Let’s be honest. Cooking for ourselves on a busy weekday isn’t always a pleasant experience. At the end of a long day, I find myself dreading that question “what should I make for dinner?” And especially as a college student, meal planning and eating on a budget don’t always happen simultaneously. When you add all of that to a consistently jam-packed schedule, a piping hot gourmet meal isn’t easy to accomplish. I decided to do something about it! Inspired by an article I read about cooking with fewer ingredients, I came up with the perfect challenge: eight ingredients to make three different meals in one day.
So often, we forget that making delicious food doesn’t require a thousand ingredients. It makes sense, we live in a consumer culture where we take Instagram pictures of our meals before we eat them, put our names on the waitlist at every trendy restaurant and spend hundreds of dollars at Whole Foods just to buy organic. Food has become a thing to look at on social media, rather than a matter of nourishment and taste. I find it painful to scroll through a million recipes online, all with a laundry list of items and obscure ingredients. I simply don’t have the time or money or patience! And don’t get me wrong, I love that there are platforms to share what we are cooking, but sometimes I just forget that making dinner can be a simple and delicious task. I want to get back to the simplicity. No gimmicks, no expensive ingredients, no four-hour ordeal, just easy yummy food.
Though I was apprehensive at first about how I could successfully create three dishes and not get sick of the same ingredients, I came up with a list of versatile staples and decided to just go for it. Requiring only one grocery store excursion, a small budget, easy prep and healthy ingredients, these three meals can be put together easily, and are great for even the busiest of days, whether you are a college student or not. So, snap out of your typical depression meal, filled with Top Ramen and Cereal, and hit the grocery store. We’re making good food today and it won’t hurt your wallet!
Concocting a list of eight ingredients that could make three delicious and different meals was a bit of a daunting task. Before anything, I decided it was necessary to exclude pantry ingredients from my eight count; I’m not a foodie-satan after all and things have to actually contain flavor. I started by thinking about the things I love to eat, coming up with a short list of essentials. It helped to consider ingredients in categories, starting with proteins, grains and vegetables.
I began with breakfast. Breakfast is the best meal of the day and eggs are one of my favorite foods. Most mornings, I often crave a scramble when I wake up. Typically, I find that when I just make a couple of scrambled eggs, my stomach is grumbling a few hours later, which is especially awkward when you are sitting in the middle of English class and a stomach rumble erupts. (I’m shuddering just thinking about it.) So, I decided for this recipe, I would add some veggies to fill me up, plus half an avocado for some healthy fats. No stomach grumbles with this breakfast.
For lunch I decided to get creative, scouring the internet for fun and easy recipes to use vegetables in. Typically, I skip lunch on busier days and that does nothing good for my energy levels. If I have a chaotic afternoon, I usually arrive home feeling exhausted and starving, which I’m sure my roommates appreciate. To remedy this, I decided lunch needed to be packed with protein to fill me up. I chose a quick turkey burger, pairing that with homemade broccoli tots. Now I know what you’re thinking… broccoli tots? Disgusting. I’m here to tell you that you are wrong, broccoli tots are really damn good. Just try them, I promise.
Finally, for dinner, I knew I needed to consider what ingredients I would have left over from the day. Oftentimes, I am so burnt out from a school day that I have no desire to cook. I chose a fast rice bowl with lots of extra vegetables and a fried egg on top for my final meal, nothing fancy, but so tasty. If you are bad at cooking rice, this one may test you a bit more, but I swear if you follow the instructions on the back of the package, even the worst of cooks can make fluffy rice a reality.
The Shopping List:
- One Carton of Eggs
- One Package of Ground Turkey
- Bag of White Rice
- Two Large Heads of Broccoli
- Box of Spinach
- One Onion
- One Bag of Large Carrots
- One Avocado
Pantry Ingredients:
- Spices- garlic powder, red pepper flakes, thyme
- Bread Crumbs
- Parmesan Cheese
- Oils- olive oil, vegetable oil, sesame oil
- Rice Vinegar
- Soy Sauce
Breakfast: Three Egg Scramble with Sauteed Onions, Spinach and Half an Avocado
The Recipe: Dice a quarter of an onion and throw it in a small pan with some oil. Sauté the onions until translucent and add a handful of fresh spinach. While the vegetables are cooking, crack three eggs into a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add your eggs into the pan with the vegetables, using a soft spatula to keep them from sticking. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese (if already in your fridge; that’s not cheating!) for creaminess. Stir your eggs around in the pan constantly until they are your desired consistency and doneness. Season with salt and pepper. Slice an avocado in half and remove the skin. Cut into small pieces and top with desired spices. I like mine with Trader Joes “everything bagel seasoning” (which is really just a glorified combo of sesame seeds, garlic salt and poppy seeds) and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
Lunch: Quick Turkey Burger and Homemade Broccoli Tots
The Recipe: Rinse a large head of broccoli and cut florets off. Chop florets until fine and add to a large mixing bowl. Crack two eggs into the bowl, followed by half a cup of breadcrumbs, garlic powder, two tablespoons of parmesan cheese (if already in your fridge) and lots of salt and pepper. Combine until smooth and evenly incorporated. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray or oil to create a nonstick surface. Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture into small rounds and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of extra olive oil on top and place in a 400-degree oven for about 25 minutes. While the tots are cooking, combine one package of lean ground turkey meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and thyme. Combine until smooth. In a medium pan, heat oil over medium. Using your hands, create medium sized patties and press onto the pan, each patty should be about an inch thick. Sear the patties for about five minutes on each side and check for doneness using a meat thermometer.
Remove tots from the oven when golden brown and firm. Add turkey burger and tots to a plate with ketchup and enjoy!
Dinner: Asian Rice Bowl with Steamed Vegetables and Fried Egg
The Recipe: In a small pot, pour in the desired amount of rice and add water per the directions on the package (usually 1:2). Let rice come to a boil and then cover with a lid and let simmer for about twenty minutes. While rice is cooking, cut remaining broccoli into florets, dice onion and chop a few large carrots. Add broccoli and carrots into a large sauté pan and cover with about a quarter cup of water. Cover pan with lid and let veggies steam until the water has evaporated. Add onion into the pan and some oil, sautéing everything until browned. Add a dash of sesame oil, a few glugs of soy sauce and a splash of rice vinegar. In a separate pan, heat oil over medium and crack an egg. Let the egg crisp until desired doneness. When rice is finished, fluff and add to a bowl. Add veggies and the egg on top, finishing the bowl off with a bit more soy sauce or hot sauce if desired.
Good “It’s that easy?” you ask. Why yes, yes, it is. Eight ingredients that will make three stunningly different meals, all full of goodness and powerful flavors. While doing this sort of challenge every week may not be sustainable, it is a great reminder that there are always simple and delicious meals to make that won’t break the bank. Sometimes we just have to push ourselves to realize it. Challenging myself to limit the amount of ingredients I was using was daunting and even felt a little silly, but it opened my eyes to seeing how easy it is to prepare good food with low stress. I may not always be the best when it comes to getting creative with meal planning and time management, but I would call this eight-ingredient experiment a success!
Hannah's Homemade: food, cooking & beyond 
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