Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

Making your own meals


thehockeykid

Recommended Posts

Last year I lived in residence and now I will be living off residence and will have to make my own food as I particularity don't want to spend 7k on campus food like other people I know.

 

What are some meals that you enjoy cooking and eating?

 

 

Some of the thing I cook

-oatmeal

-grilled chicken on the BBQ

-schnitzel

-loblaws sweet potato fries

-pudding

-chicken with mushroom soup

 

 

Most of the stuff is already frozen and you just have to heat it up. I will be trying to learn how to cook from just raw meat this summer (washing it, skinning it ect)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a couple of quick things I like that don't require too much prep.

 

1) Caesar salad with chicken - I always have frozen chicken breasts, shredded parmesan or romano cheese, croutons, and good quality caesar dressing at home. All I gotta do when I decide to make some caesar salad is grab some romaine lettuce from the store.

 

2) Ravioli with sauce - I have some pretty good ravioli varieties (e.g. crab and lobster - $7 for a pound!) and some sauce mixes from a European grocery store. All I gotta do is boil the ravioli, add hot water to the sauce mix, and then put some shredded cheese (see above) on top. Costs less than half of what you'd pay at a restaurant.

 

3) Pasta with seafood - I have bags of assorted frozen seafood (shrimp, calamari, clams) and spaghetti or angel hair at home at all times. I just stir-fry the seafood with butter and some dried basil leaves and garlic, and then add it to the cooked pasta.

 

4) Fish florentine - I always have frozen white fish fillets (basa, tilapia, etc) and frozen spinach. Then all I need to pick up to make fish florentine is some heavy cream.

 

5) Chili - idiot-proof and cheap. The main investment is getting all the spices (cumin and chili powder are an absolute must, but you can also add paprika, dried chilies of all kinds, cilantro, thyme, etc). I always have canned beans and tomato sauce at home - then all you need to pick up is some group beef or turkey. Plus it freezes well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I eat 6-7 times a day but pretty sure you'd not be too enthusiastic about any of my meal choices lol

 

Meatloaf was a staple for me in school. I could make 20lbs woth at once, cut and freeze then pull out and stick it with rice, masjed potatoes or salads.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I doubt you'd want to live on pasta like I do, but there's lots of food (like peppers and onions) I absolutely can't tolerate (though I've tried) and will make me gag so I deal with it. And pasta with tomato soup and cheese has always been my quick pre-workout staple so I'm just used to it.

 

I make my own meat sauce when I visit my parents so always have a bunch of jars ready to add to pasta.

 

I keep frozen chicken breasts and thighs, easy and pretty tasty sauteed with thyme, or marinated in salad dressing.

 

I keep frozen white fish as well.. I used to eat it on top of mashed potatoes and I still love it that way! Fish florentine is my favorite dish of all, except my sauce is made with milk, fish broth, gruyere and parmesan cheese.

 

And then there's my supply of frozen red meat.. usually visit Costco when I go home and buy a huge filet which I cut into steaks and freeze. Cheaper than buying at the grocery store and very easy to do.

 

I'll often cook in larger quantities so I can freeze individual portions: lasagna, tarragon chicken, pate chinois, fish florentine..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mind telling me how you cook your oatmeal.

I've got a bag of oatmeal that I am anxiously trying to get rid of (originally bought it to lose weight but it's simply too bland...)

 

Personally rice and noodles (and sometimes toast) are my stables.

 

I just buy fresh vegi and meat (cheap ones like chicken quater or ground pork) and sauteed them along side the rice or noodles.

 

Also, I try my best to avoid canned food/microwave food/etc. for their higher price. Making everything from scratch is the cheapest.

 

 

Last year I lived in residence and now I will be living off residence and will have to make my own food as I particularity don't want to spend 7k on campus food like other people I know.

 

What are some meals that you enjoy cooking and eating?

 

 

Some of the thing I cook

-oatmeal

-grilled chicken on the BBQ

-schnitzel

-loblaws sweet potato fries

-pudding

-chicken with mushroom soup

 

 

Most of the stuff is already frozen and you just have to heat it up. I will be trying to learn how to cook from just raw meat this summer (washing it, skinning it ect)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man, I love cooking. Yesterday I made roasted vegetable pasta, that was good. Charcoal grills rock. Tonight I am thinking of making something new, I have an oceanwise fish cookbook so I will probably pull something crazy out of there.

 

My staples when I don't want to think are pasta and curry, though. And, increasingly, omelets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mind telling me how you cook your oatmeal.

I've got a bag of oatmeal that I am anxiously trying to get rid of (originally bought it to lose weight but it's simply too bland...)

 

Personally rice and noodles (and sometimes toast) are my stables.

 

I just buy fresh vegi and meat (cheap ones like chicken quater or ground pork) and sauteed them along side the rice or noodles.

 

Also, I try my best to avoid canned food/microwave food/etc. for their higher price. Making everything from scratch is the cheapest.

 

For oatmeal i usually eat this after workouts. So i would use 1 cup of oats, 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder, and 1 teaspoon of instant coffee mix. Then I would add some water and microwave it for 1.5 minutes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The way I used to eat oatmeal:

 

On the weekend:

Throw oatmeal, dried fruit, slivered almonds, whatever you want, into a big container. Shake container.

 

In the morning as soon as you wake up, scoop out some mix. Put it into a bowl. Throw boiling water on it, and let it "steep" while you do all your morning stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

See if you campus has organized student kitchen sessions. Sometimes the nutrition students organize them. At U of A, it's the "Healthnuts" student group. They'd buy all the groceries, teach you how to cook it, and then let you take it all home!

 

I also love cooking. EVEN OATMEAL. The key is spice. Never have oatmeal plain. That's just mean. Add some frozen cranberries, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, walnuts, whatever.

 

My favorite meal currently is BBQ chicken with a Greek marinade (mix olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, mint), my rice blend, yogurt dip with sumac and BBQ asparagus (again, olive oil, lemon and I add szechuan peppercorns)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick things...

 

Chana masala: add oil to hot pan. Add garlic and sweet tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes become soft. Add garbonzo beans, Chana masala mix, and water. Simmer until thickened and eat over basmati rice. Delish.

 

Spaghettini and tomato sauce: add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil to a pan. Add garlic. And add several of the sweetest tomatoes you can find. Add fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened. Eat over spaghettini or angel hair pasta with grated Romano on top.

 

Eggplant lasagna: slice eggplant into thin strips, lengthwise. Sauté in olive oil on both sides with some salt sprinkled on top. Make a béchamel sauce by heating flour and butter in saucepan. Add cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese and cook until thickened. In a casserole dish, layer eggplant, tomato sauce, béchamel sauce, and grated mozzarella. Bake approximately 20 min at 350. It's to die for!!

 

Boccinci salad: slice tomatoes and unripened mozzarella. Coat your serving dish with slices of tomatoes with mozzarella on top. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum.

 

Vegetable medley: cook vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, split peas, and zucchini separately. In a saucepan, heat olive oil, and garlic. Add ranch dressing, cream, and vegetables. Simmer for about 5 to 10 min. It's one of my favorite things to eat.

 

Some tips... Invest in a rice cooker. They are a time saver.

Cook with olive oil. It adds more flavor than canola.

Use fresh herbs and vegetables.

Try quinoa instead of rice. It is more flavorful and is full of protein.

 

Sorry, all of these are veggie dishes.. but since you are not a vegetarian they can be great side dishes! I have tons more, these are just my quick lazy day recipes :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...