Spruce - The Hungry Student One Pot Cookbook

That way, you wont end up with a cupboard full of lemon squeezers and garlic crushers but only enough plates and cutlery for two people to eat dinner together. Its unlikely that youll be able to afford to splash out on fancy gadgets and designer crockery and theres really no need between wear and tear, accidents and neglect, the contents of a student kitchen will be put through their paces. However, one-pot cooking means youll be relying on a large pan, casserole dish and probably another oven-to-table pot and its worth spending a little more to buy a couple of pieces of quality cookware that will stay the distance. ESSENTIAL UTENSILS AND EQUIPMENTSharp knives Two good knives should cover all your needs a large one for meat and fish and a smaller one for paring and cutting vegetables. Utensils Measuring jug, two mixing bowls, wooden spoon, rolling pin, grater, spatula, chopping board, vegetable peeler, whisk, colander. SLOW COOKER A number of the recipes in this book are prepared and cooked in a slow cooker. SLOW COOKER A number of the recipes in this book are prepared and cooked in a slow cooker.

Its worth investing in one as you can use it to cook healthy, hearty meals with the minimum of effort. And if you thought slow cookers were all about casseroles, think again you can prepare everything from pot-roast chicken to curry and even sponge puddings in them, so theyre extremely versatile. You can buy a good-quality, large-capacity slow cooker for under 30, which is great value, considering the time and money youll save once you get into the habit of using it regularly. Choose a brand name that you trust and check out online reviews before you decide which one to buy. If youre planning on cooking meals for your housemates, or you want to make extra portions to freeze, then size matters choose a slow cooker with a capacity of 56 litres (56 quarts). SLOW COOKER TIPS Clean the cooker as soon as possible after use so food doesnt dry solid. SLOW COOKER TIPS Clean the cooker as soon as possible after use so food doesnt dry solid.

Always unplug the slow cooker before cleaning it. Dont add extra liquid to the cooker, unless stated in the recipe. The tight-fitting lid stops any liquid from evaporating so the food will stay moist. Keep the lid on during cooking it might be tempting to take a quick peek inside but youll tamper with the temperature if you do. Brown meat in a frying pan before adding it to the slow cooker. Okay, so thats not technically one-pot cooking but its all in the name of flavour.

STORE-CUPBOARD staples One-pot cookery is perfectly suited to long and slow cooking and youll need a cupboard full of healthy grains and pulses, as well as a good selection of fresh ingredients, plus herbs and spices to add depth of flavour to your meals. Salt and pepper Fine salt and ground pepper are ideal for seasoning dishes, while sea salt and freshly ground pepper make a sophisticated addition to the dinner table. Oil Vegetable oil is a good everyday option for cooking and olive oil is perfect for salad dressings, marinades and sauces. Canned chopped tomatoes Essential for sauces, soups and stews, this is a cheap and nutritious ingredient that you can buy in bulk. Onions and garlic These two ingredients are essential in many cuisines and they form the base for a lot of savoury dishes in this book. Rice There are lots of different varieties of rice. Rice There are lots of different varieties of rice.

Youll need arborio rice if you want to cook risottos and jasmine rice for Thai food. Brown rice is the healthy option but it takes longer to cook so take this into account when youre planning your meals. Pick a couple of the rice varieties that you think youll use most often and buy in bulk. Pasta Again, choose just a couple of large packets of the pasta shapes you think you will use most frequently so you dont end up with dozens of different types of pasta filling up your cupboard. Pasta is a student staple and is well suited to one-pot cooking so youll be eating a lot of it. Cans of beans Stock up on cheap, protein-rich varieties like kidney beans (great for chillies), borlotti and butter beans (ideal for adding bulk to soups) and chickpeas (perfect for stews, curries and salads.) Lentils Healthy, nutritious and incredibly cheap, whats not to like about lentils? Red lentils break down when they are cooked for a long time, which makes them really useful for thickening up soups and stews.

French Puy lentils hold their shape and are delicious in confits and casseroles. Meal planning & shopping lists Youll save a lot of money on your food bill if you plan your meals in advance. By shopping for exactly what you need for each meal, youll reduce food wastage and avoid costly impulse buys. It only takes a few minutes to work out a rough plan for the weeks meals. Cooking together as a household will also save money but it does mean that youll need to be a bit more organized and get everyone together to agree on the weekly meal plan, cooking rota and food shop. Dont worry if you cant stick to the plan rigidly things will crop up during the week, which means people heading out at the last minute, or bringing friends home for dinner.

Luckily, one-pot cooking is pretty flexible when it comes to working around a student lifestyle and an extra person at the dinner table shouldnt put a spanner in the works. Likewise, one less for dinner simply means an extra portion that you can store in the fridge or freezer to be eaten another time. Once youve worked out a rough plan for the week, it makes sense to do one large supermarket shop for all the main ingredients, plus other essentials that youll need like milk, bread, cereal and fruit. If you dont have a car and dont fancy heaving a weeks worth of food for a house full of hungry students on the bus, then online shopping is definitely the most convenient way to buy your groceries. Inevitably, therell be extras required during the week and a little blackboard or notebook in the kitchen is a handy way to keep track of whats needed.