BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

Creamy Yogurt-Herb Dressing

My friend Rachel orders a side of ranch dressing with just about everything—way beyond salad. It doesn’t matter what is in front of her—she believes that nearly every food item is improved with a little drizzle of the creamy stuff. She laughs at my grimace as she happily swirls her sushi (or pizza or hamburger or spaghetti) in it.

While I normally subscribe to the school of thought that fresh salad greens need little more than a little good extra virgin olive oil and something acidic, such as balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to be palatable, I do see ranch dressing’s place in the world. My version, made with yogurt and olive oil instead of mayonnaise and buttermilk is light yet satisfying. Pour it over salad, or, if you’re like Rachel, whatever the hell you want.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain yogurt (whole milk or low-fat) $2 for a quart
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves $1 for a bunch
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro or parsley leaves $1 for a bunch
  • juice of 1 lemon $0.50
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled Pantry
  • pinch each of salt and pepper (more or less to taste) Pantry
  • 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • pinch red pepper flakes $1.50 for 1 oz.

Directions

  1. Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Store in an airtight container (a mason jar works well).

Makes about 1 1/4 cups salad dressing.

Capellini with Easiest Garlic-Basil Cream Sauce

  • Prep Time 0:20
  • Cook Time 0:15
  • Estimated Cost $7.50
  • 21 Comments

After a long week, I am two things: hungry and impatient. I want to eat and I don’t want to be fussy about it. This dish, made with quick-cooking capellini pasta and just a few other cheap ingredients is the answer to my cranky Friday night dinner woes. Plus, it’s nice enough to serve to guests.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried capellini (angel hair) pasta $1
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter $1 for a stick
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Pantry
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped very finely, plus more for garnish $1 for a bunch
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half $1.50 for a pint
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish $3 for 12 oz.
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Boil pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
  2. Melt butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add olive oil and stir gently to combine. Add garlic to pan and cook for 30-60 seconds--just until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
  3. Reduce heat to low. Add pasta to the pan and toss using tongs, making sure the butter-olive oil mixture thoroughly coats all of the pasta. Pour the half-and-half over the pasta and toss using tongs to ensure that the liquid coats all of the capellini. Sprinkle the Parmesan and basil over the pasta and toss well. At this point a creamy sauce will have formed around the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Serve immediately, garnished with more Parmesan and fresh basil.

Brown Sugar-Ginger Bread Pudding

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:30
  • Estimated Cost $10.00
  • 27 Comments

My friends Peter and Matt came over for dinner earlier this week, armed with great wine and a loaf of French bread. We drank nearly all of the wine, but made hardly a dent in the bread…which means it’s been sitting in its paper bag on my kitchen table, getting progressively harder and harder. By this morning, it was about 30 seconds away from being composted (or used as a hammer)…until a spicy-sweet brown sugar custard saved the day.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter $1 for a stick
  • 1/2 cup plus 4 tsp brown sugar Pantry
  • 1 pint half-and-half $1.50
  • 2 egg yolks $1.50 for 6 eggs
  • pinch salt Pantry
  • 1 small piece ginger, peeled and finely minced (about 1 tbsp) $0.50
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract $4 for 4 oz.
  • 1 baguette, preferably day-old, cut into 1" cubes $1.50

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 4 ramekins or 1 8" pan.
  2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar. Continue stirring until sugar has melted and begun to bubble (it will stick together before melting during this process--just keep stirring). Add the ginger and the vanilla.
  3. Slowly pour in the half-and-half, a little bit at a time. Keep stirring as you pour it in and then continue to stir until a creamy butterscotch-like sauce forms.
  4. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Use a ladle or measuring cup to scoop about 1/4 cup of the brown sugar mixture and slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking lightly to warm the eggs up without scrambling them.
  5. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the brown sugar mixture, continuing to whisk. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens, 1-2 minutes.
  6. Turn the burner off and pour bread cubes into the custard, stirring to ensure they are fully-soaked. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  7. Use a spatula or spoon to press the mixture into the prepared ramekins or pan. Top with remaining brown sugar.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the mixture has set. Serve warm or chilled.

Mango Slaw

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Estimated Cost $12.50
  • 1 Comment

Serve this easy and refreshing slaw alongside grilled meat or tacos. For help cutting a mango, go here.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head green cabbage, cored and sliced very thinly $1
  • 2 mangos, sliced thinly $3
  • 1 carrot, shredded or julienned $0.25
  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts $1
  • 1 small bunch mint leaves, chopped $1
  • 1 green jalapeño, diced $0.25
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Pantry
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar $1.50 for 10 oz.
  • 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce $2 for 10 oz.
  • 1 clove garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 small piece ginger, minced (about 1 tsp) $0.50
  • 1/8 cup toasted sliced almonds $2 for 10 oz.

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Toss cabbage, mango, carrot, mung beans, mint leaves and jalapeño together in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, garlic and ginger. Drizzle over salad mixture and toss well.
  3. Serve garnished with toasted sliced almonds.

Category: Meals

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Yogurt-Ginger Chicken

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:35
  • Estimated Cost $17.00
  • 2 Comments

Reuben met me at BiRite last night, armed with wine from his recent trip to Kokomo Winery and an excellent sense of kitchen adventure. We picked up ingredients, cooked and then feasted on this chicken dish, Mango Slaw, Peanut Butter-Corn Flake Treats, and Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream with Salted Peanuts from BiRite Creamery.

By the way, over dinner, he told me about the soon-to-be-opened (this Thursday from 4-8 PM, to be exact) Mission Community Market, the Mission’s first farmer’s market! My excitement is beyond. See you there.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain yogurt (low-fat or whole milk) $2 
  • 1 small piece ginger, minced (about 1 tbsp) $0.50
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 tsp curry powder $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 1/2 tsp cumin $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce $2 for 8 oz.
  • 2 tsp (or more to taste) Asian chili sauce or Sriracha $2 for 12 oz.
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce Pantry
  • juice and zest of 1 lime $0.50
  • 4 large pieces chicken (breasts, legs, etc), skin-on $6
  • 1 small bunch cilantro leaves, chopped $1

Recipe Serves 2-4

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin, hoisin, Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and zest. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
  3. Place chicken in a zip-lock bag and cover with yogurt mixture. Press air out of bag and seal. Move bag around to ensure chicken is fully coated. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Pour contents of bag into a baking dish. Use tongs or a fork to spread chicken out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is fully-cooked but still juicy, and skin is lightly browned in spots.
  5. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.