Are you sold yet? These delicious, sweet and sticky tenders are perfect served to your friends for a simple yet memorable dinner. They also freeze well and can form the basis of so many other meals for yourself, so they are great for meal prepping too.

There is a dish that went viral on TikTok using ramen noodles and Asian-style sauces. I wondered what would happen if I reinvented it with some simple ingredients that I think every student would have in their pantry. Did I expect it to be one of the tastiest dishes I’ve made? No. Did I realise that I would now be tossing a bowl together whenever I didn’t feel like cooking a full meal? No. Did both of these things happen? Absolutely! Seriously, try it yourself — it’s not just for students.

Spaghetti and meatballs is comfort food personified, but what student has the time, money and fridge space to buy
a million ingredients to craft the perfect gourmet meatballs? I’m not a student, but this is still my favourite way to make fast and fabulous meatballs using a supermarket hack and minimal equipment. Show me a student who will say no to more time and money.

These jackfruit carnitas are very similar in look and texture to pulled pork and have a delicious, deep, earthy flavour thanks to the marinade.

These delicious, sweet and sticky tenders are perfect served to your friends for a simple yet memorable dinner.

This recipe is similar to a steamed pudding but faster and easier. I’ve made this version sugar-free but I don’t think anyone would mind.

This pudding is sweetened with natural sweeteners and is a beautiful, warming dessert. Serve with lashings of custard.

Using dates to sweeten this traditional pudding gives it a delicious sweet, caramel flavour without adding any sugars. Serve with a simple dusting of icing sugar and some custard.

There are so many variations of this very traditional Persian rice cookie (or nan-e-berenji); some have rosewater, some cardamom. You can use poppyseeds or not. They can be decorated or left plain. All of them gift you with melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, crisp cookies that will become your new favourite.

A glorious entertaining dish that is served at room temperature, meaning you can have it cooked and ready to dress before your guests even arrive. Soft, perfectly cooked salmon is smothered in a delicious coating that combines fresh pops of flavour with rich and earthy spices.

I’m going to be honest; my dream meal would be savoury cheesecake with sweet cheesecake for dessert. There is something about that rich and creamy filling, contrasted with the crunch of a good shell, that I find irresistible. This cheesecake is creamy and cheesy and can be tweaked with whatever flavours you prefer. Add some basil and sundried tomatoes or heaps of fresh herbs, maybe some chunks of roasted pumpkin.

Tender rice with sweet, softened leeks and a hint of freshness from the lemon. This dish is perfect as a main with some crusty bread, or as a side.