Student Digs and Dinners

Hello everyone! My name is Freya and I am a third year student at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. I wanted to make this blog for other people, like myself, who struggle to eat well during term time. Between going to lectures, completing assignments and sitting exams, having time to eat well can often be at the bottom of the list. In my first year of living away from home I relied heavily on fast food takeaways, pot noodles and sometimes not eating anything at all. A lot of this was due to laziness, but in all honesty I didn't know how to cook. Growing up I had relied on food being cooked for me at home, going out for meals and I had never really thought about learning how to do it all myself. Moving to university was a bit of a shock as my other flatmates were able to cook meals for themselves and I didn't know where to start. I ended up  using 'not being able to cook' as an excuse for others to cook for me or buying in food. This was not a healthy lifestyle and I re...

Chicken caesar salad is a tasty, healthy option for lunch or dinner. Also, a good one to take on the go to classes. I've never enjoyed eating salads but this one is full of flavour and fills you up. What you add to this is optional, I've added a few things to make it my own but this is how I enjoy it best.  Ingredients you will need for this meal are: Chicken breast Iceberg lettuce Chorizo ring Parmesan Cajun seasoning Garlic granuals Croutons  Caesar dressing For a more traditional caesar salad, drop the chorizo and cajun seasoning. I like adding a bit of extra meat and flavour when having this meal for dinner. Note: I buy all my ingredients from Aldi (a cheap supermarket which is great for students).  Cooking instructions:  Start by dicing up your chicken breast and chorizo ring (as much of each as you require). Add your chicken to a medium heat pan with a dash of oil. Fry the chicken for five minutes before adding cajun seasoning, garlic graduals and the chopped ...

  A BLT sandwich is a lunchtime favourite - why not make it yourself? There is no need to buy a meal deal when you can buy in the cheap ingredients and make it at home. I personally think this BLT is better than any shop bought sandwich. It is a great lunch box edition for busy days.  Ingredients you will need for this meal are: Sourdough bread Bacon Lettuce Tomatoes Mayonnaise Sriracha hot sauce Note: I buy all my ingredients from Aldi (a cheap supermarket which is great for students).  Cooking instructions: Start by pre-heating your oven at two hundred degrees. Use a bread knife to cut two slices of sourdough bread and apply some mayonnaise to both slices. When the oven has heated, place 2 rashers of bacon and three or four small tomatoes on a tray. Cooked tomatoes is a personal preference, if you prefer them cold you can cut them into smaller pieces and add them into the sandwich later. Leave them in the oven for around ten minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Next, ...

A taco bowl is a perfect option for nights that you might not feel like spending a while making a tasty dinner! It is nutritional, easy and delicious. I like this dinner as I love Mexican food but this feels light and still fills me up after a day at university. The ingredients you will need for this meal are: 250g of mince Iceberg lettuce Cherry tomatoes Red onion  Tortilla chips Salsa Sour cream Rice Cheese Seasoning of your choice The joy of this kind of meal as that you can add or remove any of these ingredients and control the size of your portion to suit yourself. This is a great meal to feed friends or flatmates so you may need some more of these same ingredients. Note: I buy all my ingredients from Aldi (a cheap supermarket which is great for students). Cooking instructions: I start by finely chopping up my tomatoes, onion and lettuce. I like to have this prepared in the bowl before cooking my mince. Then go on to brown your mice. I put some oil into a heated pan, add the ...

Thai red chicken curry is one of my favourite easy dinners. It is a warm, cosy tea with a bit of spice! It is another good recipe for group dinners. With just a few ingredients and ready in 15 minutes, it is perfect for a cheap meal during the week.  Ingredients you will need for this meal are:  • Ready, set …cook! Thai red curry kit (Aldi)  • 2 chicken breasts   • Red pepper   • Onion • Broccoli   • Long grain rice  The kit serves two people, but you can buy more kits and ingredients if you are feeding a bigger group. Note: I buy all my ingredients from Aldi (a cheap supermarket which is great for students).  Cooking instructions:  I start my preparation by cutting my two chicken breasts into strips. I then cut up my pepper, onion, and broccoli so they are all ready to go. Add the rice into a pot and add boiling water, just around a fingertip length above the rice. In another pot, leave the broccoli to soften in hot water (a...

  Tomato and pancetta pasta is a flavourful crowd pleaser that only takes half an hour to make! It is easy to cook with only a few ingredients. This is a great recipe to add to your list as you can get these ingredients in all supermarkets and it is a simple meal to cook for friends and family. I like to pair this with salad or garlic bread. Ingredients you will need for this meal are: A pasta of your choice (conchiglie is used in the photo above) Pack of diced pancetta Tin of chopped tomatoes Two garlic cloves Chilli flakes Rosemary stick Salt and pepper You can use the same instructions from this pasta dish to make any kind of tomato pasta, whether you want to use chicken, chorizo or no meat at all. Note: I buy all my ingredients from Aldi (a cheap supermarket which is great for students).  Cooking instructions: Finely chop two garlic cloves and add to a large pot on a medium heat with a dash of oil. Fry this for a couple of minutes before adding you pancetta. Cook your pan...

  Chicken gyros is a traditional greek meal. I first tried this in the restaurant Halloumi in Glasgow and it tasted amazing. When looking at the ingredients I thought this was something that would be easy enough to try at home - and it was! This is one of my favourite dinners as it is so simple but tastes so good. Ingredients you will need for this meal are: Boneless chicken thighs Pittas Chips Greek yogurt Lemon juice Paprika seasoning Garlic Tomato Cucumber  Red onion  Tsatziki  Salt and pepper With this kind of meal, you can add anything you like to your pitta. Listed above are the usual ingredients but feel free to add or take out any ingredients that suit you. Note: I buy all my ingredients from Aldi (a cheap supermarket which is great for students).  Cooking instructions : Start by marinating your boneless chicken thighs. I marinate the chicken with greek yogurt, lemon juice, paprika seasoning, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. I leave the chicken to marin...