Good With: Dips, cheese
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5-7 minutes per batch (Recipe makes about 8 batches)
Cost: Can you guess?
Plundered from Alton Brown

Ever since I saw Alton Brown make what looked like incredible crackers with the greatest of ease, I’ve wanted to try it myself. Turns out, it was as easy as it looked on TV and the crackers were even better than I expected. Usually I like to tweak the recipes a bit more for the sake of originality, but in this case I’m glad I didn’t. Seriously, these are easy, just about perfect and ridiculously cheap to make. I don’t want to buy crackers anymore. In fact, I don’t think I’m going to.

Ingredients

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

5 oz whole-wheat flour (about 1 1/5 cup)
4 2/3 oz all-purpose flour (1 generous cup)
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbs olive oil
6 1/2 ozs water

Preparation Instructions

1. Stir together flours, seeds, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. Add oil and stir until combined.
3. Add the water and stir to create a dough.
4. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times.
5. Divide the dough in to 8 equal pieces, cover them with a tea towel and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°.
7. Roll each piece of dough until thin. The Good Eats recipe calls for 1/16 of an inch for thin crackers, but I have no idea how thin ours were.
8. Place dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes on one side, flip ‘em, then bake for 2 to 3 more minutes.  If your baking pans are big enough, you can cook two at a time.
9. Place on a cooling rack and repeat the process until you’ve got a stack of extra large crackers. Break in to desired sizes and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks if you can (ours lasted 6 days, and we are cracker eaters).

Yaaaaaaaaargh: Making your own crackers and having them taste pretty much perfect will make you feel cool. Also, feel free to experiment with different seeds. We tried salting a couple of our crackers before we put them in the oven and that worked well but the plain ones were probably better. Alone these crackers are great but pair them with a nice cheese and they are amazing.

Good With: Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread, Black Pepper Bread
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: About 25 minutes
Cost: 50¢ per serving
Original Pirate Material

It was dinner time in the apartment and we didn’t have much on hand but remnants from other dishes. So, some dry pasta, an open package of goat cheese, about half a bag of frozen green beans and an urge to continue experimenting with dry sherry became the inspiration for Drunken Goat Pasta. The sherry gives the green beans a nice bite and really helps to amalgamate all the flavors in the dish.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 large servings

6 oz dry rotini pasta
6 oz frozen green beans
2 oz goat cheese (plain or herbed)
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 tbs pasta water
shredded parmesan

Preparation Instructions

1. Boil salted water over medium high heat and cook pasta until al denté. When it is done,  drain and set aside 3 tbs of the pasta water for use later.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add frozen green beans and cook until heated through, 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Add goat cheese and allow it to soften, then stir thoroughly so green beans are well coated.
5. At this point the bottom of the pan should be forming a bit of a crust. Pour in the sherry and use a wooden spoon to scrape the crust off. This process is called deglazing and will make the sauce extremely flavorful.
6. When pan is deglazed, allow sauce to reduce for 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Add pasta water to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. This will create a thicker sauce.
8. When sauce has thickened, add pasta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the pasta to soak up the flavors in the pan.
9. Divide in to bowls, add parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Yaaaaaaaaargh: The pasta will smell like you’ve used too much sherry, but that means it’s just right. All the steps make this recipe look difficult, but it is really pretty easy and once you’ve done it a couple of times it’s a breeze. Many different variations of cheese, pasta, vegetables and cooking wine could be used in this recipe, which makes it a good option when you need to get rid of some seemingly random ingredients.

Good With: Everything
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 to 8 minutes
Cost: 20¢ per roll
Original Pirate Material

This recipe was inspired by the creamed black pepper butter we used while making Chicken Escalopes with Lemon and Prosciutto. The pepper butter added a ton of flavor to that recipe, and we figured spreading it on bread and baking it in the oven would produce a tasty alternative to garlic bread. It turns out, we were right. Like, really, really right. Like, I want to brag to everyone I know how I invented this great new pepper bread that’s going to sweep the nation just like garlic bread did… Whenever that happened. Try this bread. Seriously. If you love pepper, you’ll love it, and you’ll find yourself starting to use it in place of plain rolls or garlic bread as a side dish. It also makes a great stand alone snack because it takes less than 15 minutes to make, and who doesn’t always have butter, pepper and bread around?

