Student 'snack kitchen' - a week to train DS...ideas please

[WilsonStanley]

My Ds is off to uni next weekend. His main meal of the day is provided but I am looking for ideas for breakfasts and lunches. In reality I expect it will be toast, sandwiches, beans etc but all of a sudden he has shown an interest in trying some more things so I am hoping for ideas. He has a 'snack' kitchen only so hob, microwave, toaster, kettle but no oven. He doesn't eat fish so tuna pasta etc is out and he's not keen on much veg but hoping that might improve if he is hungry! Thanks.

Pasta and sauce is fairly simple, micro rice is another one that can be jazzed up with diced chicken/beef. A few herbs and spices can make a massive difference. Can he get a toastie maker? They're great for mixing it up a bit.

Was going to suggest a toastie maker too!

Omelet wrap with sweet chilli sauce? Scrambled eggs with cheese and herbs? Jars of stir in sauces are handy to have. Porridge for breakfast?

We are having an issue with this as well. DD is off next week too. She gets breakfast and dinner each weekday. At the weekend it is a later brunch then they have to provide for themselves in the evening with only a microwave, toaster and kettle. She is actually a good cook but the limited cooking facilities is throwing her. She dislikes pot noodle type food, jacket potatoes and beans. In fact she dislikes most tinned food. She is also reluctant to keep things in the shared fridge as she is aware stuff goes missing. I plan to take her to the supermarket to look at what might be available but i fear there isn’t much. She will probably exist on chocolate digestives at the weekend!

Scrambled/boiled/poached eggs
Pancakes
Frittata
You can do jacket potatoes in the microwave - you don't get the crispy skin but they are still nice enough

Quesadillas? - Put a wrap in a lightly piled frying pan. Fill one half of it with just about anything: tomato, onion, refried beans, salami, cheese, peppers, mushrooms etc. Fold it over and cook both sides. It's like a thin calzone. Utterly delicious and quick.

When we had our kitchen done, we had no oven or hob. But an electric steamer,slow cooker and a microwave pretty much covered it.

You'll be surprised what you can do in a slow cooker. Even if the recipe says to brown things in a pan first, it's just a texture/colour thing rather than flavour. You can prob cook fresh pasta in the microwave, and things like bolognaise, chili, stew, even a whole roast chicken are doable in the slow cooker.

I would also try Covent Garden soups and some really good bread, or invest in a slow cooker.

Buy him a wok and teach him to stir-fry.

A simple student cook book www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Food-Student-Dinners-Triple-tested/dp/1849902569

Bluesky when I was at uni I (sneakily) had a mini fridge in my room where I kept things I was worried might go missing - I've noticed that Aldi are selling decent sized ones at the moment - might be worth a look?

Sounds like couscous could be something good for her - you just need a kettle and boiling water
You can do a fair bit in the microwave - you just need to do a bit if experimenting - so things like scrambled eggs, bacon etc

Might be worth investing in a George Forman?

Pasta with selection of toppings- basic tomato sauce (or jar), pesto, cheesey bechamal sauce.
Eggs and jackets potatoes, as above.
Risotto with all sorts in.
Fry off onion, pepper, chicken and put in a wrap as a fajita.

14yo ds is the master of anything egg. He will raid the fridge for things to put in omelettes, scrambled eggs etc. And would live on quesadillas given the chance.
And another vote for stir fry - once he has that very basic skill, he isn't going to starve.
Ds also cooks chilli/ spag Bol (basically the same dish). There are loads of student cook books around. If you have a hob you can pretty much do anything.

Look What We Found is a range of ready meals that don't need to be refrigerated. They can be heated up in the microwave, you could add tinned butter beans or chickpeas to make them more filling.

You can cook pasta in a thermos flask with boiling water, let it stand for 15 minutes or so. Cous-cous is also simple to do with a kettle or micro wave.

Aldi are selling mini ovens at the moment, if he's allowed one in halls.

A hob really makes all the difference. DD loves stir fries.

Stir fries are a good way to go - get some veg in him too!

Thanks , these are all great. Going to spend his last week (sob) trying some out. He is very keen on a toastie maker...will get him to phone the halls in the morning to see if they can take electrical items.

Depending on which Uni, there may be a small fridge in his room. DS2 had one at Nottingham (Cavendish) and it increased his choice of stuff he coud have at the weekend. I recall seeing them at other Uni Halls as well. Helps avoid the missing food situation.

I second cous-cous as a good source of carbs only needing boiling water, and microwave porridge takes a bit of developing but is fine. I know your son doesn't eat fish, but for others there are cheapish packs of smoked salmon "bits" around in the basics/value ranges which make great pasta dishes. You can also get tubes of garlic and ginger which don't need to be in a fridge, I don't think.
Lakeland have slow cookers on offer at the moment. If he gets one, DS1 found that a can of chopped tomatoes was a good basis for a chicken casserole.
Don't forget to pack, salt, pepper small bottle of cooking oil and selection of dried herbs when he goes.

whoops.
Just went to look at a slow cooker from Lakeland and the offer ones are out of stock on line. Aldi say they have them in store though and cheaper.

Those toastie pockets where you dump a cheese sandwich into one and then into a toaster are a life saver.

And a remoska and small fridge.

I once totally blew my very good looking vegie mate's mind with a Nazzir's curry paste, fried onions, tin of tomatoes and some quorn.
And, he was sulking because we couldn't afford a takeaway.

It's almost impossible to find Nazzir's these days but Patack's is good too.

Decent non stick frying pan is necessary - a kitchen devil too.

Oh all the times I sliced and grated my fingers when learning how to cook; that's before discovering the Student's Union bar.

There was a term of Toasted sandwiches too. Cheese and so much mustard it brought tears to our eyes - fond memories.

Never did shag good looking mate. His sleeping around was too gribbly.

Loved my toastie maker in university. Teach him to butter the outsides to brown it.

Agree

• pasta, if you can get it al dente and learn basics (carbonara, cheat carbonara with cream, pesto, bacon, teach flexibility with peas/leeks etc) is the best
• risottos take too long for students. Hate hob hoggers
• Stir fry meats and veg with ginger and garlic, teach the microwave method of rice
• teach how to steam veg in the microwave

We used to make our own French bread pizzas - spread them with tomato paste, and add cheese and toppings and grill

I think the best skill to teach them is how to plan food without wasting it/going shopping constantly

Microwave mug cakes for a treat.

[[http://m.tesco.com/h5/groceries/r/www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=258436291 I lived off these for ages once. They are even ok without the milk or butter.

D'oh link again