BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

Sriracha Tomato Jam

  • Prep Time 0:15
  • Cook Time 1:05
  • Estimated Cost $6.50
  • 28 Comments

Never was there a food that captured this feeling like the tomato.

There’s this feeling I’ve been having a lot lately. During that perfect moment when the sun is setting behind me, the air is warm and the light is beautiful. I get it when I’m wrapped up in tight embrace with someone I really like, whom I know I’m not going to see for a while. And I get it when James jumps onto my lap for hugs and kisses; it’s a simultaneous realization that wonderful things are happening, yet time is not slowing down for them. It’s a strong desire to hold onto the specialness of each moment for just a little bit longer, before it slips away.

Never was there a food that captured this feeling like the tomato. Though, in this modern world, we have access to imported ones all year round, the local ones only really ripen to the full extent of their deliciousness in the summertime. We drizzle them with olive oil, tuck them into sandwiches with buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil, or just pop the tiny ones, whole, into our hungry mouths.

And then summer ends and they go away, and we are left with flavorless supermarket imports until the following year. So, in an effort hold on to the gloriousness of ripe summer tomatoes for just a little while longer this year, I am making this spicy jam. Jam is called “preserves,” after all—the idea being that it preserves fruit, long after its season.

Try this on grilled cheese (OMG), with french or sweet potato fries, dabbed on crostini with a thick smear of goat cheese, or drizzled over grilled meats. Do as I’m doing and make a big batch to eat year-round, and a little touch of summer magic will be right there in your refrigerator until next June.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ripe tomatoes $3.50
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped $0.50
  • 2/3 cup honey Pantry
  • 1 tbsp balsamic Pantry
  • 3 tsp (or more to taste) Sriracha or other chili sauce $2.50 for 16 oz.
  • 1/2 tsp salt Pantry
  • several grinds fresh black pepper Pantry

Directions

  1. Fill a large pot with boiling water and bring it to a boil. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 12-14 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cool water, then slip their skins off (they should come right off). Let cool, then core and chop.
  2. Dump the water out of the pot and return it to the stove. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, honey, balsamic, Sriracha, salt and pepper. Turn the heat up and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 55-65 minutes.

Category: Meals

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Grilled Corn Salad With Feta

  • Prep Time 0:15
  • Cook Time 0:05
  • Estimated Cost $8.50
  • 18 Comments

I have just returned from the most glorious weekend. Evan and I went to Fernando’s Bed and Breakfast, in Bodega, CA. We slept in every morning, sipped cappuccinos on the sunny deck attached to our room, and spent our days walking along the beach and poking around Bodega Bay and Sebastopol. Each afternoon, Fernando and his wife Marivone served wine on the patio, where we sipped and teetered on the porch swing.

All of this left me deliciously happy…and very full.

And, OMG, did we eat. Fernando cooked us a glorious breakfast each day, using fresh eggs from his very own chickens. We spread baguette slice after baguette slice with butter and homemade jam (strawberry! quince! mango! fig!). We went out for long, luxurious lunches and dinners, and left no bottle of wine or locally-brewed beer untasted. All of this left me deliciously happy…and very full.

And so, this light but satisfying corn salad is my lunch, and will also probably grace the side of some simply prepared fish for dinner tonight. It’s simple, fresh and healthy, and gets its smoky, roasted flavor from a quick charring. If you can’t find good corn, or if you just don’t feel like bothering with the shucking and slicing, use thawed fire-roasted corn from Trader Joe’s.

Ingredients

  • 4 cobs fresh, sweet corn, husked, rinsed and patted dry $1.50
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced $1.50
  • 1/2 red onion, diced finely $0.50 for a whole onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely $1 for a bunch
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • juice of one lime $0.50
  • 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled $3.50 for 6 oz.
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Preheat a grill over high heat. Quickly sear the corn on as many sides as possible (you want to char it, not cook it). This may also be done over the direct flame of a gas stove.
  2. Once all the corn has been charred, let it cool for about 5 minutes. While it cools, place the bell pepper, onion, garlic and parsley into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the charred kernels off of the cob. Transfer the kernels to the bowl with the other vegetables.
  4. Toss the whole thing together several times to mix well, then drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice. Toss again.
  5. Add the feta, toss gently and taste for salt (feta is quite salty), before adding the salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve immediately or chill until ready to use (up to 4 hours).

