Is that food I smell? 3 easy student meals to enjoy

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can be really lazy with my dinner and can’t be bothered to cook in the evenings. However, I luckily found three easy recipes which I have made more times than I can count! They’re healthy, nutritious, full of colour and flavour and take less than 30 minutes to cook. I have tried really hard to eat healthily at uni, and these easy student meals have certainly helped with that.

Burger bowl

Craving a burger but your Deliveroo order costs too much? Don’t fret for this easy Burger Bowl recipe is here! I like to use frozen mince as that way I don’t need to have it defrosting the whole day, and don’t include the bun but you can add it if you want on the side for some extra carbs. You can also include more veggies such as gherkins or tomatoes and top with grated cheese.

Ingredients: frozen mince, 1 brown onion, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 clove garlic, 1 head of lettuce, 1 sweet potato, mayonnaise, ketchup, 1 cucumber

Recipe:

1. Cut potatoes into whatever chip shape you want and put in the oven at 220C for 30 minutes
2. Cook frozen mince in a pan with a bit of olive oil and add chopped onion and crushed garlic once cooked – add smoked paprika and salt 
3. Chop the whole head of lettuce and slice some of the cucumber into quarters and add to a bowl
4. Once the chips and mince are cooked and fragrant, assemble! – place the lettuce and cucumber at the bottom of a bowl and top with the mince with chips on the side
5. Add as much mayo and ketchup as you desire and enjoy!

Chicken curry

If there’s chicken in the fridge, I know exactly what I am going to make! I use curry paste such as green thai, korma or tiki masala mixed with coconut milk as it lasts longer and saves me money from buying premade sauce, but if convenience is what you’re after go ahead and get the jar! I also use chicken drum fillets as they are the cheapest meat I’ve found, where 600g costs around £2.95. You can also bulk this meal out with some butternut squash and yoghurt if you fancy. 

Ingredients: 2 chicken drum fillets, 1 tbsp curry paste, 200ml light coconut milk, 100g frozen mixed vegetables, 1 brown onion, 1 clove garlic, 50g couscous, 1 tsp butter

Recipe:

1. Cube the chicken and brown it in a saucepan with some olive oil – add chopped onion and crushed garlic and cook until fragrant
2. Add the curry paste and give it a stir before pouring in the coconut milk and letting it simmer for a few minutes
3. Carefully drop in the frozen veg and let the curry cook for 5 minutes as the kettle boils – don’t forget to mix the saucepan occasionally to avoid it burning!
4. Cook the couscous for 2 minutes in a glass jug and add the butter – this melts it and allows for a buttery flavour
5. Place the couscous on a plate and pour the curry either on top or on the side and enjoy (you can freeze the leftovers!)

Salmon bowl

Including fish in the diet is very important for your omega three levels (yes, I am whipping out knowledge from my Food Tech GCSE days). Personally, I love salmon and find it such a versatile fish that is cheap to get per fillet! You might have seen this recipe on social media and for good reason – it’s so simple and quick to make.

Ingredients: 1 salmon fillet, 100g tenderstem broccoli, ½ cup basmati rice, ½ lemon 

Recipe:

1. Fry the salmon fillet in a pan with a little olive oil for 5 minutes on each side
2. Boil the kettle and add enough water to cover your rice in a saucepan – cook until the rice is done (the water will have been absorbed and the rice is fluffy)
3. Steam the broccoli until tender
4. Rinse off the starch on the rice and add to a plate alongside your broccoli and salmon
5. Squeeze the lemon over the salmon and season with a little salt and pepper (maybe even some chilli flakes!) and enjoy 

Get more student meal ideas