Classic Carbonara

On a cold or dreary day, there's nothing like a creamy plate of spaghetti carbonara. I know I've made the leek carbonara before, but I wanted to go for a really basic, classic carbonara. Usually you're supposed to use dried pasta, but after watching Master of None all weekend, I was inspired to make it with fresh spaghetti. Yum! It's so good and creamy and salty and delicious, and the little bites of crispy pancetta are just the best. This is easy and cheap, too, so a great weeknight dinner. 

Cacio e Pepe

This is almost as simple as you can go for pasta, and you can probably make it with ingredients you already have in your kitchen. The freshly crushed pepper gives it a real kick. You can go as heavy or light on the pepper as you want.

Fried Rice-Style Quinoa

I was marinating flank steak the other night and asked Jamie what he wanted as a side. He requested peas. The flank steak was marinating in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, etc (Asian-style), so I was trying to think of an Asiany way to make peas - fried rice! I had just bought a bag of quinoa, so I figured I'd make it as if it were fried rice. It was delicious (and cheap and easy). Jamie loved it, and it even tasted great the next day.

Spicy Tomato Soup

This is a nice and cheap soup, and really easy. Great novice soup recipe (I'm looking at you, Alice!) I love Barbara Lynch and saw the recipe on Food52 and had to try it. Yum! It's very simple but really nice, especially with a gooey grilled cheese.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 big tsp red pepper flakes (or more or less, depending how spicy you want it)

1 1/2 cups water

2 28oz cans whole tomatoes with their juices

salt and pepper

big handfull of basil

Perciatelli with Sausage and Kale Ragu

I had some leftover hot Italian sausage and wanted to make a cozy, hearty pasta to help fight off this Polar Vortex. To add some semblance of healthiness, I threw in some kale. I made a really tasty ragu and served it with perciatelli - a great, hollow noodle like bucatini - good texture, but you can use whatever pasta you'd like. This is an easy and really great sauce, and a nice, cheap dinner,

Served 2-4
Ingredients:
1/2 lb perciatelli
4 links hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch kale, rinsed, dried and ripped into bite sized pieces
4 slices pickled peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes in their liquid
1 cup chicken stock

Cornflake-Crusted Chicken

I've always heard good things about using cornflakes on chicken, so when I was in the grocery and looking for a cheap dinner, I decided to try it. It's really easy and has a great, flavorful crunch. Feel free to change the seasoning.

Serve 3-4
Ingredients:
4 skinless chicken thighs
1 cup crushed corn flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp freshly chopping basil
1 tsp freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
big pinch of cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp water

Pulled Chicken Tacos

After making these nachos, I wanted to try the same method with chicken. It's cheap, pretty easy, and makes for great tacos (and quesadillas). Chicken thighs are affordable and juicy and pull apart nicely when braised - and unlike short ribs, braising takes 20-30 minutes. I topped them with some sliced avocado, sliced onion, and a dollop of tomatillo salsa.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 dried cascobel chile, stem removed
1 seranno or jalapeno chili, halved
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp oregano
1 15 oz can tomatoes
1 carrot, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Corn tortillas

Directions:
Take chicken thighs out, pat dry, and salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet to high. Add onion, chiles, and garlic and cook, turning, until lightly charred. Add to a food processor with tomatoes, spices, and carrots and puree until smooth.

Red Wine Braised Chicken Thighs

I wanted something somewhat healthy for dinner last night, and something cheap. It was a little cold, so I thought chicken thighs braised in red wine would be perfect and warm and tasty. My grocery run cost $5.06 (for 5 chicken thighs and a big leek) and it fed two of us for dinner and lunch the next day. Letting the red wine and broth cook down makes the sauce so flavorful. I served it over some Israeli couscous just because that's what I had on hand, but this would be great on polenta or mashed potatoes too. The whole process took an hour, and most of that was just braising/cooking down, so it's totally doable for a week night. Of course, feel free to add other veggies if you want it to be more coq au vin style, but this is simple, tasty, and cheap.

Ingredients:
5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
1 large leek, rinsed and sliced into 1/4 inch rings
5 cloves garlic, crushed

Shell carbonara

Looking for something inexpensive for dinner, I thought of spaghetti carbonara. I flipped through Epicurious and found a good looking recipe for Orrechiette Carbonara. At the grocery there was no orrechiette (and I didn't feel like making it fresh, which isn't actually that hard) so I got small shells. The result was great. Easy, creamy, great flavor. We both had seconds and luckily have more for lunch today. The leeks are a great addition, and right now leeks are particularly sweet. Yum! Also added a nice splash of color.

Ingredients:
Shells (I eyeballed almost a pound with about an inch left in the box)
6 slices bacon cut into cubes
3 leeks, sliced lengthwise in half then cut crosswise in strips (only white and light green parts)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
3 eggs

Directions:
Sauté the bacon until the fat has rendered and they are crisp. Pour out all but about 2-3 tbsp of the grease.


Add the leeks to the skillet and sauté until tender. Turn off the heat.



Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well salted water. Reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta while there's still a little bite.



Whisk the eggs an cheese together then slowly add reserved pasta water while whisking. Add pasta to leeks and heat through. Remove from heat, add egg mixture, and mix until it thickens and becomes creamy. Toss in bacon and serve!