Chorizo and Beans
27 Apr 2012 4 Comments
in Meals, Meat, Recipes Tags: dinner, lunch, meal, recipe, student meal, student meals
Nothing too fancy here, but a great quick dish with about 2 of your “5 a day” in addition to some meat and beans for all you protein lovers out there. Does stain, of course. You might want to watch out for that… While I’m here, let me just recommend Frugal Feeding for all your tasty-yet-inexpensive feeding needs. And as an added bonus, the author is as prone to sesquipedalianism as I. 
(serves 2-3)
Store-cupboard Potato Soup
07 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Life en France, Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian Tags: cheap eats, lunch, recipe, recipes, soup, student meal, student meals, vegetables, vegetarian
Excellent in case of zombie epidemic, nuclear apocalypse, or global warming catastrophe. Admittedly it does need some fresh ingredients, but in case of any of the above scenarios (and only in the case of the above scenarios), I authorise you to use that which they call “Smash” (instant mashed potato) and dried onions. At this point, however, I disclaim any responsibility for the resultant taste as I don’t imagine it would be the nicest of concoctions. Probably beats brains, mind you.
To my mind, potatoes and onions, in spite of their fresh quality, are so useful and long-living that they merit the moniker of “store-cupboard” or, at the very least “staples”, from whence the appellation of this recipe. (For the sarcastic, yes butter is fresh – so substitute oil. Don’t tell me milk is fresh, however, as I’m in the land of UHT.) It may taste suspiciously like mashed-potato (which can only be a good thing), and may also vary depending on which type of potato you use, but as this is the nuclear apocalypse let’s not be too fussy. The French know what they’re talking about when they call apples “pommes” and potatoes “pommes de terre” as the two share the qualities of being good for you in that they contain minerals, both have skins which you can peel off if you’re being fussy, and both are (to my mind and at this current moment in time) completely interchangeable amongst themselves as to variety for cooking. Bramley? Meh, Granny Smith will do. Maris Piper? I don’t even know why potatoes have names…
Anyway, without further ado, the recipe. It’s really cheap (definitely under £1 if not less than 50p depending on where you buy your veg), great served warm, and quite filling, so perfect for the enduring wintry weather… and not so perfect if you’re off sunning yourself in Spain or Australia. Just sayin’
(serves 4)
Red Lentil Soup
24 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in Meals, Recipes, Soup Tags: lunch, meal, recipe, soup, student meals, vegetarian, veggie
Unfortunately red lentils are incredibly difficult to find in France, but not in the UK so you have no excuses for not making this rather nice and very healthy soup! Having a clear-out of my drafts section, as can be seen from my flatmates-of-last-year’s bowl and spoon…
Chicken Soup… for the SOUL*
16 Nov 2011 2 Comments
in Recipes, Soup Tags: lunch, meal, recipe, recipes, student meal
*not really
I have had a horrible congested-y cold all week, resulting in much tissue paper usage and a drugs-run to Germany (plus side: medicine and general health products are much cheaper there; downside: I can’t read German and thus have had to guess what they’re for). I have clearly been reading too many American novels / watching too much American tv where they give the invalid (I’m allowed to exaggerate in my feeling-rubbishness) because I started craving chicken soup. And for some reason the phrase “chicken soup for the soul” kept going round in my head (as well as “you’re so right, Sarah” after each time I had had a particularly apt thought… I’m blaming that on the illness also, I don’t think I’m normally so self-congratulatory). I think the phrase might be a book, but I can’t be bothered googling to check… If so, anyone read it? Any good?
So, I eventually got round to having a preliminary look for chicken soup recipes, never having had it to my knowledge (that’s probably a lie, but I certainly can’t remember it). But I didn’t find any which didn’t require a pre-roasted chicken or noodles, which I dislike, so I made it up and it turned out to be just what Doctor Sarah ordered (I was so right). Even if, controversially for me, there is no blending of the vegetables, so it was a very thin soup (with chunks in it, of course).
A word on stock: I’ve never made stock properly, always using stock cubes. As these are usually relatively salty, this also probably explains the lack of salt in my recipes. I’m not actually sure how to make proper stock, but that can be a challenge for another day…
Soy and Chilli Carrot Soup
31 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in Meals, Recipes, Soup Tags: easy, lunch, recipe, student meal, vegetables, vegetarian
A nice, basic carrot soup. The soy and chilli flakes give it a bit of a kick and make it interesting.
