Flavor On a College Campus
College kids are horrible at cooking. I spent my first two years living in a dorm and admiring the upperclassmen for having a kitchen but sulking at the meals I saw them make. I thought this was my fate, I was going to be so poor that these bland, unsatisfying meals of pure carbs and additives were the only meals my budget could afford. Now, with my own kitchen, this is not the case. I eat healthy meals with cheap and delicious food made in my kitchen with limited space and supplies.
Growing up, I watched my mother make many healthy meals, and prepare vegetables in 1000 different ways. Starting at around 12 years old, I too was a part of the dinner-making process. I now consume a large amount of chef content on social media such as Joshua Weissman, Josh Schreerer and many different chefs on TikTok. So, yes, maybe I have a little advantage over those other college kids because of my passion (ok, obsession) for cooking; however, cheap, healthy, flavorful meals can be done. I do not claim to be a culinary wizard or to even have the ability to make restaurant-quality food; however, my years of trial and error make me qualified to give you a list of flavor-packed staple items every college foodie must have in their kitchen.
Gochujang
This Korean condiment packs a powerful spicy, fermented umami punch. When I need something to spice up a basic protein and rice dish, this is the first thing I grab. Whether it be chicken, turkey, tuna or tilapia I find a way to throw this into the dish with some rice and I rest assured of a flavorful meal.
Pesto
This is extremely simple to make on your own by blending up basil, oil, garlic, parmesan and optionally a nut. As a college student, I find it a lot easier to keep a store-bought jar of this in my pantry and pull it out whenever I need it. Pesto is good in almost every dish, put it on your chicken, put it on your sandwiches, put it on your salads, make pasta salads with it, put it in your pasta. Any dish you make that could have any resemblance to Italy, pesto would be a good addition. If I am being cognizant of my health, I avoid using too much of this but use just enough to ensure my meal has the flavor I’m looking for. Aldi has some incredible ravioli that will stay good in the pantry for a long time. Many nights, I pull out a box of that, mix in some pesto, roasted tomatoes, ground turkey, spinach, onion and I have a delicious and healthy weeknight meal.
Feta Cheese and Goat Cheese
I am putting Feta and Goat Cheese in the same category because I feel that many times they provide the same type of flavor I am looking for in dishes. These cheeses provide the flavor I am looking for in eggs. Eggs are chocked full of protein, nutrients and all the healthy goodness I am looking for; and although delicious, Gordon Ramsey’s scrambled eggs full of creme fresh ruin the health aspect of my morning eggs. Instead, I stick to the savory element of breakfast and include feta or goat cheese on my eggs. There are so many creative ways to incorporate these cheeses and you can choose which one is for you based on your health goals. Do you want to add a base of feta cheese to your pan to crisp up while you cook your egg sunnyside up on top? Or, do you want to add your feta cheese to your soft scrambled eggs, a little while cooking them and a little for garnish? Are you in a rush? Add them as a quick topping to your fried eggs with some hot sauce and toast and call it a morning. These cheeses always provide the much-needed flavor to the health beast that we call eggs.
Rice Vinegar
Rice Vinegar is an extremely versatile, healthy and flavorful addition to your pantry. My main use for this is a way to flavor my stir fry and salads. To make sure I am not falling victim to the vegetable-less college diet, I love a good salad. One of the healthiest salad dressings will consist of a vinegar-heavy dressing. Feel free to add, dill, greek yogurt, olive oil or whatever you like; however, rice vinegar is the consistent health winner for me and my salads.
These four ingredients are meant to be versatile, long-kept items to spice up college meals for cheap. Use these ingredients as creatively as possible, if it doesn’t work out, that’s ok, you learned something. Being creative with these 4 simple ingredients, I have elevated my everyday cooking to a level that amazes those around me.
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