STUDENT-LIFE IS FULL OF EXPENSES. TUITION FEES, ACCOMMODATION, BILLS, COUNTLESS TEXT BOOKS. MONEY IS ALWAYS GOING OUT A LOT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IT’S COMING IN. FOOD, THEREFORE, IS GENERALLY WHAT TAKES THE BACKSEAT WHEN IT COMES TO PRIORITISING EXPENDITURE. POT NOODLES STOCKED UP IN THE CUPBOARD, AND CHEAP TAKE-AWAYS ON THE REGULAR. BUT WHAT IF I TOLD YOU, YOU COULD BAKE YOUR OWN DELICIOUS MEALS THAT ARE QUICK, EASY, WILL FEED YOUR ENTIRE STUDENT HOUSE, AND WILL PROBABLY COST YOU LESS THAN HOW MUCH YOU SPEND ON YOUR TAKE-AWAYS? IN THIS PACK I GIVE YOU A SELECTION OF QUICK AND SIMPLE, YET ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS RECIPES THAT’LL KEEP YOU AND YOUR HOUSEMATES FULL, HEALTHY, HAPPY AND YET STILL NOT EVEN DENT YOUR WALLET! EVEN IF YOU’VE NEVER CONSIDERED BAKING BEFORE, GIVE A FEW OF THESE RECIPES A TRY, AND SEE HOW EASY THEY ARE. FRESH, HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS. YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO TOUCH A POT NOODLE AGAIN. GOOD LUCK!
ALI
macaroni & cheese with a Kick! DON’T FOR A SECOND CONFUSE THIS WITH THE SLOP YOU GET OUT OF A CAN! THIS FRESH AND DELICIOUS MACARONI & CHEESE IS INFUSED WITH THYME, HOT MUSTARD, AND PAPRIKA THAT GIVES IT A REAL MEDITERRANEAN TWIST! FEEDS 5-7 PEOPLE WHO WILL LOVE THIS MODERN TWIST!
macaroni & cheese with a Kick! 500G MACARONI 50G BUTTER 2 TBSP PLAIN FLOUR 400ML MILK 300G CHEDDAR CHEESE, GRATED (OR CHEESE OF CHOICE, MAYBE RED LEICESTER)
HALF TSP TURMERIC 1 TBSP PAPRIKA 1 TSP ENGLISH MUSTARD 1 TSP DRIED THYME
1. Boil your macaroni in water for about 10-20 minutes, or according to the manufacturer’s guidance. Strain and leave on the side until required. 2. Put the butter and the flour in a pan on a medium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture darkens just a little. At this point, add in all the milk and gently mix or whisk until you get to a thick sauce consistency. If it is too thick, just add a little more milk. 3. At this point add in your mustard, paprika, dried thyme, and turmeric. These will give your macaroni a real Mediterranean kick! Keep mixing, then add in your grated cheese and continue to mix until your cheese has completely melted. At this point turn off the heat. 4. Now add in your macaroni, and mix some more until all the macaroni is smothered in the mustardy, cheesy sauce. 5. You can serve it like this, perhaps with a baguette on the side, or I prefer to tip the lot into a baking dish, and bake at 180c/160fan for about 15 minutes, which will give it a nice crisp top! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
apple & cinnamon brown betty A CLASSIC AMERICAN TWIST ON AN APPLE PIE. TART APPLES; SOFT BUT WITH A LITTLE BITE, SWEET CRUNCHY CROUTONS, AND A CREAMY WARM TOFFEE SAUCE, ALL IN ONE DISH. GOES PERFECTLY WITH A VANILLA CUSTARD. SO SIMPLE AND MOREISH, IT’LL BECOME A STAPLE DESSERT IN YOUR STUDENT HOUSE!
