One meal at a restaurant or at the food court in the Johnson Center is harmless to your wallet. It might even be feasible the second time. However, the third outing in a week might raise some concerns, especially when it’s time to check your bank account balance.
But here’s a crazy idea: cook at home.
Many students reject the idea of cooking because they think it’s too difficult, time consuming or expensive, which isn’t necessarily the case.
I intend to provide you – the average college student – with simple, cheap recipes for meals that can be made in your apartment, dorm or communal office kitchen.
This week, I bring forth the conversation of eggs. Whether you prefer them hard-boiled, scrambled or sunny-side up, eggs can make all the difference in your daily budget.
At only two to three dollars a dozen, eggs contain enough protein to keep you going from the minute you leave the house until lunchtime. And we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Give this recipe a try:
GOAT CHEESE OMELET
3 eggs 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped. 1/2 tomato, diced 1/4 onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons goat cheese (Trader Joe’s goat cheese is the best) |
Remember: preparation is about 70 percent of the work, so start by dicing the onion and the tomato and chopping the parsley, which shouldn’t take longer than five or ten minutes. (Once you cut the tomato and the onion, don’t forget to refrigerate the rest.) I also like to use caramelized onions, but if you don’t know how to make those, don’t worry, I’ll be showing you how next time!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, and add salt. Next, add the tomato and parsley and whisk some more. Remember to keep the onions separate.
Now that your ingredients are ready, it’s time to cook!
In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then after about 15-20 seconds add the onions.
Let the onions sizzle for about a minute. Once the onions are evenly distributed around the pan, pour the egg mixture on top. Turn down the heat to a nice medium-low and let it cook for a few minutes.
Once the eggs become less liquid and start to have a soft, puffy texture, it’s time to sprinkle some goat cheese on one side of the omelet. (If you don’t like goat cheese, you can substitute it with something a little lighter like cheddar or provolone).
Here’s the critical part: After you add the cheese, use a spatula to flip one half of the omelet over the other half, covering the cheese and creating a semi-circle. Let it cook for about 30 seconds then flip the omelet. Let it sit for another 30 seconds and voilà! You have breakfast.
There you have it! A cheap, filling and delicious meal that will have you leaving the house with a full stomach and enough energy to take on the world. I like to drink a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of orange juice with my omelet, but you can have whatever you like.
Bon Appétit!
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