In college, I think I can speak for the majority when I say, you are often working with a budget. 

A good way to save money right now is to eat three square meals a day at the dining hall. However, for those in quads, houses and apartments, you have a kitchen easily accessible. 

Personally, I opted out of a big meal plan this year. I chose to save a few thousand in student debt and just cook for myself. However, I still have to work around my income. 

Lucky for everyone at Elizabethtown College, the Center for Community and Civic Engagement maintains the Blue Jay Pantry for students in need. Located on the second floor of Brossman Commons in room 251, the pantry is open 24/7 to all of Etown’s students. 

The pantry offers all kinds of items. From rice and pasta, to frozen vegetables, to feminine products, the pantry has something for everyone. 

On my most recent trip to the pantry, I went with one goal in mind: make dinner. 

I was looking for something I could easily prepare in my apartment. 

Unfortunately, spices and seasonings aren’t provided in the pantry, so those you will have to supply on your own. Although, this means you are able to customize it to your specific taste.

I only got three ingredients. One bag of rice, one can of mixed vegetables and one can of black beans. From my own pantry, I used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, soy sauce and two eggs. 

Start with a pot to cook your rice. For every one cup of rice, you should use one cup of water. Do not forget to wash your rice, that is non-negotiable. Once your water has come to a boil, reduce the heat, cover it and simmer for 15 minutes. Check on your rice, and if it is not fully cooked, simmer for an additional 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, work on your beans and vegetables. For those with a protein goal, don’t fret when you see this is “vegetarian.” Both black beans and eggs are fairly protein packed. And yes, eggs are considered vegetarian. If you are vegetarian and choose not to eat them, leave them out, it may even make the recipe a little cheaper. 

Drain your canned vegetables and pour them into a preheated frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, butter, Pam or whatever else you choose. Follow that with your can of black beans–don’t drain these. Allow the vegetables to cook until the liquid reduces into almost a syrup type consistency. 

Try to time this so that you can add your rice right into your pan at this point. If there is no water in the pot and your rice fluffs easily with a fork, it is done. 

Pour your rice into your pan and mix. Now is the time to mix in your eggs. Crack your eggs directly into the pan and mix immediately. This will allow the eggs to cook and scramble, mixing evenly with your ingredients. 

Now that everything is mixed together, add your seasonings and sauces. If using soy sauce, add very little to no salt, as it is already very high in sodium. However, I have low-sodium soy sauce, so it is less salty. 

This should make about two or three servings. Store your leftovers in the fridge for no more than a week.

Portion out your stir-fried rice and enjoy! Reach out if you have any other recipes from the pantry you’d like to try.