I came to university having never cooked anything for myself other than a few basic dishes (namely pasta, toad in the hole and pancakes). When I moved into halls I really struggled to find my feet with cooking, and if I hadn’t been blessed by living with someone who not only knew how to cook, but was happy to teach me, I would still be living off Asda’s frozen mash potato (yeah, it’s really a thing).
First up, the pantry essentials. Over time I have realised that there are certain foods that I just cannot live without in my kitchen. Regardless of my food plan for the week, I always make sure that I have these basic staples in my cupboards:
- Brown Rice. It’s a must have because it goes with so many different proteins or veggie dinners.
- Pasta. Of course, no student kitchen is complete without some kind of pasta, I love fusilli tricolore, and almost never buy plain white pasta.
- Carrots, onions and garlic. If your kitchen currently doesn’t have any of these bad boys, get it sorted. Almost everything I make has at least one of these ingredients present, from pasta sauce and chicken casserole, to burgers - these veggies are must haves.
My kitchen veggie basket
- Tinned tomatoes. They’re cheap (33p a can from International foods), keep forever in the cupboard and by making your own tomato pasta sauce it can constitute almost all of your five a day in one meal.
- Tomato puree, for the same reason as tinned tomato. I make a lot of sauces from scratch rather than buying jars of tomato pasta sauce. By making your own you are taking out all of the salt and sugar that are in bought sauces and massively boosting the health factor in your dinner. Easy peasy!
- Soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and BBQ sauce. Need I give much explanation? Whatever you’re cooking I bet it can be improved by the addition of one of these.
I didn’t mention the spice rack because that develops naturally as you buy the things you need for new dishes – plus when you move into a new flat you can share spice staples.
Your cupboard doesn’t need to be as packed as this!
Right then, now that you have a kitchen stocked with the right food, let’s look at the utensils you’re bound to require:
- A decent size, decent quality saucepan. You don’t have much space for these things, particularly in halls, so rather than having three or four, spend your money on one good quality pan that will last - and take care of it!
- One good size deep frying pan ( big enough to feed four people) . You will come back to using this time and time again, and by getting a deep one you can use it as a wok for stir fries, and cook up enough Bolognese to feed your whole flat, or yourself for the next week. Remember, if you’re going to make a Bolognese or curry, cook more and then freeze what you don’t eat. That way next time you don’t feel like cooking, you simply have to heat it up, rather than turning to a ready meal.
- A rubber/silicone spoon. Rubber and silicone spoons are so forgiving and so easy to clean! Avoid wood because it’s harder to clean and easier to stain and damage.
- A good set of knives. You probably don’t need more than three. I bought a set of three knives from Sainsbury’s for £12 and they are brilliant! A good knife doesn’t have to break the bank, but it will make your life easier to have them around.
- Plastic chopping board.
- Pyrex dish – not sure what to call it but you know what I mean – the things you make lasagne, pasta bakes, toad in the hole or casserole in.
- A colander or sieve, obviously.
As I’ve had three years to build up my stock of utensils – combined with my partners stuff, I have about five times as much as I need.
Not everyone can afford one of these bad boys but put it on your Christmas list - you won’t regret it - or watch out for one in the sales!
Pretty much all of the above can be bought from Ikea or nearby supermarkets for less than you’d think. Strapped for cash? Ask your parents if they have a spare lying around, or go halves with a flatmate who is in need of the same stuff.
Finally, how to limit kitchen waste - i.e. how to avoid throwing out food that you haven’t gotten round to eating and has now gone off. There is only one reliable way to do this guys; make a food plan, and be disciplined about it. Every Sunday before I write my weekly shopping list I make a food plan based on what I already have in the kitchen, and what I think I’ll fancy cooking based on how much time I’ll have to make dinner each day. By doing this I have cut my kitchen waste hugely, and saved a fair amount of money in the process.
My food plan for the week
Just because we are students, it doesn’t mean we have to live up to the cliché that students can’t cook and don’t know how to eat. Don’t waste your money on a cookbook, that’s what the internet is for! Bbcgoodfood.com has thousands of recipes and most of Jamie Oliver’s recipes are online anyway.
Some hotdogs with spicy BBQ caramelised onions, red pepper and bacon.
20 minute chicken stir fry
Now, go forth. enjoy learning how to cook and love what you make!
Emma
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