[Top 3] Healthy Hostel Meals

It is now Day 40 of Shelley in Oz. Too too toooooo many times, I have seen backpackers resort to eating that gawd-aweful nutrient-lacking, dried noodle-y shyte for dinner. I understand that when one's tired and hungry after a long day's work, one may not feel like cooking... and that's why the following 3 dishes make me proud of the people who made 'em. By far, they're the healthiest hostel meals I've seen come outta our cramped kitchen at Bev & Mick's Backpackers (the koolest hostel EVER, might I add). It's hella NOT impossible to eat healthy as a backpacker on a budget. Trust.

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Lisa's Andijviestammpot [Dutch Endive Potato Mash]

Waa waa waa backpackers are always complaning about how expensive vegetables are. In actuality, they ain't thaaaat expensive. All Lisa bought were a couple potatoes, the cheapest bacon and cheese she could find at Coles, a bunch of endive and voila! For under $10 she prepared a meal for 6 people! First, boil some potatoes & mash 'em. Then, chop up some endive & cook until tender in a little oil over the stove. Add some chopped bacon into the pan with the endive and let it cook. Mix the endive & bacon with the mashed potatoes. Mix it well, dammit! Chop up chunks of cheese (feta, cheddar, goat, you name it!) and scatter atop the Andijviestammpot. Bon appetito!

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The Boys Make Schnitzel + Steamed Veg + Boiled Potatoes, gasP!

The trick is to hit up the Queen Victoria Market around closing time... which is easy for me 'cuz I live 5 minutes away from it, muahahaha! But seriously now, around closing time, the prices of produce, meat, seafood & so forth get slashed!!! So the boys bought cheapass schnitzel this night, apparently. All they had to do was pan-fry 'em up. Easy as p-i-e, I tells ya! I rarely everrrrr see guys at my hostel cookin' up a storm in our hole-in-the-wall-y kitchen. The mere sight of guys cooking fresh vegetables is too rare to be true! Thus, I felt absolutely COMPELLED to snap photos of this once in a lifetime sighting. Hey dried noodles enthusiasts, it's time to get on board, k???!

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Shelley's Pancit [Filipino Noodles]

All I gotta say is...... THANKS MOMMY! You are my #1 inspiration always!!! Yup, I got a hankering for Mom's infamous Pancit after not being home now for... hmmm... almost 2 months-ish? And so I made din-din for the kiddies one day! The veggies weren't expensive, but the shrimps kinda were! $3.20 for a small pack of frozen ones. Wompskis. The secret ingredient in this dish? Oyster sauce, baby! Can't live without it! Perfect for any stirfry, and that's what's up! I used dried "Philippine-Style" Canton Noodles in this dish, but next time, I know to purchase Hokkien Noodles (the fat & yellow juicy ones) from any Asian grocery story (of which there is one at every corner here in downtown Melbourne). Love you Momskis ♥♥♥