As a student, it can be really hard to find any recipes to make on a budget. It’s so appealing to just order pizza for the 4th time in a week, or to heat up that ramen in 2 minutes or less. While I’m still totally the girl who loves her Freeman’s pizza - the delivery guys and I are well-acquainted and Fridays will always be my pizza days - I’ve accumulated a little stash of quick, easy, nutritious recipes that I can manage to make despite my jobs and my school work. And the best part is, all of these recipes can be made gluten free/vegan with a few modifications! All of these recipes are really cheap and easy to make. Here’s what’s on the menu for me most weeks:
Breakfasts:
Cinnamon Roll Smoothie. This is hands down my favourite breakfast right now. I’ve been on the go so much lately that it’s so easy to just have a breakfast that takes under 3 minutes to make. I have a single-serving blender, so I don’t even have to transfer my smoothie into a different container before leaving the house – 10/10 would recommend. For this smoothie, I put in ¼ cup of vanilla Greek yogurt (if you only have plain yogurt, feel free to add vanilla extract). This can be made vegan if you use any dairy-free alternative – even tofu could work! I’ve been adding 2 bananas lately so it fills me up more, but try one first and see how you like it! Add ½ cup oats, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp brown sugar, and 1 cup of the milk of your choice (I use almond milk). Blend it all up and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. SO GOOD. I love that it’s delicious, nutritious, and tastes like one of my favourite desserts!
Apple Pie Smoothie. This is basically a variation of the cinnamon roll smoothie. I add ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt, a banana, ½ cup of oats, 1 cup of almond milk, and one apple (cored). I add some walnuts (usually I just take a small handful – I don’t really measure it), and a drop of maple syrup. I also sprinkle some cinnamon on top. YUM!
Avocado Toast. Yes, I’m that millennial. I love avocado toast, and since I’m not someone who can stomach a lot in the morning, I love that avocado toast can start my day off with some healthy fats and protein. I usually use multigrain bread (although obviously if you’re GF substitute as needed or as you prefer :) ), and I’ll fry an egg to put on top of the toast. I’ll spread some avocado on my toast, slice some cheese and put it on top of the avocado, and top it all with a fried egg. If I’m looking for more protein that morning, I’ll put some almond butter on the toast as well – yum!
Overnight Oats. Overnight oats are great, because if I want to sleep in for an extra 10-15 minutes the next morning, I can prepare them ahead of time, and there’s super easy to bring to class, rehearsal, speaking events, or just to take on the go. I’ll take a medium-sized mason jar (anything works, I just find these are a great size and easy to transport), and I’ll put ½ cup of oats (brown rice flakes work if you’re GF). I’ll add 1 cup of milk (I usually use almond milk or soy), and 1 banana, sliced. I typically add a couple of tsps of chia seeds for more protein and texture, and 1 tbsp of Greek yogurt. Personally, chocolate-banana is my favourite combo ever, so I’ll add a few chocolate chips to the mix as well. What’s great about this recipe is that banana is a natural sweeter, and since no cooking is involved you can change the ingredients up however you want! I would suggest stirring it maybe an hour after you put it in the fridge so the oats don’t all stick to the bottom.
Snacks:
Chocolate-Avocado Pudding. This tastes exactly like my favourite chocolate pudding and takes less than 2 minutes in a food processor! The avocados can also be substituted with bananas, but it’s creamier with the avocado! For this, I’ll put half an avocado, 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, and some maple syrup or honey to add sweetness. Sometimes I'll add half a banana as well. I’ll blend it until smooth and then it’s ready to eat!
Roasted Chickpeas. This is one of my favourite snacks right now. And it maybe costs $2 for a filling and satisfying wintery snack! Take a can of chickpeas, rinse and drain. Spread out on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 400. Drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil and sprinkle rosemary on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes (or until the texture changes). These are best eaten right out of the oven, but I also sometimes heat them up for lunch at school – they’re definitely drier the next day but still tasty.
Blueberries and an Almond-Chocolate Cliff Bar. Lately, I’ll bring a cup of blueberries to school and eat them as an afternoon snack alongside an Almond-Chocolate Cliff bar. Provides me with a little burst of energy to make it through those afternoon meetings.
Supper:
Creamy Avocado Pasta. This is amazing and takes maybe 10-15 minutes. Boil your pasta on the stove as you normally would. Put two avocados, halved, peeled, and seeded, into a food processor. Add ½ cup fresh basil leaves (or let’s be real, the dried basil you have in your spice cupboard), 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 cloves of garlic. Blend until smooth and creamy. With the motor still running, add in 1/3 cup olive oil until emulsified (my food processor won’t let me do this, so I just pour it all in and hope for the best haha). Add salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is cooked, in a large bowl, combine the pasta, avocado sauce, ½ cup canned corn kernels and 1 cup cherry tomatoes.
Pad Thai. I love this recipe, because it always leaves me with leftovers for the next day’s lunch or dinner. I typically use tofu for this recipe, although it can be made with chicken too. You’ll need Pad Thai/rice noodles, which can be found in the international foods section of any grocery store. You’ll also need 3-4 lbs of tofu, chicken, or whatever protein you’d like to use. You’ll also need 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 thumb-size piece of ginger (grated), 4 green onions (sliced), 1 egg (tofu works as well – it’s just for scrambling), 2-3 cups bean sprouts, 1/3 cup roasted peanuts (roughly chopped with a knife), 1 lime (sliced into wedges), and 2 tbsps vegetable oil. For the pad thai sauce, you’ll also need 1/3 cup chicken stock (vegetable stock if you’re vegan or vegetarian), 3-4 tbsps brown sugar, 2 tbsp fish sauce (you can leave this out if you’re vegan/veggie), 1 more tbsp soy sauce, and pepper.
To start off this recipe, toss the chicken (or tofu, etc.) in a bowl with 1.5 tbsp soy sauce. Cook the protein separately from the other ingredients until the end. Combine Pad Thai sauce ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Dunk in pad thai/rice noodles and turn off the heat. Let the noodles soak for approximately 6 minutes, or until soft enough to bend easily but still “undercooked” by regular standards (they will cook more later). Drain the noodles and rinse them briefly with cold water to keep them from sticking. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the oil. Add garlic, ginger, and half of the green onion. Stir-fry 1 minute (you’ll start to smell it). Add protein and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, or until cooked. If the pan gets dry, add 1-2 tbsp of the pad thai sauce, just enough to keep the ingredients frying. Push the ingredients to the side of the pan and crack an egg in the center. Stir quickly to scramble, then combine with other ingredients. Add prepared noodles plus 3-4 tbsps of the pad thai sauce. Lift and turn the noodles to stir-fry and combine with other ingredients. Continue frying in this way, adding more of the sauce every 1-2 minutes until all of the sauce has been added and the noodles are chewy. When the sauce has been added and the noodles are cooked, fold in the bean sprouts. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with a lime wedge and top with remaining green onion.
Quinoa Tacos. Quinoa tacos are great, because they are super easily-adapted if you’re making food for friends with dietary restrictions. Pick up any taco kit from the grocery store (GF if necessary). I highly recommend the taco shells with the flat bottom that can stand on their own. Cook quinoa normally, mixing in taco spice as it cooks. Slice up your favourite toppings (mine are avocados, grated cheese, tomatoes, green onion, and lettuce). I also add hot sauce, salsa, and sour cream. Toast the shells in the oven until they are warm and crispy. Enjoy!
I hope some of these recipes sound good to you! Let me know what your favourites are. Remember sometimes the hardest part is even thinking of what to cook (I feel that). Try to add in 1-2 new recipes a month to keep things interesting! Enjoy :)
