BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

On Tuesday I decided to have a dinner party. I called some friends and assigned appetizers, dessert and beer. What followed was the easiest dinner party I’ve ever thrown—fish tacos (a perfect summer dish and easy favorite), rice, beans and a unique fennel slaw. James brought cheese and crostini, Benji picked up Corona and we finished the evening with Mina’s fabulous lime cream parfait dessert. There were only four of us, but there was enough food for 8, making the cost-per-person of this dinner just over $3.

Ingredients

  • olive oil Pantry
  • 2 large tilapia fillets $4
  • 4 tsp. chili powder, divided $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 20 corn tortillas $2
  • 3 oz. crumbled cotija cheese $4
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema $3
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 1 red onion, half minced, half sliced thinly $0.50
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice $1
  • 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed $2
  • 1 head red cabbage, thinly sliced $1
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced $1
  • 2 carrots, shredded $1
  • 1 large bunch cilantro, chopped, divided $1
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar $1.50 for 10 oz.
  • 2 limes (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges) $1
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 6-8

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Wrap the stack of tortillas tightly in foil and place in oven until you are ready to eat.
  2. Sprinkle the fish on both sides with 2 tsp of the chili powder and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a cast iron pan or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fish on both sides until golden brown on the outside and firm on the inside. Break the cooked fish into pieces and keep in a baking dish in the warm oven until ready to eat.
  3. Combine the rice and 3 1/2 cups water with the remaining chili powder, chopped onion and garlic in a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook, covered for 20-25 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Heat the beans with a little water in a microwave or in a small pot over medium heat until heated through.
  5. To make the slaw, toss the cabbage, fennel, carrot, half of the cilantro, the rice vinegar, lime juice and 1 tbsp olive oil together in a serving bowl.
  6. Have guests assemble their own tacos with tortillas, fish, a little slaw, cheese, remaining cilantro and sour cream. Serve additional slaw on the side along with the rice and beans. Set out the lime wedges for guests to squeeze on their tacos.

Category: Meals

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Bulgur Burritos with Minty Cabbage Slaw

  • Prep Time 0:15
  • Cook Time 0:10
  • Estimated Cost $14.25
  • 3 Comments

For those of you who loved the BrokeAss bulgur bowl, here’s another tasty recipe featuring the delicious rice alternative. And, if you’re watching your waistline along with your budget, rest assured that this super-healthy, fiber-rich, meatless meal will satisfy your burrito cravings without making you look like a burrito.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp olive oil Pantry
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans $1
  • 4 large whole-wheat tortillas $4 for a package of 10
  • 1/2 cup bulgur $1
  • 1 red onion, diced, divided $0.50
  • 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets $1
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced Pantry
  • 2/3 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese $3 for 10 oz.
  • 1 small head red cabbage, sliced thinly $0.75
  • 1 carrot, shredded $0.50
  • 1 small bunch mint, chopped $1
  • 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar $1.50 for 10 oz.

Recipe Serves 4

Directions

  1. Bring bulgur and 1 cup of water to a boil over high heat. Stir, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Salt lightly and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
  2. In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add half the onions and the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes, until cooked but still crisp. Stir in beans and cook just until beans are hot. Remove from heat.
  3. Heat a large, dry frying pan over high heat. While it heats up, lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Layer with 1/4 of the cheese, bulgur, and bean-vegetable mixture. Roll up tightly, tucking in the ends.
  4. Cook seam-side-down in the dry pan until the tortilla becomes crisp and brown. Flip over and cook the top. This will also help melt the cheese.
  5. Slice burritos on the bias.
  6. To make the slaw, toss together the cabbage, remaining onion, carrot, mint and rice vinegar. Serve alongside the burritos.

Category: Meals

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Apple-Fig Butter

  • Prep Time 0:10
  • Cook Time 0:30
  • Estimated Cost $10.00
  • 1 Comment

This easy fruit butter is the perfect alternative to jam or jelly, and is absolutely perfect on Black Pepper-Sage Biscuits. The figs give sweet apples the earthy accent they beg for. Try whisking this together with a little balsamic vinegar and reducing over a low flame to make an unbeatable glaze for grilled chicken.

Ingredients

  • 3 Gala, Fuji, or Red Delicious apples, peeled, cored and chopped $1.50
  • 8 dried Black Mission figs, stems removed, chopped $4
  • 1/2 cup sugar Pantry
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar $1.50 for 12 oz.

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until fruit is very soft.
  2. Puree in a food processor or using an immersion blender until smooth.
  3. Allow to cool slightly and serve as you would jam, with bread, toast, or biscuits. Store leftovers in an airtight container with a lid (a glass jar works well).
  4. Makes about 1 1/2 cups apple-fig butter.

Category: Meals

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Black Pepper-Sage Biscuits

  • Prep Time 0:10
  • Cook Time 0:15
  • Estimated Cost $3.50
  • 2 Comments

Biscuits are the perfect baking project for a novice cook, since they are so foolproof, and the addition of sage and black pepper to this simple dough is an ideal way to fool your dining companions into thinking that you are not only a talented baker but also a very fancy gourmand (which obviously you are, duh). Oh, and they only cost $3.50.

Note: if you’re vegan, swap out the butter for vegan shortening and the milk for soy or rice milk, or even water. Also, try mixing in one cooked, mashed sweet potato for a flavor twist.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour, sifted Pantry
  • 2 tsp. baking powder Pantry
  • 4 tbsp. cold butter $1 for a stick
  • 1/2 tsp. salt Pantry
  • 2 tbsp. rubbed sage plus more for garnish $1.50 for 1 oz.
  • 1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for garnish Pantry
  • about 3/4 cup milk $1.50 for 1 pint

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sage, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter, using your hands or a fork until the dough is very crumbly. Add milk gradually, stirring until soft dough is formed. Turn out on slightly floured board and knead gently for about 30 seconds. Roll 1/2 inch thick and cut with 2 inch floured biscuit cutter (or a small wine glass). Top with additional pepper and sage. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Category: Meals

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White Corn and Spring Onion Soup

  • Prep Time 0:10
  • Cook Time 0:20
  • Estimated Cost $5.50
  • 4 Comments

This weekend I had the pleasure of catching up with my good friend Doug at an adorable French bistro, Cafe Claude. To start, I ordered a white corn-spring onion puree soup that absolutely blew me away. The best thing about it was that I could so cleanly taste all of the flavors: fresh corn, onion and cream. Though Cafe Claude was decidedly not BrokeAss, my version of this soup is super-cheap and easy to make. Best of all, it tastes like summer in a bowl.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil Pantry
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) white corn kernels $1.50 for a 10 oz. bag
  • 3 spring onions, sliced, ends removed $1
  • 1 can vegetable broth $1
  • 1 medium Russet potato, peeled and diced $0.50
  • 1 cup 2% milk $1.50 for a pint
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry
  • 1/2 small baguette, sliced $1
  • 1 clove garlic, cut in half Pantry

Recipe Serves 2

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add spring onions and saute for 2-3 minutes or until slightly soft. Add corn, potatoes, and vegetable broth. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
  2. Use an immersion blender to puree directly in the pot or transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth and retutrn to the pot.
  3. Whisk in the milk and cook over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Season well with salt and pepper.
  4. While the soup cooks, toast the baguette slices, either in the toaster or in a 450 degree (F) oven. Lightly rub the toasted slices with the garlic. Serve the soup with garlic croutons as a garnish.

Category: Meals

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