The Basics

I was recently reading the latest news and recipes from Hong Kong, courtesy of my good chum Lucy. She is in the process of preparing Number One Son for living out of Halls of Residence in September and, remembering my own days living with students, (I was working then, having failed to get the qualifications needed to go to uni and spend three years drinking!) thought I would give three basic recipes that should be easy enough to follow.

As a starter, have cheesy mushrooms. Buy a large box of value mushrooms, they may need the ends of the stalks trimming and a quick wipe to get rid of any earth. Cook in some butter with some garlic, salt and pepper. Once cooked, add a big spoonful of cream cheese. You could leave out the fresh garlic and get garlic and herb cheese. Stir it in until melted, serve in small bowls with hunks of crusty bread.

Everyone should know how to produce a pasta bake. They are so easy to make, can be done ahead of time, are filling and can be very cheap, depending on what you throw in. This recipe does not even have quantities, just rely on instinct young grasshopper!

This should produce enough for four very hungry rugger players lining their stomachs before a good night out or six people just wanting some supper.

Chop two onions, some garlic and a pack of bacon. Streaky works best. Put in a pan with a dollop of oil or butter, on a medium heat to stop it catching. If you have the budget pop in some diced chicken thigh, it is cheaper than breast and won't dry out in the same way. One thigh per person should be fine.

At this point you can also add peppers, frozen veg, courgettes etc to bulk it all up.

Add a splash of wine, don't tell me students don't have wine, and two tins of tomatoes. Check the seasoning and add any herbs and spices that take your fancy.

Cook until the veg is soft. Turn off the heat. Don't worry if there is a lot of liquid, the pasta will soak it up in the oven.

Add two to three double handfuls of what ever pasta you have to a pan of boiling, salted water. Once cooked, drain and throw into the pan with the sauce. Give it a really good stir and put the whole lot in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with cheese and pop in the oven. If you are leaving it until later, leave off the cheese until you put it the oven. The bake will be ready when the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

Garlic bread will be great with this. Take a pack of butter out of the fridge in the morning. Finely chop 4 cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh parsley. Don't worry if you don't have the herbs, butter and garlic will be fine. Slice a baguette three quarters of the way through. Each slice should be about an inch and a half apart. Fill each cut with the butter, wrap in foil and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. A bowl full of salad would add some crispness and cut through the garlic and heavy pasta if needed.

An easy pud to follow is Eton Mess. Buy some ready made meringue shells and break into bitesize pieces. Stiffly whip half a pint of double cream and stir in the same amount of greek yoghurt. Chop loads of strawberries and add to the cream with the meringue pieces. Bung the whole lot in a bowl and serve. You could drizzle strawberry sauce over the whole thing for added colour! Tinned strawberries are not nearly as nice to look at as fresh, but as the are all mixed together and broken up, they will be fine in this.

There you go, a cheap, reasonably easy to produce, three course meal, suitable for people on a budget, those who are hesitant in the kitchen and those wishing to line their stomachs!!

Enjoy!