Quick & Easy Meals To Cook During Exam Season

During the busy assignment period, I love to batch cook and prepare multiple portions of the same meal at once. This means that I can save time during the week and still eat tasty, home-cooked meals. Below, I’ve compiled my top three recipes that you can batch-cook yourself. Each of the recipes makes around 4-5 portions. 

Chili con carne

Ingredients

• 750g packet of beef mince (or you could use Quorn mince).
• One large brown onion
• Two tins of chopped tomatoes
• One tin of red kidney beans
• Chili con carne seasoning mix (if you can’t find this in the shops, a blend of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika and chilli powder will work too).
• Your choice of carbs to accompany the chilli – this could be rice, pasta etc. Personally, I like to serve chili con carne with some rice and slices of garlic bread!)

1. Add a splash of oil to your pan on a medium heat on a hob. Allow it to get hot, and add the mince. Cook the mince until it is almost brown.
2. Chop up the large onion and add to the mince. Cook until the mince is brown and the onion has turned translucent.
3. Add your seasonings to the mince and onions. Stir until everything is coated.
4. Add the tin of red kidney beans. Stir, and then add the two tins of chopped tomatoes. Allow to cook for five minutes or so.
5. Turn the hob down to a low heat, and allow the chili to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
6. Depending on what carbohydrate you want to serve – this is the time to cook your pasta, put your garlic bread in the oven etc. 
7. Serve with some chopped coriander and a sprinkle of crushed chilli flakes for an extra kick.
8. Leave the remainder of the chilli to cool before putting into Tupperware.

Chicken fajitas

Ingredients

• Four chicken breasts
• A three-pack of peppers (I like to use red, green and yellow ones).
• A large brown onion
• Fajita seasoning mix (if you can’t find this in the shops, a blend of chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder and smoked paprika will work too).
• Tortilla wraps

1. Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Add a splash of oil to a pan over a hob on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the strips of chicken to it. 
2. When the chicken is almost completely white, chop up the brown onion and add to the pan. Cook until the chicken is white and the onions are slightly translucent.
3. Add the seasonings to the onions and chicken.
4. Cut all of the peppers into thin strips. Add these to the pan.
5. The fajitas are ready once the peppers are soft and the chicken is completely cooked through. Serve with tortilla wraps. 

Spaghetti and meatballs 

Ingredients

• 24 beef meatballs (or you could use a vegetarian/vegan alternative)
• One large brown onion
• 250g of dry spaghetti
• Two tins of chopped tomatoes
• Mixed herb seasoning (to taste)
• Chilli powder or chilli flakes (optional)
• A handful or two of spinach leaves

1. Add a splash of oil to a pan on a medium heat over a hob. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs. 
2. When the meatballs are almost brown, chop up the brown onion and add to the pan. Cook until the meatballs are fully brown and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the two tins of chopped tomatoes and stir.
4. Add the mixed herb seasoning and chilli flakes/chilli powder to taste.
5. Add the spinach leaves and cook until they have shrunk and wilted.
6. Turn the pan to a low heat and leave to simmer. Whilst your meatballs are simmering, boil a kettle and cook the pasta.
7. When the pasta is fully cooked, drain the water. You can then add this pasta directly to the pan and mix the meatballs and spaghetti together, or serve separately.