students do not care about this factor as they have access to the take away fast food chains that serve more of preservatives and chemical components than food. There is also the pot noodles which you can prepare in a jiffy by pouring in a little hot water. But within a few days,the stomach and body would begin reacting to these unhealthy stuffs and at least by then the students turn to look for some homely healthy food.
Here are the top 5 easy to prepare foods that will stay in your budget and take you back home in good health.
5. Smoothie
As the name suggests, smoothie is a smooth beverage that is made out of fruits combined with water, milk or other dairy products. They can be made from just any other fruit and the most cheap recipe is the banana smoothie. This can also serve a way to make use of a banana that might become bad soon. You can simply wrap the peeled banana in cellophane sheet and put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen, blend it in milk and add any flavoring that you want to like vanilla. While making smoothie, you can use any milk like soy milk or cow’s milk. You now have a quick and easy rich drink which can serve as breakfast side dish with a toast.
A Strawberry Banana smoothie would cost you about $3.50 while making a quick blend will give you a thicker and tastier one for much less. You can make about 3-4 Strawberry banana smoothies at home for $ 3.5.
Slushy drinks are always preferred in the summer and you can make your own melon slushie by blending frozen melon pieces with water and a few drops of vanilla. If you do not have a blender, then you can simply buy a bottle of fruit juice and shake it with yoghurt in a bottle to make a thicker hunger fulfilling drink.
4. Rice Varieties
Rice can be a fulfilling meal. With a bag of rice in the store, you can quickly make up a bowl of rice in a pot and have it with any side dish left over from last day. A quick fried rice can be eaten as it is.
Begin by lightly scrambling an egg. Keep it away. Into the same pot, add some oil and add anything that you would like in your fried rice like mushroom, peas, carrot, chicken or bacon. Fry it for 1-2 minutes. Add in the measured rice stir and pour in required quantity of water. For 1 cup basmati rice add 2 cups of boiling water to it. Add salt as required. Close the lid and when it is half cooked, pour in a mix of soy sauce and sugar. The fried rice is ready to serve. On an approximate you can get 2 cups of rice for 1$ and mix it with a few vegetables for nearly 1.50 $ and a 2$ worth soy sauce and the whole meal would come to only a little less than $1 for a person.
3. Toasts
Simply buttered toasts is a quick and easy food. You can even have it with your favourite cheese variety. It has be served as a quick snack instead of munching on the unhealthy carbonated drinks or packet chip snacks. The easiest way is to toast the bread lightly and serve with a left over from previous day. To toast the bread, drop a teaspoon of butter on pan and place two slices of bread. Flip it over when one is cooked. Drizzle a little salt if required and remove from pan. You can then top it with whatever you like. Whatever be the topping used, a homemade toast will not cost above $1.
The easiest and delicious meal that can made with a toast is a bread pizza. Begin with a little olive oil in a pan, add in garlic and then toss in the vegetables or meat of your choice. You can keep to a single kind or even add in a bag of cut vegetables. To keep it healthy you can use brown bread. Cook till the vegetables are done. Add some pizza seasoning. This you can preserve from your previous pizza home order. Toss in some tomato sauce, soya sauce or barbeque sauce. Place the required quantity over your bread. Add grated cheese and place in a covered pan till the cheese melts and bubbles. Serve hot.
2. Pasta
Pasta is a healthy alternative to the quick pot noodles. Pasta is an easy to cook dish and anyone can easily make it without getting it wrong. Romans quickly mix up a pasta with a little freshly ground pepper and butter. We usually like to have a rich dinner and Pasta Alfredo can be a great food for your taste buds and can be done in a few minutes.
Firstly to begin with, cooking pasta is as easy as a noodles. Boil some water in a pan with salt. Add the pasta and cook it till you require it to be. Some like the pasta fully cooked, while others like it slightly uncooked. Drain it out once done and run under cold water so that the pieces do not stick. While the pasta is cooking, add garlic and red chili flakes to heated butter and add zucchini. When cooked add a little of lemon zest. Now add the drained pasta to the vegetables and mix well. Add butter, cream, pepper and cheese as required. Serve it hot.
1.Eggs- Scrambles and Omelets
When you are staying away from home and you are cooking on your own, make sure you have a stock of eggs always to come to your rescue during those hunger calls. The simple way to have eggs is to scramble it with salt, pepper and little of tomato sauce to go along with your bread toast or tortillas. Eggs are available at very reasonable price and can also be easily purchased from the store next door. A Spanish omelet would cost you only below $1 and will can easily fill your stomach and provide you with the required nutrition for the breakfast. This along with a smoothie can be the best easiest breakfast rather than skipping your morning meal.
There are several other foods like oats that can be prepared a little out of the traditional way with blueberries, apples and even used to make healthy snacks like blueberry muffins. To remain on the healthy side stick to whole grain breads and pastas. Eating out can be deteriorative to your health and budget. It can be effectively avoided with such easy to prepare cheap recipes that can give you tasty and healthy food without much of culinary skills.
