Freshers’ Week is over and we’re settling in; the symphony of coughs, splutters and sneezes echoes around the lecture theatres. Our immune systems seem to have gone AWOL after putting up with so much abuse during Freshers’ so our bodies could definitely use some nourishment. Here are three easy meals that are wholesome and taste amazing.
My go to breakfast cure is pancakes; who can say no to dessert in the morning? You will need one ripe banana and two eggs that’s it! Mash the banana then add the eggs, whisking until combined. Heat a little oil or butter in a pan over a medium heat and pour two and a half tablespoons of mixture in, which makes American style stacked pancakes. They do burn easily so make sure you keep an eye on when they need flipping. Keep them warm in the oven until you’ve finished the batter.
“Tumeric is hailed for its immune boosting qualities, and heat from the chilli helps with blocked noses ”
My current lunchtime favourite is a healthy quinoa lunchbox. Boil 150g quinoa until all the water is absorbed, then add 1 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin and chilli powder. Turmeric is hailed for its immune boosting qualities, and the heat from the chilli helps with blocked noses. Throw one diced red onion, one pepper, six button mushrooms and half a chopped courgette into a pan with heated coconut oil. Stir for five minutes until soft, then add to the quinoa. Alternatively, if you don’t like spice, try grating carrot, beetroot, courgette and cucumber, then add walnuts and dried cranberries. Delicious.
Nothing quite hits the spot like chicken broth and luckily, my flatmate’s mum has the best recipe for it. Sauté chopped leek and carrot, then add three tablespoons of quick cook pearly barley (or rice, whatever you can get your hands on). After ten minutes, add one and a half pints of chicken stock, then drop in 100g of precooked chicken. Finish off with a handful of spinach and a good pinch of pepper. When the spinach is wilted, grab a bowl and share it around your flat, as you will all undoubtedly have passed on your illnesses to one another. This recipe saves in the fridge for up to three days so if you want to save it for yourself, it should see out the worst of your freshers flu.
“Grab a bowl and share it around your flat, as you will all undoubtedly have passed on your illnesses to one
Finally, a few drinks ideas to nourish and hydrate your body after the battering it’s taken from the Soho Rooms’ bartenders. The Vitamin C in oranges is a great rejuvenator, so whizz it in a blender with a banana, almond milk, spinach and half an avocado. To kick the sweet tooth cravings, you can even throw in a tablespoon of cocoa powder so it tastes just like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Swap for the almond milk for pineapple juice and coconut water for a tropical twist.
