Food Glorious Food - on a student's budget!

Here are a few recipes that students may already recognise. They may or may not be healthy, but they'll help to keep you alive until you get back to your mum's roast dinners and your granny's tray bakes. If none of these appeal to you, you might like to go here, or here, where you can get a special flameproof plastic bag designed for heating baked beans and other goodies....in your pop-up toaster (and before you ask, if you burn down your digs it's your own fault, not ours). On to the recipes:

CORNED BEEF HOTPOT (serves 4 hungry adults)

1 tin (340grm) corned beef
1 tin (295 grm) Campbell's® condensed scotch broth soup
1 medium onion
2 large or 3 medium carrots
4 large potatoes

Cut corned beef into small cubes and place on the bottom of a large roasting dish (usually used for a chicken). Chop onion and slice carrots finely and add to beef. Mix soup with equal quantity of water in a jug and pour 1/3 over beef & veg. Slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick (discs) and arrange in layers on top of beef & veg. Before last layer, pour over rest of soup and season with salt and pepper (black if available). Cover with tin foil and place in oven at 170°c for at least 2 hrs. Last 1/2 hr, remove foil, spoon soup to baste over top layer of potato and return to oven to allow top layer of potato to brown. Serve hot, enjoy and don't forget to lick your plate! This can be prepared, and while cooking, go for a swim or a jog (or if necessary swot). It won't spoil if kept in the oven an extra 1/2 hr.

Corned beef can be substituted with pork steaks/chops, but for a true Lancashire Hotpot, use neck of lamb/broad lamb chops (1 per person) and if you've just won the lottery (not that we condone it) — centre loin lamb chops (2 per person)!!

CORNED BEEF FRITTERS (serves 2)

1 tin corned beef (small)
batter mix
frying pan or deep fat fryer

Batter mix: 4oz (100grm) flour (plain or self raising), salt & pepper, cold water to mix to coating/paste consistency. Cut corned beef into 4 slices ( 1/4 inch thick), coat in batter, and shallow fry in oil until golden brown, 3 mins each side (deep fat fry for 4 mins). Serve with veg of choice. Really bad for you but lovely!

TUNA PASTA BAKE (serves 3-4)

1 tin (185 grm) tuna in brine/oil
1 tin (295grm) Campbell’s® condensed mushroom soup
200 grm pasta shapes (twists/bows/shells or penne)
1 medium onion
1 small tin sweetcorn
2-3oz grated cheese

Cook pasta as packet instructions (approx.4-8mins). Fry chopped onion in a little oil, add tuna, soup and sweetcorn to cooked onion and mix into cooked and drained pasta. Place in a casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and place under a hot grill till cheese is bubbling and turning brown. Alternative topping: add a crushed packet of cheese & onion crisps or mix the grated cheese with breadcrumbs (2 slices of bread) before grilling. Serve with salad or melba toast.

Melba toast: 1 slice of bread makes 2 slices of melba toast.
Toast both sides of a slice of pan bread (white/brown) and while still warm, cut off crusts. Slip carving knife sideways through the soft centre part of the toast and toast the 2 uncooked sides. If you don’t have a grill or you’re in a hurry, this will work ok in a toaster if the 2 toasted sides are placed back to back(inside), the untoasted sides are on the outside, and both placed in the same section of the toaster. Spread toast with butter/low fat spread. Melba toast will store in a sealed container for a few days.

PASTA CARBONARA (serves 2)

100 grms pasta of choice (spaghetti, tagliatelle, penne)
2-3 rashers of bacon
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
1 egg
2oz cheese
(optional, for extra veg, — 1/2 red, green or yellow pepper; 4 mushrooms)

Boil pasta as packet instructions (4-8 mins). While pasta is cooking, chop onion, garlic, bacon, mushrooms and pepper and fry gently in a tablespoon of oil. Drain water from pasta and mix fried bacon & veg into pasta. Turn heat off. Mix grated cheese into beaten egg and stir this mixture into savoury pasta in saucepan. The retaining heat will immediately cook the egg and cheese but keep stirring until the pasta is coated with the mixture. Serve immediately.

DAD SMITH’S WELSH RAREBIT or GRILLED EGG AND CHEESE

(This was a family favourite for a light lunch or tea)

Melt 1/2 oz butter/low fat spread in 2 tablespoons of milk in a fireproof plate under the grill. When milk is warm (2 mins), break egg into the centre of the buttery milk and place under the grill. When egg starts to set (turn white), sprinkle 1-2 oz grated cheese on top of egg making sure the white of the egg is covered and place under grill again until cheese is bubbling and golden. Eat from the plate and serve with fresh bread. If hungry, use 2 eggs and if ravenous, serve with a large baked potato. A large, well washed potato will bake in a microwave in about 8-10 mins, (2 potatoes — 16-20 mins, 1 medium potato — 5 mins). Remember to turn potato over, halfway through cooking.