Ingredients

Makes: 4 slices

4 dinner rolls (any style)
1 tbs softened butter
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F
2. Cream together butter and a generous amount of pepper.
3. Slice rolls in half and spread pepper butter on to each.
4. Put rolls directly on middle oven rack and back for 5 to 8 minutes, until butter is melted and top is golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Yaaaaaaargh: These can be made with any type of bread. Rolls, slices of baguette, hot dog buns, you name it and pepper butter will work its magic. Everyone’s oven is different, so make sure to check on these after a few minutes. Be heavy handed with your pepper. Just like garlic bread can never have too much garlic, pepper bread can never have too much pepper.

Good with: Beer, Green Chile Rice, Chips & Salsa
Time: 30 minutes
Cost: 60¢ per taco
Adapted from a recipe in the February ’09 issue of Bon Appetit.

I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, there’s nothing strange about feta cheese going in to tacos. Believe me, I thought the same thing when I saw this recipe, but when I took that first delicious bite, I was hooked.

Makes: 6

Ingredients

6 corn tortillas, 6″
1 can black beans
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. hot sauce (we used Tapatio)
2 cups coleslaw mix
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 scallions, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil for coleslaw
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil for frying
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
salt & pepper to taste

Coleslaw

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine coleslaw mix, scallions and cilantro.
2. In a separate bowl stir together oil and lime juice until combined.
3. Add oil/lime juice mixture to coleslaw and toss to coat.

Tacos

1. Drain liquid from black beans and mash them in a bowl with hot sauce and cumin.
2. Heat 1tbs oil on medium in a non-stick pan. You will need to add more oil to the pan as you cook.
3. Place a tortilla in the pan and move it back and forth to coat with oil.
4. Scoop a spoonful of beans and spread them over half the tortilla.
5. Fold tortilla in half and cook for about 1  minute on each side.
6. Remove from the pan to a plate and immediately fill with feta and coleslaw. Be careful, the inside of the taco will be hot.
7. Repeat until you’ve got your desired number of tacos lined up.

Yaaaaaaaargh: The consistency of the mashed beans depends on your preference. I like to mash them up pretty good so there are barely any whole beans left, but it works just as well with less mashing and more whole beans. Same goes for the tortillas. If you like them a little but more crunchy, let them cook for an extra 3o seconds or so on each side. If you find yourself with too much coleslaw, it also makes a great side dish or a snack for the next day.

Good With: Spicy Chicken or Pork dishes, Rice dishes, Nachos
Prep Time: <10 minutes
Cooking Time: N/A
Cost: $1.37 per serving
Adapted from a recipe in the Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas

For something you can whip up in less time than it takes to watch the original Thriller video, this salad is huge on flavor. Red bell peppers are one of my favorite raw vegetables to eat, and their fresh, crisp flavor really goes great with the other ingredients in this salad. Plus, if you’ve got the ingredients for this than you’ve got just about everything you need for Black Bean and Feta Tacos and that’s nothing but a bonus.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 large servings

1 can black beans (16oz), drained
1 red bell pepper, matchsticked
1/4 cup vinaigrette
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation Instructions

1. Combine beans, bell peppers, vinaigrette and cilantro in a mixing bowl and toss well, until vegetables are coated.
2. Divide salad in to bowls and top with feta cheese.

Yaaaaaargh: Make an easy balsamic vinaigrette at home by pouring equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar into a container with a lid and shaking it until they combine. Dip your finger in and taste, then add more oil or vinegar as needed. It’s an extremely cheap substitute for store bought balsamic vinaigrette and once you’ve experimented a few times to get a ratio that suits you just right, you may find yourself preferring home made to the store bought stuff.

Menu

For our first week we really just wanted to concentrate on getting ingredients that we could cross-match, and using every last bit of everything we bought. There isn’t anything overly challenging on the menu, but everything is big on flavor and very, very cheap to make.

Entrees

Chicken Escalopes w/Lemon and Prosciutto

Prosciutto and Gouda Sandwiches

Black Bean & Feta Tacos

Drunken Goat Pasta

Baked Salmon Fillets

Butter Garlic Gnocchi

Sides/Snacks

Ricotta and Green Chili Rice

Confetti Salad

Red Pepper, Black Bean & Feta Salad

Feta, Hummus & Cucumber Sandwiches

Naan Pizzas

Black Pepper Bread

Shopping List

Prosciutto ($3.99)
Cheddar Cheese ($3.30)
Bell Peppers ($6.60)
Frozen Tandoori Naan ($1.99)
Chicken ($4.99)
Sourdough Bread ($2.79)
Feta Cheese ($2.99)
Hummus ($3.49)
Black Beans ($3.56)
Goat Cheese ($4.49)
Vegetable Tapenade ($3.49)
Yogurt ($2.99)
Rolls ($2.79)
Cucumber ($1.19)
Coleslaw ($1.99)
Tortillas ($0.40)
Lime ($0.13)
Lemon ($0.50)
Scallions ($1.50)
Cilantro ($1.50)
Gnocchi ($1.99)
2 frozen salmon fillets ($6.59)

Total: $58.26

Good With: Salads, Broth-based Soups, Beer
Time:<15 minutes
Price: $1.17 per slider

These tiny ham sandwiches are extremely easy to make, and can be great as a main course, appetizer or just a snack. They’re also very versatile, so pick up two or three different kinds of meat and cheese, mix-and-match, and you’ve got a party spread.

