student meals- No nonsense chili

Hey guys! Todays post is for a no nonsense chilli, so named because this chili is cheap and fairly plain but still delicious and easy to make for students who don't know how to cook. This chili contains no actual chilli just because of costs but you could easily put a chili in or hot spices. The recipe is enough for 4 people but i gave half of it to me and my boyfriend and put the other half in the freezer for later. If you are making it for four people, you will need more rice. I got nearly all my ingredients from Aldi.

For 2 people (plus two extra servings for freezing) You will need:

500g of beef mince
a can of chopped tomatoes
a can of kidney beans
Beef stock cube (I actually used bouillon just because I had it, it worked fine too)
3/4 of a mug of rice
one large onion (or two small ones)
a little bit of oil

Start by dicing the onion up into small pieces. Then put the oil into a pan and heat it up until hot and add the onion. Fry the onion for a few minuets.

Now add the mince in (keep it at a high temp) and stir for about five mins until completely brown.

Now add the stock cube to 300 ml of hot water and pour that in along with the chopped tomatoes.

Now put on a lower heat and simmer for 20 minuets. At this point I put my rice on since I was using brown rice it took about 25 minuets. Follow the instructions for your rice as it may not need to be on for as long!
After 20 minuets, add the kidney beans and take off heat. Let it cool down and stand for about 10 minuets and then it is finished!

Hope you enjoyed!
Lots of love
Eleanor x

Healthy coconut and lemon truffles

Hey guys! Today's recipe comes from one I found on Chocolate Covered Katie's instagram. I am not sure if the recipe is her own or not however this is where I got it from! I have converted the cups into grams and changed it a little bit! I hope you like!

Makes 13 truffles
For this recipe you will need:
Half a lemon (juice and zest)
100g of desiccated coconut plus extra for coating
50g of ground almonds (the original said almond meal but I used this instead and it worked perfectly)
2 tbsp of pure maple syrup
half a tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of coconut oil

The method could not be simpler! Simple put every ingredient into the food processor until you can form a batter with it in your hands. It should look like this:

Before:

 After:

Then form them into balls and roll them in the extra coconut in a bowl. Then place them onto some parchment paper and pop them in the fridge for half an hour!

 And voilà they are done!

Hope you enjoyed,
lots of love
Eleanor x

student meals- Chicken and mushroom couscous

Hey guys! Today's recipe is a meal I have come up with that is cheap and delicious and healthy! I have used half a packet of lemon and coriander couscous from asda that I just needed to put in hot water for five minuet's, but you can use any type of couscous you like so follow the instructions on the packet for your own couscous!

For one, for this recipe you will need.

some oil or oil spray
two mini chicken fillets
couscous
5 or 6 white mushrooms
a small onion or half a large one
teaspoon of harissa


First of all cut up the onion and mushrooms.

Then heat oil in a pan at a high heat and add the onions. When they begin to get soft, add the mushrooms.

In a frying pan, heat oil at a high heat. Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces and rub harissa into them. Then fry the chicken until it goes white. Make sure when you cut into it it is white!

Then I put boiling water into my cousus, but follow your instructions accordingly.

When everything is done, (I often find my mushrooms and onions are done first, make sure you don't burn them.) Then put everything into one large bowl or plate and mix it all together and enjoy!

Lots of love,
Eleanor x

Student meals- sausage pasta

Hey guys, today's post is of a meal that is quick and easy to make for everyone at uni, it's also really yummy for those of you who aren't! I cooked this for my boyfriend when he came round on friday, its one of my favourite meals to make for people too because it's just a bit nicer and more filling than pasta with pesto.

(For two) for this recipe you will need:

6 sausages (I used lamb, you could use veggie ones to make it vegetarian)
as much pasta as you need (I usually measure it using my bowls, so i made two bowlfuls)
a jar of pasta sauce (I used sainsbury's own tomato and herb sauce)
some oil

First put the pasta on to cook as this will take the longest. Once the pasta has been cooking for about five minutes, put some oil in a frying pan and fry the sausages.

When the sausages are browned both sides, cut them up into little pieces. (excuse my feet...)

 When the pasta is done drain it and put it back in the pan and mix the sauce through. Then mix the sausages in and serve!

Hope this post has given those at uni a new idea thats quick cheap and delicious!
Lots of love
Eleanor x

Deliciously Ella's Vegan Falafels with lentil courgette and mint salad

Hey guys! Today's recipe is an adapted version of two deliciously Ella recipes which taste amazing together!

This serves four!
For the Falafels you will need:
2 cloves of garlic crushed
juice of two lemons
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of date syrup or honey
2 tablespoons of apple puree ( I used apple sauce)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon of ground tumeric
1 tablespoon of tahani
2 cans of chickpeas (800g) (I accidentally used one tin and it was basically mush, I had to use oats to thicken it up, use 2!)
65g of pine nuts
sprinkling of brown rice, buckwheat or chickpea flour

For the salad:
100g of green lentils
3 medium corgettes
2 avocados
fresh mint
juice of four limes
handful of sunflower seeds (optional)

First of all start with the falafels. Put all ingredients into a food processor apart from the pine nuts, chickpeas and the flour and blend until mixed.

 Then add the pine nuts and chickpeas. Don't blend too much! I did this and it was basically hummus (wasn't helped by the lack of chickpeas.) I salvaged it by used lots of oats and they turned out amazing in the end but life would have been made easier if I didn't have to!

Roll into 12 balls and pop them in the fridge for half an hour. While doing this, pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Now roll them in the sprinkled flour and bake them for 45 minuets.

Now work on the salad. Put the lentils in boiling water and boil for ten minuets. Then simmer for 30 minuets. While this is happening, use a potato peeler to peal the courgettes into thin slices.

A few minuets before the falafel's and lentils are done, chop avocado up into chunks. Then place cooled lentils and lime juice, mint and sunflower seeds in the bowls with them.

Distribute the salad with the falafel's onto plates and you are done!
Hope you enjoy!
Lots of love
Eleanor x