BrokeAss Gourmet, The premier food, wine and lifestyle blog for people who want to live the high life on the cheap.

Prep Time 0:30

Cook Time 0:18

I bet you’re surprised that I made souffles. I’m kind of surprised that I made souffles. I mean, this is supposed to be a blog of inexpensive recipes, right? Well guess what—these souffles actually are inexpensive to make (and completely delicious). Not to mention, the cost of the ingredients listed actually covers enough to double this recipe, so they can make their debut at your next dinner party. Plus, I bet you already have most, if not all, of these ingredients on hand already. There’s a little bit of extra effort involved, but nothing you can’t handle.

• Ingredients
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips $3 for a 12 oz. bag
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp for preparing the ramekins $1 for a stick
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract $4 for 4 oz.
• 2 egg yolks (at room temperature) $3 for 12 eggs
• 4 egg whites (at room temperature) see price above
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar, plus more for preparing the ramekins Pantry
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice $0.50 for a lemon
• powdered sugar for garnish $1.50 for a 16 oz. box

Total Cost of Ingredients $13

Directions

Directions

Melt 1 tbsp butter. Lightly brush 4 6-oz ramekins with butter and then lightly coat with sugar. Place in the freezer.

,Set an oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside.

Combine the egg yolks and warm water in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer (or a whisk and a powerful arm!) until very frothy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 1 tbsp sugar, and continue beating until ribbons form, about 3 minutes. Very lightly fold the yolks into the chocolate mixture.

Remove prepared ramekins from freezer. Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and add the lemon juice. Beat at medium until frothy; then gradually add the remaining sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until the whites form light peaks.

Working quickly, fold about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten; then fold in remaining whites until blended. Gently ladle or spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, making sure they don’t spill over, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Immediately bake until the souffles rise, about 1 1/2 inches from the ramekins, and the tops are slightly brown, about 16-18 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

I love, love, LOVE Triptych! Right now, Joffer is offering this generous deal of a $40 gift card to Triptych for just $20. Do yourself a favor and head there for brunch and get the Salmon Club Salad. Delicious.

They come from a land down under, where spring is fall and cyclones turn backward. Yet red wine, in this land of opposites called Argentina, remains red. Stranger still, by some inexplicable function of cargo load and fuel efficiency, quality wines of Argentina manage to remain quite cheap, while it seems so many upper end wines from our local producers often run two, three and four times as much. Of Argentinean wines, we’ve rounded up several red bargains, of three grapes and two wineries in the eastern hilly province of Mendoza.

Bodega Septima, a winery established in 1999, is situated in the Lujan de Cuyo area at more than 3000 feet of elevation, with additional acreage in the Valle de Uco. The winery’s 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($12) is bright and floral, with trace aromas of cigar, old dignified leather and prunes. It tastes rich and fruity, yet laced with savory smoke. The 2007 Malbec ($12) is a bit woodsy on the nose, with some cherry and ham and a remarkable taste of bacon fat, leather, and even onion. It puckers the mouth a bit – tannins at work – and a few years in a dark place might smooth this one out.

We also tried the Syrah and Malbec of Finca La Linda, one of three labels of Bodega Luigi Bosca, a family-owned winery in Lujan de Cuyo. The La Linda 2006 Syrah ($10.99) bears an intense, deep jam and cherry aroma, with some rather peculiar traces of bacon, mushroom, raspberry, pomegranate and tar in the mouth. Bold and aggressive, it’s a bit puckery and acidic and seems to bear the structure of a wine that could grow with some aging. In the 2006 Malbec ($10.99) we smelled smoke, raspberry, and hickory, and a sip went down very smoothly while passing off flavors of jam, cherry and chutney, with only a trace of cloying tannins and a nice bite of acidity. Lastly, we also tasted the Malbec of 2007 ($10.99). It, too, was a spicy, fruity wine, reminding me of a Zinfandel, but in the mouth in ran a bit harsher than the prior vintage.

A word on Malbec: Though many red varieties have been successful in Argentina, this French grape has ascended as the rising star of Argentina, though its roots will always lie in the soils of Bordeaux. Here winemakers have long used this inky dark wine as a blending tool, as so many wines of France are. Thus the Malbec variety itself never became famous in its own solo right. By contrast, Argentinean Malbec has stolen the stage, for it is favored for use as a 100-percent varietal wine. This trend, very Californian, has put the grape’s name plainly on millions of bottle labels and spotlighted Malbec’s earthy and often savory virtues – well expressed by the Finca La Linda vintages. This grape will be worth watching in the imminent future, as might other wines of Argentina, where high quality can come just a degree north – or is it south? – of $10.

Alastair Bland is a San Francisco-based writer whose work can be found in SF Weekly and North Bay Bohemian, among others.

