BrokeAss Gourmet

BrokeAss Gourmet

Vegan Apple-Beet Soup

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 1:00
  • Estimated Cost $5.00
  • 8 Comments

I automatically like people a tiny bit more when I find out that they share my passion for beets. It may be irrational and inane, but it’s true.

This simple, vegan and wildly cheap recipe features beets in their sweetest, purest glory. If you want to get really crazy (and you aren’t really vegan), top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Ingredients

  • 3 large beets, scrubbed, ends removed $2
  • extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 1 red onion, diced $0.50
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced Pantry
  • 1 1/2 " piece ginger, minced (about 2 tbsp)
  • 2 sweet, crisp apples (such as Fuji), peeled, cored and diced $1
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon $0.50
  • 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped $1 for a bunch
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 4-6

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place beets on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil. Rub to cover beets fully with oil. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
  3. Under cold running water, gently remove the beets' skins. Chop the skinless, roasted beets into 1" pieces and set aside.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. add onion, garlic, ginger and apples. Cook until very fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add chopped beets and 4 cups water. Cover and allow to cook for 18-20 minutes, or until apples and beets are very soft.
  5. Add lemon juice and zest and parsley.
  6. Puree using a blender, food processor or immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve hot or chilled.

Category: Meals

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Handcut Black Pepper Ravioli with Corn, Leek, Red Pepper and Brown Butter Sauce

  • Prep Time 1:15
  • Cook Time 0:12
  • Estimated Cost $7.75
  • 28 Comments

There are few things lovelier than ravioli. Toothsome fresh pasta wrapped around a yummy filling, drizzled with some kind of delicious sauce…if there’s an interesting-looking ravioli dish on the menu I have a hard time ordering anything else.

This hand-cut ravioli serves to prove that you don’t need a pasta maker to make fresh ravioli—just your hands, a rolling pin and a patient, self-forgiving attitude, as it does take a little practice.

While totally worth it, this dish is somewhat time-consuming and usually doesn’t come out picture-perfect the first time, so it might not be the best for a dinner party. I say make it with someone you really like and a bottle of good wine.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour Pantry
  • 1 1/2 tbsp freshly-ground black pepper Pantry
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided Pantry
  • 3 eggs $1.50 for 6
  • 1 ear corn, shucked $0.25
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 2 leeks (white part only), ends removed, diced $0.50
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced $1
  • 3/4 cup ricotta $3.50 for 12 oz.
  • 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter $1 for a stick

Recipe Serves 3-4

Directions

  1. Combine the flour, pepper and 1 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  2. Pile the flour mixture on a clean, dry cutting board. Create a little well in the center and carefully crack the eggs into the well. Gently mix the eggs with a fork to break the yolks.
  3. Use your hands to combine the eggs and flour mixture until a sticky dough forms (for help, check out this page).
  4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface (too much flour can make the dough tough) for 6-7 minutes. Alternately, this can be done for about a minute in a food processor or stand-up mixer.
  5. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out, on a lightly floured surface each piece into a rectangle that is approximately 11"x16". Stack on a floured surface with flour in between each sheet of pasta.
  6. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the corn cob. Set aside.
  7. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced leeks, corn kernels and red pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until leeks are very fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  8. Once mixture has cooled, add ricotta and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.
  9. To make the raviolis, Lay a sheet of pasta on a clean, lightly-floured surface. Drop the filling in 1 tbsp-increments with 2" spaces between them neatly across the pasta sheet. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush spaces not holding filling with water.
  10. Carefully drape a second sheet of pasta over the first. Try to line up the edges as much as possible. Carefully press down, making sure to avoid the places where filling is being held.
  11. Use a sharp knife to trim away excess dough. Cut the raviolis into square (or square-ish) pieces and transfer to a lightly-floured platter or cutting board.
  12. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  13. To cook the raviolis, bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer. Drop raviolis a few at a time into the simmering water and cook for 2-3 minutes (the raviolis will float to the surface--give them about 1 1/2 minutes after that happens). Work in batches to avoid overcrowding.
  14. Gently remove raviolis with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving plate.
  15. To make the brown butter, heat the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Just after it melts, it will begin to brown. Swirl it around a few times and then remove it from heat as soon as it turns brown.
  16. Serve the raviolis warm, drizzled with the brown butter sauce and more salt and pepper to taste.

