BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

Truffle Scampi Over Capellini

  • Prep Time 0:15
  • Cook Time 0:10
  • Estimated Cost $14.00
  • 6 Comments

Every time my friends Bill and Rebecca have a dinner party, I stop at Bi-Rite Market on my way over to pick up a little wedge of Rebecca’s favorite cheese, truffle Pecorino. It always amazes me how this absolutely gloriously decadent-tasting cheese can bring that rich truffle flavor to a dish for the very reasonable price of about $5 for 1.5 oz. (trust me, you don’t need much). I found a similar cheese, called simply “Italian Truffle Cheese” at Trader Joe’s for slightly less. Either would work well in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb capellini pasta $1.50 for 1 lb
  • 1/2 lb medium raw shrimp, de-veined, tails removed $5
  • 1 oz. mild Italian hard or semi-hard truffle cheese, grated, plus more for garnish $5 for 1.5 oz
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter $1 for a stick
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 small bunch parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish $1
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon, some zest reserved for garnish $0.50
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 2

Directions

  1. Cook capellini in boiling salted water until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
  2. White capellini cooks, heat the olive oil and butter together over medium-low heat in a medium frying pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add shrimp, parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat.
  3. Gently toss the cappelini with the shrimp-butter-oil mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with truffle cheese and give it another few gentle tosses.
  4. Serve hot, on plates or in bowls, garnished with more parsley, lemon zest and truffle cheese.

Category: Meals

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Garlicky White Bean Dip

This easy dip is hummus’ Italian first cousin. Perfect with fresh vegetables and baguette slices or spread on a sandwich, this delectable spread can be thrown together in just 5 minutes for a mere $3—and odds are good that you already have all the necessary ingredients on hand.

Ingredients

  • 1 15-oz. can white beans, such as Great Northern beans $1.50
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed Pantry
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling Pantry
  • 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley plus more for ganish $1
  • juice of 1/2 lemon $0.50
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Serve garnished with more parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

 

Category: Meals

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Flat-iron Steak over Parmesan Cauliflower Smash with Sauteed Mushrooms

  • Prep Time 0:30
  • Cook Time 0:15
  • Estimated Cost $12.50
  • 3 Comments

Instead of dropping a big wad of cash on an indulgent meal at a fancy restaurant this Valentine’s Day, why not make this fancy-looking, indulgent-tasting steak dish at home for a mere $12.50? This meal is a healthier take on the classic steakhouse dish of steak with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. Inexpensive flat-iron steak gets a little help from extra virgin olive oil and garlicky-balsamic mushrooms, making it taste much richer than it is. The whole thing is served over a bed of rich-yet-healthy mashed cauliflower, which does a very convincing impression of starchy mashed potatoes, with significantly fewer simple carbohydrates and more fiber. Plus, it’s so cheap that you’ll have plenty of cash left over for wine and dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 1-lb flat-iron steak or 2 half-pound flat-iron steaks $6
  • extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for cauliflower Pantry
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper, plus more for cauliflower Pantry
  • 1 head cauliflower, cored, florets separated $1
  • 1/8 cup grated Parmesan $3.50 for 12 oz.
  • about 10 medium white mushrooms, scrubbed and sliced $1
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar Pantry
  • 1 small bunch parsley, chopped $1

Recipe Serves 2

Directions

  1. Set broiler to high. Lightly grease a broiler pan and set aside.
  2. Place steaks in a glass dish or bowl. Drizzle with olive oil on both sides and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on broiler pan and place pan about 4 inches from the flame. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side (more or less, depending on desired done-ness). Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal. Reserve any pan juices.
  4. While steak marinates and cooks, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add cauliflower and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until very soft. Drain and return to pot. Mash with a potato masher, fork, or even an immersion blender until cauliflower resembles mashed potatoes. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and the Parmesan cheese and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown and shrink and garlic is very fragrant. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over mushrooms and stir until absorbed.
  6. To serve, place a mound of cauliflower mash on each plate. Top with the sliced steak. Strew the mushrooms over the steak slices. Drizzle any pan juices that may have escaped while you cut the steak. Sprinkle both plates with the chopped parsley.
  7. Serve hot.

Category: Meals

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Almond-Crusted Shrimp over Mixed Greens with Lime Dressing

  • Prep Time 0:30
  • Cook Time 0:08
  • Estimated Cost $16.50
  • 9 Comments

Warm, crunchy shrimp, slightly wilting a perfectly-dressed tangy lime salad with bites of rich avocado and juicy tomatoes…this dish puts the “Gourmet” in BrokeAss Gourmet, all the way. It doesn’t need cheese, but if you’re feeling decadent, a handful of crumbled feta won’t do any harm.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb medium raw shrimp, de-veined, tails-on $5
  • 1/4 cup raw almonds $3 for 8 oz.
  • 2 tbsp flour Pantry
  • 1/4 tsp salt Pantry
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil Pantry
  • 1 tbsp olive oil Pantry
  • juice of 1 lime, divided $0.50
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce Pantry
  • 1 tsp sugar or honey Pantry
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed Pantry
  • 6 cups mixed greens $3
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved $2
  • 1 avocado, diced $1.50

Recipe Serves 2-4

Directions

  1. Combine 1/2 lime juice, soy sauce and garlic in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss with hands to coat well. Set aside.
  2. Using a blender or food processor, crush almonds (in the absence of a blender or food processor, this can be done by placing the almonds in a plastic bag and crushing with a mallet or rolling pin). Combine almonds in a bowl with flour and salt. Set aside.
  3. Set up an assembly line of the seasoned shrimp, the egg white, and the almond-flour mixture. Dip each shrimp in the egg white and then dredge in the almond-flour mixture. Set on a clean plate.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the outside of the shrimp becomes brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Whisk together the remaining lime juice, the olive oil and the sugar or honey. Drizzle over mixed greens, tomatoes and avocado. Toss well.
  6. Arrange the dressed salad on plates (either 2 large plates or 4 small plates). Top each salad with the warm shrimp and hot sauce or red chili flakes if desired.

Category: Meals

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