Breakfast: Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

Try this new brunch recipe, perfect for weekends and a general crowd-pleaser. It was Fathers day this weekend, so I decided to treat the Dad to this gem! What was great was that this was a spontaneous brunch, as many of the ingredients are cupboard essentials, making it super cheap and easy to throw together.

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

1/3 Chorizo, sliced as you'd like

2 x Eggs

1/2 can Cannelloni Beans

1/2 can Chopped Tomatoes

1/2 Pepper 

Salt & Pepper

Hot sauce (Optional)

Coriander (Optional)

Price overall: £1.65

Per portion: 83p

Cooking instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Gently fry the sliced Chorizo and Pepper until soft
3. Then add the Chopped Tomatoes and drained Cannelloni Beans and bring to a simmer
4. Then transfer into individual oven-proof dishes and make a gap in the middle of the dish
5. Crack the egg into each dish and put in the oven for 12-15 minutes*

Serve with toast or a toasted tortilla.

*For the perfect runny egg, it's around 12 minutes - but keep your eye on them as times can vary!

The perfect brunch for an student-affordable price. This will keep you going right through until dinner!

Chorizo & Kale Hash

Chorizo & Kale Hash with fried egg

Unfortunately today I was faced with the saddening fact that the contents of my beloved fridge was one solitary egg. So, in order to claw my way through until the end of the working day, I browsed my favourite go-to database BBC Good Food to find a use for my mighty egg which would be quick and, more importantly, keep my costs low. This particular recipe is a 'triple threat': it's a mighty breakfast, a speedy lunch or a cheap healthy dinner. Take your pick and give it a go.

I initially thought Kale was some kind of strange fusion between a broccoli and something you might find in your garden, but once I put my insecurities aside and tried it, I never looked back. Kale even has it's own fan site (it's really that good for you): (http://www.discoverkale.co.uk/). So embrace the curly Kale and join the club.

Things you'll need:

(Serves 1)

• 100g Kale
• 1/4 Chorizo Ring (50g)
• 1 x Egg
• 4/5 x Baby Potatoes (Or 1 x Potato)
• 1 x Shallot (or small onion)

Price per portion: £1.35

Cooking Instructions:

1. Slice your potato(es) into bitesize chunks and par-boil in boiling water for 5-7 minutes until tender. Then drain.
2. In a frying pan, fry the shallot and sliced chorizo until soft. Then add the drained potatoes and crisp up the edges (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the Kale handful by handful. I found it was similar to spinach in that it shrinks to half the size once it hits the heat. 
4. Finally, create a gap in the middle of the pan and break the Egg. Continue on the heat until cooked.

The final great thing about this recipe is you can combine it with any leftover bits: onion, cherry tomatoes - it's one of those dishes you can throw just about anything into and it will work (because Kale won't argue with your other ingredients: he is a super versatile and healthy friend to us all.)

Whether you want to start your day on the best possible foot or, like me, need to improvise something with leftovers, this dish is for you. Healthy, quick, and under £1.50 per portion! 

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Salad

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Salad

As much as I've described this as a 'summer vegetable salad', that doesn't mean it isn't tasty all year round. This is a hot salad with a light Orzo pasta, which stays by you without bloating you. Plus, it's packed full of all things vegetables! Which is good news!

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Chicken Breast
• 1 x Pepper
• 160g Green Beans (Half a normal pack)
• 160g Broad Beans*
• 150g Orzo Pasta**
• 75g Feta (Optional)

* Buy these frozen to avoid them going off! See here

** If you're not sure what Orzo pasta looks like, see here

Price overall: £2.53

Per portion: £1.26 

With feta: £1.54

Cooking Instructions:

1. Slice the Pepper into chunks, pour over a little olive oil and roast in the oven at 180 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, griddle/pan fry the Chicken breasts in a little oil until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. This will take around 15 minutes.
3. With 10 minutes to go, cook the Orzo Pasta according to packet instructions. 
4. With 5 minutes to go, add the Green Beans and Broad Beans to the Orzo Pasta and continue to cook until soft.
5. Finally, drain the Orzo Pasta and Green & Broad Beans and crumble over the Feta (Optional), remove the roasted Pepper from the oven and add to the mixture. Slice the cooked Chicken Breast and place on top of the salad.

