The Ultimate Student Cook Book
Apply To Uni has teamed up with 'The Ultimate Cook book' to bring you tasty recipes on a budget. The book written by student Tiffany Goodall is filled with simple, wholesome recipes and provides a step by step guide which makes it a must have for students!
Poached Egg
The ultimate poached egg is perfectly runny and soft on the inside - total food heaven. And they're not just for breakfast either. Try one on a salad for a delicious, healthy lunch. Everyone has their own little trick to make poached eggs - I think the key is to use a very fresh egg.
you will need:
2 medium eggs
1 slice of bread
1 teaspoon butter
1. Bring a pan of water to a fast, rolling boil.
2. Crack your eggs one by one into the saucepan and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile put your bread into the toaster and butter it when done.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove your eggs one by one. Do this verycarefully - you do not want to break them and lose all the delicious yolk.
5. Gently place the eggs on your toast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and eat immediately.
Optional Extras: For pure decadence or for a special occasion, add a tablespoon of hollandaise sauce over the top and serve with bacon. The official name for this is Eggs Benedict. Chopped chives look great, too, and very flash.
Ham and Cheese in their Jackets
serves 4
I love this and I find it such a great way of using up leftover ham and cheese. You create a really delicious filling by spooning out the potato inside mixing with all sorts, then spooning it all back in. When your work is getting you down, make yourself a jacket potato and I am sure all will seem much better.
you will need:
4 large white potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
100g/31/2oz butter
200g/7oz ham, chopped
250g/9oz Cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra to top
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Bake the potatoes as described opposite. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
2. Cut the potatoes in half and gently scoop out the hot potato inside, leaving the skins intact. Put the inside in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix the butter, ham and cheese with the potato, and season with salt and pepper. It should be quite creamy and very delicious.
4. Spoon the filling back into the potato skins and top with more cheese.
5. Place under a hot grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is golden. If you don't have a grill, preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 and brown the tops.
Optional Extras: A couple of crushed garlic cloves would be brilliant added to the ham and cheese, as would some chopped herbs - I would suggest 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary.
Serving Suggestions: Eat with a crisp green salad on the side.
Leftovers: Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat, place in the oven at 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 for 15 minutes until hot.
How to Cook Pizza
One Tuesday at uni my friends all called me up and said they were broke due to it being end of term. I quietly checked my cupboards and explored what I had after a term of buying all sorts of bits. I found a can of tomatoes, an onion and some cheese in the fridge. Pizza was screaming out at me. The secret here is a hot, hot oven so your pizza gets a gorgeously crisp crust. You can buy pizza bases very easily. You can create your own toppings and of course make your own delicious tomato sauce too.
Basic Tomato Sauce for Pizza
Makes enough for 4 pizzas
you will need:
50g/2oz butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped and crushed
1/2 onion, chopped finely
600g/11/4lb canned chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1. Melt the butter in a pan
2. Add the garlic and onions. Cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until soft.
3. Add the tomatoes and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper and add the oregano.
4. On a medium-low heat, cook for up to half an hour to get all the flavours gorgeously intense. Set aside until you're ready to assemble your pizza.
Optional Extras: I often use a red onion instead of a white one as it's just a bit different. You could also add 1 teaspoon of tomato purée, which has a much more concentrated tomato flavour. Also feel free to throw in some fresh tomatoes.
I would suggest using 4-6 halved small tomatoes.
Serving Suggestions: Delicious as your base for pizza. Just add a little bit of sliced mozzarella and basil and you have the perfect Italian pizza.
Leftovers: This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat it, slowly bring it to the boil in a pan.
Margarita Pizza
Makes 4
This is very simple and made with just tomato and cheese. The secret is to use a lot of cheese so that when you take a bite, you end up with cheese strings everywhere. If you don't have four baking trays, you can always flip over some roasting trays and use them instead (see step 2).
you will need:
4 pizza bases
8 tablespoons Basic Tomato Sauce for Pizza
350g/12oz mozzarella, sliced thinly
500g/18oz Cheddar cheese, grated
4 teaspoons dried oregano (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
1. Put the pizza bases on baking trays and spread each one with 2 tablespoons of the gorgeous tomato sauce.
2. Place 3-4 slices of mozzarella on each pizza.
3.Then scatter with grated cheese. Season well and if you have it, sprinkle a teaspoon of dried oregano over each pizza.
4. Put the pizzas in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes. You want the pizza base to be golden and crispy, and the cheese should be a little crispy too.
Optional Extras: The list is endless! You could add some ham to the pizza topping, or some pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, peppers, anchovies…
Serving Suggestions: Having taken it out of the oven, I would serve this with a drizzle of olive oil and maybe a few torn up basil leaves for extra colour and flavour.
Leftovers: I hate reheated pizza as it goes all soggy; however, it's a great snack eaten cold, so leave it in the fridge and eat it for lunch the next day.
Chilli con Carne
serves 8
A hot and warming chilli con carne is quite simply an ultimate favourite and perfect for a house party when feeding the masses. I love a good bit of spice, so chillies and chilli flakes are brill in this. Whack it on the table when you're done and just watch the bun fight as everyone rushes over. Great with a cold beer or some red wine.
you will need:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, chopped finely
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped finely
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
1.5kg/3lb lean beef mince
3 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
2 glasses of red wine (optional)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
800g/11/2lb red kidney beans
150ml/5fl oz soured cream
1. Finely chop the onions, garlic and chillies.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the red onions, garlic and fresh chillies.
3. Add the chilli flakes. Cook gently for 3-4 minutes. You should be hit with the smells of the garlic and spice - all great.
4. Turn the heat right up and add the beef mince. Season well and cook until brown.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Stir well and then add the kidney beans.
6. Simmer for as long as time allows. I like this to simmer for at least an hour, as all the flavours really intensify. Taste it after an hour and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
7. Serve hot with a dollop of soured cream.
Optional Extras: Don't add the Tabasco sauce if you don't like it too hot, but it does give it a real kick. Chopped parsley or coriander would be brilliant at the end, sprinkled over.
Serving Suggestions: I like this with rice and some soured cream, Guacamole and maybe a side salad. It's so easy to do for large numbers.
Leftovers: Never throw away any leftover chilli; it's excellent the next day, as it just seems to get better and better. It's great reheated slowly in a saucepan until hot and then served in a jacket potato with grated cheese. Recovery food.
Would you like to get more great recipe ideas? Find Tiffany's book here
