Charmaine Broughton Blog Recipes For University/College Students - get up and go morning muesli

Recipes For University/College Students as seen on Toronto’s Breakfast Television.

If you (or your offspring) are making the leap from residence (with a meal plan) to living on your own this school year – you’ll want to screenshot the following recipes for when hunger kicks in and your budget is tight.

The following recipes are Delicious & Doable, economical, nutrient dense and require little cooking skill = perfect for post secondary students venturing off on their own for the first time. 

Get Up and Go Morning Muesli

~ approx .90 cents per ½ cup (125 mL) serving

Fuel up with a simple, delicious and nutritious ‘no-cooking’ required breakfast. Simply stir together all the ingredients and voila! Bonus: only one bowl and a spoon to clean-up.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (250 mL) large flake oats 
  • ½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) each of green pumpkin seeds and shelled sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) each of ground flaxseed, chia seeds and hemp seeds 
  • 1 cup (250 mL) plain Greek style yogurt
  • finely grated zest of one orange 
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) orange juice
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) Canadian maple syrup *or to taste
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) pure vanilla extract 
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp (1 mL) each of ground ginger and salt
  • 2 small Ontario apples; well washed, cored and finely diced *leave skin on for added fibre

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  
  2. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 
  3. Makes 4 cups (1 L).  

Delicious & Doable Tips:

  • Use raisins, sliced dried apricots, or dried cherries instead of dried cranberries.
  • Don’t have maple syrup? Use honey or brown sugar instead.

Char’s Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

~ approx $1.50 per 1 cup (250 mL) serving

This pasta salad is loaded with plant protein, plenty of veg, and explodes with fresh flavour. While pasta is boiling, prep remaining ingredients = nutritious pack-and-go lunch (or dinner)  in approx 20 minutes!! Click here for more tasty pasta recipes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (500 mL) Italpasta Artisan penne (or fusilli) click here for more info.
  • 1 can (540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 ripe avocados, diced
  • 2 cups (500 mL) halved grape tomatoes
  • ½ cup (125 mL) frozen corn, thawed
  • ½ cup (125 mL) each of chopped fresh cilantro and chopped green onions
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) olive oil
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) each of ground cumin, ground coriander and chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
  • ¼ tsp (1 mL) chili flakes

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Cool and toss cooked pasta with the remaining ingredients.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Toss well before serving.
  4. Makes about 8 cups (2 L)

Delicious & Doable Tips: 

  • Add leftover chopped grilled chicken or a can of drained tuna to salad for extra protein.
  • Add ½ cup (125 mL) chopped pickled jalapenos for an extra kick of heat.

Curried Pumpkin Slow Cooker Stew

 ~ approx $1.60 per 1 cup (250 mL) serving

Simplest (and super nutrient dense) comfort food ever. Let the slow cooker do the work while you attend class. Nothing like a hearty home cooked stew after a long day of learning.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, chopped in cubes (well washed, leave skin on) 
  • 1 cup (250 mL) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 (540 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
  • 1 (400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) curry powder
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger and chili flakes
  • ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg 
  • 1 apple, cored and chopped (leave skin on)
  • 4 cups (1 L) lightly packed baby spinach leaves
Garnish
  • ½ cup (125 mL) each of chopped green onions and roughly chopped fresh mint
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) roughly chopped peanuts 

Instructions

  • Place chopped onion, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, chickpeas, coconut milk and spices in a slow cooker. Stir until combined. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours. 
  • Stir in apple and spinach and cook, covered, for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Garnish each portion evenly with green onions, fresh mint and peanuts. Makes about 8 cups (2 L).  

Delicious & Doable Tips:

  • Freeze leftover canned pumpkin and use for your next batch of stew.
  • Use canned lentils instead of chickpeas.

Click here to purchase your copy of ‘Delicious & Doable’ or find at one of the below retailers:

  • Type Books ~ 883 Queen Street West, Toronto 
  • Lemonberry ~ 2 Orchard Heights Blvd #10, Aurora
  • Casual Gourmet ~ 1027 King Street West, Hamilton
  • Chef’s Paradise ~ 1314 Bank Street, Ottawa 
  • Gift It Grey ~ 19492 Opeongo Line, Barry’s Bay
  • Creative Cook ~ 35 Manitoba St, Bracebridge
  • The Farm Store ~ 101 Entrance Dr, Bracebridge
  • Red Bean Interior ~ 99 Maple St, Port Carling
  • Stephen’s Butcher Shop ~ 8 Harris St, Port Carling
  • Farmer’s Daughter ~ 118 ON-60, Huntsville
Charmaine Broughton, Muskoka/Toronto based cooking show host & guest expert and author -  taste testing food on camera

Charmaine Broughton is a Muskoka/Toronto-based cooking show host & guest expert and author of ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life‘.

‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ is on Amazon! Get your copy today!