August 29, 2017
Eleanor Sturt
Eating in college can be expensive, and cooking in the confines of a dorm room sways students from cooking for themselves.
Even worse, students who oversleep after cramming for an important can make them resort to skipping a meal or buying unhealthy fast food.
Microwave meals are a quick, alternative way for students to stay in control of their diets. Microwavable recipes take under five minutes to cook, and students can use ingredients easily stored in a dorm room.
Even if you’re in a time crunch, microwavable meals don’t have to be boring.
Do not just stick to pasta. While noodles may be any easy way to feel full and energized, a couple weeks of microwave ramen will soon bore your taste buds. Allow yourself to try different forms of carbohydrates, which give you energy.
Ready-made rice is an easy way to give variety to your meals while helping you to feel energized. You can even change things up further by adding different spices to each rice dish.
Chives are an easy, cheap way to add flavor to your food without emptying your wallet. Sprinkle a little on your meal before or after microwaving your food. This gives your dish a rich onion flavor without having to chop up any vegetables.
Here’s a healthy tip: find recipes that require vegetables and fruits. That way, you can bring your leftovers to class as a snack instead of a bag of chips.
Finally, buy cooking measurements. There’s really no easy way of getting out of having to use a cup, tablespoon or teaspoon measurement at some point in your life. Spare five dollars now and save money in the long run by cooking your own food.
Mug Quiche
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
Slice of white bread
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon dried chives
Grape tomatoes or red bell pepper
1 tablespoon grated cheese
Avoid using wide mugs for this recipe; this will cause the quiche to climb up the mug. Melt butter in microwave and add egg, milk and whisk until egg yolk is completely mixed in. Mix in salt, pepper and chives. Tear a slice of bread into small pieces and add into mixture.
Dice two or three grape tomatoes or dice a red pepper and add into the mug. Finally, add cheese and stir until all ingredients are evenly dispersed. Cook for one minute and serve. Leftover tomatoes or red peppers can serve as an easy, healthy snack in class.
Mug Blueberry Muffin
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon milk
Six to eight blueberries
For this recipe, a smaller mug is advised. In the mug, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add butter into the mix and rub in mixture with fingers until the mixture resembles damp sand with no lumps. Stir in the milk. Drop blueberries on top and push into the batter. Microwave for 100 seconds.
Burrito Mug
Ready-cooked rice
Canned black or pinto beans
Salsa
Salt
Corn chips
Lettuce
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
These proportions and ingredients of this recipe are entirely up to you. Fill your mug with the ingredients you prefer, using this recipe as a loose guideline.
Fill the mug approximately 1/3 with rice and stir in salsa and beans. Microwave for one minute and add a pinch of salt. If you enjoy a larger amount of rice, add more and increase the microwave time in increments of five seconds until the rice mix is hot through the middle of the mug.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. If you want to take this to class, buy burrito tortillas and empty the mug into the tortilla. Wrap it in some foil and enjoy your easy to-go lunch.