There you go! It may sound more complicated than it really is, just keep an eye on your timings and nothing will go cold. But on that note, this meal can easily be stored as leftovers for a library/work lunch the next day if you don't manage it all! One of my favourite recipes recently which I would definitely recommend to students.

Re-fried Bean Quesadillas

A quick lunch: re-fried Bean Quesadillas

This super cheap recipe doubles as a lunch or dinner, and can easily be made for one or many people! The absence of meat makes it cheap and quicker to make. And the spices mean it packs that Mexican punch to excite your average mealtime.

Things you'll need:

Serves 3

• 6 x Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps* (two per person)
• 1 x Can kidney beans/mixed beans
• 1 x Small Onion
• 1 x Clove Garlic
• Tsp Cumin
• Tsp Paprika
• Grated Cheddar (Optional)

* If this is for lunch, one tortilla per person is fine. If you're hungry or this is a main meal then use two per person. Remember to go wholemeal!

Price overall: £1.44

Per Portion: 48p

Cooking Instructions:

1. Chop and gently fry the Onion and Garlic until soft
2. Add the Beans and heat through. Then crush them with a fork into a paste
3. Season with the Cumin and Paprika, and salt and pepper if you fancy. Stir altogether
4. Tip the mixture into the middle of a Wholemeal Tortilla Wrap and then either fold in half or, if using two, place the other one on top.
5. Then place the Quesadilla in the same frying pan and cooking either side for 2 minutes each until crispy and golden brown. Serve on its on or with a salad.

Fed up of the same old sandwiches? At a fraction of the price, you have to give this one a go! If you want to go all out, add jalapenos/chillis, sour cream and/or salsa as well. A super tasty casual meal for any lunch or dinner time.

This recipe was taken from BBC Good Food

Italian Steak Supper

Italian Steak Supper with Garlic Flatbread

Lets be honest, steak isn't something which you would expect to appear on a healthy student cooking blog: it's delicious but high in saturated fat, and it's commonly thought of as being an expensive luxury. However I've thought of a way of getting around it, inspired by a recipe in Ideal Home Magazine. This dish is light, summery and full of fresh vegetables - the Garlic flatbread is completely optional, as the dish stands well on it's own as well.

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Frying Steaks*
• 2 x small Red Onion
• 1/2 Courgette
• 10 x Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 x Handful of Rocket
• 1 x Flatbread**

* Because you end up cutting the steak into slices, you don't need to worry too much about thickness, and standard frying steak will do (and is the cheapest option). Try Tesco's option, which can work out under £1 a steak!

** If you would like to have some carbohydrates with the meal, try one of these which we split between 3 people.

Price overall: £3.17 (£3.50 with Flatbread)

Per portion: £1.59 (£1.75 with Flatbread)

Cooking Instructions:

(If cooking a flatbread, preheat the oven before you start and cook according to packet guidelines.)

1. If you have one, use a griddle pan. Otherwise a regular frying pan will do. Heat some oil in the pan. Cut the small Red Onions in two and place in the pan. (If you have some skewers they will help hold the onions together if you slide them along it, if not then don't worry.) Turn the halved Onions every 1-2 minutes to brown all sides.
2. Slice the courgettes thinly and lengthways (as in the picture above) and add them to the pan alongside the onions. Cook for around 3 minutes on each side until they have that nice charcoaled effect. 
3. As the pan fills up, remove the slices of Courgette, place on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Once you have space, add the cherry tomatoes. Keep moving everything around so each item is browned all over. 
4. Once your Tomatoes are cooked and removed from the pan (under the foil) add your Steaks. Cooking time is dependent on how you like your steak cooked, but stick to this as a guideline: 1 1/2 minutes each side - Rare. 2 minutes each side - Med Rare. 2 1/2 minutes each side - Medium. 3 minutes each side - Well done. 
5. Take everything off the heat and slice the cooked Steaks into strips. Place a handful of Rocket on each plate and top with your Courgettes, Tomatoes, Red Onions and Steak.

