Roasted strawberry, goat cheese & black pepper soufflé: $1.49/serving

Yep. More strawberries. Unfortunately, my stomach is now too big for me to bend over and pick them myself, so I have to rely on B., who not only works 12 hours some days, but is also saddled with the myriad other tasks I’m now unable to do. (Weeding, picking up dog poop, et al.) Needless to say, we’re still getting them, just not always before time and the sun have taken their toll. I admit this recipe is something of a work in progress; I’ve noted changes I’d still like to institute for next time, and tinkering at all levels is welcome…just let me know what you did and how it turned out. It should be served with salad and a lot of balsamic vinaigrette to pour over both the soufflé and greens.

Beef bulgogi lettuce wraps: 53 cents each

Full disclosure: I know real bulgogi is usually grilled. This version is not. If you saw the weather outside right now (gale-force winds and a pelting snow/rain mix), you would understand and forgive me. That said, this is a version anyone can make at any time, provided they have kimchi on hand. I’ve made this before without the kimchi, so I can say with some authority that it really makes the dish. I know it’s tempting to want to just cook the meat up plain and serve it over some rice, but it’s not going to knock your socks off without the spicy tang of kimchi for balance. You have been warned.

Larb gai (Thai chicken salad) lettuce wraps: $1.65/serving

Now that the sun is setting at, oh, 5 pm, super-quick dishes are of even greater import. I lose a lot of cooking motivation while sitting in traffic in the dark, and knowing I can crank something out in the time it would otherwise take to check my email keeps me from considering one of the myriad bad decisions post-work life has to offer. (*cough* fishing Domino’s circular out of the recycling *cough*.)

This recipe is adapted from a similar one in “The Essential New York Times Cookbook” which, for my money, ranks up there with Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” in terms of usefulness.