I'm a vegetarian, also in college, and I love to make spicy black bean burgers. They'll run you around three dollars (assuming you have a well stocked pantry).
Two cans of black beans
One onion
One green bell pepper
Jalepenos(optional)
Cumin
An egg or egg substitute (vegans can use silken tofu whisked with a little water)
Panko breadcrumbs or whatever bread crumbs you have on hand (panko makes a huge difference)
I like to add red pepper flakes and chilli powder
Salt and pepper
Cilantro
Bun
Avocado for topping
If you have a food processor, you're going to want to use it for the black beans. You can basically pulverize them into a grey mush, leaving only a few chunks. I do not have a food processor so I use a potato masher. Once that is done, add everything into the black beans, beat the egg or egg substitute, add the egg and the breadcrumbs, bake in the oven at, hmm, 375 or 400 for about twenty minutes, flipping midway, until the patties toasted on the outside and hot. Or grill them as you would a meat patty. They should feel toasted on the outside, be easy to remove from the pan, but should also easily yield (they'll be tempted to fall apart if you try to bend one).
Also, homemade sweet potato fries go really well with this.
Clean a sweet potato and cut it into fry shapes. Then layer a pan with a sheet of foil and preheat the oven to 400 I think. Put the fries in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil, freshly ground pepper and sea salt with a generous portion of chopped rosemary. Pour the fries ontol the pan, strain out any remaining rosemary from the bowl and sprinkle over the top. Place inside the oven and bake until tender and magnificent.
Like pasta? Here's another of my cheap favorites.
Take whole wheat pasta, one box of baby Bella mushrooms, or button, or whatever you have on hand (shiitake will not do well), about a cup or so of spinach, and a few whole tomatoes (FRESH!), garlic, and onion.
Boil your pasta with a little olive oil in the water. In a skillet (I prefer a good size, well seasoned cast iron), add a little olive oil, wait for it I get warm. When it does, add your mushrooms (chopped to large chunks). As they get soft and brown, take a clove or three of garlic, mince the garlic (really, go fresh), and add. Then pour your tomato sauce as described below into your skillet. The amount you add depends on your ratio preferences. When it is hot, add the spinach. You are wanting to simply wilt the spinach. Toss with pasta and mozzarella cheese and eat. It is quick and simple and really yummy.
Oh! In a pot you should have your tomatoes cooked down (you'll have peeled them) with water garlic and diced onion. If you make this ahead using several tomatoes, you can have a lovely sauce on hand for about a week and it can be frozen.
Turkey divan. (Google it and you'll find the link to the campbell's soup kitchen.)
but its the most filling meal ever, will make a big batch and live on it for days lol
