Cooking in Cambridge: Five no-oven meals for when you don’t fancy the buttery

Cooking in Cambridge college kitchens can feel frustrating. No oven. No freezer. A truly unique university student situation. It’s only too easy to fall into the trap of making bland pesto pasta or worse, pot noodles- night after night. But your diet doesn’t have to suffer just because the facilities are… limited. 

Here are five meal ideas, with price per portion (using Tesco ingredients), and time taken to prepare. For all of these, you can make individual servings, or meal prep multiple portions. Featuring meat and vegetarian options, these ideas will bring back some joy onto your plate. 

1. Creamy red-pepper tomato pasta and creamy mushroom pasta 

Price per portion: £2.40-£2.70 approx

Time to prepare and cook: 22-25 minutes 

Quick, hot comfort food. Bold flavours. Packed full of vegetables. This is the perfect dish for tired, overworked university students who want a delicious meal without the tedious preparation.

And the best bit? You can shape this to your preference. Spaghetti, tagliatelle, rigatoni, macaroni, or if you feel adventurous, some ravioli: these are all fabulous options. 

For the sauce, you will need double cream, red or white onions, basil, and seasonings such as dried chives, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper, and garlic granules. Choose, for the mushroom sauce, mushrooms of your choice (button are my go-to) and some vegetable stock cubes. Select, for the tomato sauce, tomatoes such as cherry, plum, or salad varieties, and a red bell pepper. 

Start by sautéing your diced onions and bell pepper (for the tomato option). Add seasonings to your liking when the vegetables are tender. Add either your mushrooms or tomatoes to the pan. When cooked, turn to low heat, and warm the cream. Pour your sauce into a jug, throw in some basil, and blend with a handheld blender. If you are making the mushroom sauce, add concentrated vegetable stock for more flavour.

Finish by adjusting the seasoning as you require, and add the sauce to the pasta shape of your choice. If you’re feeling fancy, drizzle some pesto over the top.

And there you have it: A simple yet tasty pasta sauce.

2. Udon noodle vegetable stir-fry 

Price per portion (meat): £3.15 approx

Price per portion (vegetarian): £2.90-£3.10 approx

Time to prepare and cook: 15-20 minutes 

Craving Chinese but don’t feel like ordering takeout? I get it, money is tough at uni. Luckily, this dish is healthier, cheaper, and just as flavoursome. 

You will need udon noodles, stir-fry vegetables, and either tofu or chicken. For the sauce, use soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, malt vinegar, and tomato passata or ketchup. For seasoning, chuck in some Chinese five-spice, garlic granules, and black pepper. You can also opt to add some chilli powder or curry powder. 

In a bowl, add the range of sauces and seasonings, creating a ratio you like. Prefer a sweeter sauce? Go heavy on the teriyaki. Craving salt? Throw in more soy sauce. Add a tiny dash of vinegar, and test the sauce. It will be very strong and concentrated at first, but this will even out when added to the noodles and vegetables. 

Add your vegetable stir-fry and noodles into the pan, and pour in your sauce when they are still crispy, but almost cooked. 

For the tofu, add at the end fully seasoned, allowing it to warm through. For meat, add sliced, seasoned, stir-fried chicken pieces.

3. Burritos 

Price per portion (meat): £2.60-£3.10 approx

Price per portion (vegetarian): £2.70 approx

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Time to prepare and cook: 30 minutes 

Hot, spicy, and utterly mouth watering. Burritos are a great one to keep all to yourself if you are starving and just can’t wait to tuck in, or to prepare for a sociable feast with friends if you want to show off your cooking skills.

Take some sliced bell pepper and onions, and sauté until slightly tender. But, you will want to keep that crispy crunch. Season with cumin, chilli powder, paprika, vegetable salt, and some garlic powder. You could add a little barbecue sauce or BBQ seasoning for that smoky flavour. 

Take your favourite hot sauce and sour cream, and add onto a tortilla, placing your vegetables on top. For guacamole, you can either use store-bought, or make your own very simply with some finely diced raw onion and garlic, mashed avocados, and perhaps fresh tomatoes and a pinch of salt. To make it last longer in the fridge without browning, smash with some lemon juice. Add the guacamole to your tortilla.

Take your minced beef (or pork/ chicken for a cheaper option), and season to your taste, similarly to the vegetables. Sear in a pan, and break into small pieces. Place on the tortilla when cooked.

For the vegetarian option, grate your tofu, and season like the vegetables but this time add some tomato puree and, if you fancy, a splash of salsa. Warm this in a pan, and place on your tortilla. If you prefer, you could substitute the tofu for taco beans.

Wrap your burrito and warm on the pan until it is crispy. Add some tortilla chips on the side with your leftover guac, sour cream and hot sauce if you are particularly hungry.

4. Vietnamese summer rolls 

Price per portion (meat): £3 approx

Price per portion (vegetarian): £2.10 approx

Time to prepare and cook: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes 

Though a little more time consuming, this one is perfect for days where you want something cold, crispy, and refreshing. 

You will need thinly sliced bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, and coriander. For the wrapping, take rice paper, and soak in water to get it malleable and soft. Add in your vegetables, and soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (or a mixture of both.)

You will also want to prepare Vietnamese rice noodles, and place these into the rolls. If you feel like adding some meat, you can opt for either imitation crab sticks, or seasoned stir-fried chicken pieces. 

Create these rolls one by one, and when you are ready to eat, serve with some peanut sauce. You can either buy this pre-made, or create your own with peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chilli paste. 

Perfect for days when you want to ignore the cold, dark weather and clutch onto remnants of more blissful and whimsical summer days, these summer rolls are a delicious, healthy meal for you to try.

5.  French onion soup

Price per portion: £1.90-£2.10 approx

Time to prepare and cook: 1 hour 30 minutes to three hours (the longer you leave the onion to cook, the better.)

You will certainly impress anyone with this gorgeously sweet, rich, and deep-flavoured dish. Look like an experienced chef with this (ironically) shockingly simple meal!

Cook many onions, approximately four per portion, in butter and olive oil, on a low heat, until they are caramelised. Add garlic and thyme into your onions to boost the overall flavour of the dish. 

For the stock, you can either prepare your own vegetable stock using carrot, celery and parsnip, or use store-bought vegetable or beef varieties. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the onion and garlic, and let it simmer until the soup is thick. 

Serve up and top with crispy, toasted baguette and mature cheddar, allowing the cheese to melt into the soup and bread. 

This dish is especially fab for meal prep, as it tastes even better the next day!

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