BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

Steak Banh Mi with Chili Aioli

  • Prep Time 0:30
  • Cook Time 0:05
  • Estimated Cost $11.00
  • 22 Comments

Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) have long been recognized by BrokeAsses as a cheap, filling and delicious lunch option. Now you can make them at home with fresh, inexpensive ingredients—many of which you likely have on hand already.

Ingredients

  • 1 carrot $0.50
  • 1/2 cucumber $0.50
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar $2 for 12 oz.
  • vegetable oil for grill or grill pan Pantry
  • 1/2 lb. skirt steak cut into 4"x1" strips $3
  • pinch each of salt and pepper Pantry
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise Pantry
  • 2 tsp Asian chili sauce $1.50 for 8 oz.
  • 1 handful cilantro $1 for a bunch
  • 1 handful mint $1 for a bunch
  • 1 jalapeño, sliced into rings $0.50
  • 2 baguette sandwich rolls, sliced lengthwise $1

Recipe Serves 2

Directions

  1. Use a vegetable peeler to slice carrot and cucumber into very thin slices. Place sliced vegetables in a small bowl and cover with rice vinegar. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, brush a grill or grill pan with vegetable oil and bring to high heat.
  3. Season steak well with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook skirt steak for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until dark grill marks appear and steak becomes juicy. Remove from heat.
  4. Mix together mayonnaise and chili sauce. Set aside.
  5. To assemble sandwiches, spread each half of the baguette rolls with the aioli mixture. Layer the steak slices, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, mint and jalapeño slices on the bottom slices. Cover with the baguette tops.
  6. Serve immediately.

Category: Meals

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Poached Eggs with Roasted Asparagus, Shallots and Tomatoes

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:20
  • Estimated Cost $7.50
  • 4 Comments

Poached eggs are one of my brunch-time favorites, but it can be really tricky to get them just right, which is why I was so excited when I found this link. Thanks to WikiHow, my somewhat unsuccessful egg-poaching career took a turn for the better.

Fresh, in-season asparagus melds perfectly with rich, runny poached eggs, creating kind of an impromptu hollandaise-like sauce as you eat it. I like to add red chili flakes for spice, but feel free to forgo them if you’re not a fan.

Note: this dish does require a bit of patience and careful timing, so make it for someone deserving of your efforts.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch (30-40 stalks) fresh asparagus, tough ends removed $3
  • 2 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings $1
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Pantry
  • salt and pepper Pantry
  • 4 fresh eggs $1.50 for 6
  • 1 tomato, cored and chopped $0.50
  • pinch red pepper flakes $1.50 for 1 oz.

Recipe Serves 2

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Spread asparagus on a baking sheet. Spread shallots in one corner of the sheet, away from the asparagus. Drizzle both generously with olive oil. Sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast in oven for 18-20 minutes, checking periodically to make sure shallots don't get too dark (if they begin to brown, remove from baking sheet using tongs and set on a plate).
  4. About 5 minutes before the asparagus and shallots are finished roasting, poach the eggs. This can be tricky, so follow the directions in "this link":http://www.wikihow.com/Poach-an-Egg.
  5. Divide the roasted asparagus between 2 plates and top each pile with 2 poached eggs. Top egg with roasted shallots and fresh tomato. Sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes over each plate for color and spice.

Category: Meals

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Chocolate Cake with Fresh Mint Buttercream

  • Prep Time 0:45
  • Cook Time 0:22
  • Estimated Cost $17.00
  • 2 Comments

I think this is what peppermint patties are supposed to taste like—sweet, rich chocolate entwined with cool, crisp mint. Except you’ll find no peppermint extract or fake chocolate coating here. This cake is 100% real and 300% delicious. Perfect at the end of a dinner party or a picnic.

Note: you need a food processor for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, divided (2 sticks) $2
  • 1 cup white sugar Pantry
  • 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder $4 for 8 oz.
  • 2 eggs $1.50 for 6
  • vanilla extract $4 for 4 oz.
  • 1 1/2 cups flour Pantry
  • 1 3/4 tsp baking powder Pantry
  • 1/2 tsp salt Pantry
  • 1 large handful (about 1/2 cup) fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish $1 for a bunch
  • 2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar $1 for 16 oz.
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream $1.50 for 1/2 pint
  • chocolate sprinkles or jimmies $2 for 4 oz.

Recipe Serves 6-8

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan and set aside.
  2. In a food processor or stand-up mixer, cream 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with regular sugar. Add cocoa powder, eggs and 2 tsp vanilla and beat until creamy. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until incorporated. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Allow to cool completely (Note: this can be expedited by carefully removing cake from pan and placing it on a cool plate in the freezer for 10 minutes).
  3. While cake bakes, beat remaining butter in a food processor. Add mint, 1 tsp vanilla and powdered sugar and let machine run for 1-2 minutes. Add cream and run machine for another 1-2 minutes or until very creamy. Refrigerate until ready for use.
  4. Once cake has cooled, slice horizontally so that you have 2 thin round cakes.
  5. Place one cake round on a plate or cake stand. Cover completely with icing (top and sides) and place remaining round on top of iced cake. Ice thoroughly (top and sides) so that it looks like 1 uniform iced cake.
  6. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles and mint leaves. Cut into wedges and serve.

