We know you like to keep it cheap—that’s why you read our blog—so we’re not going to bother telling you why Trader Joe’s is awesome or why you should buy produce at your local farmer’s market to score great deals on the freshest produce. You’re a cheapskate-foodie. You already know these things.

We like to switch it up when we go grocery shopping and try new foods (that’s how we discovered fresh Chinese wheat noodles), but we also have our staples. These are ingredients that we find ourselves using repeatedly in different dishes and therefore consider Fridge Essentials. We find that when we keep our pantry stocked with items from The $50 Pantry and our fridge full of Fridge Essentials, cooking is less expensive and more enjoyable because we have more to work with.

• half-and-half (Great for thickening creamy sauces, adding to scrambled eggs, or adding body to a soup.) $1.50 for a pint
• eggs (Um, breakfast for dinner, anyone? Also delicious added to noodles in pad thai, or for making velvety pasta sauces. $3.50 for 1 dozen
• Sriracha (We are totally obsessed with this stuff. We put it on eggs, pizza, and on any savory Asian dish. We also love to stir it into mayonnaise for a spicy aioli.) $2.50 for 16 oz.
• Parmesan cheese (We buy it whole and grate it ourselves. It’s cheaper that way.) $4 for 12 oz.
• unsalted butter (Can be used for savory or sweet cooking/baking.) $4 for 1 lb
• firm tofu (Cube it and throw it in a stir fry, scramble it with veggies and spices for a delicious vegan breakfast or crumble it in pasta sauces for a protein boost.) $2 for 16 oz.

We like to keep this stuff on hand, along with a variety of meats, fish and veggies for an ever-flowing stream of BrokeAss creations. Please let us know what YOUR Fridge Essentials are.

This recipe is BrokeAss Gourmet cooking at its very best. Based on a combination of pantry ingredients and fresh produce, it’s not only incredibly inexpensive, but also very healthy and (most importantly) delicious. We’ve adapted this gorgeous recipe from one by the equally gorgeous Dave Lieberman.

This simple risotto is warm and filling but also supple and delicate. We used simple button mushrooms, as they are the least expensive and most readily available, but feel free to get creative with fancier ones.

I’m often asked the question, What’s the difference between ‘barbequed’ and ‘grilled’ food? Carolyn Wells, founder of the Kansas City Barbecue Society, defines these terms so well:

Barbeque, a.k.a. barbecue, BBQ, Q, ‘que and who knows what else: slow- cooked over a low heat using smoke from natural wood. Barbecue can be used as a noun, verb and adjective. It is a destination, a meal, a sandwich, a party, a cooking technique, and a descriptor for almost anything cooked outdoors, charred or smoky

Grilled: Food cooked over high heat for a short period of time to sear the outside and quickly cook the inside. Grill roasting over indirect heat falls somewhere between classic grilling and barbecue.

For many busy people, grilling is the most convenient method. The following are some tips to make your grilling and barbequing safe and easy:

Prepare and Heat Your Grill

• Charcoal grills: Use a canister to start charcoal. The coals are ready when they turn white and achieve a red glow. Look for charcoal on sale during the winter months to save a few dollars.
• Heat grill (charcoal or gas) for 20 minutes or 500+ degrees to sterilize grill and prepare for searing of food.

Determine Your Cooking Method—Indirect vs. Direct

• Use the direct method to quickly cook foods. Chicken breasts, steaks, fish and seafood are good choices. Place foods on the grate directly over the heat source.

• Consider the indirect method for foods that require longer than 20 minutes to cook—whole chickens, boneless turkey roasts and pork ribs. Spread charcoals around the edges of grill and place food in the center with a drip tray underneath. For gas grills, place food on grates without flames underneath. Heat sources under the grates at the edge of grill.

• For grill roasting, first place food directly over the heat source to sear food and then move it away to cook until done.

Prepare Your Food

• Always use one set of tongs for raw food and another for cooked food. Mark the tongs to avoid cross-contamination.
• Always discard used marinade once meat is placed on the grill.
• Oil food or grill before cooking. Use tongs to slide meat back and forth when placing on grill to avoid sticking.
• Sauces with high sugar content should be brushed on meats after removing from grill to avoid a burnt sauce and black appearance. Use a grilling rub to season meat before and during cooking. Extra tip: A gourmet sauce and rub makes a less expensive cut of meat taste great.
• For extra flavor, use hickory, alder or mesquite wood chips. Soak chips in water for one hour, then add directly to charcoal or place in a smoker box on the grate in your gas grill. Adding chips to your grill is less expensive than a wood fire. Better yet, try a smoker bag to cook your whole meal.
• Use a quick read meat thermometer to test meat for done-ness. Remove meat about 5 degrees (approximately 5 minutes) before it’s done. Cover tightly with foil and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meat will continue to cook to temperature during this time.

Now you’re ready for the grilling season. Get your grill out, clean it up and start cooking!

Spend a little time on a Sunday night making pizza dough. Put it in an oiled airtight container and stick it in your fridge. You’ll likely forget about it for the first half of the week, but then as the end of the week nears (and you find your wallet becoming lighter), you’ll remember that you have a canvas for deliciousness just sitting in your refrigerator. For this simple pizza, we just used goat cheese and prepared pesto but you could easily add veggies, grilled chicken, pancetta, or sausage without going over budget.