This week, we caught up with Dr Derrick Chong to find out more about his role. Derrick also shares his tips for university life and an easy recipe for all try.
What is your role at Royal Holloway?
In addition to teaching first-year students in the School of Business and Management, I also serve as academic director for student recruitment and chair of the progression and awards board. In addition, for the University of London, I have a part-time residential position as warden in an intercollegiate hall of residence.
Advice for university life
Your time at Royal Holloway can be viewed as a series of blocks (of 8-12 weeks). Consider what is possible in each block – to support your personal development over three or four years – alongside your core academic studies. Try new activities and provide yourself challenges. In my case, taking an extracurricular art history class was one of the best decisions at university. A gateway to art as a leisure activity ever since with a beneficial side hustle in art business. More recently, weighted pullups have entered my life – one plate for three reps as of August 2023 so further gains ahead! – following ‘progressive overload’.
Get cooking - 'Better than chicken, broccoli, and rice’
This ‘better than’ recipe is inspired by Michael Pollan’s most famous quote: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. It is a simple, inexpensive, and healthy introduction to sustainable cooking with multiple variations based on dietary requirements.
Preparation and cooking time
Preparation time (to get the ingredients in order before cooking): 3 mins
Cooking time (needed for the actual cooking process after preparation is complete): 3-5 mins.
Number of servings and serving size
Generous serving for one person; relatively easy to scale the recipe up – or down for a smaller serving.
Ingredients
- Rapeseed oil (for cooking); and optionally (in jars), chopped garlic and crushed red chillies
- Bagged kale (2-3 handfuls)
- Mushrooms (2-5)
- Red or yellow pepper (1)
- Red onion (one-half)
- Basic tomatoes (2)
- Pre-cooked cauliflower rice (100-200 grammes)
- Egg (1)
- Tinned mackerel (75-125 grammes)
Directions
Preparation:
- Wash kale, mushrooms, pepper, onion, and tomatoes.
- Cut mushrooms, pepper, onion, and tomatoes into smaller sizes for the purposes of cooking and eating.
Cooking:
- Heat the large frying pan (or wok) over medium heat; add one teaspoon (i.e., one-third tablespoon) of rapeseed oil; and optionally, add one teaspoon of chopped garlic and one teaspoon of crushed red chillies.
- Add kale, mushrooms, pepper, onion, and tomatoes. Immediately, add a second teaspoon of rapeseed oil – and stir (using spatula or tongs).
- Once the vegetables are soft (usually after 2-3 minutes), add cauliflower rice and raw egg along with a third teaspoon of rapeseed oil – and stir for 1 minute.
- Add mackerel – and stir. Ready to eat.
Substitute ingredients
- For a vegan option: omit the egg; and substitute mackerel with canned butter beans or red kidney beans (100-200 grammes).
- Cauliflower rice can be substituted for pre-cooked quinoa or noodles.
- As the source of protein, mackerel can be substituted for other tinned seafood (such as salmon or tuna) or ready-to-eat poultry (such as chicken or turkey).
- If you have more time, cook your own fish and poultry.