After-school Recipes to Fill Your Stomach

December 5, 2020 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Isabelle Sitchon; Edited by Pallavi Vemuri and Haarika Kalahasti

With winter coming soon and finals season making its comeback, you may be finding yourself wanting to relax with a tray of delicious comfort food. However, it's quite difficult to find the time to cook the delicacies you love and enjoy given the hustle and bustle of schoolwork. For all the stressed cookies out there with a busy schedule, here are some quick after-school recipes that you can make when you need that glucose boost to get through the last half of your day.

​1. Brownie in a Mug

What’s a better way to start off your homework session than with a brownie in a mug? This easy and scrumptious recipe will have you addicted for weeks!

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp flour
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• A dash of salt 

Instructions:

1. Grab a microwavable mug. Add in your milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt. Mix well.
2. After mixing, add in your unsweetened cocoa powder and mix well. Then, add in your white sugar and mix well. Finally, add your flour and mix until the texture has become a thick, dark concoction. You may want to add more milk or flour, depending on the consistency. 
3. Once everything is well-mixed, put the mixture in the microwave to bake for a minute to a minute and 10 seconds. Once cooked, the center of the brownie may be slightly molten. 
4. Your brownie in a mug is done! Top it off with a bit of powdered sugar if you so desire. (Be careful, the brownie may be hot!)

​2. Lava Cake in a Mug (credits to @cookingwithlynja on TikTok!)

You can never have enough decadent desserts in a mug! Grandma Lynja’s Lava Cake recipe is an absolutely mouthwatering treat to have when you are experiencing sugar cravings. 

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1½ tbsp cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• A pinch of salt 
• 2¼ tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips
• ½ tbsp water

Instructions:

1. Grab a microwavable mug. Add in your flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until all the ingredients are combined well.
2. Add in your butter, vanilla, and milk to the dry mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are combined well. Then, add in your egg and mix again.
3. Add in your chocolate chips to the batter. While stirring, push the chocolate chips under the surface of the mixture so the filling will be inside of the cake. Once mixed, add in your water on top of the batter.
4. Put the mixture in the microwave to bake for one minute. Once cooked, serve with powdered sugar and an oreo if you so desire. ​

3. Strawberry Sandwich

Feeling tired of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? These strawberry sandwiches are a much sweeter treat to enjoy after a long day of school.

Ingredients:

• 2 Loaves of white bread
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream/heavy cream
• 5 strawberries

Instructions:

1. Wash the strawberries thoroughly and cut off the tops.
2. In another bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until it reaches soft peaks. Then, grab your bread and cut off the crusts. The loaves should be a square shape.
3. Spread the whipped cream onto two of the loaves evenly. Then, arrange your strawberries in an “X” order on one loaf. If you so desire, you can cut the strawberries into slices and arrange them to your liking. Add more whipped cream between the strawberries and spread it to your liking. Top the sandwich off with the other loaf that you spread onto earlier. 
4. Wrap the sandwich in a plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 
5. Once it’s been refrigerated, cut the sandwich into fourths and serve with your favorite beverage!

4. Spam Musubi

Got any leftover rice in the fridge? With a few other ingredients, you can make a flavourful afterschool snack that will fill your stomach to the brim.

Ingredients:

• A can of luncheon meat (Spam)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp sugar
• Microwavable or leftover rice
• Sheets of Nori (seaweed) 

Instructions:

1. Cut your luncheon meat into however many slices you desire and fry in a pan for about a minute on each side. Once cooked, add in your soy sauce and sugar into the pan. Let the spam simmer in the sauce until the sauce is absorbed into the spam.
2. Using the luncheon meat can, line plastic wrap inside. Grab your rice and place however much rice fits to your tastings in the bottom of the can. Sprinkle sesame seeds if you so desire. Then, carefully press the browned spam on top of the rice. 
3. Cut the sheets of Nori (seaweed) into 1 or 2 inch long slices.
4. Lay each Nori strip down on a working surface, shiny side facing down. Take the plastic wrap, along with the spam and rice, out of the can. Wrap the plastic wrap around the spam and rice and press firmly if they are not sticking together. Then, unwrap the spam and rice and set it on a Nori strip. Wrap the strip around the spam and rice. 
5. Repeat the process for as much spam musubi as you desire. ​

5. Broccoli Cheddar Soup (credits to @hanahanayang on TikTok!)

It’s a bit more fancy than all of the other recipes listed, but is still a delicious, simple recipe for all the students out there who want more than just a simple bowl of ramen after school.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp salt
• A dash of pepper
• 1 cup carrots
• 3 cups broccoli
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Add in your butter in a heated pot and cook on a low flame until melted. 
2. Throw in your onion, garlic powder, and flour into the pot. Mix well until a roux is made.
3. Slowly add in your vegetable stock and mix well until the texture becomes smooth. Add in your salt and pepper.
4. Add in your carrots and broccoli. Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes to cook the vegetables.
5. Add your half-and-half and cheddar cheese in the mixture. Stir well until the half-and-half is incorporated and the cheddar cheese is melted in the soup.
6. Pour into a bowl and serve the soup with a spoon. On the side, toast a loaf of bread to dip in your soup if you so desire.​​

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References

• https://www.food.com/recipe/microwave-chocolate-mug-brownie-349246
  
• https://www.tiktok.com/@hanahanayang/video/6832436249383439622?lang=en&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6887971180969182726&is_from_webapp=1 
  
• https://www.spam.com/recipes/spam-musubi
  
• https://www.tiktok.com/@cookingwithlynja/video/6895801214781426949?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6887971180969182726&is_from_webapp=1