Here’s a sample of what’s to come in the magazine!  Tiffany Ong shares a great, convenient recipe for busy college students. 

For many college students, we often have to figure out where and what to eat every night. Would it be a gyro from that halal cart or take out from Thai Market or a PB&J sandwich? Here is a simple, yet healthier and more delicious solution—braised beef served over rice. All you have to do is cut the vegetables and prep in the morning before class, put it in the slowcooker, and come back at the end of the day to a pot of flavorful stew. You may replace beef short ribs with ox-tails or briskets or beef chuck. Or if you’re feeling creative, you can play around with the ingredients and add in a few spoonfuls of tomato paste or a sliced pair or red wine for an extra edge. You’ll be sure to impress your friends and guests!

With our fast-paced and busy lifestyles, we often don’t have the time to prepare braised meat or long stew and instead, we opt for quick meals. The slowcooker has thus been pushed aside to make way for pressure cookers, microwaves, and sandwich presses.

The slowcooker has been underrated (but not for long). Although time plays an important role for it to work, it is convenient in that

• You do not need to stir it occasionally
• You do not need to add water after every hour
• It requires no electricity or fire
• It can be carried around and brought to anywhere

 

Braised Short Ribs

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 5 hours and 20 minutes

Number of servings: For 4-5 people

Ingredients

4 pounds of beef short ribs

1 celery stalk

4 carrots

1 red onion

2 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil*

1 liter beef stock

2 teaspoons thyme

2 teaspoons rosemary

Salt & pepper (to taste)

*One simple, yet fancy trick is to use garlic-infused olive oil.  To make your own, throw some garlic cloves (with skin removed) into a new bottle of olive oil and leave it there indefinitely.  Overtime, the garlic flavor will permeate the olive oil – delicious.

Kitchen supplies

Slowcooker

1 large pot

1 cutting board

2 large plates

 

Preparation

1)   Wash the vegetables and cut into small dices (1cm cube). Season the short ribs with salt and pepper.

2)   Place a large pot on medium heat. Pour all of the olive oil and sear the short ribs until golden brown.

3)   Remove the meat from the pot, and add in the diced vegetables to sauté until soft. Add in two tablespoons of water.

4)   Place the beef ribs back into the pot, and add the herbs in. Then pour in the beef stock, and a pinch of salt.

5)   Bring to a boil, then place the pot into the slowcooker, and cook for 5 hours.

6)   To serve, remove the pot from the slowcooker and reheat it over medium heat.

How-To Tip!
The slowcooker is one of the easiest, but most reliable cooking equipment to use, and thus targets both amateurs cooks and professional chefs. It is however important to note that the stew must first be brought to boil in a pot before placing the pot into the slowcooker, and second, the lid of the slowcooker must be sealed tightly. It doesn’t require fire or any electricity. Simple, right?