From hell’s kitchen to master chef: University life lessons

We have all heard of student kitchen nightmares.

Horror stories of blocked sinks, stenches of mould that linger for weeks, and the unspoken race to find the best shelf in the fridge. Stains mark numerous attempts to make something relatively edible, and suddenly ordering food for the third time that week is simply more convenient.

In the beginning, the entire flat takes on the roles of chefs, each specialising in their own personal cuisine. One makes a delicious lasagna, another curates fresh Caesar salads for lunch, and someone else argues that their ability reaches no limits with an air fryer.  Yet, by the sixth week of a term, the appearance of anyone cooking becomes a rarity.

Leaving your family’s freshly cooked home meals can be difficult. Sometimes recreating them just does not seem to taste the same. That is why having a couple of easy and delicious university recipes to use whenever you need a pick-me-up is so important.

I have collected a combination of recipes made by students themselves during their time at university.

To start, let us begin with the ultimate student staple: Pasta.

A speciality of Finnish cuisine: Tomato pasta sauce

A speciality inspired by Finnish comfort food, this roasted tomato pasta sauce is ideal for evenings when you want something that feels homemade without spending hours in the kitchen. During our first term, my flatmate Freya and I would use her mother’s freshly made tomato sauce recipe – it was the perfect meal to make cold winter nights feel a little warmer.

Ingredients:

• 220g cherry tomatoes
• One red bell pepper
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves or garlic powder
• Salt, pepper, and basil
• Single cream (optional, for a thicker sauce)

Method:
Begin by cutting the tomatoes and red pepper into halves before placing them onto parchment paper on a baking tray, skin-side down. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and basil.

For extra flavour, add a few peeled garlic cloves to the tray alongside the vegetables. Roast everything for 25-30 minutes until softened and slightly charred, allowing the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and peppers to deepen.

While the vegetables roast and the kitchen begins to smell delicious enough to distract everyone in the flat, choose your pasta. Penne is my personal favourite, though any pasta works just as well.

Before blending the roasted vegetables together, prepare a small mixture of olive oil, a pinch of sugar, basil, and seasoning to enhance the sauce. Blend everything until smooth, adding the mixture alongside a splash of single cream if you prefer a richer texture.

Finally, throw in your favourite pasta and finish with extra basil or parmesan if available.

An evening pasta shared between friends after a long day always feels like one of the simpler comforts of university life.

Red wine-infused spaghetti bolognese

It is someone’s in your flats birthday, and a restaurant sounds like a great idea. That is, until you check your student bank accounts and realise that a home-cooked meal might be a better option. This red wine-infused spaghetti bolognese paired with a glass of red wine might just be the perfect meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 5-6 leaves fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
• 400g/14oz canned diced tomatoes
• 500g/17oz tomato passata/crushed tomatoes
• 250ml/1 cup water or 150ml of red wine
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 450g/1 lbs ground beef, extra lean
• Salt and pepper
• 450g/1lbs spaghetti

Method:

Begin by heating one tablespoon of olive oil in a deep frying pan before adding your diced vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, and garlic). Allow the vegetables to cook gently over a low heat for around ten minutes, softening without losing their colour or vibrancy.

Next, add the minced beef, stirring it through the vegetables until fully browned and no longer pink. Pour in the canned tomatoes alongside a generous splash of red wine, seasoning everything with salt and pepper before leaving the sauce to simmer slowly.

The longer it cooks, the richer the flavour becomes, so it is up to you how long you want to wait, but the recommended time is between one and two hours. While it simmers, grab a glass of wine, making it the perfect dinner to share with friends on evenings when nobody quite feels ready to return to the library.

Build your perfect Burrito Bowl

Sometimes pasta is not as filling as we want it to be, or maybe it is just too repetitive. Instead, you crave a meal that you know will give you some brainpower for the rest of the day. A burrito bowl is perfect in this situation.

Ingredients

• Sunflower oil
• 150g frozen diced onion or 1 fresh onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp frozen chopped garlic or 2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g frozen 5% fat beef mince, broken into chunks
• 3 tsp chipotle chilli paste
• 1 tbsp tomato purée​
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 220g cherry tomatoes
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 medium avocados, sliced
• ½ lime
• 300g frozen sliced peppers
• 400g tin black beans, drained
• 3 x 200g frozen steam bags of long grain white rice

Method

In a large pan, heat two tbsp of sunflower oil and fry onions for five minutes over high heat, stirring until softened and lightly coloured. Add the garlic to cook for around a minute before adding the beef, breaking it up as it browns.

For some spice, add the chilli paste (this is optional) and tomato purée, then add a tin of chopped tomatoes. Pour in a cup of water, letting everything simmer for around 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, you can focus on preparing fresh toppings. Slice the cherry tomatoes with spring onions, sliced avocado, and squeezed lime over everything. For that extra texture and protein, fry some more pepper over high heat for three to four minutes, then add the black beans.

Prepare your rice according to the packet instructions and dish up! Rice on the bottom, beef mixtures, followed by peppers, beans, and fresh toppings. Finish with some more avocado or sour cream.

What makes a burrito bowl so great is that it can be personalised to whatever you are craving, or whatever you have in the fridge at the time. This way, you can meal prep for the next day and make it an easy go-to for busy days.

A study snack necessity

You have mastered how to get meal basics, but you need a study snack. For those who opt for the healthier option, a granola yoghurt bowl with fresh fruits is perfect. Choose your favourite yoghurt and explore the cereal aisle for a flavoured granola that you can add apple, strawberries, banana, or mango to as we enter the summer season.