I’m not particularly good at cooking. Ask anyone I know, they will confirm this very factual statement about me. However, since moving away from home, my survival instincts have kicked in and I have learned that cooking isn’t always something to run away from, or that I can’t do.
While not being particularly good at it, I still enjoy giving it a go. So, here are some of the vegetarian dishes I rely on at university that I have learned to cook while being here.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
This dish is perfect for mushroom and cheese lovers (two of my favourite things). My need for this arose from a visit to La Cucina in the Bridge of Allan, their Ravioli Porcini dish immediately made me realise that I was not making the most of some very cheap and accessible ingredients for a uni student.
Boil some pasta as per instructions on the box (pop some garlic bread in the oven if you fancy), heat up butter and oil on low heat in a pan, add in the mushrooms, garlic and onions and leave them on low-medium heat until everything has softened, add about half a 300ml pot of double cream, salt and pepper to taste. Strain the pasta, stir it into the sauce, and whack in some grated cheese and give it all a stir – then serve!
There are also many other versions of many other pasta dishes (creamy tomato pasta, cream cheese pasta, and the ultimate uni struggle meal: plain cooked pasta with some sad grated cheese on top) – pasta can really go with anything.
Crispy Tofu and Rice
This one was definitely not stumbled upon; this was taught to me, and I am eternally grateful for it. I had never gone near tofu before coming to university. I never knew what to do with it, but now I don’t know what I’d do without it.
Boil some rice in a pot, about a 1:1.5 rice-to-water ratio is good for most types of rice. Cube some firm tofu, then soak it in a beaten egg and toss it in flour seasoned with whatever you wish. Heat a neutral oil in a pan and fry some diced spring onions for a few minutes before adding in your tofu. Serve the rice, then the tofu and onions, top with sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce to finish. You can even boil an egg to have with it, if you so desire, or steam some veg as you’re cooking the rice.
Potato and Lentil Soup
This one truly has become a comfort food, and one that I find incredibly fun to cook when looking for a break from studying. It’s also one I’ve never made the same way twice.
Start by dissolving a vegetable stock cube in a pan of hot water, cube a baking potato and pop it in the stock to boil with some red split lentils. In a separate pan, heat up some oil and start chopping up whatever other veg you’d like; I usually go with onions, peppers and garlic, and have sometimes added some grated carrot – add the veg to the stock near the end of the cooking and serve.
Featured Image Credit: Amelia Fryer
