How to cook without a kitchen: easy dorm recipes

An often overlooked yet essential part of the college transition is meal prep. In a new environment with new ingredients and equipment, cooking can feel daunting. Here are some easy dorm recipes to get you started.

Important note: With empathy for those in more basic dorms, and as someone who lived in AMR I without a kitchenette, I’ve started with breakfast items that need minimal equipment. For those with stovetops, I’ve included heartier meals too.

Breakfast

Toast might be the most versatile breakfast item. Top it with seasoned avocado or a fried egg if you have a stove, or try a simple nut butter spread for quick protein.

On nights when you have more time, prep one of these overnight bowls:

Chia seed pudding (adapted and modified from Foolproof Living)

Equipment: refrigerator

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients except chia seeds.
2. Add chia seeds, let sit for five minutes. Mix, cover, refrigerate overnight.

Overnight oatmeal (adapted and modified from Sunglow Kitchen)

Equipment: refrigerator

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup/honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl.
2. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Note: Both of these easy overnight recipes can be personalized with variations to the base, or adding matcha, cocoa or cinnamon powder to flavor it to your liking. Add fruits, nut butter and granola for an even heartier breakfast.

Another note: Reusable containers help with prep and storing leftovers. A mini blender is great for smoothies, soups or sauces. A travel-sized electric kettle is handy for coffee or tea and saves dining dollars.

Meals

If you find yourself hanging around CharMar for no particular purpose (which you will, I promise), consider leaving with a box of pasta and a jar of pasta sauce. Pasta is such a quick and easy one-pot meal. If you have room in your budget, consider buying some ravioli or other stuffed pasta — having a protein- and vegetable-packed pasta is great to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need. I think it also goes without saying that instant noodles are a very dependable go-to.

Frozen dumplings, from CharMar or anywhere else, are also a quick and easy meal. Top it off with a bottle of dumpling sauce in your fridge and you’ve got a winning dorm dish. Peruse the whole frozen aisle on your next supermarket run to see if there’s anything else that might be prepared easily. I know, for one, that I stumbled upon my favorite Korean cabbage pancakes on an odd grocery run and they quickly became a freezer staple.

If you can handle a little spice, pick up a jar of kimchi from CharMar. Kimchi is a great dish to have ready to go. Perfect for kimchi fried rice, with some furikake and a runny fried egg.

With some experience in the kitchen, you can go right along and cook an easy salmon recipe over the stovetop. My freshman year favorite was a honey garlic salmon, which I paired with seaweed rice balls.

Honey-garlic glazed salmon (adapted and modified from Delish)

Equipment: stovetop

Ingredients

• ¼ cup honey
• ⅛ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1-2 salmon fillets
• Salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

1. Mix honey, soy sauce and lemon juice in a small bowl.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper (if frozen, pat dry with a paper towel first).
3. Drizzle oil onto pan. Once hot, add salmon skin-side down; leave until just cooked, then flip skin side down. As it finishes cooking, add garlic and honey-lemon mixture, basting until reduced.

If you like fish, canned tuna and sardines can make for a quick pasta, rice bowl or omelette in a hurry.

When looking for recipes, stick to foods you know will comfort and nourish you rather than scrolling endlessly online. To that end, here’s my mom’s recipe for a classic Filipino dish that always reminds me of home:

Chicken adobo

Equipment: stovetop

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Filipino cane vinegar or white vinegar (which is slightly sharper, so adjust it to your taste with some brown sugar)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2-4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4-5 chicken thighs
• 1-2 potatoes, cut into rough two-inch cubes
• 1 ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Combine vinegar, garlic, black pepper, salt and soy sauce in a saucepan. Add chicken.
2. Add water, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. When the chicken is almost tender, add the cubed potatoes and cook for another 7-10 minutes.
3. Serve with rice (or garlic fried rice, if you’re feeling fancy).

Be well and eat well, freshmen. Your mind will be so much better off if you take care of your body. 

Kaitlin Tan is a senior majoring in Writing Seminars and Cognitive Science from Manila, Philippines. She is the Voices Editor for The News-Letter.