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!

Salmon, Coconut and Lime Parcels

Salmon, Coconut and Lime Parcels served with stir fried vegetables and rice

Here's a recipe I found on Tesco real food which I chose to accompany with as many vegetables as I could find in my fridge! I'm going to suggest a really simple way to cook this original recipe which allows you to add lots of vegetables without any extra effort! Also, the beauty of this dish is that you have the option to have rice, noodles or no carbohydrates at all. And taking only 20 minutes to put together, this super healthy supper has got to be tried.

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Salmon Fillet*
• 1/2 x Courgette
• 6 x Spring Onions
• 1/2 x Pepper
• 1/2 x Lime
• 1/2 x Chilli 
• 1/2 Can low fat Coconut milk

Price overall: £4.60

Per portion: £2.30

*Remember to use Frozen salmon fillets which are cheaper per portion!

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 Degrees.
2. Slice all the vegetables lengthways thinly, as you would for a stir fry.
3. Tear two large rectangles of foil and place a Salmon fillet in the centre of each one. 

Salmon Parcels: before and after

3. Cover the Salmon with the sliced Pepper, Courgette, Spring Onions and Chilli, and pour half the Low fat Coconut Milk into each parcel to surround the salmon.

4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until salmon is cooked through and vegetables are tender

5. Serve with either Noodles or Rice and squeeze over your Lime for an extra bit of flavour just before you tuck in!

Cooking all the vegetables in the parcel means you have no washing up - wahoo! And the salmon poaches in the coconut milk and the vegetables are steamed on top. Delicious!

You have so many options with this dish, and it's perfect if you've had a few unhealthy days and want a bit of a detox - throw in extra vegetables like Pak Choi, Okra and Mushrooms (there's no such thing as too much veg!) Serve with brown rice or wholewheat noodles if you need the extra energy kick. 

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.

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!

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!

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!

Easy Peasy Red Thai Curry

Red Thai Curry

I've always been a huge fan of curry, but it's not always the healthiest of options. This is mainly due to the Coconut Milk you use - I ensure to use Half fat Coconut Cream to cut down on the unnecessary saturated fat! If, like my local supermarket, you can't purchase it, just order online through Amazon (here). It honestly tastes exactly the same and means you can enjoy a guilt-free curry. I also use brown rice instead of the refined white rice. Complex carbohydrates are your friends, get to know them and replace your white alternative!!

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Chicken Breast
• Half pack of Green Beans 
• 1 x Onion
• 1 x Garlic Clove
• 150g Brown Rice
• 1 x tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
• 1 x Half Fat Coconut Milk Can
• 150ml Chicken Stock
• 1 x Red Chilli (Optional)
• Half a Lime (Optional)

Total Price: £1.50/£1.80

Per Serving: 75p/90p

Approx, based on Tesco prices

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry the sliced Onion, Garlic and Chicken breast until golden brown.
2. Add the Curry Paste, Chilli, Chicken Stock and Coconut Milk and bring to the boil. Then simmer for 20-25mins until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced.
3. Add the Green Beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve with rice and lime!

Based on a Tesco recipe here with a few healthier twists and student cut backs - this recipe means anyone can enjoy the classic Red Thai Curry!

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!

Asparagus, Courgette and Pesto Risotto

Asparagus, Courgette and Pesto Risotto

Another Vegetarian option with enough flavour for any carnivore to appreciate also. I ate a meal similar to this in the restaurant Cote and then recreated it for this blog, inspired by a Tesco recipe (here)
It was surprisingly easy, cheap and really tasty! Plus, it contains 3 of your 5 a day! Pack in the veg whilst enjoying the taste - not a combination most students (Veg-haters) can achieve.

Things you'll need:
Serves 2

• 175g Risotto Rice
• 50g Asparagus Trimmed (I sliced in half lengthways)
• 50g Courgette (Cut into chunks)
• 1 x Small Onion
• 1/2 Litre Vegetable Stock
• Tea Spoon Green Pesto
• Handful of Rocket (Optional)
• Grated Cheddar/Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Approx Price Overall: £3.10/£3.90

Approx Per Serving: £1.55/£1.95

(Based on Tesco.com prices)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Melt oil or butter in a deep saucepan. Then fry the onions until transparent. Then add the Risotto Rice and a splash of stock. Once the rice has absorbed the added stock, add it more and more until you have used it all up. Remember, less is more: don't flood the rice and keep it on a low simmer.
2. Meanwhile, place the Courgette and Asparagus into boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then drain.
3. Once the Risotto Rice has absorbed all the liquid and is soft and edible, add the vegetables, pesto and grated cheddar (optional) and stir together for one minute. Then serve with a handful of Rocket (Optional).

One of my cheapest blog recipes due to the absence of meat, and it wasn't a problem at all.  The only down side to this recipe is you have to be patient, as with any Risotto. Don't flood it with liquid, add it gradually and take it off the heat at just the right consistency: not too liquidy but not too dry. This was my first time cooking Risotto and it worked out fine!

Recipe dedicated to my dear friend Grace McCrum. A risotto lover, study-buddy and long term friend.