HomeCollege LivingTips for Students Cooking for the First Time Cooking at college doesn’t mean settling for boring, bland food or having to buy expensive take-aways. With a few key tools you can cook for one or twenty people with ease and for less. www.ilovecooking.ie has put together these useful tips that will help you get organised so that you can cook with ease and from scratch in the fastest possible time. 7 MONEY SAVING TIPS WHEN BUYING FOOD Make sure you are not hungry when shopping for food or you will be buy more than you need. Make a list and stick to it. Choose foods such as vegetables and fruit when they are in season otherwise you will pay more Visit the supermarket only once a week otherwise you will be tempted to buy more than you can afford. Buy wisely and in bulk but be careful when it comes to fresh herbs and vegetables as you will need to use them within days before they spoil Make use of shopping discount vouchers or coupons and become aware of special offers and the days for discount items. Look for own brand foods – they are cheaper and save you a fortune. KITCHEN KIT Wok Buy a large non-stick wok for cooking stir fries, curries or for poaching fish and meat. Frying pan A large non-stick pan with high sides is a must and can be used instead of a wok for smaller quantities Large Saucepan A heavy bottomed saucepan is useful for most things such as stews and pastas and if you get one with an oven-friendly lid it can be used to cook casseroles. Large Knife Get one that you can use for everything i.e. cutting bread, chopping and peeling vegetables. Chopping Board Buy two plastic chopping boards as they are easier to clean – one for meat and the other for vegetables. Tupperware Buy a set of plastic storage containers suitable for freezing leftovers and for portable lunches. Hand Blender Cheap and handy for soups, smoothies, vegetables purees and soups. Tin & Bottle opener – get one that is easy to use KITCHEN CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS If your kitchen cupboard is properly stocked you will always be able to rustle up a meal in 30 minutes or less. Make sure you stock up well with the following basics Store Cupboard Olive Oil Sunflower Oil Sesame Oil White wine vinegar Balsamic Vinegar Wholegrain mustard Dijon mustard Tomato ketchup Soya sauce Oyster sauce Plum sauce Worchester sauce Mayonnaise Tinned coconut milk Sweet chilli sauce Honey Maple Syrup Tinned tomatoes Tomato Passata Tomato puree Tinned Tuna/salmon Tinned beans Couscous Dried Pasta/Noodles/Rice Lemon juice Baking Cornflour Plain Flour Strong white (for pizza bases) Dried yeast Wholewheat flour Baking powder Bicarbonate of soda Icing sugar Castor sugar Brown sugar Cocoa powder Spices starter kit Ground cumin Ground coriander Ginger Dried oregano Parsley Thyme Ground cinnamon Curry powder Smoked paprika Chinese 5-spice powder Sea salt Black pepper Dried Parmesan cheese Dried garlic granules In your freezer Peas Sweetcorn Mixed berries Prawns Chicken breasts Frozen pastry Breadcrumbs Brown Bread In your fridge Block of cheese (cheaper and you get more for your Euro) Chorizo Peppers Onions Potatoes Tomatoes Eggs Garlic Courtesy of www.ilovecooking.ie, Ireland’s leading tried & tested recipe website Comments comments