Prep Time 0:10

Cook Time 0:20

Even if you think you can’t cook, you can make this chili. Prepared pico de gallo gives the chili a boost in the flavor and texture departments and tastes fresher than canned tomatoes. It’s easy, fast, cheap and delicious. So stop sending me emails about how my recipes are too expensive and complicated (you know who you are!) and make this.

• ingredients
• 1 tbsp olive oil Pantry
• 1 onion, chopped $0.50
• 3 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
• 1 lb lean ground turkey $3
• 2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained $3
• 1 16-oz. container pico de gallo (preferably the refrigerated kind $3.50
• 1 tsp cumin $1.50 for 1 oz.
• 1 tsp chili powder 1.50 for 1 oz.
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $13

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add ground turkey and allow turkey to brown, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes.

Add beans, pico de gallo, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If chili become too thick while cooking, add a little water.

Serve hot, as is or garnished with shredded cheese, cilantro, chopped onions, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, etc.

Serves 4-6.

Prep Time 0:20

Cook Time 0:05

I’ve spent many a sunny weekend afternoon drinking beer and eating crispy crab cakes waterside at Sam’s Anchor Cafe in Tiburon, CA. This recipe is a (way) less expensive version of Sam’s delicious crab cakes and can be procured without the ferry ride (or the sunburn).

• Ingredients
• 2 6-oz. cans crab meat (I prefer Trader Joe’s 15% Leg Meat), drained 3.50
• 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped $0.50
• 1 small bunch parsley, plus more for garnish, chopped $1
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs $2 for 16 oz.
• 7 tbsp mayonnaise, divided Pantry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper Pantry
• 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges $0.50
• 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped $3 for a 4-oz. jar
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced Pantry
• olive oil for frying Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $12

Directions

Combine crab, onion, parsley, bread crumbs, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, egg, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Gently combine until ingredients come together. If mixture is too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs. Likewise, if it is too dry, add slightly more mayonnaise.

Use wet hands to form mixture into 8-10 3” patties. Set on a clean plate.

Pour about 1/8” of olive oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Cook crab cakes, a few at a time for 2-3 minutes or until golden-brown and crispy. Use a spatula to carefully flip the cakes and cook until brown and crispy on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all crab cakes are cooked.

To make the lemon-caper mayonnaise, whisk together the remaining mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers and garlic. Add a pinch of pepper if desired. Serve alongside crab cakes for dipping.

Makes 8-10 crab cakes.

OK, this is awesome. Vin12, an “urban wine retreat,” is offering its $25 tickets for just $15, with the help of 7×7 and my buddies at Joffer. $15 gets you in the door, as well as access to 40-50 wines to taste, and food provided by Bay Area restaurants. It’s like going to wine country and out to eat in San Francisco…all in one fell swoop and without the drive. Awesome.

Prep Time 0:25

Cook Time 0:12

This salty-sweet rendition of salmon is wonderful served hot alongside rice and vegetables, but I also love it cold over a bed of lightly dressed baby spinach and sliced almonds. Feel free to omit the chili sauce if you’re not a fan of spiciness.

• Ingredients
• 2 4-oz. fillets of salmon, preferably wild, skin-on $5
• 1/8 cup soy sauce Pantry
• 2 tbsp brown sugar Pantry
• 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
• 1 small piece ginger, peeled and minced $0.50
• 1 blood orange (half zested and juiced, half sliced into thin rounds) $0.50
• 1-2 tsp(s) Asian chili sauce (depending on taste) $2 for 8 oz.
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped $1

Total Cost of Ingredients $9

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, blood orange zest and juice and chili sauce in a large bowl. Whisk until well-incorporated. Place salmon, flesh-side down in the marinade, gently pressing salmon down to ensure that all of it is exposed to the marinade. Allow to marinate like this in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Once salmon has marinated, place fillets, skin-side down in a glass baking dish. top each fillet with 1-2 slices of blood orange and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until fish is cooked to desired done-ness.

Serve garnished with flat-leaf parsley.

Serves 2.

Prep Time 0:10

Cook Time 0:15

When you have the ingredients on hand, this classy pizza comes together in just minutes. Figs and prosciutto are totally the new peanut butter and jelly.

• Ingredients
• 1/2 recipe pizza dough $1.50
• flour for rolling and dusting Pantry
• 1/8 cup fig jam $4
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese $3 for 8 oz.
• 4 large slices prosciutto, trimmed into 2” strips $4 for 6 oz.
• freshly ground black pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $8.50

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly flour a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Set aside.

Lightly flour a clean, dry surface. Use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch the dough into a 10” circle. Transfer to prepared pan.

Spread the fig jam over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1” border around the outside of the circle. Sprinkle with the cheese and top with the prosciutto slices and black pepper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and cheese is bubbly.

Cut into thin slices and serve.

Serves 2-4.