5 Easy, Delicious, Nutritious, Meals To Make In Your Dorm or Apartment

Sometimes life can get hard, dorm food can become boring, and meals can become a hassle. Especially when midterm season comes hurtling in, you’re trying to balance homework with a social life and maintaining your health and sanity. Eating good food can quickly fall off the priority list, leaving college students to resort to red bull, chips or any other junk food they can find just to get by. However, with just a few simple veggies, fruits, and even a pack of Shin Ramyun, you can make delectable, nutritious meals to enjoy! The meals shared in this article can be easily made in any dorm kitchen, requiring few dishes, limited ingredients (for a tight college student budget) and limited space. I actually made all these recipes in my NYU dorm to really test it out!  See comments below for more

Shin Ramyun With A Twist 

When I was recently finishing up a Costco run with my family, I stumbled upon their ginormous 50 pack Shin Ramyun packs towering above me. I was instantly stunned, intrigued and wanted to try it, however I was also slightly hesitant since they were instant noodles. But through further research, I found that Shin Ramyun can easily be upgraded with a few simple additions. In balanced proportions and just a few additions, the noodles can become a quick, healthy meal packed with nutritious benefits. Plus a great meal to make when you only have 10 minutes till your next class. 

Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk 

• 1 tbsp Kewpie Mayonnaise 

• 1 tsp gochujang (optional)

• 1 pack Shin Ramyun (noodles, seasoning packet, dried vegetable flakes packet)

• 1 egg

• Vegetables of your choosing (options include, but are not limited to: bokchoy, baby corn, green beans, or whatever’s in your fridge)

Instructions:

1. Boil, steam, saute, or grill vegetables to your liking. 

2. Boil Shin Ramyun noodle cake with dried vegetable flakes packet. 

3. Boil one egg for 5-7.5 minutes (based on preference), and plunge into a bowl with ice water. This will stop the cooking process, resulting in the desirable jammy egg. 

4. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk, kewpie mayo, and Shin Ramyun seasoning packet until it forms a paste. 

5. After the noodles are finished boiling, directly pour boiling hot noodle water a spoonful at a time into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. 

6. Combine everything together to form a smooth, rich broth. 

7. Toss the noodles into broth.

8. Top with the cooked veggies and jammy egg. 

9. Eat while hot, with an optional drizzle of chili oil for extra heat and flavor. 

Pesto Pasta

Light, refreshing and filling, pesto pasta is an easy dish to whip up. It is great eaten hot, cold, at home or on the go! Accompanied with a piece of fruit, this becomes a delicious (and balanced) meal. To add an additional nutritious element, you could even add protein like rotisserie chicken, or protein you find at the dining hall which can be bland on its own but can get jazzed when added to pesto pasta. 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup boiled Penne pasta  

• 2 tbsp pesto sauce (store bought or homemade)

• 1 tbsp olive oil (plus more if needed)

• Optional toppings: olives, mozzarella cheese, or fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Cook penne

2. In a bowl, add cooked Penne pasta.

3. Add pesto sauce and oil.

4. Combine everything until the pesto sauce completely coats the pasta. 

5. Toss in optional toppings and stir until everything is combined. 

Avocado Toast

My favorite cafe near NYU is Little Ruby’s. I especially enjoy the avocado toast. But eating at Little Ruby’s every week can quickly add up, so instead I tried to make my own version of their avocado toast at my dorm. While it isn;t an exact replica, it is still delicious and nutritious,  filled with vitamins, minerals, fiber and monounsaturated fats (AKA the healthy fats). Definitely a hearty breakfast, especially with a chilled glass of orange juice. 

Ingredients:

• 1 egg (sunny side up)

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 slice of bread (toasted)

• 1 avocado

• ¼ cup white or red onion

• Salt and pepper to taste 

• Juice from half a lemon 

Instructions:

1. Toast bread and add butter.

2. In a hot pan with oil, fry one egg until white is cooked and yolk is still wobbly and runny.

3. Dice onion.

In a bowl, mash avocado until smooth and creamy. Add diced onion, lemon juice, and mix until well combined.

4. Spread avocado mixture on toast and place fried egg on top. 

5. Top with salt and pepper.

Lemon Posset 

Seeing this all over Instagram, I wanted to understand what all the hype was about, and so, very spontaneously and randomly one afternoon, I made it, and it certainly lived up to the hype.  Tangy and refreshing all year round, this dessert is a creamy, smooth lemony delight to enjoy when you are craving something sweet and Mango Mango is just too far. This is also a perfect dessert that with limited effort can dazzle your dorm mates, or impress that special someone!  

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream

• 1 ½ tbsp lemon zest (more or less based on preference)

• 2-3 Meyers lemons 

• ½ cup caster sugar 

Instructions:

1. Zest and juice lemons. 

2. Optional, but scoop out flesh from additional lemons to create “lemon bowls” for the custard base.

3. In a pan on medium heat, add sugar, cream, lemon zest and juice. 

4. Mix until everything is combined and sugar is dissolved. 

5. Bring to a simmer and take off the stove. 

6. Strain custard mixture to remove any lumps. 

7. Pour into ramekins or the lemon rinds from before. 

8. Refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Note: Sprinkle a little lemon zest before serving. If you’re feeling extra fancy, sprinkle sugar on top, and place the oven for 2 minutes to get a Creme Brulee, caramelized, crunchy sugar effect. 

Rodgrod (Danish Berry Pudding)

For several years, my mom has been addicted to the mobile video game Cooking Craze. The premise of which invites players to travel to different countries, to run restaurants and bakeries, making the food and serving to locals of that country. Albeit mindless fun, it actually taught my mom several new dishes she had never heard of, and would prompt her to make them. On her recent Cooking Craze trip to Denmark, she discovered Rodgrod, an easy and light dessert full of berries and fruits, making it a healthy, tasty treat. 

Ingredients:

• 10 strawberries

• ½ cup raspberries

• 9 blackberries 

• ½ cup caster sugar 

• 1 tbsp cornstarch 

• 1 tbsp cold water 

Instructions:

1. Wash all the berries under cold water.

2. Cut strawberries into small pieces.

3. In a pan over medium heat, add all the berries and sugar.

4. Cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes or until the berries have started to break apart and let out their juices.

5. Take off the heat and strain to remove all seeds.

6. Add the berry liquid back to the pan and cook on medium heat for 1 minute.

7. Mix corn starch and water to form a slurry. 

8. Add the slurry to the berry juice, and cook for 2 minutes to thicken. The mixture should thicken a little but not too much. 

9. Pour the berry mixture into a bowl and let cool. 

10. Top with fresh heavy cream (or whipped cream based on preference) and enjoy. 

Personally, when I finish a long, very hard day, there is nothing I look more forward to than a delicious meal. However, a great meal doesn’t need to be elaborate to feed your soul or make you smile. Through a little creativity and nutrition guidelines, we can enjoy delicious, healthy food.