A Day of Simple Meals

Hello Fellow College Students!

Although I have been really busy with schoolwork recently and unable to make some new recipes. I am writing to inform you of a handful of easy meal ideas that can be made from the stuff you have hanging around in your room.

Breakfast:

They say that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and I know a lot of college students don't like to eat breakfast but for those of you who do, or would consider giving it a try, here are some easy non-cereal options:

Egg McMuffin:
This idea involves egg substitute which can be found in the grocery store right next to the milk and can be used to replace eggs in nearly every recipe. The benefits of egg substitutes are that they are actually healthier than the classic egg, aren't as fragile as the classic egg, and because it comes in a small carton similar to the milk you used to get in middle school, can be a real space saver in a small fridge. So, for this recipe, pour about a fourth cup (doesn't have to be exact) of egg substitute into a microwave safe bowl. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Heat the egg in the microwave for about 1 minute or until egg is fully cooked. Wrap an english muffin in aluminum foil and heat with an iron or hair straightner until slightly toasted. Put cooked egg between the halves of english muffin with a slice of cheese.

Yogurt:
I personally love yogurt in the morning. I especially love to take plain or vanilla yogurt and add some apple pie filling (or other fruit pie filling works). Then I top with some plain granola. It's a perfect blend of creamy, sweet, and crunchy.

Peanut Butter-Banana Tortilla:
Spread about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (preferably creamy) on a flour tortilla. Cook in the microwave for 15-30 seconds so that peanut butter is slightly runny. Slice a banana into coins and add to tortilla. Sprinkle granola and a little cinnamon on top before rolling it up.


Lunch:

For the most part, lunch is sandwiched between classes and there is not much time to prepare it. Here are some fast simple ideas.

Grilled Cheese:
It is actually quite easy to make grilled cheese in your dorm room with an iron or hair straightner. Just make sure you wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil before cooking. You also might want to add a little bit of butter to the outside of the bread to make it a little more like the traditional grilled cheese. For a variation, add a slice of tomato in the sandwich. Also, it is really easy to get microwave tomato soup to go on the side.

Really Cheesy Easy Mac:
Typically a college student has easy mac in their room. I like to add a little extra cheddar cheese and to steam some veggies to put in it. To steam veggies (my personal favorite is broccoli), add about a fourth of an inch of water to the bottom of a microwave safe tupperware container, add the veggies, LOOSELY add the cover (making sure there is space for the steam to escape) and cook for about a minute or until the green veggies have a rich green color to them. Stir into the mac and cheese and enjoy.


Dinner:


Stir-Fry:
This is a really good idea for clearing out your fridge because almost anything can go in the stir fry. Just steam your veggies (the same way as the mac and cheese) and add to instant rice that has instructions on the box. There are a lot of options of sauces to add: soy sauce, oyster sauce, "stir fry sauce". Some may seem expensive but the bottles can last forever.