Ramen Noodles, Easy Mac and pizza are the stereotypical college student foods. There aren’t many students out there who haven’t indulged in these delicious yet not-so-good-for-you foods.

But a student’s diet doesn’t have to be restricted to these sodium-loaded dishes. Students can enjoy a home-cooked meal in college that doesn’t break the bank and offers a bit more taste than chicken-flavored noodles.

Jenna Arko, an Ohio University senior retail merchandising student, got into cooking from her mother, who cooks all the time at their home near Cleveland because of her sister’s and father’s allergies to wheat. Arko cooks almost every meal during the week, and on Sundays she invites her brother and sister — both OU students — and boyfriend over to her house for something a little nicer, she said.

When she lived in the dorms, Arko was so spoiled by her mother’s home cooking — and so disgusted by the food offered in the dining halls — that her mother would freeze meals for her to reheat in her microfridge. At one point, she said, she had an illegal George Foreman grill in her room that she used to make quesadillas and grilled cheese.

Some of Arko’s favorite things to cook include homemade meatballs, pork tenderloin and fajitas. She makes things mostly that her mom or family makes, but she also loves watching the Food Network and surfing its Web site for new ideas, such as a turkey chili recipe from Rachael Ray. And she makes sure that her sister can eat the meals she cooks without worrying about an allergic reaction.

Sophomore Anna Smith always was interested in baking, but once she came to college she knew she had to cook for herself. A friend took her under his wing, and “he kind of suckered me into it,” she said.

An anthropology major, Smith enjoys cooking things that aren’t complicated but still taste great, she said. Eating in as opposed to eating out — which she only does about once or twice a week — helps Smith eat healthier, maintain normal portions and adjust things to her personal taste.

“I can kind of make things the way I like (them) as opposed to going out and not being sure if it’s going to taste good or not,” Smith said. “It’s a lot easier for me to be healthy when I cook it because I know what’s going into it.”

Although she’s a sophomore in years at OU, Smith is a junior by credits, so she lives off-campus. She enjoys cooking “simple” foods, such as her special mac and cheese recipe or homemade nachos, complete with homemade tortilla chips.But not all students come from culinary-savvy backgrounds. Junior Frank Valentic became interesting in cooking just this past summer when his parents left on a month-and-a-half vacation, leaving him to fend for himself. He and his girlfriend would hang out at his house in the summer and started to experiment cooking with different foods.

Valentic said he started out with “basic stuff” such as taco kits and mac and cheese. He soon advanced to making his own breakfasts, which is his favorite thing to cook. His favorite meal to make is sausage gravy and biscuits from scratch.

All of this experimenting over the summer prepared him for living off-campus this year. An accounting major, Valentic continued his food experimentation at OU. This resulted in the creation of a few of his own recipes, including a buffalo chicken sandwich he enjoys.

Valentic uses cooking as a stress reliever because his major is “pretty tough,” he said. He also likes it because “it’s a good way to be creative.”

And cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge production. Smith makes food she enjoys that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Putting a lot of time into cooking isn’t necessary, she said. Valentic suggests that those beginning to cook be careful with spice and to start with something easy, like pasta with a tomato sauce or scrambled eggs. And Arko believes that anyone — regardless of your past history in the kitchen — can cook a decent meal.

“If you can do a science lab, you can cook,” she said.

Mac & Cheese

This is one of Anna Smith’s comfort foods, tweaked to her liking.

2/3 cup spiral pasta
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 can tuna
1 oz shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cheese sauce
salt
pepper
chili powder

Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, mix peas (thaw if necessary), drained tuna, cheese sauce, and shredded cheese together in microwavable bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste. Mix together. Once pasta is done, drain and add to bowl. Mix everything together. Microwave for 2 minutes and stir again before eating. Enjoy!



Fajitas

Junior Jenna Arko enjoys this recipe she got from her mother.

3 chicken breast halves
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Slice chicken breast halves into strips and begin to cook in a pan. Mix lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder and liquid smoke into a marinade. Add marinade over chicken. Toward the end when chicken is almost fully cooked add julienne red or green bell peppers. Serve in warm tortillas with ranch dressing or sour cream.



“1-2-3-4-5”

A relative of Jenna Arko’s found this in a newspaper in Philadelphia. The recipe actually is a glaze, but multiply the measurements by four to create it as a sauce.

Sauce:
1 tbsp. cooking sherry
2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
4 tbsp. sugar
5 tbsp. water
1/2 onion diced
1 1/2 lbs. pork (sliced into strips)
Rice
1-2 red bell peppers

Begin cooking pork and onion in a pot. Mix cooking sherry, soy sauce, cider vinegar, sugar and water, multiplying each ingredient by four to make a sauce. When pork is almost cooked, add the sauce. Towards the end turn off the heat, add julienne red pepper strips and put the lid on the pot to allow the peppers to steam cook. Serve over cooked rice.


Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

This is one of the recipes junior Frank Valentic created while experimenting in the kitchen.

1 lb. boneless, skinless raw chicken
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 green bell pepper
1/4 large yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil (vegetable oil is also fine)
4 sub sandwich buns
4 to 8 slices of provolone cheese (optional)
4 to 6 slices deli style ham (optional)

Cut raw chicken into cubes. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Place chicken in skillet and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn chicken occasionally during cooking. When chicken is fully cooked, stir hot sauce into skillet and turn heat down to low. While chicken cooks, slice bell pepper and onion into small pieces. Heat olive oil in separate skillet on medium heat. Sautee pepper and onion chunks until lightly browned. Slice sandwich buns, if not already done, and toast if desired. Place chicken into buns, and top with onion and pepper mix then cheese and ham slices if desired. Add ranch dressing as a sauce, if desired.


French onion soup

Freshman journalism major Joe Robbins might not have access to a stove or oven living in the dorms, but he still enjoys cooking this recipe at home. The only thing he makes in his dorm room is Cream of Wheat cereal with sugar and butter.

4 large onions, diced
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup any red wine
4 cups beef broth
2 large bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
6 pieces of French bread, thickly sliced
3/4 cup sliced mozzarella

In a large, heavy pot, heat butter and oil together. Once oil is hot, add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized but not burned. Make sure all of the liquid is out of the onions. Add the red wine, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot to unstuck any onions. Add broth along with seasonings and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasonings if necessary. Preheat oven on broiler setting. Place six soup cups on a cookie sheet and fill until 3/4 full. Place a piece of French bread on top of the soup and cover with a slice cheese. Place under broiler until bread is toasted and cheese is fully melted. Bowl will be hot! Serve immediately.