BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

Spinach-Feta Lasagna

  • Prep Time 0:45
  • Cook Time 0:42
  • Estimated Cost $15.00
  • 5 Comments

When I have a craving for spanakopita but no patience for phyllo dough, I make this easy lasagna.

This recipe utilizes my favorite kitchen shortcut—won ton wrappers. Not only are they highly affordable fresh pasta at just $1.50 for a pound of them at my local Asian specialty market, but they’re also lighter in both texture and calories than traditional pasta. Moreover, they cook quickly and don’t need to be pre-boiled as with traditional lasagna noodles.

Ingredients

  • extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 1 white onion, diced $0.50
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed Pantry
  • 6 oz. feta cheese $3.50 for 8 oz.
  • 1/4 cup half-and-half $1.50 for a pint
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6
  • pinch each salt and pepper Pantry
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • zest of 1 lemon $0.50
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves $1
  • about 30 small square won ton wrappers $1.50
  • 4 cups spinach leaves, roughly chopped $1.50
  • 1/8 cup sliced or slivered almonds $2 for 10 oz.

Recipe Serves 2-3

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8"x8" square pan. Set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onions until fragrant and light brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Combine garlic, feta, half-and-half, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon zest in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
  4. Place a layer of won ton wrappers on the bottom of the prepared baking pan (cut them with a knife or kitchen scissors to fit if you need to). Spoon 1/3 of the feta mixture over the won ton wrappers. Top with half of the spinach.
  5. Place a layer of won ton wrappers over the spinach and top with another 1/3 of the feta mixture. Scatter the onions over the feta mixture and top with another layer of wrappers.
  6. Top wrappers with the remaining 1/3 of the feta mixture, the remaining spinach and the almonds. Cover with wrappers.
  7. Drizzle top wrappers with a little extra virgin olive oil. Top with a sprinkle of almonds.
  8. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, covered.
  9. Remove foil and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until brown and bubbly.
  10. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares to serve.

Category: Meals

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Garden Vegetable Turkey Burgers

  • Prep Time 0:20
  • Cook Time 0:14
  • Estimated Cost $11.00
  • 23 Comments

These colorful turkey burgers keep things interesting with crunchy vegetables, creamy goat cheese and a lightly charred outside. The vegetables and cheese keep the meat moist and juicy down to the last bite. Try serving these burgers in pita bread or sprouted wheat buns.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey $4.50
  • 1/2 white onion, diced $0.50
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 cup packed spinach leaves, chopped $0.50
  • 1 large or 2 small carrots, diced $0.50
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced $1
  • 1 handful fresh herbs (parsley, basil and/or cilantro work best), chopped $1 for a bunch
  • 2 oz. crumbled goat cheese $3 for 6 oz.
  • pinch each of salt and pepper Pantry
  • olive oil for grill or pan Pantry

Recipe Serves 4-6

Directions

  1. Use clean hands to mix together all ingredients except olive oil. Form into 6 patties.
  2. Brush a grill or grill pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 5-7 minutes on each side or until fully-cooked (check by cutting into a burger).
  3. Serve burgers plain, on buns/pitas or over lightly-dressed greens.

Category: Meals

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Easy Molasses Pulled Pork

  • Prep Time 0:20
  • Cook Time 1:30
  • Estimated Cost $16.25
  • 1 Comment

I love pulled pork, but have been hesitant to make it at home because every recipe I’ve found calls for 5-7 hours of slow braising in the oven. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had 5-7 hours to spare since like 1997.

But I got to thinking, and it occurred to me that I could probably apply the same quick stovetop braising technique I used with Pan-Braised Chipotle Short Ribs to pork shoulder to make it tender enough to shred. It worked like a charm in this perky-sweet sauce.

I whipped up some quick and light coleslaw by tossing thinly sliced green cabbage with some Creamy Yogurt-Herb Dressing and served the pulled pork piled with slaw on soft wholegrain buns.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil Pantry
  • 1 red onion, sliced $0.50
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 2 lbs pork stew meat (cubed pork shoulder) $9
  • 3 large tomatoes, diced $1.50
  • 1 green jalapeño, diced finely $0.25
  • 1 quart chicken, beef or vegetable stock $2
  • 3 tbsp molasses $3 for 10 oz.
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar Pantry
  • freshly-cracked pepper Pantry

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot (make sure it has a fitted lid) or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add pork pieces to the pan and brown, about 1 minute on each side.
  3. Add diced tomatoes, jalapeño and stock. Stir well to combine.
  4. Gently stir in molasses, brown sugar and a few grinds of black pepper.
  5. Cover pot with lid and cook for and hour (up to an hour-and-a-half), until liquid has been reduced to a thick sauce and meat is very tender.
  6. Use 2 forks to pull pork into shreds.
  7. Serve pulled pork on sandwich buns with coleslaw, or on its own.

