I am broke, so I make my own food

While I am done with my week of eating in, I am still eating in most of the time because it is so much cheaper.  With the exception of the occasional bagel on mornings I don't work I am eating at home or packing my lunch for work just about all the time.  To that end I will try to put up recipes as I find ones that are good.  So here I go with one.  I am also going to try and start taking pictures of the food I am making for the blog.  But I am not a food photographer, I am much better with landscapes.  I am also going to include a cost for each meal after the recipes.

I once heard someone say that the key to becoming a good cook is to take a recipe and make it your own.  So about a year ago I found a recipe on Food Network that sounded good, Beef Empanadas.  When I printed out the recipe I decided that it didn't have enough spice for me, so I changed it a bit tonight when I made it.  I tend to like my food with a little kick, which is probably why I order the cornmeal pancakes with green chilies when I go to the Pancake Pantry.  So here is what I ended up with tonight: not healthy at all, but at least it is baked not fried. 

2 (9 in) refrigerated pie crusts
1/2 lb steak cubed (I used a cut that was for stir-fry that I got at the grocery store)
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp ground Cumin
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp dried Basil
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

1) Preheat oven to 425 F
2) Mix chili powder, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl
3) Brown steak, when done add spice mixture along with a small amount of water, boil down, when done remove from burner
4) Unroll one crust onto flat surface
5) Divide crust into four quarters.  Top each quadrant of crust with 1/4 cup of beef, 1/4 cup of cheese, and about a Tbsp of chilies, making layers and spreading ingredients to within 1/2 inch of the edges.  Top with the second pie crust
6) Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, make an X accross the circle, making 4 equal sections.  Pinch around the edges with a fork to seal.
7) Transfer empanadas to baking sheet and make small slits in the top of each to allow steam to escape during cooking.  Bake 8-10 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Cost calculator: $8.09 for the whole recipe.  I made four, and one was certainly enough for a meal, so it is $2.01 per meal - I have three left for future dinners in.