There you go! This is a real throw-together salad, with a nice mixture of hot and cold ingredients which work really well. And at this affordable price, it makes Steak student-friendly!

Smoky Beans with Basil & Bacon

Posh beans on toast, in other words.

Popped home for lunch? Feeling lethargic and need to conjure up some energy to get to a lecture or meeting? This 'posh beans on toast' lunch idea is high in fibre, which means energy is slowly released over the hours following lunchtime. You'll be feeling energetic in no time! Why not just grab a can of heinz baked beans, I hear you ask? Beans are low fat, that's for sure. But Heinz baked beans contain 10g of sugar which is 11% of your daily amount (see here), whereas this recipe contains 0g of sugar (see here). Plus with this, you get to add a whole variety of other flavours which are fresh and delicious. Easy choice, if you ask me!

Things you'll need:

1 portion

• 1-2 x Wholemeal Bread (depending on how hungry you are!)
• 1/2 can Cannelloni Beans
• 1 x Rasher of Bacon (Cut using scissors)
• 1 x Large Tomato
• 1/2 small Onion (Chopped)
• Handful of Basil (Optional)*

* The Basil I used was fresh, but this isn't always convenient for students as it goes off very quickly. It tastes great in this dish, and goes well with any tomato-based recipe (such as Somerset Stew or Spicy Meatball Ratatouille). So if you plan your weekly meals out, you'll use up your fresh basil without it going off.

Price per portion: 86p

*with Basil: 96p

Cooking Instructions:

1. Toast 1-2 slices of Wholemeal Bread
2. Meanwhile, heat a splash of oil in a frying pan and gently fry the Onion and Bacon until golden brown.
3. Then drain the Cannelloni Beans and add to the pan with the Tomato, roughly chopped. Mix together for approx 2 minutes.
4. If using Basil, tear bits of the leaves into the pan and stir with the other ingredients. Serve immediately on your toast.

Heinz baked beans are known as a staple student cupboard ingredient, but give this one a go - lower in sugar, more flavours, and another great cheap eat at under a pound a portion! 

Chicken, Pesto and Pinenut Wrap

A tasty lunch option

This is an easy, delicious lunch wrap which can be taken anywhere. With a few cupboard ingredients, tons more flavour can be added to the standard chicken wrap. Plus, this meal works out far cheaper than buying from a shop when you're out and about. Take 5 minutes out of your morning (or night before), put it in a container and have it when you like. No hassle, no stress, no money wasted.

Things you'll need:

Makes 1 wrap

• 1/3 Roast Chicken Pack*
• 1 x tsp Pesto
• 1 x Wholemeal Wrap
• Handful of Rocket Leaves
• Handful of Pine Nuts (optional)

* You have many options here. All major supermarkets sell ready made roast chicken pieces ready to throw in sandwiches/wraps like this. The cheapest way to do this lunch would be to use leftover chicken from a roast dinner. Plan ahead and save the pennies! However, for convenience purposes, pricing is based on the ready made packs provided by supermarkets.

Price per wrap: £1.07

Cooking Instructions:

1. Lay the Wholemeal Wrap down on the surface and spread 1 tbsp of Pesto over the base.
2. Lay the chicken in a line down the middle of the wrap and scatter Pine Nuts (optional) on and around the chicken.
3. Bunch the handful of Rocket Leaves on top of the chicken
4. Fold up the bottom of the wrap (so no fillings fall out) and tuck in the sides. 

A similar Tesco sandwich here is priced at £2, so it's definitely worth making you're own, especially given how easy it is! On the go, cheap tasty chicken pesto pine nut wrap!

Healthy Hot Dog

Half-fat Sausage Hot Dogs

A great summer lunch option with any of that leftover BBQ meat in the fridge! There is nothing special about this recipe, anyone can make it, but people tend to fall down by simply picking the wrong things off the shelves. Sausages are not the best meat for you: ground meat wrapped in intestine doesn't exactly scream healthy. But no one can deny that they're delicious, and recently the UK supermarkets have decided to help us out by producing sausages with 50% less fat content - only 3.2g of saturated fat per 2 sausages. Great news. I jumped on this and found there was no compromise on taste whatsoever, and at 89p a portion, this recipe has made me some delicious, easy peasy lunches!

