It wasn’t that I’m not glad that I bought that huge piece of wild salmon on sale this week, it’s just that…well…I’ve eaten it for almost every single meal this week and I’ve been kind of getting tired of it. When I came home tonight, after hitting happy hour with the fabulous Cathy Erway, I knew I had to face the still-not-gone salmon again, and I was determined to like it. After a little puttering around, this is what I came up with, and, you know what? If it happened that there were leftovers of this yummy dish (which there aren’t), I wouldn’t fuss at having to eat them tomorrow.

• ingredients
• 1/4 cup raw almonds $3.50 for 8 oz.
• 8 oz cooked, flaked salmon $6.50
• 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
• 1/4 red onion, diced $0.50 for a whole onion
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (I like to make my own) Pantry
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped finely $1 for a whole bell pepper
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper Pantry
• olive oil for frying Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $11.50

Directions

Place almonds in a food processor or blender and pulse until a almonds are crushed into a fine meal. Alternately, place almonds in a plastic zip-lock bag and mash using a rolling pin until the aforementioned result is achieved. Spread the crushed almonds out on a clean plate and aside.

Combine salmon, garlic, onion, mayonnaise, bell pepper, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and use hands to mix well. Form salmon into about 4 cakes, approximately 3 1/2” in diameter.

Gently dip each patty in the ground almonds, coating each side of each patty.

Heat about 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes, adding more oil if necessary, for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and crispy.

Serve plain or over lightly-dressed mixed greens.

Serves 2.

How many times have you cooked a cheeseburger at home, only to have half of all that delicious cheese melt off the burger as you cook it, into your barbeque, grill pan or frying pan? It’s not only a waste of cheesy deliciousness, but a highly-annoying waste of money. Here, I’ve solved that problem by tucking the cheese inside a juicy, flavorful burger, leaving both your wallet and your tastebuds happy!

• ingredients
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 is fine) $5
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped $0.50 for a whole onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
• 1 tsp each salt and pepper Pantry
• 1 egg $1.50 for 12
• 8 oz. cheddar, jack, pepperjack or muenster cheese, chopped into small cubes $3.50

Total Cost of Ingredients $10.50

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and egg. Use your hands to mix well. Divide beef into 4 equal-sized balls.

On a clean surface, divide a ball into 2 equal balls and use your hands to gently shape into 2 patties. On top of one patty, place about 2 oz. cheese and cover with the other patty. Use your hands to seal the edges so it looks like 1 large patty. Set aside and repeat with the remaining beef mixture and cheese.

Heat a grill, grill pan or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, brushing lightly with oil if needed. Cook burgers to desired doneness (3-4 minutes per side for rarer burgers, 4-6 minutes per side for more well-done burgers). A bit of cheese will likely melt out the sides of the burgers.

Serve plain, on buns or over mixed greens with all the fixings.

Serves 4.

Things I’m trying to eat less of: refined carbohydrates, vegetable oils, sugar.
Things I’m trying to eat more of: healthy fats, protein, sea vegetables, fermented (pro-biotic) foods.

This recipe contains all of the things i’m trying to eat more of. And it’s good. I love the rolls cut into 2 and eaten in place of a sandwich for lunch, or sliced into sushi maki-sized bites as an appetizer.

If you’re cooking and eating at home, rather than going out to eat on a regular basis, chances are you can afford the occasional splurge. Below you’ll find 5 items which I believe are truly worth it. Buy them when you can, use them with an awareness that they cost more than your regular purchases, but enjoy every bite. That is, after all, the whole point of all this, right?

• Pastured Eggs: $6-$7.50 If you’re lucky enough to live near an egg farm, try to buy your eggs directly from there. Otherwise check out your local farmers market or natural foods store for eggs that are not just organic and free range, but actually pasture-raised. Be warned: a dozen of these delicious beauties can cost up to $7.50, but the difference in their flavor is remarkable. While pastured eggs are perhaps not a good choice for baking, whip up an omelet, scramble or breakfast sandwich using one of these and you’ll taste the difference in their rich, dark orange yolk and creamy whites.

• Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Tomatoes(Crushed, Diced and Sauce): $2.50-$4 These are, hands down, the best canned tomatoes money can buy. Stir them into the sauce for a rich stew or Indian dish or cook them with fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, basil, salt and pepper for an impromptu tomato sauce. However you use them, they impart a charred-yet-sweet addition to whatever you’re making, adding layers of flavor in an instant. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy them online through Amazon.

• Kerrygold Irish Butter: $2-$3 This rich, deep-yellow, European-style butter is imported from Ireland, made from 100% grass-fed cows and is literally the best butter money can buy, in my opinion. I don’t use it for baking, but I’ll happily cook eggs in a dab of it, serve it with crusty bread for spreading, or melt it over steamed vegetables. It’s an effortless (and not too costly) way to kick a dish up several notches in the decadence department.

• Good, Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil: $6-$12+ Good cooking techniques will take you far, but a dish is truly only as good as the quality of its ingredients. I use an inexpensive extra virgin olive oil (always buy extra virgin—“pure” or “light” olive oils are useless) for baking/frying, but any time I want the flavor of the oil to shine through (in dressings/sauces, for example), I use something with good flavor. Two options that won’t break the bank: Trader Joe’s California Extra Virgin Olive Oil (in a slim green bottle), $5.99, Whole Foods 365 brand Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed Italian Olive Oil (in a cylindrical tin), $8.99.

• Organic Free-Range Chicken, Grass-Fed Meats and Wild-Caught Fish: prices vary It can be painful, whilst standing at the meat and/or seafood counter at the grocery store to bring yourself to spend several additional dollars per pound on sustainably-raised meats/seafood, but when flavor and quality count, it truly is better this way. I’m not saying it’s imperative to always do this (these are splurges, remember), but when you can afford it, this is the way to go. Buy only what you need (the biggest key to BrokeAss shopping) and augment your meal with plenty of fresh (and less-expensive) vegetables and/or other sides.

What are your favorite food splurges? Please share in the comments below!

Sweet watermelon and rich, crunchy macadamias pair perfectly with juicy, flavorful and awesomely affordable grilled skirt steak. A tangy lemon-mint dressing pulls it all together. I can think of nothing I’d rather eat for dinner on a hot summer night.