Students who made New Year’s resolutions to cook fresh food are often faced with little money, less time, and few kitchen skills. But overcoming these challenges is possible, according to cookbook author Jill Carle, 26, who wrote “College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends” during her junior year at Arizona State University.

“Ramen is cheaper than anything else, but you also don’t want to turn into a block of salt … Just make a couple of big meals and it doesn’t require you to cook every single day, and it’s a lot cheaper in the long run than it would be to just end up going out,” said Carle.

Terrah King, sous chef at Bread and Wine near Irving and Western, said students should cook the childhood favorites that make them feel comfortable and happy.

“If you’re cooking food that you enjoy to eat … it becomes less of a hassle than it does when you’re cooking just for sustenance,” said King.

Prepping

Carle’s first attempt at college cooking was making cookies without a mixer and mixing bowls. She ended up mixing the batter in a pot and baking the cookies in a makeshift pan. The experiment worked, and her roommates loved them.

“As long as you have one or two big pots and a steak knife you can do just about anything,” she said.

Chef David Robin, a Kendall College graduate and owner of the food truck “Hoof and Feather,” suggests a few more kitchen essentials: a cutting board, a sharp knife, a half-sheet tray, a plastic spatula, a wooden spoon and a whisk.

A crockpot is also handy and foolproof, said Stephanie Folkens, 26, program coordinator at Common Threads, an organization that teaches affordable, healthy cooking to low-income families. Simply cut up ingredients, toss them in, and you can make soups, stews, oatmeal and even a roasted chicken.

King adds a George Foreman Grill to the list because it works anywhere – even a dorm room.

“You plug it into the wall, it can grill anything – vegetables, meats, fruits, lettuces for salads – all types of stuff. It’s really a multitasker,” said King.

Once you have picked up some tools, then stocking your pantry will mean less running out for last-minute items.

Carle recommends starting with a few pantry basics: pasta, rice, canned diced tomatoes and chicken and beef bouillon. She suggests keeping Mexican and Italian seasoning mixes on hand to substitute for expensive single spices called for in many recipes. Her pantry list also includes oil, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, flour and other baking essentials.

Shopping

Planning ahead and smart shopping shaves dollars off grocery bills, according to 2011 DePaul graduate Katie VanderMolen, who began writing her blog “The College Culinarian” in 2008. She recommends checking online for grocery store deals and picking out a few items to create fast and easy meals.

“I bought 3 pounds of chicken breasts that were on sale last week and made chicken pasta, chicken soup, chicken n’ dumplings, and froze some for future meals,” said VanderMolen.

Carle agrees that students are better off when they plan out their meals before shopping. Otherwise they will end up throwing food away, which is like “throwing your dollars in the trash can,” she said.

Students should shop for fresh meat and produce, which is cheaper than picking up processed foods, according to Folkens.

Making friends with the butcher and the deli counter will also pay off, according to Robin. He recommends asking for the amount of an ingredient the recipe requires.

“You don’t always need a half-pound of something or a quarter pound … I’ll just buy $2 of prosciutto,” he said.

But VanderMolen beat Robin’s deal.

“One time I needed bacon for a recipe and I didn’t want a whole package, so I went to the meat counter and bought 2 strips for thirty cents,” she said.

Students can also save money and support their communities by shopping at neighborhood butchers and family grocers, according to King. Local farmer’s markets are another great place to pick up fresh, economical food that requires little preparation.

“If you wanted to throw a couple of salads together for the week you’d have really great ingredients, awesome lettuces, beautiful beets, baby carrots, radish, all types of awesome produce,” said King.

That is good news for vegetarians who purchase produce and grains, which tend to be less costly than expensive meats, according to Carle. Vegetarians are also often more creative with spices and vegetables.

Cooking

DePaul students can sign up for $9 cooking classes at Treasure Island on Clybourne near Southport. Local and international chefs demonstrate 3 – 4 menu items Tuesday evenings and offer generous samples, according to Cooking School Director Stasi Waleski. King’s most important tip is to get organized. She first recommends taking all ingredients out and measuring them before “banging out” a recipe.

“You don’t have to hassle with going back and forth to the fridge and grabbing this ingredient and grabbing that ingredient … it’s so much easier and it takes an extra 5 minutes,” said King.

Since Carle only has time to cook for herself a couple of times a week, she selects family-sized recipes and freezes leftovers in individual portions. “It’s like your own version of a microwave meal, and probably much cheaper in the long run and much better for you,” said Carle. Whatever you decide to cook, don’t be afraid, said King.

“Be fearless, go full force with it, have lots of confidence,” she said. “The most important thing about cooking good food – whether you have the time or not – is putting your love and energy into that.”