apple & cinnamon brown betty 7 SLICES OF THICK BREAD 3-4 APPLES OF CHOICE 300G BROWN SUGAR 160G SALTED BUTTER 1 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON 1. Slice the bread into, approximately, 1cm cubes. 2. Core and thinly slice your apples. If you like them soft, go for something like Cox’s, or if you want a little bite, which I suggest, then go for Granny Smiths, or of course you can mix and match! Coat them with your teaspoon of cinnamon. If you don’t have, or like, cinnamon, replace with ground ginger, nutmeg, or mixed spice. 3. Butter your dish of choice, just make sure it’s ovenproof! Then sprinkle on a 1/3 of your brown sugar over the base. Follow this with a 1/3 of your sliced apples, and a 1/3 of your breadcrumbs. 4. Repeat this layering process twice more, but reserve a few slices of apple to put on the top. 5. Top this mound of apple, sugary goodness with slices of the salted butter. 6. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of water, and top with a little sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon. 7. Cover with foil and bake in 190c/(170 fan) oven for about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and you’re in Heaven! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
american hot wings IN AMERICA THIS IS WHAT THE LADS WOULD EAT WHILST WATCHING THE FOOTBALL GAME, SO LET’S BRING THAT TRADITION OVER HERE! HOT AND SPICY WINGS WITH A COOLING BLUE CHEESE DIP. BRING YOUR FRIENDS OVER, PUT ON YOUR FAVOURITE FOOTBALL OR RUGBY GAME, AND SHARE OUT THE WINGS!
american hot wings with blue cheese dip 120ML HOT SAUCE (WHATEVER YOUR FAVOURITE IT, BUT I THINK HOT PEPPER SAUCE OR TABASCO WORKS BEST) 50ML WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE 50G BUTTER 20G SUGAR
14 CHICKEN WINGS I NIBBLETS 150ML SOUR CREAM 40G BLUE CHEESE (CRUMBLED) 1 GARLIC CLOVE
1. Get a baking tray or ovenproof dish and throw in the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, butter, and sugar. Put onto the hob on medium heat and allow everything to melt and amalgamate together. 2. Throw in the chicken wings and ensure they are covered with the sauce. 3. Put into a pre-heated oven at 180c/(160 fan) for about 15-20 minutes. 4. Take out of the oven and give everything a mix so that the sauce, which should be thick and sticky by now, covers the chicken wings completely! If the sauce is not sticky yet, but put onto the hob again, low heat, and continue to mix the chicken until the sauce thickens and coats the wings. 5. To make the blue cheese dip, just finely chop the garlic and put into a small pan, low heat, to release its flavour. 6. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, and crumbled blue cheese together, and then add in the cooked, chopped garlic. You may also add some buttermilk to thin it down, and also some chives for colour, but these are optional! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
cookie dough A WARM COOKIE DOUGH FILLED WITH MILK, DARK, OR WHITE CHOCOLATE, FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN, WITH A SCOOP OF YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM AND A DRIZZLE OF HOT JAM. THERE IS NOTHING MORE INDULGENT THAN THIS. ON YOUR OWN, ON A DATE, OR WITH YOUR FRIENDS, IT’S THE PERFECT STUDENT PUDDING! HAVE DOUGH LEFT OVER? IT FREEZES PERFECTLY FOR MONTHS!
cookie dough & hot jam 125G BUTTER 100G CASTER SUGAR 100G BROWN SUGAR 1 EGG 1 TSP VANILLA ESSENCE
HALF TSP SALT 225G SELF-RAISING FLOUR 100G CHOCOLATE CHIPS 30G JAM
1. Mix the butter with the caster and brown sugar until they’re well combined and then beat in the egg and the vanilla essence. 2. Add in the flour, salt, and the chocolate chips and then mix well until everything comes together as a soft, slightly sticky dough. 3. Divide the mixture into 4 ovenproof dishes, and press the cookie dough mixture down flat. You can put it into one large dish, but you may need to increase the baking time slightly. 4. Put the dishes into a pre-heated oven at 200c/(180 fan) for about 5-6 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 180c/160 fan for another 5-6 minutes until the dough is golden and crispy on top, but still soft and gooey underneath. 5. Whilst the cookie dough is in the oven just get a few dollops of your favourite jam, put it into a small bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds. 6. To serve, ensure the cookie dough is hot, then add a scoop of your favourite ice cream (or even clotted cream, or whipped up double cream) and spoon over the hot jam. Pure indulgence! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
tear & share bread THIS MAY BE A LITTLE TRICKIER THAN THE OTHER BAKES, BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT A SHOWSTOPPER TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS, THEN GIVE THIS CENTREPIECE A TRY. SERVED WARM OR COLD, ITS SWEET, SALTY, TANGY FLAVOUR WILL MAKE YOU TEAR MORE AND MORE PIECES FROM THIS LOAF! SERVE IT WITH HUMMUS OR YOUR FAVOURITE DIP! OH... AND DON’T FORGET TO SHARE!
caramelised onion tear ‘n’ share bread 500G STRONG WHITE BREAD FLOUR 7G DRIED YEAST 1 TSP SALT 2 TBSP HONEY 2 TBSP OLIVE OIL
2 GARLIC CLOVES, CHOPPED 25G BUTTER 3 MEDIUM RED ONION 4 TBSP SUGAR
1. Throw in the bread flour, salt, and dried yeast into a large bowl. 2. In a jug measure out 300ml of lukewarm water, then add in the honey and the olive oil, and add this to the flour mix and mix well until it all comes together into a soft dough. 3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, or until you feel it’s become a lot less sticky. 4. Put it back into the large bowl, cover with a tea towel or cling film, and allow to rest in a warm place of the house for an hour. 5. In the meantime, cut up the red onions to thin slices. Get a large pan, add a little bit of oil and bring to a medium heat. Throw in the onions along with the sugar, and 2 tbsp of water. 6. You don’t have to mix often, but after about 10 minutes, keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn. You’ll know when it’s done when the onion slices have reduced in size, and have become sticky. Take off the heat. 7. After the hour, take out the dough, put it onto a floured work surface and roll out, or stretch out with your hands, into a large rectangle. Over this sprinkle over the caramelised onions and the garlic, evenly. 8. Now the tricky, but fun, part! Roll up like a Swiss roll and then, just like a Swiss roll, start cutting out slices BUT don’t let the knife go all the way through! Do this all along the Swiss roll dough, and then place it onto your baking tray, and shape it into a circle. Fan out the segments so that the whole thing looks a little like a flower. 9. Cover with a tea towel again and allow to prove for another half hour. 10. Preheat oven to 200c/(180 fan) and bake for 30-40 minutes until well risen and golden brown. 11. Ideally serve with hummus, or garlic oil, or any of your favourite dips. And don’t forget to share with your friends and roommates! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
mocha choca shortbread SHORTBREAD IS PERHAPS THE MOST SIMPLE BAKE YOU’LL EVER HAVE TO DO! ADD MY COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE ELEMENT AND YOU’VE GOT THE PERFECT ENERGY BAR THAT’LL KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH YOUR REVISION. BAKE IT IN A TIN AND SERVE WITH TOFFEE CUSTARD FOR A DESSERT, OR SLICE INTO BARS BEFORE BAKING IT TO MAKE THE PERFECT BISCUIT TO CARRY AROUND WITH YOU!
mocha choca shortbread 130G BUTTER 60G CASTER SUGAR 170G PLAIN FLOUR 40G COCOA POWDER 1 TSP COFFEE GRANULES 1. Cream the butter, which should be at room temperature, with the caster sugar until its lighter in colour. This should only take about a minute or two. 2. Tip in the flour and cocoa powder. Get the coffee granules and dilute it in a teaspoon of warm water, and then add this into the mixture too. 3. Mix together with a spoon, but then get your hands stuck in and bring it all together to form a soft dough. DO NOT over mix, just work it with your hands until it all comes together into a dough. 4. Press the dough into an 8inch cake tin (or whatever cake tin you have), prick with a fork, and score into eight triangles. Put into the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up. 5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170c/(150 fan) for about 30-35 minutes, but if your cake tin is smaller than 8inches, it may need a little longer. 6. Allow to cool, sprinkle over some caster sugar, and serve warm or cold. I serve it with some hot custard and a toffee sauce! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
peri-peri chicken WE’RE ALL OBSESSED WITH PERI-PERI CHICKEN, AND RIGHTFULLY SO! IT’S HOT, SLIGHTLY SWEET, AND HAS THAT PERFECT BALANCE OF FLAVOURS. BUT NOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO A RESTAURANT AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON A SMALL SERVING, WHY NOT SPEND A FIVER AND MAKE YOUR OWN TO FEED YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS! I GUARANTEE YOU’LL BE A HAPPY BUNCH AFTER THIS MEAL!
peri-peri chicken 4 WHOLE CHICKEN LEGS (WITH SKIN) 1 ONION 2 CLOVES OF GARLIC 1 TBSP PAPRIKA 1 LEMON 2 TBSP WHITE VINEGAR
1 TBSP WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE 1 TBSP HOT SAUCE SMALL HANDFUL OF FRESH BASIL 1 ORANGE 30ML OLIVE OIL
1. Smother the chicken with about 30ml of the olive oil, so that they are completely coated. 2. Get a griddle pan (or any pan that will fit the chickens into) and put on high heat. Put the chicken onto the pan, and allow to sear to a golden brown. Turn the chicken over so that they are golden brown all over. 3. In the meantime, get a blender and drop in the onion (roughly chopped), garlic, paprika, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and basil. Blitz with a little bit of water until you get a sauce-like consistency. If you don’t have a blender, just chop the ingredients really finely and mix together in a bowl. 4. Pre-heat the oven to 200c/(180 fan) and place the chicken into a baking tray. Pour over the peri-peri sauce, and throw in the orange chopped into 8 pieces. Sprinkle over some fresh basil, or even thyme if you like and bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken legs. 5. Serve hot with either salad, or roast potatoes, or even homemade chips! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
jammie dodgers SWEET AND CRUMBLY BISCUITS FILLED WITH YOUR FAVOURITE JAM, CURD, CHOCOLATE GANACHE, OR BUTTERCREAM. YOU DON’T EVEN NEED A COOKIE CUTTER, JUST USE AN UPSIDE-DOWN GLASS! PERFECT WITH A COFFEE, OR A LEMONADE ON HOT DAY!
jammie dodgers 225G BUTTER (ROOM TEMP) 110G SUGAR 200G PLAIN FLOUR 100G GROUND ALMONDS 100G STRAWBERRY JAM (OR JAM OF CHOICE, EVEN NUTELLA OR LEMON CURD) 1. Beat the butter and sugar together, then add in the flour and the ground almonds, and bring together with your hands until you get a soft, sticky dough. Wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for about an hour. 2. Get the cooled dough out of the fridge, separate into two, flour your work surface and roll out one half until it is about 5mm thick, or about the thickness of a pound coin. Using a cutter of your choice, or even the rim of a glass, cut out circles from the dough and place onto a baking tray. Don’t waste the trimmings! Just bring together, and roll out again. 3. Do the same process with the second half of the dough, but this time, once you’ve cut out your circles, using an even smaller cutter, or even the tip of a knife, cut out a small circle in the centre. This will be the famous jammy centre that you see on the top of your jammie dodgers! 4. Bake at 140c/(120 fan) for about 25 minutes, or until slightly golden. Take out and allow to cool. 5. Once cooled, you can start filling! Get a biscuit (one that doesn’t have a hole in it) and dollop a teaspoon or two of the jam onto the centre. Now get a second biscuit (one that does have a hole in it), put it on top, and squeeze lightly. Do this with all your biscuits, and once done, don’t forget to share with housemates and friends! STUCK WITH A RECIPE? TWEET ME @ALIIMDADBAKES
A FINAL WORD I WAS A STUDENT MYSELF WHEN I FIRST PICKED UP A WOODEN SPOON AND MIXING BOWL TO MAKE MY FIRST SET OF CUPCAKES FOR A CHARITY BAKE SALE AT UNIVERSITY. CUPCAKES GREW TO VICTORIA SPONGES, VICTORIA SPONGES GREW TO MACAROONS, MACAROONS GREW TO MORE COMPLICATED AND COMPLEX FRENCH PASTRIES. BEFORE I KNEW IT, I WAS ON THE BBC WEBSITE FILLING IN THE APPLICATION FORM FOR THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF. A FEW MONTHS LATER, I WAS WHITTLED DOWN FROM 13,000 PEOPLE TO BE AMONGST THE 13 BAKERS ON THE SHOW! ALL THIS STARTED IN A SMALL KITCHEN IN MY STUDENT HOUSE WITH LITTLE TO NO UTENSILS, AND JUST A PASSION TO FEED MYSELF AND MY HOUSEMATES HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS, AND DELICIOUS FOOD ON A BUDGET. NOW, WITH THE HELP OF FIXERS, I WANT YOU ALL TO START DOING THE SAME! WHAT ARE FIXERS? FIXERS ARE YOUNG PEOPLE MOTIVATED TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE FOR THEMSELVES. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT YEARS OF YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU NEED TO SOAK IN AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE AS YOU CAN, BUT BINGING OFF POT NOODLES AND DONNER KEBABS CAN HINDER THAT. I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED MY RECIPES THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU ALL THE NUTRITION YOU NEED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BEING EASY TO MAKE, INCREDIBLY TASTY, AND VERY EASY ON THE WALLET! COME ON GUYS, LET’S GET THIS STUDENT FOOD REVOLUTION STARTED ALREADY! WHY NOT CHECK OUT WHAT OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE ARE UP TO? WWW.FIXERS.ORG.UK, AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ME FOR MORE BAKINGS TIPS! @ALIIMDADBAKES