Ingredients

4 Dinner Rolls (Sourdough, French, etc)
4 slices Prosciutto (sub any thinly sliced cured meat)
4 slices Gouda (sub Cheddar or Swiss)
1-2 tbs Jalapeno Mustard (sub Yellow or Stone Ground)
2-3 tbs Softened Butter

Preparation Instructions

1. Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream together softened butter and mustard.
3. Cut rolls in half and bake for 5-7 minutes, then remove them from the oven. Turn on broiler or put oven on broiler setting.
4. Spread mustard butter on both sides of each roll, then top half of each roll with a slice of cheese and the other half with a slice of prosciutto.
5. Place sandwiches open-faced on a pan, and broil for 2-4 minutes.
6. Assemble and serve immediately.

Yaaaaaaargh: Pay attention when these are broiling. Whether you have a dedicated broiler or just a broiler setting on your oven makes a big difference, and when you’re broiling 2 or 3 minutes can mean charred instead of perfect. Baking the rolls before broiling the sliders gives the bread a nice, crisp consistency. If you don’t have jalapeno mustard, you may want to add some pepper and/or garlic when creaming the butter.

Good With: Stand Alone
Prep Time: 57 seconds
Cooking Time: 10-14 minutes
Cost: $1.15 per ‘slice’
Recipe found at traderjoes.com

This recipe and all the ingredients for these tasty ‘Indian pizzas’ came from our friendly neighborhood Trader Joe’s. I’m a big pizza advocate, but I never thought to make it with naan or any other kind of flat bread. After seeing how easy it was to make and tasting how delicious it turned out though, I’ll definitely be experimenting with flat bread pizzas again in the future.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 servings

1 package Trader Joe’s Tandoori Naan (Garlic or Plain, 4 Slices)
4 tbs goat cheese
8 tbs Trader Joe’s Mixed Grilled Vegetable Tapenade

Preparation Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°
2. Place frozen Naan on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Remove Naan from oven and spread 1 T goat cheese and 2 T tapenade on to each piece.
4. Return to oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, until Naan is heated all the way through.

Yaaaaaaaaargh: This one doesn’t score many originality points because all it involves is going to Trader Joe’s and turning on your oven, but it’s a unique snack that’s big on flavor and ready in a snap. There’s plenty of room for artistic license here, so experiment with different flatbreads, spreadable cheeses and toppings/tapenades.

Good With: Jasmine Rice, Risotto, Green Chile and Ricotta Rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $1.99 per serving
Adapted from Four ingredient Cookbook by Joanna Farrow

The fancy name of this dish makes it sound difficult to prepare, but in reality it’s extremely easy. Escalope is a french word that means a very thin white meat fillet, and a rolling pin or meat mallet is usually the tool employed to thin (read: pound) the meat. This recipe uses escalopes because the thinner meat absorbs more of the ham and lemon flavor than a thicker cut would.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 servings

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (2.49)
1.5 oz butter, softened
2 slices prosiutto (.99)
1/2 a lemon (.25)
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Cream the butter with a generous helping of black pepper and set aside.
3. Put each chicken breast between two large pieces of plastic wrap and beat them with a rolling pin until they are about half their original thickness.
2. Move chicken to a square baking pan and place one slice of prosciutto on to each piece.
4. Cut 4 thick lemon slices and place 2 on top of each escalope.
5. Dot escalopes generously with pepper butter.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, until chicken is done.
7. Spoon any excess juices from the baking dish over escalopes and serve.

Yaaaaaaargh: Pay close attention to the cooking time on these. We left ours in for about 30 minutes and they were definitely on the dry side. The recipe we adapted these from said to cut the lemon slices thin, but we found that thicker cut lemons worked better because there was more juice to squeeze over the dish once it was done. As far as the pepper butter, don’t be bashful. The more pepper the better. When it looks like you might have gone overboard, you’ve probably got enough.