Three easy yet tasty recipes for college-bound students to try

Cooking teacher Bonnie Stern has chosen three simple recipes for novice cooks heading off to university.

Her first is for quesadillas, a popular sandwich and very easy to make.

"You can add pesto, olive paste or well-drained salsa, or you can flavour them with chopped fresh herbs, " she says. "Corn and diced tomatoes can be used raw, but other vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, squash or peppers should be cooked, and it is a great way to use up leftovers."

Stern's second recipe is for roast chicken with paprika.

"It is easy to roast a chicken and there are lots of ways to use the leftovers," she says. "You can use it in casseroles, pasta, sandwiches, soup and salads."

Finally the "good-for-a-week salad dressing" is a favourite of her daughter Anna who never liked salad "but now she is hooked."

Stern says this dressing "is so easy and delicious you will always want to have some on hand."

Cheese and Corn Quesadillas

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) grated cheese

5 ml (1 tsp) chipotles or 1 finely chopped jalapeno or hot sauce

250 ml (1 cup) fresh or frozen corn niblets or any diced cooked vegetable

50 ml ( 1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro, fresh basil or green onions or 5 ml (1 tsp) dried herbs

10 flour tortillas (15 cm/6 inches round)

In a bowl, combine cheese with chipotles, corn and cilantro. Arrange tortillas on a work surface in a single layer. Spoon cheese mixture over half of each tortilla. Fold other half over filling and press together firmly.

In a panini maker, grill pan or skillet, grill quesadillas 1 to 2 minutes per side until cheese melts and tortillas are browned. (You can also place these in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 200 C/400 F oven for about 10 minutes until browned.) Cut each tortilla in thirds.

Makes 8 to 10 small quesadillas.

Wine match: California Chardonnay.

Roast Chicken With Paprika

1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg/3 kg)

45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

15 ml (1 tbsp) paprika

Pat chicken dry inside and out. Combine olive oil with salt and paprika. Brush or rub all over chicken.

Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan (or a baking sheet) lined with parchment paper or on slices of lemons or onions. Roast in a 200 C (400 F) oven for 60 to 70 minutes until golden brown and meat thermometer reaches 80 C (175 F) when inserted into the fleshiest part.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Wine match: Off-Dry Riesling

Anna's Good-For-A-Week Salad Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced

2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) salt

50 ml ( 1/4 cup) seasoned rice vinegar

75 ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil (sunflower or grapeseed)

15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce

15 ml (1 tbsp) honey

2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) dark toasted Asian sesame oil (optional)

In a jar or bowl, combine all ingredients. Add just enough dressing to coat greens.

Makes about 175 ml (3/4 cup).