This easy, hearty stew is full of healthy fiber (thanks to the beans) and lean protein (courtesy of the chicken and the beans again), and is spiked with the sweet heat of chili powder and cumin. Top with the listed garnishes if you so desire and feel free to add shredded cheese, sour cream or fresh salsa.

Also, should a cup of this chili-esque stew happen to be poured over some tortilla chips and then topped with shredded aged cheddar and popped under the broiler and then topped with more onions, cilantro and avocado, it would not be the worst thing ever to happen. Just so you know.

• ingredients
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1 medium onion, diced (reserve a few pinches for garnish) $0.50
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and diced $0.50
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces $5
• 2 15-oz. cans white (cannellini or Great Northern) beans, rinsed and drained $2.50
• 1 tsp Ancho chili powder $1.50 for 1 oz.
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin $1.50 for 1 oz.
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $10

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, sweet potato, chicken, beans, cumin and chili powder. Stir well and add water to cover (about 3 cups). Cover pot and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until sweet potato is soft and and chicken has cooked through.

Serve, garnished with the reserved onion, plus cilantro and/or avocado if desired.

Serves 2-4.

So, I had set out to recreate the fried chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland, CA. Known far and wide as the best fried chicken sandwich in the Bay Area, the sandwich has many fans, including yours truly, but schlepping to Oakland for a sandwich is hard for me to justify…so decided to figure out how to make it at home. I found the exact recipe for Betty’s sandwich online, and then set about tinkering. I followed the recipe I found loosely and added my own personal (read: spicy) touches. Rather than fully deep-frying my chicken, I did a nice shallow fry (still not good for you, but better). Instead of a red wine vinaigrette, I made a spicy, creamy dressing for my slaw and topped it all with some spicy, crunchy jalapeño rings. Y-U-M.

• ingredients
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts $5
• 2 cups buttermilk (regular or lowfat) $1.50 for a quart
• 1 cup flour Pantry
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper $1.50 for 1 oz.
• salt and pepper Pantry
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar $2 for 10 oz.
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise Pantry
• 2 tsp sugar or honey Pantry
• 2 tsp Sriracha or other Asian chili sauce (more/less to taste) $2.50 for 17 oz
• 1/2 head green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly $1
• 1/2 red onion, chopped finely $0.50
• 1 carrot, shredded $0.25
• 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped $1
• vegetable or canola oil Pantry
• 2 very fresh French or other sandwich rolls $1
• 1 green jalapeño, sliced into rings $0.25

Total Cost of Ingredients $16

Directions

Slice the chicken breasts into “tenders”—strips that are 4-5” long and about 2” wide. Place in a shallow bowl or baking dish and cover with the buttermilk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight (I tried both and the overnight soaking yielded knee-bucklingly tender chicken).

While the chicken soaks, get everything ready: combine the flour, cayenne, and 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper in a wide, shallow. Mix well and set aside.

Whisk together the rice vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar or honey, Sriracha and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, toss together the cabbage, onion, carrot and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Once the chicken has finished soaking, remove it from the buttermilk and place it on a clean plate. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Place the soaked chicken and the prepared flour mixture next to the stove.

Prepare the oil by pouring about 1” of oil into a large frying pan. Heat over medium-high heat until oil becomes very viscous and begins to bubble.

To make the chicken, dredge a piece of the chicken in the flour mixture, shake off the excess and carefully drop the chicken into the hot oil. Fry the chicken in small batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and crispy, using tongs to flip. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle just-fried chicken lightly with salt.

To assemble the sandwiches, split the rolls and top the bottom halves with a few pieces of chicken. Top with a heaping pile of slaw and a few slices of jalapeño. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 large sandwiches or 4 small sandwiches.

This fragrant, rich, indulgent dish should be served on chilly nights to people you really, really like.

• Ingredients
• 8 oz. penne (or other small cut of pasta) $1 for 14 oz.
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter $1 for a stick
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour Pantry
• 1/2 cup half-and-half $1.50 for a pint
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese $3.50 for 8 oz.
• salt and pepper Pantry
• 2 strips thick-cut bacon (preferably uncured), diced $1
• 1/2 leek (white part only), cut lengthwise, then chopped $0.50
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves $1
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs (as fresh as possible) $1.50 for 10 oz

Total Cost of Ingredients $11

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Boil the pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Rinse, drain and return to the pot.

While pasta cooks, melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a sticky dough. Slowly stir in the half-and-half to make a creamy white sauce. Stir in the cheese until it melts and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the cubed bacon until lightly-crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the leeks and cook for 1-3 minutes or until soft, then add the spinach and cook until it wilts, 30 seconds-1 minute. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt (the bacon is salty so go easy).

Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Toast the bread crumbs for 1-2 minutes, just until golden and crunchy.

To assemble, gently stir together the pasta, cheese sauce and leek-bacon-spinach mixture. Use a rubber scraper/spatula to transfer the mixture to 4 oven-proof bowls or ramekins (or use a large casserole dish). Sprinkle evenly with toasted breadcrumbs.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

These yummy Greek-ish meatballs come together rapidly. Just do your prep, dump the ingredients into a bowl and start rolling your meatballs.

I served them for dinner with warm pita bread and a veritable pupu platter of toppings.

• ingredients
• 1/2 lb. ground lamb $3.50
• 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for greasing the pan Pantry
• 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped $0.50
• 1 egg $1.50 for 12
• 3/4 cup packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped roughly $1
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (preferably not nonfat) $1.50 for 8 oz.
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs $2 for 14 oz.
• 1 handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped $1 for a bunch
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $10

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside.

Place all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and use your hands to gently combine the lamb mixture.

Wash the meat off of your hands and leave them slightly damp (this helps to avoid sticking) and form the mixture into golf ball-size balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until fully-cooked but still tender.

Makes about 15 meatballs (serves 2—or more as a starter course).

The patties atop this pretty salad are kind of like the Italian equivalent of falafel—lightly fried mashed bean patties with onions, garlic and parsley. They’re crisp on the outside and soft and flavorful in the inside. I kept the cheese off of mine, but if you’re in the mood, this dish would benefit from a generous sprinkle of shaved Parmesan.

• ingredients
• 1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained $1.50 for a 15-oz. can
• extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1 onion, finely chopped $0.50
• few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped $1 for a bunch
• 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry
• all-purpose flour Pantry
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves or mixed greens $1
• 1 carrot, shredded $0.50
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into rings $1.50
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $6

Directions

Puree white beans in a blender or food processor (or mash with the back of a fork) and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and add onion. Cook until very fragrant and lightly browned, 7-8 minutes. Transfer onion (and all residual oil) to the bean puree. Stir in parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 2 tbsp of the flour.

With lightly-floured hands, form the bean mixture into 2” patties (you can go smaller or larger if you prefer). Transfer patties to a clean plate.

Drizzle enough olive oil in a frying pan (the one you used for the onions is fine) to coat the bottom of the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the patties to the pan (working in batches if necessary) and fry until golden brown on one side (2-3 minutes). Then flip and cook the other side.

Toss the spinach, carrot and bell pepper with balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil. Divide salad between plates and top with white bean patties.

Serves 2.