Healthy…Hostel…Recipes. This page will help you, who are on a short budget and keeping the cost down while traveling around wonderful Australia.
So, my number 1 golden rule…Is have a look at the free shelf in the fridge or cupboard in a hostel.
The Mystery Meal
There is always one part of the fridge or cupboard that is dedicated to the leftovers and left items. Will it be full of pasta? Rice? But…What can go into the pasta and rice? Will it be chicken? Mince Meat? Yoghurt? Basil Pesto? The choices are only limited by the kindness of strangers that come and go.
Breakfast Ideas
I always have cereal with milk which is super easy to make! Just pour cereal in a bowl, and then pour milk over it until you are satisfied.
Nutella on toast or any chocolate spread within your budget, quick and easy. And good for…On the go!
If I have time in the morning before work, I always try and make Poached Eggs on Wholemeal toast along with Avocado and Tomatoes (Both are optional if you can stretch out your budget) to give me a good energy booster before I start the day.
How to poach the egg?
- Bring the water to boil.
- Stir the water then add the egg. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Then remove the egg from the boiling water, then you should have a beautiful cooked runny egg.
Do you know how to get the stone out from the avocado? No? Here is a little tip for you.
- Halve the avocado by cutting around the seed lengthwise. Rotate the two halves apart.
- Take the avocado half with the stone in, place the flat of the knife over the stone. Hit the knife hard with the heel of your hand.
- Remove the knife with a turning motion, the stone should come with it.
Lunch Ideas
Mushroom Pasta is nice and simple and easy to budget with. And only requires four ingredients which are Mushrooms ( Hence the Mushroom Pasta…Duh!), Sour cream, Onion powder and obviously Pasta!
First step, boil the pasta, secondly fry the mushrooms with whatever oil there is from the free shelf (I never had to buy oil from the shop as it was always on the free shelf). Thirdly stir in sour scream and onion powder. Fourthly, add the mushroom sauce to the pasta and add spinach if you can afford it within your budget.
My personal favorite, Wraps.
I am a huge wraps lover. My favorite on a budget is Bacon Wraps with Onions, Carrot, some leaf salad and a dash of Garlic Mayonnaise on a plain wrap. But there are so many meats and vegetables that you could add. There is no right or wrong. Go crazy and make your famous wraps but keep things simple! Stick with one or two vegetables.
If you are on a tight budget, always have a look on the free shelf for sauces and you may get lucky with the odd vegetable that you can add to your wraps. I had few items that I took from the free shelf ranging from Onions to Peppers.
Toasties
In every hostel I have been to in Australia, there are always a toastie machine or a panni machine. There are many things that you could add to your toasties. But I keep my toastie simple with only three ingredients, maybe four if you want.
- Cook some bacon.
- Butter the toast or in my case if there’s a free basil pesto or sun dried tomato pesto, I use them instead.
- Pile the ingredients in order toast, cheese, cooked bacon, cheese, toast.
- Add a tomato if you want to feel a bit healthier.
- Toast it all until nice and golden brown.
Dinner Ideas
Burgers
I am also a huge burger lover, I love burgers! Who doesn’t! I think burgers are the number one backpacker’s food. Burgers are so simple to make and it is dead easy! All you need is 4 basic ingredients which are minced beef, egg, onion and parsley.
- 500g of minced beef (with at least 15%-20% fat, better for cooking and not going too dry)
- 1 Egg, whisked
- 1 White or Red Onion, diced
- Handful of chopped Parsley or, my personal favorite Basil.
- Salt and Pepper to season
So, how to make it? Well, here it is a small simple guide
- Mix the ingredients together and form individual patties, should be able to make at least 6 patties.
- Chill them in the fridge for good 30 minutes to firm up.
- Heat a little oil in a pan and fry on each side for 6-8 minutes until cooked through
- Serve in a burger bun with whatever condiments of your choosing and a bit of lettuce and tomato.
If you want to be a bit creative, you can always add sun dried tomato pesto. Sometimes I add cheese in the middle of the pattie and merge with another pattie to create a big cheesy pattie! Yummmmmmy! Have I got your mouth watering?! I bet!
Home made Pizza
Yes! Another hostel favorite, pizzzzzzza! Nice and simple…And of course, quick to make.
All you need is three basic ingredients to make pizza. Want to know a secret? Pssst, I use wraps to make pizza! Yes, you heard that right…Wraps! Just use plain tortilla wraps.
So the ingredients you need are, tortilla wrap, cheese and BBQ/tomato sauce whatever float your boat!
- Preheat oven at 170 degree
- Place any kind of cheese that you like, put it on the wrap, then another wrap on top it. Oven it for 5-10 minutes until cheese melt.
- Pour over the sauce on the top of the wrap, add cheese
- Back in the oven until cheese are fully melted
- And….Eat your yummy pizza!
There are many things you can add to your pizza, vegetables and/or meats.
Want a tip and stay on budget? Ask your fellow hostel mates if they would like a pizza, if they do…Ask every single hostel mates to chip in per item. For example. 1 person bring wraps, another person bring cheese, etc…Get it? Cost saving!
Chicken Noodle stir-fry
Everybody favorite, Chicken Noodle stir-fry and dead easy to make and you can keep on budget easily. Don’t want all of these vegetables? Just remove some or even add some to your liking. This recipe should make at least 4 portions.
- 250 g chicken, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 capsicum, sliced
- 1-2 carrots, sliced
- 500 g hokkien noodles
- Oyster sauce, or whatever sauce you fancy.
- Add oil to a large frying pan or wok and heat to a high heat
- Add all vegetables, fry for until nearly cooked.
- Add the chicken and fry for 1 minutes
- Add the noodles and mix till combined then add as much sauce as desired.
- Fry until the chicken is cooked through, the vegetables are cooked to your liking and noodles is soft.
- Serve hot
Any other recipes worth mentioning? Let me know, and I be sure to add it, along with your name!
