Sure, you could open a can of soup. Or, you could take a few extra minutes, and exert the tiniest amount of additional effort and make this spicy, creamy, incredibly flavorful soup. I like to serve it with grilled quesadillas for a south-of-the-border rendition of grilled cheese and tomato soup.

• ingredients
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 1 medium onion, chopped $0.50
• 1 chipotle pepper (packed in adobo), chopped, plus a few spoonfuls of the adobo sauce in the can $2 for 6-oz. can
• 2 14.5-oz. cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes $4.50
• 1/4 cup half-and-half 1.50 for a pint
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry
• 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish $1 for a bunch

Total Cost of Ingredients $9.50

Directions

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are translucent and very fragrant. Add chipotle peppers and adobo and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes (juice and all—do not drain), and cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree mixture, using a blender, food processor or immersion blender. Return to pot, stir in the half-and half and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for more 5 minutes.

Serve, garnished with cilantro. Serves 3-4.

The clean taste of milky, fresh ricotta cheese shines through in these classic calzones. Cooked, chopped Italian sausage would be a nice addition, but it’s not necessary.

• ingredients
• flour for rolling and for pan Pantry
• extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1/4 onion, chopped $0.50 for a whole onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 2 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped $1
• 1 cup (packed) fresh spinach $1
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry
• 1/2 recipe“pizza dough”:http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/the-wonders-of-pizza-dough 1.50
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta $5.50

Total Cost of Ingredients $9.50

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it begins to soften.

To the pan, add the garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Stir to combine and cook until the spinach completely breaks down, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

On a lightly-floured surface, divide the dough into 2 balls. Roll each ball out into an 8” circle.

Spread 1/8 cup of the ricotta onto 1 half of each dough round. Divide the spinach-tomato mixture atop the ricotta and top each with the remaining ricotta. Fold dough over to form half-moons and pinch the dough together to seal.

Brush the tops of the calzones with a bit of olive oil and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

Serves 2.

Ingredients in typical storebought ricotta: whey, (pasteurized), milk, vinegar, stabilizer, modified food starch, guar gum, carrageenan, salt.

Ingredients in homemade ricotta: milk, cream, vinegar, salt.

Bottom line: nobody ever invited friends over for some “guar gum and modified food starch calzones.”

Make your own. It’s mind-blowingly crazy-easy. And cheap.

Things I Had in my Refrigerator: 1/2 batch pizza dough, a small carton of French goat’s milk feta, 1 ripe peach and a handful fresh basil.

Hence, this recipe.

I made these for Andrew on a random weeknight about 3 years ago and he still talks about them. They’re basically a more filling, cheaper version of crab cakes. Serve them on their own or over lightly-dressed greens.

• ingredients
• 2/3 pound de-veined medium raw shrimp, tails removed, chopped medium-finely $6.50
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (divided) Pantry
• 2 scallions (green onions), sliced $1 for a bunch
• juice of 1/2 lemon $0.50 for a whole lemon
• Sriracha or other Asian chili sauce $2 for 8 oz.
• 1 small handful fresh cilantro, chopped finely $1 for a bunch
• 1/4 tsp salt Pantry
• few grinds of black pepper Pantry
• 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs $3 for 16 oz.
• 2 tbsp (plus more as needed) vegetable or canola oil, for frying Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $13

Directions

Combine shrimp, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, scallions, lemon juice, 2 tsp Sriracha or other chili sauce, cilantro, salt, pepper and Panko together in a mixing bowl. Form into 7-8 3” patties and set onto a clean plate or cutting board.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the shrimp cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden-brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

To make the aioli, simply mix the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 2-3 tsp (or more/less to taste—I like about 4 tsp) Sriracha/chili sauce.

Serve the warm shrimp cakes with the aioli.

Serves 2-3.