BEEF LASAGNE (serves 4)

1 lb/500 grms minced beef
1 medium onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 carton passata/sieved tomatoes (500 gms) - tesco, approx 35p
1 teasp dried oregano or basil (if you're tempted to chop up the nearest houseplant as a substitute, this may kill you. Don't. We warned you.)
(optional — 4-5 mushrooms)
6 sheets lasagne
1 pint white sauce
2-3oz grated cheese (cut off the mouldy bits unless it's supposed to be like that)
6x10 oblong casserole dish
Salt & pepper (black if possible)

Brown mince in saucepan, on medium heat, stirring continually. Pour off excess fat (important if using cheaper/value mince). Add chopped garlic, onion and mushrooms and brown for few minutes, continuing to mix. Stir in carton of passata (or finely chopped tin of tomatoes, minus the juice). Add oregano / basil and season with salt & pepper. Simmer over low heat for 1/2 hr. (Fresh basil, 59p approx at tesco tastes best and if the plant is cared for, will last several weeks).

Prepare white sauce: In a saucepan, mix 2 rounded tablespoons (30 grms) cornflour with a little milk from 1 pint milk, to a smooth thin paste. Stir in remaining milk and cook over gentle heat until comes to the boil — stirring all the time. Lower heat and allow to gently simmer for 2 mins. Season with salt & pepper. (This can also be made in a jug in a microwave, remembering to stir sauce every minute until sauce thickens, approx 4 mins. After this time, clean the half you just lost off the turntable).

Place 1/3 bolognese/meat sauce on bottom of casserole dish. Cover with 2 sheets lasagne, side by side, and then 1/3 white sauce. Repeat these layers twice more. Sprinkle top layer of white sauce with grated cheese and cook in oven at 175oc for 35mins.

Serve with tossed salad: chopped lettuce, tomato, cucumber (& a little vinegarette dressing [olive oil + vinegar, "all shook up"] if liked) and/or coleslaw.

Quick tip: if speed and convenience is important, buy a jar of readymade Bolognese sauce, add to browned meat & onion and simmer for 20 mins. (Tesco's own brand approx 89p).

Lasagne, when cooled, can be divided into portions and frozen. Eat within a month, after defrosting slowly and microwave 3-4 mins with loose cover.

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE(Serves 4)

1 lb/500 grms minced beef
1 onion
1 jar Bolognese sauce (450 grms)
300 grms spaghetti

Brown meat and chopped onion in saucepan for 5 mins. Pour off excess fat. Add jar of sauce and continue cooking on low heat (simmer) for 20 mins. Boil spaghetti as packet instructions. Drain water off and serve in centre of plate. Top with 1/4 of meat sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese or grated hard cheese. Remaining 3/4 of meat sauce can be frozen (in 3 containers) when cooled. Use within 1 month.

CHICKENS!

Look out for roasting chickens on special offer; eg 1.2kg -1.5kg for around £2 - £2.50. Wash under tap, ensuring no giblets are inside (also known as guts - they'll be in a plastic bag), place in roasting tin, cover with tin foil and roast 180°c for approx 2 hrs. Divide into 4 portions — 2 breasts & 2 legs. Eat one portion with veg of choice and potato or rice or pasta and freeze the 3 other portions when cooled. Eat within a month.

Tip: 'extra value' tins of veg at tesco are good value for money; baked beans 9p, spaghetti 11p, garden peas 10p etc.

QUICK CHICKEN FRIED RICE (serves 1)

1 portion cooked chicken
1 small onion
1 small carrot
1 clove garlic
1/2 chicken stock cube and 1/3 pint water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons long grain rice

Defrost one portion of chicken - leg is ok - and chop flesh into thin strips. Chop carrot into thin strips, and garlic and onion into small pieces. Don't try to be Jamie Oliver with a knife or you may get embarrassed if you meet someone you know in A&E. Stir fry carrot, onion and garlic in a dessertspoon of oil on moderate heat. Lower heat. Add rice and chicken - and stir for 1 min. Crumble stock cube and add to pan with water. Stir in soy sauce. Season with black pepper but NO salt as there's enough salt in the soya sauce. Simmer on low heat for 8 - 10 mins, remembering to stir every few mins to stop rice sticking to pan. When nearly all of water is absorbed into food, turn heat off and let pot sit for 1 min. Serve immediately. Don't re-heat as chicken has already been re-heated in the cooking process!! Food poisoning is not a nice thing to have.

