Easy College Meals

Cooking meals after long days can be very daunting… take out is much easier right?? If you want to stop your take out habit and impress your friends, here are some easy at home meals to try! 

Fettuccine Alfredo 

Fettuccine can seem like a complicated thing to make. This recipe is super easy and is a perfect meal for colder days (since we can’t seem to warm up). 

Recipe:

• 6 tablespoons of butter 

• 1-2 garlic cloves minced

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream

• 1 ¼ cups parmesan 

• Salt to taste 

• Pepper to taste 

• Red chili flakes to taste 

Directions: 

Heat the butter and garlic in a saucepan over medium high heat until melted and garlic is fragrant. Add in heavy cream and stir for 5-8 minutes. I’ve found that it takes about 8 minutes to thicken up and get a better consistency. After it has thickened, add in half of the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Add in salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Add the sauce to your pasta, the rest of the cheese and stir! Serve & Enjoy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad 

This recipe is perfect for summer days! Whether you are going for a picnic, bringing it to a family gathering, or for a quick lunch! 

Recipe: 

• 1 package of spinach

• 2 cups of halved strawberries

• ½ red onion (thinly sliced)

• ½ cup feta crumbles 

• ⅓ cup almonds (opinional) 

• 1-2 large avocados sliced

Dressing: 

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil 

1 garlic clove finely minced 

½ teaspoon dijon mustard 

½ tablespoon strawberry jam

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: 

Mix all dressing ingredients in a mason jar together and shake well! Toss all salad ingredients in a bowl. Add dressing to salad or keep on the side to save the lettuce for later! Serve & Enjoy! 

Grilled Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa

This dish is slightly more complicated than the other two but it is a delicious summer recipe. The recipe calls for salmon but if you aren’t a fish lover, chicken is the perfect replacement!

Salmon ingredients: 

• Salmon filet

• Olive oil

• Fresh lime juice 

• Garlic 

Mango Salsa ingredients: 

• 1 whole mango(diced) 

• 1 red bell pepper(diced)

• ½ red onion(diced) 

• 1 large avocado(diced) 

• ¼ cup cilantro (chopped) 

• 2 limes 

• ¼ cup coconut water (optional) 

Rice ingredients: 

• Jasmine rice 

• Water or coconut water

Directions: 

Mix together salmon ingredients and coat salmon with them in a baking dish for 30-60 minutes to marinade. Once finished, pan sear or grill salmon until cooked through. Usually about 10-15 minutes.  

While the salmon is cooking, make rice. Follow the directions on the rice package and substitute coconut water if you like coconut flavored things. In a separate bowl take all of the chopped ingredients from the mango salsa and throw them together. I am not a huge fan of coconut so I leave that step out!

Once rice and salmon are finished, grab a bowl, place rice on the bottom then salmon, and top with mango salsa. Serve & Enjoy!  

I hope you enjoyed these recipes! Give them a try and I promise you won’t be disappointed! Use these recipes to impress a loved one in your life! And always remember to be understanding and tip if you do decide on takeout!