SpiceitUPMediocre meals no more6 | baked
Story by Maggie Anderson | Illustrations by Marisa GoldbergAre you sick of eating campus foodall the time? If I have to eat anotherbowl from CoreLife or nibble oncrappy snacks from Schine again, I willlose my mind. I’m sure everyone is at thatpoint in the semester—they are ready to gohome and have their parents make them adelicious, flavorful, home-cooked meal. Butwhy wait?While our broke college kid lifestyles don’tallow us to order or go out every night,adding a few spices and herbs to dishesyou probably eat on an everyday basis willmake them go from a mediocre meal to afantastic feast.BreakfastMany of us quickly make oatmeal beforerunning out the door in the mornings.Whether you use microwave packets orcook yours on the stove, adding somespices will make your breakfast so muchtastier. Nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon aregreat add-ons to easily create some sweetflavor. I also like to add cut up fruit and nuts.For a more savory breakfast, use all yournew spices to make your own everythingbut-the-bagelseasoning for avocado toast.All you need are poppy, sesame, and blacksesame seeds, as well as minced dried garlicand onion, and flakey salt.PizzaInstead of buying the cheap frozen pizzathat you’ve convinced yourself is adequateenough, try taking a couple extra minutesto make it from scratch. Trader Joe’s sells adelicious herb pizza dough made with garlic,oregano, and basil. And we all know thecrust makes all the difference.If you are in the mood for a white pizza,consider adding onion and garlic powder tothe cheese. If you would rather have a tra-ditional red sauce, sprinkle some red chiliflakes and oregano on top. Play aroundwith other additions like fresh basil, blackpepper, or thyme until you’ve found theperfect combination for you. This also hasthe potential to be turned into a fun eventlike make-your-own-pizza night.TacosInstead of spending most of your foodbudget on Chipotle once or twice a week,buying some spices and herbs will be muchmore cost-effective in enhancing all ofyour meals.Let’s be honest, you could probably justadd a packet of taco seasoning to yourground beef and pair it with microwaverice. But whether you are using groundbeef, chicken, or beans, try including somecumin, paprika, salt, and garlic for a littlemore flavor than just premade taco mix.Sprinkle fresh cilantro, lime juice, and bayleaves on your rice as well to replicate theChipotle rice we all know and love.You can’t forget the guac! My favoritehomemade guacamole recipe includesavocados, tomatoes, onions, garlic, andlime juice.The best part about using your own spicesis the customizable nature of the food.You can add or omit whichever flavorsyou want instead of being stuck with anunsatisfying, pre-mixed seasoning packet.You can also create many different spiceand herb combinations to get the most outof your money. You would be surprised byhow big of an impact those combinationswill make on the same dish.Don’t settle for just decent meals. Spice itup instead.spring 2023 | 7
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