I know a number of struggling college students who spend too much on fast food could probably use the help, not to mention anyone else who likes to cook but doesn't always have a lot of time, resources, or skill.

So, my recipe is one I just made and am currently munching on, and it's a sort of tex-mex rice and avocado soup!

If anyone tries this recipe, let me know what you think! Now, start sharing your own, please! ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Sounds good.

I made a 3 ingredient banana bread today. :)

3 ripe bananas 2 eggs 1 box of yellow cake mix

Mash the bananas into a large bowl real good with a fork. Add the eggs and mix together. Then mix in the cake mix until everything is combined. Spray non-stick spray into loaf pan (I used 2 medium loaf pans) and then add batter evenly. Bake on 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool. Then enjoy. :)

It's really good and it's cheap and easy to make.

I have a blog with a ton of easy recipes if anyone is bored. :) http://bonzblogz.blogspot.com/

Cheap and easy dessert idea. Graham Crackers (Cinnamon, Regular, Chocolate, etc.) And Cool Whip (Regular, Chocolate, and Strawberry) Put cool whip on graham crackers, pop into freezer for 30 minutes or so and you have your very own, healthier, ice cream sandwiches. :D

Velveeta and Cheese Pizza: Needed: A box of Velveeta Shells and Cheese and a Boboli Pizza Crust

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit Bring water to a boil, cook the shells for 9 minutes (set a timer for those 9 minutes) as per instructions. When timer gets to 6 minutes put pizza crust in oven for 5 of those minutes, and pull it out. Drain shells and mix cheese into shells as per instructions. Put the shells and cheese onto the pizza crust with about 1/2 an inch of the crust edge without. Put crust with shells and cheese into the oven for 10 minutes. Take out of oven, slice and serve!

http://supercook.com/ --shows you what you can make with the ingredients you have

http://localfoods.about.com/od/summer/r/OvenEggplant.htm baked eggplant 'fries'

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Cottage-Cheese-Patties/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=cottage%20cheese%20patties&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe&soid=sr_results_p1i1 -- this is amazing

Chicken with Zucchini and Onions

• 1 pack of chicken breast
• 1-3 zucchinis (depends how much you want. I love zucchini, so I make a lot)
• 1 onion (I prefer sweet onions) (again, depends on how much you want. You don't have to use the whole onion if you don't want or you can.)
• Garlic, salt, and pepper

Cut fat off chicken breast and break into smaller pieces that are easier to cook, spray a frying pan with cooking spray, start to cook the chicken on medium heat, cut the zucchini into round slices and add them to frying pan with the chicken, cut onion and put in frying pan. Add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and finish cooking. Make sure you stir it a few times so you don't burn everything.

It's really simple, tasty, and healthy.

Allrecipes.com is a great website

Wow, it's been a while. Thanks for everyone who posted! In the time since this was made and during my hiatus, I have gone vegan, so here's a quick and easy recipe to make you feel fancy; basil pesto on penne pasta with roasted veggies!

1. Chop some of your favorite veggies (I recommend something bright and flavorful for this; I like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and fresh tomato) and toss with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper
2. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees
3. Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta
4. In a blender, combine a couple handfuls of fresh basil leaves, a tablespoon or two of olive oil (I usually just eyeball it), a handful of chopped walnuts, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until a paste-like sort of sauce forms
5. Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed, then drain and combine with the pesto and stir
6. Stir in your veggies once they come out of the oven, or top your pasta with them and voila!

This may be slightly more involved than most college students are interested in but if you've got an oven and a blender it's an easy and fairly inexpensive dish with ingredients you can also use in all sorts of other dishes. And it is definitely yummy! :)

My super easy, super quick go-to meals:

1. Popcorn. I make a big pot of popcorn and have it for dinner! I like to add seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
2. Chips & Salsa. My fave <3 I make homemade salsa with a can of whole peeled tomatoes, 2 jalapenos (diced, with some of the seeds & membrane depending on how hot the peppers are), about half an onion (diced), cilantro, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. (I do not eat all of this at once, of course! Although.....)
3. Avocado Toast. Add sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lime for something extra delicious!

