Easy meals on a budget

We all know that sometimes uni can get really busy, and it can be difficult to eat all the meals you need in a day.

I’ve been using a meal plan to help with those evenings where you get back home late and should’ve taken a lunch box.

In today’s blog I want to focus on three meals that take very minimal time and preparation; they all cost very little money. All these meals can be made in bulk and be re-heated as well, so there is no waste and they’re perfect for busy weeks. Most of them involve a fair few vegetables and do have meat in them but it’s easy to replace with tofu or any other meat alternative.

Prawn and Tomato Pasta

This takes 15 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook. You can double this recipe and it will make enough for three or four days. Whilst I have said all the meals can be reheated, I wouldn’t recommend reheating prawns. What I tend to do is make lots of the sauce and you can reheat this throughout the week, and add fresh prawns each time.

Cost of Ingredients (according to Morrisons):

Red Onion – Half (3 for £1)

Broccoli – 1/3 (70p)

Frozen Prawns – as many as you want (£5 for a big bag in Morrisons and then split for later meals)

Garlic Cloves – 2 (3 for £1)

Dried Mixed Herbs – 2 tsp (60p)

Chopped Tomatoes Tinned – 1 (40p)

Pasta – as much as you want (60p)

All ingredients costing: £9.30

One portion costing around: £2.02

Method:

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, and pop in the onion and broccoli.
2. Stir in the garlic and herbs and cook for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and 100ml of water, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta.
5. Add the prawns to the sauce and heat through for 1 minute.
6. Drain the pasta.
7. Serve immediately.

Roasted Veg & Lentils

https://www.instagram.com/p/B72ZfqWlXcw/

This recipe is a really warming meal that is super filling. It’s easy to do, as it all goes in the oven at once and can be left in the oven to cook whilst you are getting on with some work or watching the TV.

Cost of Ingredients (according to Morrisons):

Red Onion (Peeled not chopped) – 1 (3 for £1)

Broccoli – 1/3 (70p)

Sweet Potatoes – 2 (65p each)

Courgettes – 1 (3 for £1.20)

Lentils – Small Box (60p)

Garlic Cloves – 2 (3 for £1)

All ingredients costing: £5.80

One portion costing around: £3.13

Method:

1. Chop up all of the ingredients. Halve and peel the onion. Put all of them on a baking tray.
2. Turn the oven onto 200 degrees and pop the baking tray in.
3. Drain and rinse lentils in a sieve.
4. Pour 75ml of water in a frying pan with the lentils and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Dish up.

Stir Fry with Chicken

This is easily my most used recipe. It’s so easy and takes so little time.

Cost of Ingredients (according to Morrisons):

Red Onion – Half (3 for £1)

Broccoli – 1/3 (70p)

Frozen Chicken – as much as you want (£9 for a big box of them in Morrisons and then split for later meals)

Garlic Cloves – 1 (3 for £1)

Dried Mixed Herbs – 2 tsp (60p)

(Add noodles if you want – 50p)

Stir Fry Pack (with assorted veg) – £1.20

All ingredients costing: £14.00

One portion costing around: £2.89

Method:

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and pop in the chicken.
2. Once cooked add in the onion and broccoli.
3. Stir in the garlic and herbs and cook for a minute.
4. Add the stir fry mix pack and stir.
5. Add a tablespoon of honey and some soy sauce.
6. Add the chicken to the sauce and heat through for 1 minute.
7. Drain the pasta.
8. Serve immediately.