Back to school? Don't settle for subpar cafeteria food. How to become a master chef in the dorm, even if you don't have heating or cooling. Oh wait, you do? So check out our guides on cooking if you have a refrigerator and microwave, or if you have a good kitchen.
For so many delicious meals, you need little more than a can opener, a cutting board and a drizzle of olive oil. And yes, tapering also counts as cooking: Think of salads, cheese boards and hummus plates. No kitchen? No problem. Here's how to still kill it when you cook in college.
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Only buy shelf-stable foods that you enjoy eating. There are more than you might think:Even without a kitchen, you can store bread, nut butter, jelly, oatmeal, dried fruit, almonds, apples, pears, avocados, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and salt.Citrus fruits can be kept for several days at room temperature. Look for packaged items that are not too expensive and not too unhealthy, such as whole-grain crackers or granola.
But even food that doesn't require refrigeration doesn't last forever. Don't be tempted to stock up on ingredients that will last longer than two weeks. It is better to buy based on need or desire. Smaller quantities "buy" in the dining room or supermarket.
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Find a large box or basket, perhaps with a lid, and call it your kitchen cupboard. Keep all your food and supplies there so that bread never gets moldy, gets forgotten between two school books, and crumbs don't build up between your dresser and your bed. Also store most of your belongings here.
Equipment
A range of resealable bags, plastic wrap and tie clips help keep packages closed and extend the shelf life of food. For preparation and eating you will need two sets of cutlery, two plates, a roll of paper towels, a cutting board, a can opener and a small, sharp knife. For cleanup, a plastic container, sponge and soap are sufficient. If you want to cook with heat (and your dorm allows it), consider purchasing a rice cooker, electric pressure cooker, toaster oven, or electric kettle.
Gazpacho. No heater needed. Photo: Gentl & Hyers
Meals
This mantra:Collect, don't cook. It's like camping permanently without even a camping stove.Classic no-cook meals start with sandwiches (canned tuna will keep before you open it, and you can find hummus and cheese in single-serve packages), move on to bean salads (canned beans, olive oil, and lemon, plus an herb or seasoning ). ) and fill on gazpacho (made with tomato juice, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions) or overnight oats (combine water and oatmeal the night before; fill your bowl with nut butter, dried fruit, and honey in the morning).
You will have better luck "cooking" in the dining room. Make a "vodka" sauce for pasta by tapping Cafeteria Marinara with Coffee Shop half-and-half. Microwave to thicken, then add pasta, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Slice an apple, mix the honey from the tasting station with the mustard from the sandwich station, grab slices of cheddar and place them on bread for one of the best sandwiches ever – also try toasting it if your dining room has a panini maker.Instead of thinking of your dining room as a restaurant, think of your meal plan as a lifetime supply of ingredients, and soon you'll be developing your own set of creative recipes.
Snacks during the day
While it's easy to rely on prepackaged cookies, chips, and energy bars, snacks are the chef's time to shine since you'll be eating most meals in the dining room. Dip dried apricots in almond butter and sprinkle with crushed chocolate chips or M&Ms for a sweet snack. Season half a pitted avocado with lemon juice and salt for a healthy but filling midday meal, best shared with a friend who eats the other half. Combine pretzels, cheese crackers, peanuts, cereal and chips for your own snack mix. Top individual nori slices with Sriracha. Puree the oats, honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and salt until you have a cookie dough-like consistency that you can roll into energy balls. If you don't have enough ingredients on hand, you can improvise with the collection from your nearest vending machine.
