Budget friendly and easy 3-ingredient recipes

As students, we’re always pressed for time and most of us don’t have enough hours or energy to cook delicious meals throughout the day. Money can be a huge factor, too, because when you go to the grocery store hungry, you end up spending too much on items that you don’t even end up liking. For those who are new to cooking or don’t have loads of time, we’ve created a list of simple three-ingredient recipes that are quick to make but also filling and satisfying.

Breakfast

Lean turkey patty:

You’ll need ground turkey patty, an egg and avocado.

A delicious and healthy breakfast. Cook the turkey patty in a pan, place the sunny side egg on top of the patty and add avocado slices on the side. This power-packed breakfast is lean and will definitely keep you full for a long time.

Cheese & tomato tart:

You’ll need focaccia bread, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Probably the easiest recipe on this list (still debatable). Cut up focaccia bread — we recommend this bread because it’s topped with flavorful herbs — and then layer the bread with as much mozzarella cheese as you want. Lastly, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and top off your bread and cheese concoction. Bake the delicious goodness at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and you’re done.

Veggie quesadilla:

You’ll need tortillas, mushrooms and cheddar cheese.

Heat up a tortilla in a pan and place the cheese on top. Sauté mushrooms in another pan until they’re done to add on top of the cheese. Fold the tortilla over, and it’s as easy as that. If you’re a fan of salsa, you can add a little on the side for dipping. Fun side note: If you don’t like a savory breakfast and prefer something sweet, you can add almond butter or Nutella and sliced bananas instead.

Oatmeal cookies:

You’ll need bananas, rolled oats and chocolate chips

Mash up two bananas, add a cup of rolled oats and mix well, and then add as many chocolate chips as you want! Make little balls of the mixture, place them on a non-stick baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Can you say “yum”?

Light Lunch

Mango, kale and coconut salad:

You’ll need kale, mango and coconut shavings.

Super easy and quick meal if you’re looking for something light. Cook half a bag of kale, cut up a juicy mango into thin slices to place on top of the kale and garnish with coconut shavings that you can get at any supermarket. The sweet and salty taste is a great balance.

Vegetarian option:

You’ll need tortellini pasta, Alfredo sauce and asparagus.

It’s as easy as it sounds! Cook the tortellini pasta, which is a great option because of the cheese filling, add Alfredo sauce for creamy deliciousness with your sautéed asparagus. The asparagus will add just the right amount of crunch, and it pairs deliciously with the pasta.

Honey wings:

You’ll need chicken wings, Italian seasoning and honey.

Next time you’re at the supermarket and don’t know what to get, we suggest you pick up these three ingredients. Mix your favorite seasoning mixture with your chicken wings. Pop them in the oven, and when they come out all fresh and mouthwatering, add honey to taste and you’re done.

Chili:

You’ll need ground beef, chili beans and diced tomatoes.

Make sure you cook and season your ground beef until it has fully browned. Then mix all ingredients into a pot and cook until ready. You can dice your own tomato or get a ready-made can of diced tomatoes. If you want to go above and beyond the three ingredients, you can top off the chili with sour cream, cheese and green onions.

Dinner

Chicken zoodle soup:

You’ll need chicken breast, zucchini and vegetable or chicken broth.

This is an extremely simple dinner recipe that’s both filling and healthy. Make use of that spiralizer to create zoodles (zucchini noodles) and add it to your already-heated broth. Cut your chicken breast into small pieces, cook them in a pan for a while with your preferred seasoning and then add them to your zoodle and broth mix. Tada!

Seared scallops:

You’ll need scallops, pesto sauce and brown rice.

Another delicious and quick recipe. You can choose the amount of scallops you want, season for taste and sear them in a pan. In another pan, pour some creamy pesto sauce to heat up. Cook a cup and a half of brown rice to complete the meal and you’ll be happy you did.

Chicken, spinach, and veggies:

You’ll need chicken sausage, spinach and bell peppers.

Check out Aidells chicken sausages for a variety of flavor packed choices. Its chicken sausages are gluten free with no nitrates or added hormones. Some delicious flavors include habanero and green chile sausages, mango sausages and cajun style. Cook one of these chicken sausages to perfection and then cook the spinach and bell peppers right after. The amount of spinach and bell peppers depends on you, but the more the merrier.

Shrimp & quinoa:

You’ll need shrimp, quinoa and peas.

Season and sauté your shrimp (use 5 to 6 big shrimp) first, then start cooking a cup and a half of quinoa. When your quinoa is ready, add peas, cook for a little bit until the peas are cooked and then add the shrimp. Insanely easy and delicious.

We hope you’ll try these recipes out and let us know what you think.

Contact Aamirah Dastgir at adastgir@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian