College can make it hard for some students to manage their time, and cooking can seem like a daunting task. However, these three recipes all come together in less than thirty minutes, require little preparation and are sure to be filling, satisfying and nutritious.
Salmon Rice Bowl
Emily Mariko popularized the salmon rice bowl on TikTok in 2021, and it has since been a reliable and easy meal for people across the world. It’s accessible, filling and delicious. Here are the ingredients:
- Jasmine rice
- Salmon
- Mayo
- Sriracha
- Soy sauce
- Seasoning of your choice
To prepare the rice bowl, you first need to make your rice! If you have a rice cooker, you only need to use about a cup of rice. You can also use minute rice bowls from asian grocery stores if you find yourself running out of time. If you have leftover rice, you can put it in a bowl with an ice cube, lay parchment paper over the bowl and microwave it for one minute.
For the salmon, you can either choose to cook the salmon yourself, or use any kind of canned salmon from the grocery store. There are many ways to make salmon, the easiest way being to cut one filet of salmon into one inch cubes, toss them with the seasoning(s) of your choice and cook them in an airfryer at 390℉ for 18 minutes.
When assembling your bowl, place your salmon on top of a bed of the prepared rice. You can choose to shred the salmon or leave the cubes as they are. Then drizzle mayo, sriracha and soy sauce over the salmon and rice. Here you can choose to add additional toppings, such as avocado, seaweed chips and/or sesame seeds.
Carbonara Pasta
Carbonara is a simple traditional Italian pasta dish that only uses a few ingredients. It comes together in the time it takes to boil your pasta. This pasta dish is good for those that are lactose intolerant because hard cheeses like parmesan are typically lactose free, and it uses no cream but still has a rich and creamy texture. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pasta
- Parmesan cheese
- Black pepper
- Bacon
- One egg yolk
In a pot, boil salted water and use it to cook your pasta by following the instructions on the box. While your pasta is cooking, you can chop up the desired amount of bacon and prepare your sauce mixture.
In a bowl, add in and mix together an egg yolk, a quarter cup of parmesan cheese and black pepper. While your pasta is boiling, take a quarter cup of pasta water and stir it into the mixture. This process stops the egg in the mixture from scrambling and allows the creamy base to form. Set this aside.
In a separate pan, begin cooking the pieces of bacon until they are crispy. You can choose to add garlic for a boost of flavor, though it is not necessary.
When the pasta is done cooking, drain the water and transfer the pasta to a bowl. Once transferred, you can add the crispy bacon and your egg mixture on top of the noodles before mixing. The residual heat from the pasta will cook the egg mixture and form the sauce. The egg from the mixture acts as an emulsifier and binds the starchy pasta water with the oil from the bacon, creating a delicious and creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, you can add more water; and if it is too thin, you can add more heat, by placing the pasta back in a pan over a low flame and mixing till it reaches the desired texture.
Upgraded Mayo Ramen
While this recipe may sound a bit peculiar, it’s a quick and easy way to upgrade your ramen by giving it a richer and thicker broth. This recipe comes together in less than ten minutes since the extra ingredients can be assembled while the ramen is cooking. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Instant ramen of your choice
- Kewpie mayo
- Minced garlic
- One egg
Cook your ramen according to the package instructions and save the seasoning packets.
In a bowl, add an egg yolk, your seasoning packets, a tablespoon of minced garlic and tablespoon of mayo. Mix. Once your ramen is done cooking, first pour half of the water into the egg mixture and mix; this should ensure that the egg doesn’t scramble and the broth stays chunk free. Then add the rest of the water and noodles into the bowl. Optionally, you can add other toppings like scallions or another egg. You can now enjoy your upgraded ramen!
All these recipes are meant to be simple and quick to accommodate the life of a busy, full-time student, while also being nourishing to both the body and the soul. What’s the fun in food if it’s not delicious and comforting?
Denise Piolo is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at epiolo@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Logan Heine.