As the semester picks up, it can be easy to fall back to the same boring recipes every day. Or, you may find yourself eating at restaurants more often than your wallet can handle. Instead of dining out every day, her are some simple vegetarian recipes to make at home. While these are vegetarian, you can easily modify them and add a protein of your choosing.
Baked Feta Pasta
Baked feta pasta is a delicious and surprisingly easy meal to make after a long day — just let the oven do all the work.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix 20 ounces of cherry tomatoes, ½ cup olive oil and salt and pepper in an oven-safe baking dish. Add an 8-ounce block of feta cheese and coat in seasonings.
- Bake it in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Boil water and cook 8 ounces of your favorite pasta until al dente.
- Take the dish out of the oven and add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and optionally about 2 scoops of cream cheese to make it creamier. Finally, mix in your pasta and enjoy.
Tofu Banh Mi
While tofu banh mi involves more prep, it's still a delicious and easy meal for busy students. The great thing about the sandwiches is you can prep them beforehand. This isn't a completely traditional banh mi, but it is a simple take on the recipe.
- Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons sesame oil and 2 teaspoons grated ginger into a shallow dish.
- Place 1/4-inch slices of extra firm tofu in the mixture. Let it marinate for at least an hour.
- Mix together broccoli slaw, rice vinegar and sugar. You can do this right before you cook or prepare it in advance.
- Mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice and siracha.
- Once ready to make the sandwich, heat up a little bit of olive oil in a skillet and fry your tofu. Once the tofu is cooked, toast your bread — traditionally a French baguette, but I prefer a ciabatta roll.
- Finally, assemble your sandwich and optionally add cucumbers, jalapeños and cilantro.
Tacos
A less unique but equally delicious and easy meal is tacos. They can be super customizable, and you can use the leftovers for things like quesadillas or taco salads.
- Cook your preferred taco meat. I like the Morning Star Farms vegan chorizo crumbles, which you heat up on the skillet with water.
- Heat up black beans and Spanish rice according to package instructions.
- Place your tortillas on the skillet and heat up both sides until slightly browned.
- Assemble tacos with your choice of toppings. I recommend lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and hot sauce.
Pasta Salad
With almost endless possibilities, pasta salad is a great meal to prepare for dinner and lunches all throughout the week.
- Boil water and cook a box of your favorite pasta.
- While pasta is cooking, chop cherry tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers. Then prep black olives, artichoke hearts and chickpeas.
- Once pasta is cooked, mix the veggies and the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add Italian dressing and, optionally, a few scoops of mayonnaise.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Whether you opt for a hearty feta pasta or a refreshing pasta salad, these simple but adjustable recipes are sure to become a staple for your kitchen.
This article was originally published in the Housing & Living Guide, an IDS special publication.
