A (Part-Time) Vegetarian-On-A-Budget’s Favorite Recipe
Are you always looking for meals to make after a long day at school? Are you still trying to figure out how to make a grocery list on your own? Whether you’re vegetarian or vegan, the thought of cooking raw meat grosses you out, or you are just looking for some new recipes on a budget, I have some ideas for you that will fill your heart and your stomach after a long day of classes or work.
“Cooking and enjoying meals is a really important part of my time spent with friends, but sometimes things can be hard on a budget.”
When I first moved into an apartment my sophomore year, I was super nervous to have to cook for myself. I eat meat, but the thought of touching or cooking with raw meat makes me feel queasy. One of my favorite foods to work with in the kitchen is black beans (or really any kind of beans). Last week, I was super tired after a long day and was craving something that I could pretend was take-out. I went to the food pantry, grabbed a can of black beans and a can of red kidney beans, and hit a homerun with this vegetarian nachos recipe:
Tortilla chips (your brand and shape of choice)
1 can of black beans
1 can of red kidney beans
Mexican blend cheese (as much or as little as you like)
1 half can of refried beans
Place all ingredients on top of the tortilla chips on a baking sheet, cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and voila!
If nachos aren’t your vibe, another personal favorite of mine and my roommates is deconstructed lasagna. We lay out the cooked pasta sheets, ricotta, and sauce in bowls on our table, then take turns grabbing the ingredients to eat them like little roll ups. It definitely is messy, but it makes for a super fun bonding experience with your friends.
Cooking and enjoying meals is a really important part of my time spent with friends, but sometimes things can be hard on a budget. If you ever are really craving something, but don’t have all of the ingredients, try hitting up the on-campus food pantry or even checking different recipes to see how you can make the meal your own.
I hope you learned something from this or gained some motivation to start your own quirky recipes. Happy cooking!