Category: Meals

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Curried Vegetable Pot Pies

  • Prep Time 0:55
  • Cook Time 0:30
  • Estimated Cost $12.00
  • 2 Comments

A few days ago, my friend Samer requested, via BrokeAss Gourmet’s Facebook Wall that I develop a budget-friendly chicken pot pie—a dish he finds generally too expensive to make. Normally I’m not much of a fan of pot pies, but I am always up for a challenge and I must say I was extremely pleased with how these turned out. I kept them vegetarian, but at just $12 for 4 people, adding 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to your shopping basket should be very doable. Just chop them and add them when you cook the vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp flour, divided, plus more for rolling Pantry
  • 1/2 very cold stick butter, cut into pieces $1
  • salt Pantry
  • 1/8 cup ice water
  • 2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced $1
  • 1 tbsp olive oil Pantry
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 onion, diced $0.50
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 1 tsp chili powder (more or less to taste) $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 3 fresh sage leaves, chopped $1 for a bunch
  • 3 carrots, diced $1
  • 1/2 cup frozen green peas $1.50 for 12 oz.
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half $1.50 for 1 pint
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry
  • 1 egg $1.50 for 6

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Get out 4 ovenproof bowls or ramekins. Alternately, if you are making 1 big pot pie, get out 1 8" pie pan.
  2. Boil the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water for 10 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces through them. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup flour, the butter and a pinch of salt. Pulse until mixture resembles small peas. Slowly stream 1/8 cup ice water with machine running, just until dough comes together (you may need slightly more or less—just pay attention to the dough). Remove dough from machine, dust ball lightly with flour, place in a bowl and immediately refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  4. While dough refrigerates, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic, onions, spices and sage until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add carrots, peas and cooked potatoes. Stir gently.
  5. Add half-and-half and 2 tbsp flour to the pan. Stir to combine. The vegetables should now be cooking in a fragrant, creamy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Set aside.
  6. Divide refrigerated dough into 4 pieces and roll out on a floured surface into 4 circles that are roughly the size of your ovenproof bowls or ramekins. Roll dough into 1 8" circle if you are making 1 big pot pie.
  7. Divide the vegetable filling between your ovenproof bowls (or place in your pie pan). Drape dough over each bowl and cut a slit in the middle to allow air to escape.
  8. Beat egg together with 2 tbsp water and use a pastry brush to brush over the dough.
  9. Bake pot pies for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Category: Meals

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Summer Shrimp Risotto

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:25
  • Estimated Cost $15.00
  • 1 Comment

Can I tell you a secret? I make risotto when I want to serve an impressive and tasty meal without actually putting forth much effort or money. I had red pepper, corn, shrimp and basil in my refrigerator, so that’s what went into this risotto. Nearly any combination of protein, fresh vegetables (or in a pinch, frozen) and herbs will work.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil Pantry
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 small onion, diced $0.50
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice $2.50 for 16 oz.
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock $2
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped $0.50
  • kernels cut from 1 cob of corn (about 1/2 cup $0.50
  • 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed and chopped into bite-size pieces $3.50
  • 3 tbsp half-and-half $1.50 for 1 pint
  • 1/8 cup grated Parmesan $3 for 12 oz.
  • 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped $1 for a bunch
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 3-4

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, until very fragrant. Add Arborio rice and allow the rice to toast lightly, stirring occasionally.
  2. Increase the heat to medium-high heat and pour the stock into the pot in 1/2-cup increments, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before pouring in more. The rice should be al dente (soft yet toothsome) when it's cooked. If you find it's not cooked enough for you, add a bit of water and allow it to absorb.
  3. Once all stock has been poured in, add the bell pepper, corn and shrimp. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, just until the shrimp turn pink.
  4. Stir in half-and-half and allow to absorb. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in Parmesan, fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve hot.

Category: Meals

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