These Mexican-inspired stuffed peppers are made even yummier with a hefty dollop of guacamole and some sour cream. Mmm. And sliced jalapeños and some chopped cilantro. Think of these as tacos in a bell pepper shell.

• ingredients
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped $0.50
• 1 green jalapeño, seeded and chopped (leave the seeds intact if you like things spicy) $0.25
• 1 lb lean ground beef $3.50
• 1/2 tsp cumin $1.50 for 1 oz.
• 1/3 tsp Ancho chili powder $1.50 for 1 oz.
• 1/8 tsp salt Pantry
• few grinds black pepper Pantry
• 2 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and white veins removed $3
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese $3.50 for 8 oz.

Total Cost of Ingredients $13.75

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and jalapeño and cook for 1-2 minutes, until very fragrant. Add beef, spices, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Arrange bell pepper halves, open-side up on a baking sheet. Divide the beef mixture between them (you shouldn’t have any leftovers), and top each beef-filled pepper with 1/4 of the cheese.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and peppers have softened a bit.

Serve hot or at room temperature (this works well for picnics).

Serves 2-3.

This one is not for timid tongues. (Isn’t “timid tongues” a great phrase? I got it from Didi Emmons.)

The cool, sweet peach and soothing honey meld with the jalapeño and dijon, resulting in a pleasantly hot chutney-esque sauce that I think is just amazing with spicy bratwurst. If you wanted a sweeter, mellower sauce, you could definitely use honey mustard or regular yellow mustard in place of the dijon.

• ingredients
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped $0.50 for a whole onion
• 1/2 large peach (white or yellow) $0.75 for a whole peach
• 4-5 tbsp dijon mustard $3.50 for 8 oz.
• few grinds of fresh black pepper Pantry
• 1 tsp honey Pantry
• 1 medium green jalapeño, seeded and chopped finely (leave the seeds in if you like it hot) $0.25
• salt (if needed) Pantry
• 4 bratwurst sausages, grilled or pan-fried $3.50

Total Cost of Ingredients $8.50

Directions

Heat the oil in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, allowing to caramelize.

While the onions cook, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place peach half, skin-side-down into the boiling water for 45-60 seconds, to loosen skin. Rinse peach half under cool running water, then carefully pull off the skin. Dice peach and add to the caramelized onions.

Turn the heat up to medium and cook the onions and peaches together for 4-5 minutes, until peach breaks down completely. Remove from heat, transfer to a clean bowl and refrigerate until mixture reaches room temperature.

To the peach-onion mixture, add the mustard, pepper, honey and jalapeño. Stir well, adjust seasonings to taste (I didn’t need salt, but if you do, add it now).

Pour the mustard into a small serving bowl and serve alongside the cooked bratwurst. If you’re serving this as a party appetizer, you might want to cut the cooked sausage into bite-size pieces and serve it with toothpicks.

Serves 4.

As if you need reminding, today is the ten-year anniversary of 9/11.

I don’t know about you, but I sure can use some comfort food. The sauce in this recipe is based on Marcella Hazan’s (as interpreted by Smitten Kitchen). The meatballs are a Gabi original.

You could add grated Parmesan cheese if you wanted, but the sauce and meatballs are so rich, I doubt you will.

This super-fast, uber-decadent dessert is bottom-of-the-bowl-lickingly good, ready in minutes and the perfect way to impress your date, friends, coworkers or, in my case, eleven-year-old babysitting charge, Elliot.

Elliot would like you to know that this sauce is also delicious with peaches, pears or apples. We haven’t tried berries yet, but that would probably be good too.

Well hello there, it’s good to see you. I realize it’s been awhile.

See, last week I went to Portland, Oregon for my cousin Christine’s wedding. I came home on Sunday and was then promptly joined by my best friend Caitlin, visiting from Nashville with her boyfriend Dale. So yeah, I haven’t been doing much cooking. I’ve been doing plenty of eating—too much, maybe—but little actual cooking.

So, as you can see, I’m starting slowly. In an effort to get back on track with the lower-carb eating I’ve been having so much success with lately, I figured a simple egg dish would be a a good way to ease back in to regular stove time. If you aren’t watching your carb intake then, by all means, serve this with buttered rye toast.

Note: if you keep kosher, use beef salami instead of the regular salami, oil instead of the butter and water instead of the half-and-half or milk.

• ingredients
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter $1 for a stick
• 1/2 small onion, sliced thinly $0.50
• 6 eggs $1.50 for 12
• 2 tbsp half-and-half or milk $1.50 for a pint
• about 12 thin slices salami, quartered $4.50 for 10 oz.
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $9

Directions

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, then add onions and let cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring very occasionally, until they caramelize.

While the onions cook, whisk the eggs and half-and-half or milk together. Set aside.

Turn heat up to medium and add the salami. Cook for about a minute, then add the egg mixture. Cook eggs, moving them around in the pan occasionally to scramble them. Once the eggs have set, the dish is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot, alone or with rye toast.

Serves 2-3