When I went away to school at Emerson College in Boston, the cafeteria initially seemed exciting. There was always pizza, always ice cream, and always (always!) sugary cereals in seemingly never-empty bins. When I lived with my parents, Lucky Charms were only a part of our lives when we went on vacation; at college, I could have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I wanted.
Obviously, I quickly discovered that eating cereal all day long was not a plan with long-term viability, so I began to explore cooking in my dorm room.
I bought a set of dishes, a small pot, a hot plate and a microwave, and would fill zip-top bags with the cafeteria salad bars’ fresh vegetables. There, in my room, between classes, study sessions and parties, I learned how to make myself satisfying, enjoyable meals – and not only were they tasty, they were a heck of a lot healthier than what was available in the dining hall.
Read on for a few of my quick, nutritious, and very inexpensive dorm room recipes – and share your favorites in the comments!
Vietnamese spring rolls
These may seem complicated and hard to make, but they’re actually very simple. Better still, they don’t require any cooking, and the possibilities for fillings are endless. Look for the wrappers at natural food grocery stores or Asian specialty markets. Nearly all the fillings and sauce ingredients can be pilfered from your dining hall (or purchased for very little money at a grocery store). These also have the benefit of being very portable. I would often eat them wrapped in a paper towel, on my way to class.
Serves 1-2
Ingredients
5 8” rice paper spring roll wrappers
handful of fresh mint leaves
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into sticks
2 scallions (green onions) cut into thin 2” strips
10 2” strips of cooked chicken or tofu
Directions
- Wet a wrapper under the tap or in a bowl of lukewarm water and shake gently to remove excess liquid.
- Lay wrapper on a clean, dry surface.
- Arrange a few pieces of mint in the center of the wrapper.
- Lay 2-3 pieces of bell pepper, a generous pinch of shredded carrots, a few pieces of cucumber and 1-2 slices of scallion on top of the mint, making sure that all ingredients are facing in the same direction.
- Once the wrapper is pliable enough to work with, tuck in the ends and roll up tightly, like a little burrito (don’t worry if you mess a few up, this takes practice).
- Repeat until all ingredients are used up.
- Serve sliced on the bias with Quick Peanut Sauce (recipe follows).
Quick peanut sauce
Makes about 1/8 cup.
In a mixing bowl, combine two tablespoons soy sauce, two tablespoons creamy peanut butter, a few dashes of hot sauce or Sriracha (or more to taste), 1 teaspoon of honey or brown sugar, and a minced garlic clove (or some powdered garlic). Whisk together with a fork, adding water just until it’s smooth and easy to stir (it should be the consistency of ketchup). Serve with the spring rolls.
Note: these are great with noodles, too – even cooked instant ramen noodles! Just toss them in the sauce and garnish with sliced cucumber and Sriracha.
Pasta primavera
This is a great way to turn cheap instant noodles into something much healthier and more substantial, and to make sure you get plenty of vegetables in your diet. If you have a hot plate or access to a real stove and prefer to cook actual pasta for this, that works well too.
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 3-ounce package of instant ramen
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup vegetables of your choice, chopped if necessary (fresh corn, zucchini, carrots, and eggplant all work well)
1 cup (packed) fresh baby spinach
½ teaspoon dried basil (or 2-3 leaves fresh basil, chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese or crumbled goat cheese, if desired
Directions
- Cook the ramen in hot water according to package directions (discard the flavor packet).
- In a microwaveable bowl, combine the olive oil, tomatoes, and vegetables. Stir well and add 2 tablespoons water.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until the vegetables are tender. Drain.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the tomato-vegetable mixture. Add the spinach, basil, and salt and pepper, and toss well until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Gently toss with the parmesan, if using, and serve hot.
Overnight oats
These just require a few minutes of forethought before bed and are ready to go when you get up in the morning. A mason jar is a great way to tote them to class (or eat them in bed).
Serves 1
Ingredients
½ cup rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking oats)
½ cup milk, yogurt or water (non-dairy milk works too)
pinch of salt
fruit or nuts to top the oatmeal
Directions
- Combine the oats and liquid and stir well in a small mason jar or seal-able container.
- Seal the jar and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, the oats can be heated in the microwave, but they’re delicious cold too.
- Top with the fruit or nuts, and grab a spoon and eat on the way out the door.
.png?w=600)
