There are a lot of advantages to cooking when you’re in college. For the most part, it’s healthier and cheaper than eating out, but it’s easy and not uncommon to get stuck trying to come up with dinner ideas. (We all have that go-to dish, right?) Enter Plated, delivering seasonal, responsibly sourced ingredients and innovative, chef-designed recipes. Meals that might seem daunting or out of reach suddenly become accessible with no-fail, step-by-step instructions. Pork potstickers? No problem. Thai peanut chicken curry? Can-do. So next time you want a break from yet another night of mac ‘n cheese, skip the restaurant. With Plated, before you know it, you’ll be creating (and enjoying) dishes you never thought you could cook at home.
Pork Pot Stickers with Sesame Spinach
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What Asian take-out order would be complete without a side of dumplings? A staple of Eastern cuisine, pot stickers might seem hard to create—or maybe we’re just used to having them delivered along with our lo mein. But with this easy-to-follow recipe, you can make incredible pork pot stickers at home. Savory ground pork mixed with ginger and chives make up the filling for these dumplings, served with a side of sesame spinach to help you get your veggies in.
Feta-Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Cucumber & Greek Yogurt
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The good ol’ hamburger: one of America’s essential eats and a mainstay of grilling season. The classic burger can be dressed up in a number of ways (a slice of cheddar, a coating of dijon mustard) but you can take it step further. This twist on the burger adds lamb to the standard beef patty, along with scallions and herbs. The patties are stuffed with crumbled feta and seared to juicy, melty perfection. Plus, the fixings are awesome. A bed of lettuce does double-duty as a bun stand-in, accompanied by a side of cucumber slaw tossed in lemony Greek yogurt dressing.
Thai-Peanut Chicken Curry with Sticky Rice
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For many of us, Thai cuisine means the vibrant colors and scents of coconut and curry. This essential recipe means you can make your own curry in your kitchen. You can use the poached chicken lends depth to an easy-to-make peanut curry—a mix of coconut milk, peanut butter, curry paste, lime, and brown sugar. This recipe also features an easy rice that becomes sticky when cooked and compliments the curry perfectly.
Asian Duck Confit Tacos with Cherries, Cucumber, & Miso-Chili Corn
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Duck confit utilizes a centuries-old method of preparation that involves salt curing duck meat then cooking it in its own fat. Lucky for you, this recipe skips that part so you can get to the good stuff faster. Simply rub duck confit with Chinese spice and broil for five minutes, and voila! You’ll have succulent, tender duck to pile into corn tortillas along with salty-sweet hoisin sauce, scallions, and refreshing cucumber. Finish with a tart yuzu cherry salsa and pair with corn in the cob covered in umami-rich miso butter (homemade too, of course).
Cod en Papillote with Herb Butter, Farro, & Lemon Roasted Asparagus
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Prepare to take your fish to another place (France, to be exact) with this fancy recipe for cod en Papillote. Cod is oven-roasted inside of a sealed parchment pocket along with asparagus, lemon, herb butter, and white wine. This method of cooking allows flavors to commingle while creating concentrated steam. It’s way simpler than it sounds, and it’ll majorly impress whoever you share it with. Remember to top the fish with chewy red rice and farro, and soak up the compliments for your culinary skills.