One of the cardinal rules of good BrokeAss cooking is that, if you use fresh, whole ingredients, you don’t have to do much to them to make them delicious. This easy crisp is little more than fresh juicy pears topped with a crumbly, buttery, nutty brown sugar-oat topping. A little lemon, a couple pinches of salt, and you’re golden.

• ingredients
• 1 Bosc or Bartlett pear, skin intact, cored and chopped $1
• juice of 1 lemon $0.50
• salt Pantry
• 1/2 cup rolled oats $1
• 1/8 cup sliced almonds $3 for 12 oz.
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Pantry
• 1 tsp cinnamon $1.50 for 1 oz.
• 1/4 cup brown sugar $Pantry
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted $1 for a stick

Total Cost of Ingredients $8

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the chopped pear, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.

While the pears sit, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, a pinch of salt and melted butter in a bowl. Mix well until mixture is crumbly.

Divide the pear between two ramekins or small oven-proof bowls and top each with the oat mixture.

Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until topping is brown and crisp.

Serve warm on its own or with a scoop of ice cream.

This is one of those great dishes for people who don’t think they can cook, mostly because there is so little actual cooking involved in making it. Can you boil pasta? Can you put some stuff into a food processor and press the “on” button? Yep, thought so.

Check you out—you just made dinner.

• ingredients
• 8 oz. dried spaghetti $1 for 16 oz.
• 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives $2.50 for a 10 oz. jar
• 1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese $3.50 for 10 oz.
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces $1 for a bunch
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• juice and zest of 1 lemon $0.50
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $8.50

Directions

Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water according to directions. Drain and return to pot.

Combine olives, Parmesan, basil, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Toss cooked spaghetti with the pesto. Garnish with more Parmesan, basil and olives if desired.

Serves 2-3.

Everyone puts orange juice in their homemade cranberry sauce. It’s delicious, yes, but I have an inherent opposition to doing things the way other people have always done them for lack of another option. Well, here’s your other cranberry sauce option. Here’s your (dare I suggest it?) better cranberry sauce option.

• ingredients
• 1 12-oz. bag frozen whole cranberries $2
• 1 cup sugar Pantry
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Pantry
• pinch salt Pantry
• 3/4 cup water

Total Cost of ingredients $2

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a light boil. Tilt lid so a bit of air can escape and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20-22 minutes, or until cranberries break down and a thick sauce forms.

Allow to cool slightly before serving (or chill if you prefer cold cranberry sauce).

Makes about 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce.

This absolutely gorgeous, absurdly simple fish dish comes together literally in minutes. Make sure you use really fresh ahi tuna and eat it immediately after cooking.

• ingredients
• 3/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews $1
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. (depending on tolerance of spiciness) red chili flakes $1.50 for 1 oz.
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper Pantry
• 1 12-oz. ahi tuna steak (preferably sashimi grade) $12
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1/2 lemon, sliced thinly $0.50
• 1 handful fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped $1 for a bunch

Total Cost of Ingredients $16

Directions

Place the cashews in a zip-lock bag. Gently press the air out of the bag and seal it. Use a rolling pin, mallet, wine bottle or other similarly heavy, dull object to crush the cashews in the bag, until a coarse meal is formed. Pour into a mixing bowl.

Add the red chili flakes, salt and pepper to the crushed cashews and mix well. Spread on a clean plate.

Lay the tuna steak into the crushed cashew-spice mix and use your hands to press the tuna into the mixture to ensure it adheres. Flip carefully and do the same to the other side.

Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Carefully lay the crusted tuna in the hot oil. Cook for 1-1 1/2 minutes on one side and then flip and cook the other side.

Let cool for 2-3 minutes.

Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the tuna steak into strips. Serve topped with the chopped herbs and slices of lemon for squeezing. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Hopefully you are not tired of my constant reinventing of mac and cheese because, frankly, it’s a lot of fun and it’s probably going to keep happening.

After my cousin Sarah mentioned to me that she had made my Brown Butter-Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, I found myself hovering near the squash at the grocery store last night. Before I knew it, my basket also held fresh sage, an onion, aged white cheddar and a box of macaroni elbows.

The resulting dish was hearty and warming on this chilly night, yet not overly filling and left my kitchen smelling of sage and sweet onions. Delish.