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!

Spaghetti with Chorizo, Kale, Black Beans & Lime

Spaghetti with Chorizo, Kale, Black Beans & Lime

I've made it my quest to try and inspire pasta lovers and draw them away from the shop-bought sauces, which cost you more and certainly don't contain the good stuff. Luckily, Buzz Feed was on hand to help me out, and this recipe was inspired by their article found here. Now I'm in full-time employment, I'm looking for quicker, easier dishes that I can throw together after work. Buzz Feed's recipe collection may well be appearing on Easy Peasy Student Cooking soon, so watch this space!


Things you'll need:
(Serves 2)

• 150g Wholewheat Pasta
• 50g Chorizo
• 2 x Large handful of Kale*
• 1/2 Can Red kidney beans
• 1 x Garlic clove
• 1/2 Lime

*That's right - my good friend Kale is featuring again. A large handful is an estimation, but as it wilts like spinach, it's best to go overboard than end up with small amounts.

Price: £1.10 per portion

Cooking instructions:

1. Cook the Wholewheat Pasta according to packet instructions
2. Meanwhile, gently fry the chopped Garlic and sliced Chorizo until golden brown
3. Then add the Red kidney beans to #2 along with some Lime juice to make the sauce (save a bit back for serving)
4. As you drain the pasta, wilt in the Kale with #2 
5. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix altogether. 

Coming in at just over £1 a portion, this wallet-friendly supper needs to be tried! The beans are a great source of protein, wholewheat pasta is a complex carbohydrate (your body prefers this, trust me), and Mr Kale is a superfood! This recipe has so many fresh ingredients, pasta no longer has to be boring!

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! 

Gordon Ramsay's Pork and Sauté Vegetables

Gordon Ramsay's Pork and Saute Vegetables

This dish is inspired by a Gordon Ramsay recipe, but I have replaced the original meat ingredient (Veal) to Pork because it is cheaper and more readily available from supermarkets. There are no carbs in this dish, you can easily add potatoes or rice if you wanted to, but I went without and doubled my veg intake instead and felt perfectly satisfied. I improvised a sauce to go with the Pork which soaks up all the juices - really easy and delicious! 

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Pork Steaks
• 1 x Courgette
• 1/2 x Aubergine
• 1/2 x Pepper
• 200ml x Creme Fraiche*

* I also added chopped apple to my sauce, just because it goes really well with Pork! But if you want to really cut your costs, don't bother with the sauce, it's completely up to you.

Price Overall: £3.36

Per serving: £1.68

Cooking Instructions:

• Place the Pork Steaks in a frying pan with a little oil. Fry for around 10-15 minutes, turning half way until golden brown on both sides.
• Meanwhile, chop the Courgette, Aubergine and Pepper into 1cm cubes. 
• Place the vegetables in a frying pan with a little oil and fry for 5 minutes until just tender.
• Just before serving, add the Creme Fraiche to the Pork in the pan and scrape any juices from the bottom of the pan, the sauce should be a creamy brown colour. Serve with your saute vegetables.

Always remember, white meat tends to contain less saturated fat than red meats, so it's always good to vary your diet and have a night off from chicken with a dish like this! Plus, the vegetable quantities I've stated above can easily be changed if you want to pack more goodness into your dish, or if you're worried the lack of carbs will leave you hungry - just add more veg! This student take on a Ramsay recipe is quick, delicious, and has little ingredients to shop for. 

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! 

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!

Normandy Pork with Cider

Normandy Pork with Apples, Potatoes in a Creamy Cider sauce

Excusing the poor quality picture, I can promise this creamy yet low fat dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! I took this recipe from a Cook Yourself Thin book, available on Amazon.co.uk here. With this dish you can enjoy pork outside the sausage/bacon family, saving yourself any additional saturated fats or grease!

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Pork Fillet
• 1 x Onion
• 1/2 Apple
• 125 ml Cider
• 2 x tbsp Half Fat Creme Fraiche
• 1 x Potato (Optional)

Price Overall: £1.89/£2.14

Per Serving: 95p/£1.07

Approx, based on Sainsburys prices

Cooking Instructions:

1. Fry the Pork Fillets in a deep frying pan until golden.
2. Once the Pork is cooked, set aside. Add the Onion and Apple and cook until golden. Then add the Cider and bubble hard for 2/3.
3. Then turn down the heat and add the Creme Fraiche, Pork and chopped Potatoes (Optional) and simmer for 3 minutes (or longer until potatoes are cooked through.) 

The Potatoes aren't essential to the dish, but if you do use them you may prefer to parboil them before adding them to the pan to reduce your overall cooking time. But students - I know the idea of cooking with alcohol instead of drinking it seems mad, but the Cider makes the dish loads tastier (and because it's only a bit, it gives you an excuse to drink the rest with your meal) !