Ingredients:

Serves 1

• 1 x Wholemeal Baguette*
• 2 x Half-fat Sausages
• Handful of salad 
• 1/5 Red Onion (Optional)

Price per Hot Dog: 89p

* Sainsbury's 'Bake at Home' baguettes (here) are cheap and only take ten minutes in the oven. You only need to use 1/3 of one baguette for this recipe. Just make sure you pick the 'wholemeal' option rather than 'White'!

Cooking Instructions:

1. Pierce Sausages and place under a hot grill, turning occasionally until golden brown all over.
2. Meanwhile, place 1/3 of your Baguette in a pre-heated oven of 200 Degrees for 10 minutes.
3. Serve your grilled Sausages in your crispy Baguette with a Side Salad. (If using Red Onion, gently fry in a saucepan until crispy and top your Hot Dog.)

If you're a big Hot Dog fan, this recipe lends itself to be personalised whichever way you'd like with toppings. However, be wary of smothering anything with cheese, as your fat count will soar without you realising! Enjoy your hot dog as a lunch or light dinner option!

Chicken, Spinach and Creamy Tomato Pasta

Another creamy but low fat recipe for all you pasta loving students. I have adapted this recipe from one I found online here, but substituted many of the ingredients to make it cheaper and quicker to make! I have always encouraged whole wheat pasta over white pasta, but was unable to find it in my local shop! Buy whatever you prefer - the sauce will still taste great.

Things you'll need:
Serves 2

• 2 x Chicken Breast
• 1 x Onion
• 4 x Handfuls of Fresh Spinach*
• 2 x tbsp Chopped tomatoes
• 2 x tbsp Low Fat Soft Cheese**
• 2 x 75g Fettuccine Pasta

*You can also use Frozen Spinach which keeps for much longer! See here
**I used 'LowLow' Soft Cheese, still a cheap option which packs in more flavour!

You also have the option to throw in extra veggies like fresh tomatoes or peas if you fancy!

Price Overall: £2.22
Per Serving: £1.11
Approx, based on Tesco prices

Cooking Instructions:

1. Boil the pasta according to packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile, fry the chopped Onion and Chicken Breast in oil in and large frying pan until brown.
3. Then stir in your Chopped Tomatoes and Low Fat Soft Cheese and reduce heat.
4. Just being serving, add your Fresh Spinach and stir in until wilted (This takes no more than 30 seconds!) Add more spinach according to preference.

Try 'LowLow' Soft Cheese in all major supermarkets

http://www.kerrylowlow.com/

Love this recipe? Share your attempt with me on Twitter: @Verityphillips_

And be in with a chance of winning your own 'LowLow' Vouchers to purchase in store!

Smoked Mackerel and New Potato Salad

Lunch Option: Smoked Mackerel and New Potato Salad

This light lunch is perfect to pack and take out on the go. Great for any hard working students who want a change from library sandwiches! Smoked Mackerel is also a fairly cheap option to go with and requires no cooking, you simply tear it up over the salad. The dressing is either light mayonnaise or low fat creme fraiche (depending on preference), meaning you get a nice creamy dressing without the calories.

Things you'll need:

Makes 4 lunches

• 1 x Pack of Mackerel Fish (I bought everyday value here)
• 1 x Pack of New Potatoes
• 4 x Tbsp Low Fat Creme Fraiche
• Handful Green Salad Leaves (per portion)
• Chopped Chives (Optional)
• Cracked Black Pepper (Optional)

Price overall: £4.91/£5.17

Per Serving: £1.23/£2.03

Cooking Instructions:

1. Half/Quarter the New Potatoes and boil for 15 minutes until tender. Then drain.
2. Meanwhile, mix the Creme Fraiche with the Chives and Black Pepper (Optional) and flake the Mackerel* into pieces, mixing half with the dressing along with the drained Potatoes.
3. Place the Green Salad Leaves on the bottom of the plate, then the dressing mixture and finally the leftover Mackerel on top. Add more Black Pepper is you would like!

