By spring semester the monotony of food options on campus can get to students. When grocery store runs are at the mercy of busy friends with cars, and CatCard funds slowly dwindle into oblivion, what is the hungry dorm resident to do? Everyone gets sick of Top Ramen after a while.
Fear not! A few minutes of Internet scrounging can reveal a wealth of recipes for those late-night, penniless students out there. The following meals and snacks can all be made using simple ingredients that you already have on your shelf or that can be purchased at U-Mart or Highland Market. The best part: No stove required. All you need is your microwave. Bon appétit!
Breakfast in a mug
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon milk or water
1 egg
1 dash pepper
1 dash salt
Shredded cheese (optional)
Place butter in a large mug. Microwave on high for 30 seconds (or until melted). Add egg, milk, salt and pepper. Stir with a fork. Microwave for 25 seconds. Quickly stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds or until set. (Time may vary depending on microwave, but make sure to remove eggs when they are still soft and moist.) Let stand for about 2 minutes. (Eggs will firm while standing.) Sprinkle cheese over eggs if desired.
Courtesy of www.food.com
Rating: 4/5 — Tastes like scrambled eggs. They can be a little bland as is, so try stuffing them into a flour tortilla with some hot sauce for a spicy breakfast.
College sandwich
Ingredients:
2 slices of bread
2 slices of American cheese
1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2-3 tablespoons of Lucky Charms cereal
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
Top a slice of bread with one piece of cheese. Next, spread peanut butter over cheese. Sprinkle cereal and then chocolate chips over top. Follow with the other slice of cheese and then other piece of bread. Microwave for 30 seconds. Finally, sink your teeth into this melty — but slightly crunchy — edible experience.
Courtesy of www.food.com
Rating: 4/5 — This meal is definitely for the adventurous souls out there! The distinct flavor of peanut butter hits you first, closely followed by the sweetness of the chocolate and the slight crunch of the cereal. You are left with the zing of the cheese tingling on your taste buds.
Peanut sauce Ramen
Ingredients:
Package of Ramen noodles
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch garlic powder
Cook Ramen noodles and drain. Do not add flavoring packet. In another bowl, place peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Microwave for 3 minutes. Add noodles to bowl of sauce and toss. Microwave for another 1-2 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.
Couresy of www.essortment.com
Rating: 2.5/5 — Rich, thick and very peanut-buttery. Eating an entire bowl can be a challenge. Try adding a little more cayenne pepper to balance out the overwhelming peanut butter flavor.
Cake in a mug
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons flour
9 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
1 pinch salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons oil
Grease a large mug with butter or margarine. Measure out the flour, hot cocoa mix and salt into the mug. Stir. Crack the egg into the mixture and stir some more. Add water and oil. Stir again. (Make sure to scrape the bottom of the mug with your spoon to get all pockets of dry ingredients). Put mug in microwave on high for 3 minutes. As it bakes, the cake will rise cylindrically out of the mug; however, when done it will settle back down into the mug. Enjoy out of your mug or dump onto a plate with a scoop of ice cream.
Courtesy of www.howto.wired.com
Rating: 3/5 — A little more spongy rather than gooey, but it would certainly do the trick for a late-night chocolate fix. Add chocolate chips into the mix or top with chocolate frosting for an added fudgy kick.
Pizza-dilla
Ingredients:
1 large tortilla
Pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni (optional)
Spread desired amount of pizza sauce on tortilla, not quite to the edge. Sprinkle mozzarella to cover. Cover only half of tortilla with pepperoni or other desired ingredients. Place pizza-dilla on a paper towel and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Fold the “”cheese only”” side over the pepperoni side. Cut into 4 wedges. It’s a pizza and a quesadilla. Yum.
Courtesy of www.food.com
Variation: Mini pizzas
Spread pizza sauce and ingredients on two halves of an English muffin.
Hot Dogs in a Sleeping Bag
Ingedients:
1 hot dog
1 tortilla
1-2 slices American cheese
Place hot dog on microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1-2 minutes. (Poke holes in hot dog so that it doesn’t explode!) Set aside. Take tortilla (sleeping bag) and place hot dog and cheese on one end. Microwave for 20 seconds or until melted. Roll up the sleeping bag hot dog end first.
Courtesy of www.food.com
