Apply a little technique to fresh, unfussy ingredients and eat better for less money. 

These simple pupusas (a classic Salvadorean stuffed tortilla) illustrate a very important point about BrokeAss cooking: when you buy whole, unprocessed ingredients and spend just a little extra time preparing them, the result is almost always less expensive, better for you and, most importantly, exponentially more delicious.

Essentially, these pupusas are just like quesadillas, except creamy melted cheese is sandwiched between layers of a just-cooked dough made from masa harina, a coarse corn flour made from corn and lime juice (find masa harina in a good grocery store's bulk section or in the Latin American specialty store) instead of tortillas. As the dough is griddled, the cheese melts and it's time to eat. All you have to do is spend 5 minutes (less, when you get really good at it!) longer than you would on a quesadilla and you'll be on your way to a hot, fresh and unbelievably tasty treat--that's lower in fat and less processed than a typical quesadilla.

It's probably the most important BrokeAss Gourmet principle: apply a little technique to fresh, unfussy ingredients and eat better for less money.