Simple recipes for students that taste so good

In my post about easy meal prep ideas for students, I mentioned a beef pasta recipe and chicken & fish marinates that I often make. They taste so good, are easy to make, and simplify my life throughout the week (and term). So I thought I’d share these simple recipes for students.

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Simple recipes for students #1: beef pasta

This beef pasta recipe is probably my favourite out of the easy recipes because I can freeze it.

I froze 2 batches of this pasta last term and it came in handy all the way until the end. When I didn’t have much time to cook in the midst of 4 final exams but I also didn’t want to spend money eating out.

A little bit of work goes a long way with this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef (I prefer medium ground beef because it tastes better)
• 1tbsp cooking oil of choice
• 120g pasta
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 85g tomato paste (about 1/2 a small can of 170g or 4-5 tbsp)
• 1 cup water (then additional water as needed)
• 1tsp garlic powder (garlic paste also works)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp dried Oregano

Process

1. Set the pasta to boil so that it’s 75% cooked by the time we’re done with the beef.
2. In a separate pan, add the cooking oil and let it heat for a few minutes on high. We only need a small amount of oil because beef tends to be fatty.
3. Next, add the onions and brown them.
4. Then add the beef and cook for a few minutes.
5. When the beef starts to change colour, throw in the garlic powder, salt and spices.
6. In a separate bowl, add the tomato paste and mix it with 1 cup of water to get a soup-like consistency. Then add that to the beef. You can add more water to change the consistency.
7. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium heat.
8. Then add the pasta and mix well. Taste it to check if more salt and spices are needed.
9. Cover and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes on low heat.

Now enjoy.

Freezing and re-heating tips

If you want to freeze the pasta, let it cool and then transfer to a Ziploc bag and freeze it. Mine was good for 2 months, but probably could have lasted longer.

You might want to consider freezing it as smaller portions in multiple bags so that it’s easier to re-heat.

I didn’t think about this so I froze my pasta as one batch in a single large Ziploc. And I only realized my mistake when I wanted to eat a portion but didn’t want to thaw the entire thing.

So my solution was to smash the Ziploc bag on the counter, which broke the pasta into smaller chunks. Then I took out the pieces that matched the portion I wanted.

It worked but you can avoid the hassle by freezing smaller portions from the start.

Simple recipes for students #2: chicken marinate

Every weekend (as long as it’s available), I marinate a batch of chicken. I alternate between a couple marinates but this one is the simplest. I cook some of it later that day and the rest I leave in the fridge.

That way I can cook again mid-week and enjoy fresh food with minimal effort. And knowing I have food ready helps me save money by not eating out.

Ingredients

• 2lbs chicken (preferably with bone and skin)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1-2 tbsp white vinegar

Since I don’t have my air fryer here, I bake it in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes and flip the chicken about half way through.

Simple recipes for students #3: fish/shrimp marinate

When I get tired of eating chicken, or run out, I switch over to fish. This marinate is so zesty and flavourful that I don’t get tired of it.

Ingredients

• 320g of shrimp OR 4 fillets of Basa (also works well with Tilapia)
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red chilli pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp carom seed

I heat up some neutral oil in a pan on high and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. If it’s a bigger piece, it might take a few minutes longer.

Final thoughts

So those are some of my favourite simple recipes for students. Although, I’ll be using them even when I’m no longer a student. They’re easy to prep and they make my life easy during the week.

What’s your go-to easy recipe when you’re crunched on time?

-M

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