Features

How to become a chef in your own residence room

At first, residence seems like a dream. You’re living away from home for the first time and just a short walk away from your bed is the cafeteria—an endless supply of dozens of kinds of different foods for you to enjoy. But for some, the cafeteria can quickly lose its charm. Sooner or later, you may even start yearning for your kitchen again to prepare meals of your own.

But in a residence room, your culinary abilities are admittedly limited. There’s no oven or stove for you to use, let alone decent counter space for food preparation. Often times, you’ll be forced to turn to the basics for all of your stomach’s needs. But cooking in a residence room can mean so much more than a soggy toaster strudel or a lukewarm bowl of ramen noodles.

With this in mind, we present to you six of our favourite dorm room friendly recipes that will turn the quality of your residence cooking game all the way up to the level of a four-star restaurant… or any restaurant that’s slightly better than the cafeteria. All you’ll need is your residence’s microwave, along with a few cooking staples…

Deluxe omelette

What you’ll need

• 2 large eggs
• Teaspoon of butter or margarine
• Pinch of shredded cheese
• Teaspoon of chopped bell pepper
• Teaspoon of chopped onion
• Teaspoon of chopped ham
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of chopped parsley

Putting it together

1. 1. Add butter/margarine to a large mug
   2. Crack eggs into cup, beating with fork until fully mixed
   3. Add bell pepper, onion and ham along with salt and pepper to taste; mix
   4. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds
   5. Remove and top with chopped herbs

Gourmet mac & cheese

What you’ll need

• ½ cup of dry macaroni noodles
• 1 cup of water
• ½ cup shredded marble cheese
• Pinch of chopped parsley

Putting it together

1. Add your noodles to a large mug, filling with water until macaroni is covered
2. Microwave for 8 minutes, stirring halfway through
3. Add shredded cheese to mug, stirring into hot macaroni noodles
4. Pop back into microwave for 1 more minute for extra meltiness
5. Top with chopped parsley and enjoy

Loaded nachos

What you’ll need

• 1 bag of your favourite tortilla chips
• 1 can of refried beans
• 2 cups of your favourite type of shredded cheese
• ¼ cup diced bell pepper
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¼ cup shredded lettuce
• Jar of salsa
• Container of sour cream
• Container of store-bought guacamole

Putting it together

1. Lay your chips out evenly on a large plate
2. Top with shredded cheese, dispersing equally across plate
3. Spread refried beans across nacho chips
4. Top with diced bell pepper, onion and lettuce
5. Microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is fully melted
6. Top with salsa, sour cream and guac

Not your mom’s oatmeal

What you’ll need

• 1 package of your favourite flavour of instant oatmeal
• 1/2 cup of water or milk (or enough to cover your oats)
• ¼ cup frozen berries
• 1 sliced banana
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Putting it together

1. Add oatmeal and water to bowl
2. Microwave for 2 minutes or until water/milk is fully absorbed
3. Add frozen berries directly to hot oats, stirring to defrost
4. Add in peanut butter and honey, blending together with oats and berries
5. Top with a sliced banana

Cheesy deluxe pizza

What you’ll need

• 1 large pita
• Jar of tomato sauce
• Jar of pesto sauce
• 2 cups of your favourite type of shredded cheese
• ¼ cup diced bell pepper
• ¼ cup diced mushrooms
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup spinach
• ¼ cup cooked bacon

Putting it together

1. Lay out your pita on a large plate
2. Smother the inside with a generous amount of tomato sauce
3. Brush the exterior crust with pesto sauce for an extra kick
4. Cover evenly with shredded cheese
5. Top with bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, spinach and bacon
6. Microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is fully melted

Chocolate mug cake

What you’ll need

• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of your favourite kind of milk
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 teaspoons of vegetable oil OR mashed banana
• ⅛ teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Putting it together

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large coffee mug, mix very well
2. Add wet ingredients slowly and gradually, mix well
3. Microwave for 1 minute
4. Remove and swap for cup of chocolate chips, microwave for 1 minute
5. Cover cake with melted chocolate chips