Student Grub

As both of our girls are pescatarian, cooking has been a fairly simple affair using at the most two saucepans and the hob - pasta and vegetables, couscous and vegetables, rice and vegetables and maybe some fish.  However this diet is beginning to become a little boring so I'm going to endeavour to suggest recipes that are easy, cheap and quick (Ellie's flatmates are exceptionally unhygienic in the kitchen, usually leaving partly cooked food in saucepans and the work surfaces piled high with dishes, so the least amount of time that she has to spend in the kitchen the better!)

So here's my first offering, a veggie chilli.  There are a lot of spices to buy for this one, but once you've got them they can be used to jazz up all sorts of different meals.  I always think cumin adds depth and interest to many dishes. The costing for this is based on buying ingredients from a supermarket, but would be even cheaper if the veg was bought at a street market and you pinched a few teaspoons of the spices from your Mum next time you're home!

Veggie Chilli (serves 2)
Cost: £2.87 for 2 servings

1 pepper
1 onion
2 carrots
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 tab rapeseed or olive oil
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 400g tin kidney beans
1 400g tin black beans

Chop pepper, onion, carrots.  Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the veg together with the crushed garlic, cook until soft.  Add all the spices, beans (having rinsed them first) and tomatoes.  Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and cover with a lid.  Simmer for 30 mins.
Can be served with rice, sour cream, guacamole and cheese.




This soup (adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe) is a meal in itself, just add a chunk of good bread and it'll keep you going through this cold, damp weather!

Minestrone Soup
Serves 2 - £2.06 for 2 servings

1 onion
300g mix of carrots and butternut squash
1 tab olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 400g tin borlotti beans
100g dried pasta
100g frozen spinach
100g mixture of frozen peas and sweetcorn

You can use any combination of fresh and frozen vegetables, just throw in whatever needs using up. 

Peel and chop the onion, carrots and squash.  Cut into 1 cm dice and put into a large pan with the oil and cook for about 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Crumble in the stock cube and add the tomatoes, beans and their juice and approx. 700ml boiling water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.  Break up the pasta and add with the spinach, peas and sweetcorn for the last 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

A simple and filling supper based around a tin of salmon.  Leave the skin on the potatoes; it saves a job and you retain more nutrients, just give them a scrub.  If you don't want to be bothered with preparing potatoes you could always substitute them with a couple of handfuls of dried pasta.


Grilled Potato and Salmon
(serves 2, cost £2.63 for 2 servings) 

300g potatoes, skin on, sliced
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 tab oil
2 tomatoes, chopped
50g frozen peas
100g tinned salmon
100g crème fraiche
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until just tender, but not breaking up, tip the peas in with the potatoes for the last 2-3 minutes.  Whilst the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the leek until soft.  Drain the peas and potatoes well and put into a mixing bowl with the leeks and chopped tomatoes.  Preheat the grill to high.

Drain the salmon and flake into chunks, gently toss with the potatoes, peas, leek and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon into a shallow flameproof dish.

Dollop the crème fraiche on top, roughly spread then scatter with cheese.  Grill until bubbling and golden.

Grilled Potato and Salmon Bake