Trust us, these can all help you get by…
The start of any college year will always see a few regular occurrences around Ireland.
Mothers will be crying that their sons/daughters are leaving the home, fathers will be delighted that their wallets are no longer going to be bled dry, and students will be happy to get back to their college mates.
For some college newbies, the sheer idea of even making a bowl of cornflakes is enough to induce cold panic sweats but fear not, because JOE is here.
To all you college starters, if you need a bit more money for food then you can always open, and use, a current account with KBC and get €100 lodged into your account. Trust us, it will definitely come in handy.
The following five meals are so simple that anyone can make them. Trust us, even we could do it…
Spaghetti Bolognese
The meal of kings for all college students because it’s so simple to make, but everyone has their own unique way of doing so. There are some ingredients that are essential like tomatoes (d’uh), mince (obviously) onions, garlic, carrots, stock cube (if you have one), and we might suggest adding some wine although that might be put to ‘other’ uses.
Bring it all to simmer and top it off with some parmesan cheese. FYI, when boiling your spaghetti add some salt to the pot because it will help stop the spaghetti from sticking.
It’s almost like having a meal in Rome. It is. Really.
Tuna salad
Maybe your college roommate is a vegetarian or you had a massive breakfast roll for breakfast/lunch/afternoon snack, so salad is a great option because you can make it whatever way you like and there are endless things you can do with this simple meal.
One of our favourites is the classic Tuna Salad. All you need to do is cook some pasta and sweetcorn as per instruction. While this is cooking, chop up some pieces of cucumber.
When the pasta and corn is cooked,just mix it with some tuna, cucumber, olives and mayo in one big bowl.
It’s simple to make, plus it gets you off the hook when it’s actually your turn to cook. We’re all about making life easy here at JOE Towers.
Chicken Stir Fry
Just like making a salad, everyone has their own favourite ingredients for a stir-fry and it’s so unbelievably easy to make. Ideally what’s required is some egg noodles, a chicken stock cube, some diced up broccoli, two chicken breasts or fillets, mushrooms, peppers, garlic and some seasoning like ginger/chilli.
For fancy pants extra presentation points you can add some basil or nuts.
Sit back and enjoy your meal safe in the knowledge that your mates are going to have to do the dishes.
Chicken Curry
If you’re feeling peckish then we implore you to not call your local take-away because a decent curry is one of the easiest things that you could ever make, provided you actually have the ingredients of course.
Most students will probably buy their own sauces but it can also be easily made using an onion, two garlic cloves, curry powder, flour, tomato puree and some chicken stock.
All you have to do now is add some sliced up chicken or beef strips and serve with rice.
Now that you know how to make a decent curry, you can expect to save yourself some money when it comes to ordering from your local take-away.
Shepherd’s Pie
One JOE remarked that this is so simple to cook because it’s essentially stew in an oven. He’s not wrong. A classic dish that’s simple to make and perfect for those cold Irish college nights when you’re flaked out on the couch.
Cut up two onions and carrots before mixing them with butter and olive oil and adding them to your beef. Place all of this in the oven and cook until the beef browns.
At this point add in some tomato puree, beef stock, milk and egg yolks. Cook for 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced and allow it to cool down.
Cook your mashed potatoes in whatever way you deem fit. We usually cook them with peas and milk before adding them to the beef mixture. If you like you can add some cheese before cooking in the oven until the topping is golden brown.
You should earn some browning points after making a good Shepherd’s Pie… we’ll get our coat.
All images via Getty.
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