Hanya Gaber
Our days as medical students are pretty crammed up. Between our lectures, clinics and studying, do we really take a moment to address our health?
For the 4 years I’ve been in medical school, my diet mainly consisted of instant noodles and fast food deliveries. Since we’re all in this together, here are two easy-to-make, homey meals that can ease our uni days and help us stay healthy.
Recipe #1: Grilled Chicken Breasts With Peas and Carrots Basmati Rice
Ingredients:
Chicken:
1 Kg Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Yoghurt Cup
2 Small Lemons 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Mustard 2 Tbsp Curry Mix 2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder Salt and Pepper to taste
Rice:
1/2 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Tbsp Vegetable (Corn) Oil 1 Cup Boiling Water ½ Cup Peas and Carrots in Room Temperature (let out to defrost if frozen)
½ Chicken Broth Cube (further cut into small pieces)
Salt and Pepper to taste Instructions:
Mix the yogurt, lemons, olive oil, mustard, curry mix, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour the mixture onto the chicken breasts, mix and set aside.
Wash the basmati rice in running water and sieve. Add oil to a small cooking pot on the smallest burner, then add the washed basmati and stir for 2 minutes. Add the boiling water, salt, pepper and the ½ broth cube and stir till the cube dissolves. Lower the heat and cover the pot for 5 minutes.
Then add the peas and carrots, stir and cover till the rice is cooked through, which typically takes 5-10 minutes.
On a stick-proof pan -or a grill- place the chicken breasts on medium heat for 5-10 mins on each side. The duration depends on how long they take to cook, which you can check by cutting into the centre to see if the chicken is still pink on the inside.
For a balanced meal, 2 chicken breasts are to be paired with the rice serving. The rest of the chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months!
Each breast or two should be stored individually, since defrosting and freezing the stored chicken will cause it to go bad. For the chicken, use half the ingredients for one serving or double the ingredients for more pre-prepared, stored chicken for later.
Recipe #2: Cold Pasta Salad (Seyami) ± Tuna
Ingredients:
Pasta:
250g / 2 Cups Uncooked Penne Pasta
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil 1 Tbsp Salt 4 Cups Boiling Water
Salad:
¼ Cup / 4 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Large Bell Pepper (Sliced) 1 Medium-Sized Red Onion (Sliced)
½ Tin Can Kidney Beans ½ Tin Can Sweet Corn
Salt and Pepper ± ½ Tuna Tin Can Instructions:
Boil the water in a pot on high heat, add vegetable oil and salt then stir. When the water boils, add the pasta and boil for 12 minutes. Taste the pasta after the 12 minutes pass to make sure it’s all cooked through. If not, boil for an additional 3 minutes then sieve and rinse.
Add the olive oil to the pasta in a bowl, mix well to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Slice the bell pepper and onion as instructed in the videos. Add the pepper along with the rest of the ingredients to the pasta and mix well. You can use bell peppers of different colours that add up to the same amount. Chill in the fridge for an hour or till the pasta is cold.
You can leave it at that for the Lent Fast or add some tuna for Nativity Fast!
The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tbsp: Tablespoon
Tsp: Teaspoon
Photo Credits:
https://healthyfitnessmeals.com/tuna-pasta-salad/
https://thestayathomechef.com/grilled-chicken-recipe/
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