Category: Meals

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Grilled Flatbread with Fire-Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes and Mint

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:06
  • Estimated Cost $8.50
  • 28 Comments

If you claim to hate eggplant, I double-dog-dare you to try this pizza. Hell, I triple-dog-dare you. Seriously. That slimy, spongy texture that so many people associate with this innocent vegetable disappears when the eggplant is roasted over an open flame. It’s replaced with a silky, smoky, rich result, substantial enough to act in place of tomato sauce on these grilled flatbread pizzas.

This dish would work well with feta or goat cheese in place of the mozzarella and parsley or basil in place of the mint. Feel free to experiment.

Also, there’s something about grilled flatbread that just begs for al fresco dining. Maybe with a glass of chilled prosecco…I’m just saying.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant about 7-8" long $0.50
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced finely Pantry
  • 1 tbsp olive oil plus more for grill Pantry
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry
  • flour for rolling Pantry
  • 1/2 recipe pizza dough $1.50 for a whole recipe
  • 4 oz. fresh mozzarella (mozarella di bufala), sliced into thin medallion-sized pieces $3 for 8 oz.
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced $1
  • few pinches red chili flakes $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 1 small bunch mint leaves, chopped $1

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Bring the flame of a burner on a gas stove or an outside grill up to high. Hold the eggplant with tongs (make sure they have are heatproof where your hands go--otherwise put a towel or potholder between your hands and the tongs) and hold it over the flame for 2-3 minutes per side, rotating to make sure the entire eggplant gets roasted. The skin should be completely brown and blistered and the flesh should be very soft. 
  2. Once eggplant has completely roasted, run it under cold water until cool enough to touch and carefully peel off the skin and discard. 
  3. Place the soft skinless flesh in a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until very soft. 
  4. Stir in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  5. On a floured surface, divide the pizza dough into 4 small balls. 
  6. Use a rolling pin to roll each one into a 6" circle and set aside on a floured surface.
  7. Brush a grill or grill pan lightly with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. 
  8. Carefully lay dough rounds on the surface of the grill (working in batches if using a grill pan or a small grill). 
  9. Allow to cook on one side until dark grill marks appear and crust becomes somewhat crisp. 
  10. Flip using tongs and spread a thick layer of the eggplant mixture over each dough round. Top eggplant with a few slices each of mozzarella and tomato. 
  11. Reduce heat to medium and cover grill or grill pan (if your grill pan doesn't have a cover, use a baking sheet or frying pan big enough to cover it). 
  12. Cook 2-3 minutes, until cheese begins to melt. Check the bottom of the crust periodically during cooking to avoid burning.
  13. Once flatbreads have finished cooking, sprinkle with red chili flakes and chopped mint.
  14. Cut into wedges and serve hot or room temperature.

Category: Meals

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Spicy Mee Goreng

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:10
  • Estimated Cost $9.75
  • 3 Comments

This quick Malaysian street noodle dish is just the thing when you have to feed a hungry group on a serious budget. Fresh Chinese wheat noodles can be found in 1-lb bags at most Asian grocery stores (attention San Franciscans, I buy mine here) and are amazingly versatile.

I took some liberties with the sauce here—most Mee Goreng dishes contain ketchup but I just can’t seem to get behind that. If you can’t find lemongrass, try adding the zest of a lemon or lime.

Also, feel free to add shrimp, tofu, chicken, beef—whatever. The dish doesn’t need it but it will gladly accommodate it!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh Chinese wheat noodles $1.50
  • 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil Pantry
  • 1 small piece ginger, minced (about 2 tsp)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 stalk lemongrass (dry tops removed), sliced thinly $1 for a bunch
  • 1/2 red onion, diced finely $0.50
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce $2 for 8 oz.
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar Pantry
  • 2 tsp Asian chili sauce plus more for garnish $2 for 12 oz.
  • 2 carrots, sliced thinly or shredded $0.50
  • 1 small bunch cilantro leaves, chopped $1
  • 1 small bunch mint leaves, chopped $1
  • 1 green jalapeño, sliced into rings $0.25

Recipe Serves 4-6

Directions

  1. Cook noodles in boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes or until they begin to float. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
  2. While noodles cook, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are very fragrant but before they begin to brown.
  3. Add hoisin sauce, brown sugar and Asian chili sauce. Stir well.
  4. Increase heat to high and add cooked noodles. Toss in sauce to coat, using tongs. Allow noodles to cook, stirring noodles very little to allow them to develop light charring in spots. Turn noodles using tongs at least once to encourage browning throughout.
  5. Once noodles in sauce have finished cooking, toss in carrots, cilantro, mint and jalapeño.
  6. Serve immediately, garnished with more chili sauce if desired.

Category: Meals

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