Clear soup:
1 box of Swanson's vegetable broth
1 package of extra firm tofu.
1 package of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cut up chives.
Directions: Cube the tofu and pour all ingredients into a large saucepan. Cook on medium until hot. Enjoy!

My favorite cheap/fast meal to make is Lentil Tacos. They're so good that my husband and I could literally eat them for every single meal (and sometimes have done so for weeks at a time just because we're disappointed over dinner when we have something else, lol)

1 c lentils 1 onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbs chili powder 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp oregano 2.5 c broth (I use chicken, but veggie and beef are good too) 1 c salsa taco shells and toppings

Rinse the lentils and drain them. In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic together.
Add lentils and spices, cook until fragrant.
Add broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Uncover and cook for a few more minutes to thicken (I cook until there is very little liquid left).
Stir in salsa.
Serve in taco shells with whatever toppings you enjoy.

I get 16 tacos out of this recipe so it's super cheap. It also only takes about 5 minutes of hands on time, so it's perfect if you're busy and freezes well for nights when you don't have any time at all. You can also serve it over corn chips if you want nachos instead of tacos or just eat the lentils by themselves or with rice, so it's easy to switch up if you want something different!

THE AVOCADO TOAST. It's so good it makes me want to cry. I eat soooo much avocado though! I really want to try making some homemade bread and putting it on that. ;)

That sounds good, and like it could easily be made to suit the person by adding in a few extra ingredients! :D

Oh wow, I haven't tried working with lentils yet but that sounds yummy! 😁

Exactly. I love when it has veggies in it. It's very healthy and filling. ^_^

omg lentil tacos!!! I had lentil tacos every day for like TWO WEEKS haha!!! But the next time I make lentils I am definitely taking your recipe - my lentil were plain as hell.

Mmmmmm I bet that would be good as well! Just remember - there's no such thing as too much avocado!

These are definitely not bland. Just make sure you stir in the salsa at the end because that's where most of the flavor comes from. The first time I made them I left it out because I was like "I'm going to put salsa on my taco anyway, so why waste a whole cup by stirring it in?" They were still good, but not as good as they would have been.

I tried your soup, although i added a bunch of stuff because I was trying to use up a couple things in my fridge. I added quinoa, celery, bok choy from our garden (that one was just because it's so pretty honestly) and a dash of sesame oil and pepper. I'm kind of a go-big-or-go-home kind of cook, I tend to just throw as much as I think I can get away with in a dish so I feel less compelled to add side dishes or anything. :P It was soooo good though!

Please don't tell me that because you'll find me within the week floating face-down in a pool of avocado, dead, with a note reading "i love avocado so much i'm going to jump in a pool of avocado" and then the final result was so gross i died immediately

Mexi-Breakfast Tacos Slice some avocados, and place them in a tortilla shell. Cook some scrambled eggs, put them on top of the avocados. Add salsa, then wrap and eat.

Nachos Get plain corn chips. Spread a thin layer on a plate. Coat with a thin layer of shredded or thinly sliced cheddar. Put in microwave for less than a minute, just until the cheese is melted. Put a generous scoop of black beans (from a can) on top. Add a scoop of salsa, then a scoop of sour cream. Don't make too big of a plate of this, because it's way more filling than you think!! We used to make this in a coffee shop I worked at, and if we made it on a full-sized dinner plate, no one ever managed to finish... Not even the big guys that you know eat a lot...

Me and My fiance like to make Shredded Salsa Chicken. Literally as easy as 3 chicken breasts and a jar of your favorite salsa in a crock pot for 3 hours on high. Then shred and put on tortillas with cheese. It's delicious with mango salsa.

My cousin, a dietitian, also taught me a quick and easy breakfast/snack. Take a sweet potato, stab it with a fork, wrap in a damp towel and microwave for 6 minutes, flipping it after 3 mins. Then cut down the center and put some butter, chocolate chips, and walnuts on it. It's actually high in fiber and super good for you, despite it tasting like candy.