Category: Meals

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Green Garlic and Almond Pesto

I slathered it over chicken thighs before roasting them and serving hot

This bright green pesto flavored an entire weekend of good eating. On Friday night, I slathered it over chicken thighs before roasting them and serving hot, smothered with caramelized onions with massaged kale salad and fresh challah. On Saturday morning, I stirred it into creamy scrambled eggs, which we ate on top of toasted, buttered leftover challah. On the same day in the late afternoon, we smeared crisp, olive oil-drizzled crostini with creamy goat cheese and topped each one with a spoonful of pesto and a whisper of fresh black pepper.

If you can’t find green garlic (young, greenish garlic with long stem-like scapes attached to the bulb) at your grocery store, look for it at your local farmer’s market. It has undertones of mature garlic, but it’s much sweeter and more herbaceous—perfect for Spring cooking.

Ingredients

  • 1 large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped $1 for a bunch
  • 2 bulbs green garlic, plus the scapes (the long chives attached to the bulb), ends removed, chopped $1.50 for a bunch
  • 1/4 cup raw almonds $3.50 (buy in the bulk section)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • juice of 1 lemon $0.50
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 2/3 cups of pesto

Directions

  1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the parsley, green garlic and almonds until finely chopped. Stream in the olive oil and lemon juice until a thick paste forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Massaged Kale With Sweet Potatoes And Orange Dressing

  • Prep Time 0:20
  • Cook Time 0:15
  • Estimated Cost $4
  • 16 Comments

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 2 medium garnet yams (red-skinned, orange fleshed sweet potatoes), scrubbed and diced into 1” pieces $1.50
  • 1/2 medium red onion, sliced $0.50
  • extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 1 orange, juiced and zested $0.50
  • 2 teaspoons honey Pantry
  • 1 bunch kale (preferably lacinato or dinosaur), ribs removed, finely sliced (about 2 1/2 cups) $1.50 for a bunch
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry
  • shaved Parmesan optional

Recipe Serves 2-3

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Spread the yam and onion on an ungreased baking sheet and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Use your hands to toss well, then roast, tossing periodically, until the yams are tender and slightly charred and the onions are soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
  3. While the sweet potatoes and onions roast, whisk together 2 tbsp olive oil, the orange juice and zest, and the honey. Set aside.
  4. Place the kale in a large bowl and squeeze it with your hands several times. Move it around to redistribute, then squeeze a few more times. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times, until the kale has wilted a bit.
  5. Toss the massaged kale with the orange-olive oil dressing, then add the roasted yams and onions and toss again, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Refrigerate or allow to come to room temperature (your choice), then serve with or without the shaved Parmesan and an extra sprinkle of pepper.

Category: Meals

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Brown Rice Cakes With Vegetables And Cheese

  • Prep Time 0:15
  • Cook Time 0:25
  • Estimated Cost $10
  • 13 Comments

I never really thought of this technique as worthy of being formally written into a post—it’s just what I like to do with leftover cooked grains—but when Evan requested that we “make those rice balls again!” I thought maybe it was worth writing down.

You can cook the rice fresh, then chill it and make the cakes, but the easiest thing to do is to just make a double batch of rice the next time you cook it for something else, and then make this the next day. I like to make these with a soft, melty cheese, but a creamy goat cheese would also be nice.

Serve these alone as an appetizer, or with sauteed greens as a light vegetarian main course.

Ingredients

  • extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 medium onion, diced $1.50
  • 2 cups chopped chopped, de-stemmed kale (spinach or chard will also work) $1.50 for a bunch
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced $0.50
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6
  • 2 cups cooked, cooled short-grain brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked) $1.50 for 16 oz. uncooked rice
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper Pantry
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (fontina or even a mild cheddar will also work) $3.50 for 8 oz.

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the kale and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-9 minutes, until the onions begin to brown and the kale is completely wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Stir the egg into the rice, then add the cooked vegetable mixture (don’t put the pan away though—you’ll use it again shortly) and the salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
  3. Wet your hands to prevent sticking, then scoop about 1/3 cup rice mixture (eyeball it) into your palm. Use your other hand to press it into a patty. Press a couple of tablespoons of shredded cheese onto the patty, then top with a small handful of rice and press into a cheese-filled patty. Repeat with the remaining rice and cheese (you should end up with 4 or 5 large patties, but feel free to make them smaller so you have more of them).
  4. Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in the frying pan you used earlier over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side. If you go to flip them and they are still crumbly let them cook for another minute or two. You want them to have a thick, crunchy crust. Use extra caution when flipping them in the pan.
  5. Serve immediately, or keep cooked rice cakes warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Category: Meals

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