Category: Meals

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Chicken Fingers

  • Prep Time 0:15
  • Cook Time 0:10
  • Estimated Cost $7.50
  • 20 Comments

When we were kids, my little brother easily went through 2 pounds of these a week. Self-righteous vegetarian that I was at the time, I turned my nose up at them. Now that I am an omnivorous (and still self-righteous) adult, I see the error of my ways.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6
  • 1 cup flour Pantry
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips $4.50
  • 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs $1.50 for 12 oz.
  • olive oil for frying Pantry

Directions

  1. Beat egg with 1/8 cup water until foamy. Set aside.
  2. Mix generous pinches of salt and pepper into the flour. Set aside.
  3. Dredge the chicken strips, one at a time, in the flour mixture, ensuring they are completely covered. Dip each strip in the egg mixture and then immediately into the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess. Transfer to a clean plate.
  4. To cook, heat about 1" of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook strips, working in batches if necessary, until golden brown on one side. Flip and cook on the other side.
  5. As soon as you remove the strips from the pan, sprinkle them with salt.
  6. Serve with marinara sauce or creamy dressing.

Category: Meals

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Lavender French Toast with Raspberry-Ginger Sauce

  • Prep Time 0:25
  • Cook Time 0:15
  • Estimated Cost $15.00
  • 27 Comments

I’ve never been particularly gifted with subtlety, but lately I’ve been considering the potential benefits of a less-obvious existence. Being a food blogger and all, I figured it might be beneficial to start with practicing subtlety in the kitchen. Rather than the punchy, bold flavors to which I am so prone, this morning I experimented with the sweet, subtle notes of honey and lavender in this sophisticated, classy rendition of french toast.

Of course, I had to go and whip up a loud, perky raspberry-ginger sauce to pour all over it, so perhaps my go at understatedness was for naught.

As I mentioned, subtlety is not my thing.

Ingredients

  • 1 pint milk (any % will work) $1.50
  • 2 tbsp "culinary lavender buds":http://www.theolivepress.com/shop/pantry/culinary-lavender/culinary-lavender-the-herb.html $6 for a small jar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6
  • 4 tbsp honey, divided Pantry
  • 6 thick slices good sourdough bread $1.50 for a loaf
  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries $3 for 1/2 pint
  • 1 small piece ginger, peeled and minced $0.50
  • 2 tbsp butter, for frying $1 for a stick

Recipe Serves 2-3

Directions

  1. Heat milk in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat until steamy (but not boiling). Turn off heat, add lavender buds and cover. Allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain liquid. Discard lavender buds and return liquid to pot.
  2. Pour about 1/4 cup warm lavender liquid into eggs and whisk together to temper eggs. Slowly whisk egg-milk mixture into remaining warm lavender milk. Add 2 tbsp honey. Turn heat back on, to medium and cook, gently whisking, until a smooth and fragrant custard begins to form. Shut off heat once custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  3. Pour custard into a pie dish or shallow bowl. Dip slices of bread into the custard, soaking both sides completely. Let soak for 5 minutes.
  4. While bread soaks, combine raspberries, ginger and remaining honey in a small pot over medium heat. Cook until raspberries break down (stirring frequently) about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Heat butter over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Cook soaked bread slices, working in batches if necessary, until golden-brown with lightly crisp edges.
  6. Serve warm, topped with raspberry-ginger sauce.

Category: Meals

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Deconstructed Panzanella With Burrata

Burrata is my current culinary obsession. A mozzarella exterior filled with decadent cream, it’s hard to justify buying regular old mozzarella while it’s much more attractive sister beckons to me.

This simple salad showcases this indulgent (and affordable!) cheese. I’ll put out forks when I serve it, but strongly encourage dining companions to dive in with their fingers, scooping cheese, tomatoes and basil onto the crusty cubes of of bread.

Note: this salad is only as good as its ingredients. Be sure to use fresh burrata, ripe tomatoes and basil and quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 2 4-oz rounds of fresh burrata mozzarella cheese, cut into quarters $4
  • 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes $3
  • 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, gently torn $1 for a bunch
  • 6 thick slices good sourdough or ciabatta bread, cut into 2" cubes $1.50 for a loaf
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar Pantry
  • salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Recipe Serves 2-4

Directions

  1. Arrange the burrata in the center of a platter or individual salad plates. Surround with a layer of halved cherry tomatoes. Surround tomatoes with fresh basil. Surround basil with cubes of bread.
  2. Drizzle ingredients with olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Category: Meals

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