As far as student cooking is concerned, the general rule is the faster the better; but this doesn’t mean that we have to be restricted to ready meals and questionable tinned items. To prove this, here at Vision we have come up with some sumptuously speedy meals, to have you feeling full fast.
Instant Noodle Soup
I confess that I did not discover the existence of instant packet noodles before coming to university. My sheltered upbringing, however, was stunned when it experienced them in freshers’ week after a particularly bad hangover (so bad that my body would not allow me to stand for longer than a minute at a time). It was probably the worst snack (I refuse to allow them meal status) I have ever had, yet I admit that their carby goodness did wonders for my hangover. When I eventually felt well enough to move, I wanted to create something that would be as quick and satisfying as instant noodles, but a lot less nasty. This was the result!
The recipe is pretty adaptable – you can try adding chilli powder for a bit of a kick, chicken or beef stock for a more meaty flavour and different types of vegetables. It takes me 10 minutes to cook (including chopping time). This may be five times the required time to cook instant noodles – but trust me, it tastes a million times better.
Serves 2 people
Ingredients:
2 x packets instant noodles
1 x vegetable stock cube
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 pepper
Vegetables of your choice – examples: carrot, courgette, peas, chilli pepper
Directions:
1) Boil the kettle.
2) Chop the onion and crush the garlic. Fry these in a large saucepan on a low heat for 3 minutes until translucent.
3) Add the chopped pepper and your chosen vegetables and fry for a further 2 minutes.
4) Put the stock cube into a jug and stir in 750ml of boiling water. Pour this into the saucepan and add the sugar, herbs, lemon juice and soy sauce. Mix well, bring it to the boil and then turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for 2 minutes.
5) Cook the noodles in a separate saucepan, drain, then divide into two bowls. Pour the soup over the noodles and eat straightaway.
Spicy Fajitas
Makes 6 wraps
Ingredients:
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 large peppers (preferably different colours)
6 tortilla wraps
Guacamole/sour cream/tomato salsa
100g cheddar cheese
For vegetarian fajitas: add chopped carrot, courgette and mushroom (or any other choice of vegetable)
For chicken fajitas: 3 medium chicken breasts, cut into strips
For beef fajitas: 500g beef, cut into strips
Spice mix (if you like, you can buy a ready-made sachet)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (don’t put this in if you’re averse to heat!)
½ teaspoon chilli powder
Directions:
1) Mix the spices and salt together in a small bowl. Set to one side.
2) Chop the onion and garlic. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until translucent.
3) Whilst they are frying, chop the peppers into strips. Fry these with the onion and garlic, along with any other fillings, for 4 minutes until well cooked through.
4) Sprinkle over about 2 tablespoons of the spice mix (it should be enough to cover all of the filling). Fry for a further minute, then put into a bowl. Heat the wraps in microwave for 30 seconds.
5) Spread guacamole, sour cream, tomato salsa or any other choice of sauce (but please not ketchup!) over the wraps and place two tablespoons of filling in a line along the centre of the wrap. Top with grated cheese and salad if desired, then roll up the wrap and eat straightaway. You can eat these on their own, or serve them with nachos, potato wedges, spicy rice, or anything else vaguely Mexican!