If you’re like me, you get sick of campus food pretty quick. Even worse, you can end up spending hundreds of dollars a semester on food that’s never exactly what you expected it to be. That’s why I’ve nailed down a few simple, cheap recipes that I, and you, can make at home in just a few minutes. For the first one, I’m sharing a simple vegetable fried rice dish. It’s tastier and cheaper than what you can get on campus, and cooking for yourself is a skill that can help out just about anyone.
This recipe for fried rice is one of my favorite staples. Each ingredient is pretty inexpensive, and you can buy most of them in bulk.
- 1 cup rice
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Chop up the vegetables — big or little pieces are both fine. Just remember that smaller pieces will cook more quickly!
Put the rice and water into a pot and cook on medium to medium high heat until all the water is absorbed, or prepare the rice according to package instructions.
Add the vegetables and vegetable oil to a pan, along with the sesame oil and spices. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables start to soften and the onions take on some color.
Add the rice and soy sauce together and stir. Then add the rice to the pan with the vegetables.
Push the rice and vegetables to one side and add the egg, allowing it to cook for a minute or two before stirring it in.
Serve in a bowl or on a plate and enjoy!