QUICK CHICKEN PASTA

1 portion cooked chicken
1 small onion and carrot
1 clove of garlic
1 chicken cup-a-soup^TM and 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup of pasta shapes

Boil pasta as packet instructions and drain water off — 4-6mins. While pasta is cooking, stir fry chopped carrot, onion and garlic in a little oil. Add chopped chicken, cup-a-soup and water, and bring to the boil gently to thicken. Simmer for 2-3 mins to heat chicken thoroughly. Add cooked pasta, stir well and serve immediately. No need to season — usually — except for a little pepper. Especially nice with garlic bread!!

N.B. look out for chicken drumsticks or thighs on special offer. Roast for 50 mins or place in casserole dish with can of sauce mix, (various brands & flavours available - tesco, homepride etc) cover with tin foil and cook in oven 170°c for 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.

Tip! Patak's Indian sauces come in 79p cans (tesco). Stir fry chicken or pork in wok for 8 mins, add can of sauce and simmer for 20-25 mins. Serve with boiled rice (basmati if possible).

SHEPHERD'S PIE/COTTAGE PIE (serves 2)

1/2 lb/250 grms minced beef
1 beef stock cube
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon tomato puree
(optional — 1 clove garlic, 4 mushrooms / 1 small carrot / 1/2 red pepper)
2 large potatoes or 1 sachet instant mashed potato

Brown minced beef in saucepan and pour off excess fat. Add onion, garlic etc and stir for a few mins. Crumble stock cube into the pan and add 1/2 pint of water. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer over low heat for 20-30 mins. Meanwhile, peel, chop into medium sized pieces, and boil potatoes until cooked - approx 20 mins. Mash potatoes and stir in a little butter/low fat spread and 2 tablespoons of milk. (If using instant potato, make up as packet directions when meat is cooked.)

Put meat into bottom of casserole dish, saving most of the meat stock to make gravy with. Top the meat with mashed potato, making lines in potato with back of fork. Either spread a little butter/low fat spread on top of potato or sprinkle top with 2oz grated cheese and place under hot grill until golden grown. While potato is browning, mix leftover stock with a teaspoon of cornflour or gravy mix. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 mins. Serve with veg of choice.

Tip: Remaining portion when cooled can be frozen. Use within 1 month.

SCONE PIZZA (serves 2)

Scone:
4 oz/100 grms self raising flour and sprinkling of salt
1 oz/25 grms margarine cut and rubbed into flour (or 1 dessertspoon oil)
2 tablespoons each of cold water and milk

Mix ingredients to a soft dough and roll out into ½ inch circle (a milk bottle makes a good rolling pin, but drink the milk first!!). Place on greased baking sheet.

Topping:
2 tomatoes (from tin of tomatoes) mashed with 1 dessertspoon tomato puree
2 oz/50 grms grated cheese
1/2 finely chopped onion
3 thinly sliced mushrooms
(optional — a little red/green pepper)
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or oregano
salt and pepper

Add herbs, salt & pepper to mashed tomato and spread on top of dough base. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Decorate with onion, mushrooms etc. Bake in preheated oven, 180°c, for 15 mins.

Quick tip: buy readymade pizza base or use naan bread!

MEAT LOAF (serves 4)

1 lb/500 grms minced beef
1 onion
4 slices bread (made into breadcrumbs - use your imagination)
1 tablespoon tomato puree
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Spread into a greased 2lb loaf tin and bake in oven, 160°c for 1hr. Cut into 4 thick slices and serve with veg and potato of choice.

Above ingredients will also make beef burgers. After mixing ingredients together, divide into 4 round patties and fry in a little oil on high heat (for a few mins) to seal and brown both sides of burgers. Reduce heat and continue frying both sides for 15 mins in total.

CRISPY POTATO WEDGES (serves 2)

2 large potatoes
salt and pepper
oil

Wash potatoes, leave skins on, and cut each potato in half lengthways. Cut each half in half again twice (8 wedges per potato). Place on baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Roast in oven, 180°c, for 40 mins. Turn wedges over halfway through cooking ensuring oil coats wedges. You can spice these up with paprila, chilli powder, curry powder, garlic, or all sorts of other stuff.

OIL TIP! Olive oil tastes best, is healthier and is cheapest at Lidl (for Belfast students — or take a stock with you if being driven to the mainland at beginning of term) but sunflower oil can also be used. Don't be tempted to drain the oil from your car or scooter. It wouldn't be worth it. Castor and Cod Liver Oil are also very bad choices, trust us on that.

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