Food Recipes for Dorm-Living
For my freshman year at Berkeley, I lived in Blackwell Hall. I absolutely loved my experience and got to meet so many new people from around the world; I know that I’m going to miss living so close to so many close friends. It really was like a fun sleepover every night (except we had to go to classes, do homework, write exams…the parts that made it a little more stressful than a sleepover). However, while Blackwell is the newest undergraduate dorm building with many nice amenities like a 24-hour gym and 3 study/social lounges on each floor with pool tables and ping pong tables, the building lacked a kitchen (until they built a communal kitchen during finals week of second semester when I was moving out…sore topic for me). And as someone who loves cooking and constantly munching on food while I study, I had to find a work around. Here are 4 easy and delicious recipes that I made inside my dorm room, and I hope that it will be of use to you if you ever find yourself in a situation like mine or just want some simple and quick recipes!
1. Caprese Salad
I absolutely love Caprese salads which is why it earned top spot on the list. If you were to ask me what singular appetizer I would eat for the rest of my life, I would choose a Caprese salad (or maybe calamari, or clam chowder, or the brown bread from Cheesecake Factory…but you get my point, Caprese salads are up there in the rank). When you’re craving something refreshing but can’t order a Caprese salad from a fancy Italian restaurant with that mouth-watering burrata, here is a simple recipe for making an equally delicious Caprese salad with ingredients you can buy at any nearby grocery store.
Ingredients: 1 pack of mozzarella cheese (I recommend the Trader Joe’s mini mozzarella balls)
1 pack of grape/cherry/any tomatoes of your choice Bunch of basil leaves (if you are able, I’d recommend buying a basil plant as they are easy to care for and acts as greenery to decorate your room, a nice smelling odor and unlimited basil supply all in one)
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: arugula
Instructions:
Wash the cheese and vegetables accordingly. Place cheese and tomatoes in a bowl to a 1:1 ratio (or more cheese or tomatoes if you prefer). Add in basil leaves either whole leaves or cut up. Drizzle in olive oil and balsamic vinegar any amount you like, I usually measure around 3-4 tablespoons of each for a medium-sized salad bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want a more substantive salad, add in arugula. Mix it all together and enjoy!
2. Congee
If you are unfamiliar with what congee is, it is essentially porridge that many countries in East Asia commonly eat. The only thing you really need is rice and water, but you can add in whatever you like to make it tastier. Some common foods to put in congee are minced beef, shredded chicken, or egg. Congee is the perfect meal for when you (or your roommate) is sick and want something that is like soup but with some carbs and simple flavors. Congee can range from water to thick texture; I personally prefer a medium to thick consistency which is what this recipe will teach. One thing to note is that this recipe does require an electric pot or to cook over a stove, so make sure to check with the restrictions of your dorm/communal kitchen before cooking.
Ingredients:
1 cup of white rice
8 cups of water
Salt and/or soy sauce to taste
Optional: any toppings you like
Instructions:
Wash the rice. In the pot, add in the appropriate amount of water to your portion of rice. You can follow my ideal portion that makes around 4 servings, or make less or more as long as the ratio of rice to water is about 1:8. Cover with lid and maintain heat on high until the water comes to a boil. Remove the lid and reduce to low-medium heat. Allow the congee to simmer in a low boil for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add in any toppings you wish and simmer until the toppings are cooked through. The consistency of the congee should be relatively thick and porridge-like. Enjoy!
3. Sandwich
Sandwiches are the perfect easy and customizable meal whether you don’t have a lot of time to meal prep or for when you’re on the go. There are so many different types of sandwiches you can make, but here is a sandwich recipe assembled in a very specific way that I would bring with me when I had classes or a work shift close to lunch time.
Ingredients:
1 croissant
3 slices of ham
6 slices of salami
1 slice of Swiss cheese
Optional add-ons: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and butter
Instructions:
Assemble your sandwich by first cutting the croissant in half with a knife. Add butter to the inside of the croissant if you wish. Place the slice of cheese on the bottom half of the croissant. If eating immediately, I would put the croissant now in the toaster or microwave. Now add 1 slice of ham, then 2 slices of salami, and repeat in this order until all deli meat is used. Place additional items on top of the deli meat and enjoy the sandwich immediately or pack it up for later. Pro tip: if you are packing the sandwich to eat later, place the optional vegetable toppings in a separate container so that the sandwich will not become soggy!
4. Ramen
A classic dorm and university student living meal, I had to add ramen to the list of food to make in the dorm. Ramen is the perfect late-night snack for study sessions or quick meals if you don’t feel like going out to eat. I like to add egg, deli meat or some other protein in my ramen to make it more of a meal. I would definitely suggest that you always keep some stock of ramen in your dorm room (or if you’re lucky like me, your next-door neighbor will constantly have Costco shipments of spicy Shin ramen which he will generously share in times of great need). I found that ramen that comes in individual packaged bowls were easiest to cook and eat in the dorm which is what this recipe will show.
Ingredients: 1 pack of ramen + seasoning of your choice (my personal favorite is Carbonara Buldak or Nissin Sesame Oil Instant Noodles)
Optional: eggs and ham for regular ramen or cheese and milk for Carbonara Buldak ramen
Instructions:
Open the ramen package to about 1/3 of the lid open. Fill with water until the line indicated on the bowl or fill w. I personally like less soup in my ramen so I will usually fill it a little below the line. If using boiling water, close the lid and set a timer for 2 minutes (or less/more if you like more al dente/soft noodles). Pro tip: place your chopsticks/fork above the lid opening to ensure it stays closed. If using room temperature water, place the ramen bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes (or less/more if you like more al dente/soft noodles). If you’d like to add an egg, crack the egg into the ramen bowl after 1 minute of boiling water/microwave and continue cooking the ramen for the remaining additional time. Add any additional toppings you wish. The ramen is now ready to be enjoyed!
And those are 4 simple yet delicious food recipes that you can make in your dorm or small kitchen. If you’re looking to have a more filling hot meal, I would also recommend the frozen meals from Trader Joe’s. My roommate and my go-to ones are the pork soup dumplings, fettuccini alfredo and kimbap. Trader Joe’s also has the best snacks to snack on while you’re studying or having a board games night with your friends. My roommate and I recommend the dark and milk chocolate covered pretzels, Mexican-style street corn seasoned corn chips dippers with guac, Scandinavian Swimmers, and white cheddar corn puffs. These recipes along with these Trader Joe’s foods is what fueled my love for eating during my first year when I lived in a dorm with no kitchen. I hope this blog sparks some ideas for yummy meals and snacks for when you live in a dorm or university living in general. Happy eating!