College prep
We all worry about our kids when they are away at school whether it is first year or grad school. Or grad school again. When my daughter Anna, already a speech pathologist, went back to school last year to London, England, I worried — about food of course. She had a tiny kitchen with only a hob (a burner), a small refrigerator, a tiny freezer and no oven. I shouldn’t have worried — she’s a good cook and invented a system that worked for her. Here are some of her tips and recipes to pass on to kids who are away at
school and don’t have much of a kitchen, not much kitchen stuff, space or time to cook.
ANNA’S SUPERFOOD QUINOA SALAD
When Anna wanted to make a quinoa salad, she cooked more quinoa than she needed so she could use it in salads all week. She also had cheese, cooked chicken, eggs, greens, vegetables and fruit in the fridge so she could put ingredients together for salads, sandwiches or wraps quickly.
Instead of quinoa you could use any cooked grain or legume. Instead of chicken you could use tofu, hard-cooked eggs, or cooked fish.
ANNA’S FRIED RICE
Fried rice always tastes better when made with cold, cooked rice so Anna would cook one to two cups of rice, so that she could have a rice bowl when it was hot and fresh and fried rice the next day. She topped the rice bowl with cooked greens, sweet potatoes, a fried or poached egg (or cooked chicken, fish or tofu) and drizzled it with sriracha and maple syrup. The next day she made fried rice.
1 tbsp olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 carrot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
ANNA’S PORRIDGE BAR
Anna loved her breakfasts in London. She would cook fresh oatmeal each morning and put out a variety of toppings to make it fun and delicious. She used different fresh fruit every day, and always had nuts, seeds and dried fruit ready to mix and match for toppings.
1/2 cup quick cooking oats, organic if possible ❚ 1 cup quinoa ❚ 2 cups boiling water ❚ 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste ❚ 11/2 cups baby arugula, spinach or watercress ❚ 2 oz cooked chicken, sliced or diced ❚ 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese or grated Cheddar ❚ 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes ❚ 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas or hummus ❚ 1/4 avocado, sliced (optional) ❚ 1 tbsp balsamic glaze or lemon juice ❚ 2 pieces bok choy, sliced ❚ handful of snow peas, sliced ❚ 1 cup cold, cooked rice ❚ 1 egg, lightly beaten ❚ 1 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste) ❚ 1 green onion, thinly sliced 1. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet on medium high. Add carrots and cook on medium 3 to 4 minutes. Add bok choy and cook 2 minutes longer. Add snow peas and cook another minute. (If vegetables are still firm, add 1/4 cup water, bring to a boil and cook just until evaporated.) 2. Add rice, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. If using tofu, chicken or
❚ fresh fruit (e.g., seasonal berries or fruit, bananas) ❚ chopped nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, walnuts, coconut)
❚ dried fruit (e.g., cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots), ❚ seeds (e.g., pumpkin, sunflower, sesame) ❚ maple syrup for a taste of home ❚ milk ❚ 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil 1. Bring 2 cups water to the boil in a medium saucepan and add quinoa and salt. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Stir. Rest off heat, covered, 10 minutes longer. Cool. 2. Arrange arugula on a plate. Top with 11/2 cups quinoa. Arrange chicken, cheese, tomatoes, chickpeas and avocado on top. 3. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Season to taste. cooked vegetables, add now. Stir together and cook until hot about 3 or 4 minutes. 3. Push the rice and vegetables to take up about 2/3 of the pan and add beaten egg to the empty spot. Scramble the egg and then break it into pieces. Stir everything together. Sprinkle with soy sauce, taste and add more if necessary. Sir in green onions. Note: You can also add diced cooked chicken, tofu or cooked vegetables when you add the cooked rice in step No. 2. makes one serving 1. Cook oatmeal in a small pot on the hob or in a glass bowl in the microwave according to package directions. 2. Have fruit and toppings ready. Top oatmeal with whatever you fancy that day, drizzle with maple syrup and milk. makes one serving