* I suggest you use one Mackerel fish per portion (comes in a pack of 4)

It's that simple. An easy, affordable lunch that doesn't take too long to make. Can also be made the night before and kept in the fridge if necessary. Perfect to take out or eat at home!

Pepper and Red Onion Melt

Lunch Option: Pepper and Red Onion Melt

Another lunch option which is vegetarian as well as low on calories and saturated fat! Most things that are smothered with cheese are high in saturated fat, but lighter choices like Mozzarella thinly sliced is much better than melting cheddar. Plus you're adding some tasty vegetables and accompanying it with a side salad - who knew cheese toasties could be healthy! I took this recipe from a new app by the NHS called 'Be Food Smart' (more info here) - I'd really recommend it!

Things you'll need:
This amount will get you 3 lunches worth.

• 3 x Slices of wholemeal bread
• 1 x Mozzarella Ball
• 1 x Pepper
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 x Mixed Salad Bag

Price overall: £2.29 (Approx)

Per Lunch: 76p

Cooking Instructions:

1. Slice the Pepper and Red Onion and put in a baking tray with a splash of Olive Oil. Place under a hot grill for 3/4 minutes until it's just starting to brown.
2. Meanwhile, toast your slice of Wholemeal Bread in a toaster. Then thinly slice your Mozzarella and place on top of the toasted Bread.
3. Remove the grilled Pepper and Red Onion from the grill and spread on top of the Mozzarella, then place under the grill for a further 3 minutes until the cheese has melted over the Bread. Serve with side salad.

My cheapest meal option to date! If you're feeling particularly hungry then toast two piece of Bread instead of one and make it a proper sandwich! But if you want a light lunch, this is perfect!

New Potato, Green Bean, Tomato and Chorizo Salad with Grilled Halloumi

Lunch Salad

Another lunch option, which is perfect for taking to the library and cooked the night before/that morning and stored in tuppleware. Packing your own lunch obviously saves you money but also time - if you've got a deadline then you won't need to stand queueing for your lunch when you could be ploughing through that essay.

Things you'll need:

One Portion

*Warning - these measurements aren't exact because it really depends on how much you eat.

• Handful of New Potatoes
• 3 x Halloumi Slices
• 6 x Green Beans
• 5 x Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/5 Chorizo (Optional)

Price Overall: £1.65/£2.10

An average lunch bought on campus for me works out at around £4 - so immediately saving yourself cash!

Cooking Instructions:

1. Chop the New Potatoes in half and boil for 12 minutes until soft (but not dissolving!) Add the Green Beans for the final 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, Grill the sliced Halloumi, flipping over once so both sides are golden. (Keep you're eye on this - can burn easily!)
3. Drain the Green Beans and Potatoes and set aside. In the same pan quickly fry the Cherry Tomatoes and Chorizo (Optional) for 1 minute, then set aside also.
4. Slice the Grilled Halloumi and add everything together in a tuppleware container and cool before storing in the fridge, ready to take with you later on!

Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel

A healthier lunch option which is easier to make than it sounds, the trick is to make your salmon cream cheese the night before whilst you're waiting for your dinner to cook! Then come lunchtime the next day, all you have to do is spread it over your Bagel and add a bit of greenery - Easy Peasy!

What you'll need:

(Does 2 Bagel Servings)

• 1 x Salmon Fillet Cooked
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Low Fat Cream Cheese
• Handful of Rocket
• Wholemeal Bagel*
• Splash of Lemon Juice (Optional)
• Black Pepper (Optional)

*You can obviously use any type of Bagel, but wholemeal is the healthy option.

Price per serving: £1 per bagel! 

(Based on Tesco prices)

Instructions:

Steps 1 & 2 can be completed the night before, put into a tuppleware container in the fridge for lunchtime!

1. Cook the salmon fillet in the oven as per the cooking instructions. Then shred to a tuna consistency with a knife and fork.
2. Add the cream cheese and lemon juice (optional) and lots of black pepper!
3. Cut bagel in half and toast until crispy. Spread your mixture over the bagel and add a handful of Rocket, then sandwich together! 

A surprisingly quick, healthy, low fat lunch which can be eating at home or taken to work/library. 

(Recipe discovered on BBC Good Food)