Each week we enjoy featuring some of our favorite food blogs. This week’s featured blog is Brokeass Gourmet, edited by Gabi Moskowitz. Gabi is also author of The BrokeAss Gourmet Cookbook (May 2012) and Pizza Dough: 100 Delicious, Unexpected Recipes (November 2013). She is also a producer and executive consultant on the popular ABC Family’s Young and Hungry, which is based on her life and writing. Pretty cool, huh?
BrokeAss Gourmet, like Mountain Man Gourmet, is designed for folks who want to enjoy the benefits of eating gourmet food and living the high life, but without spending a fortune to do so. The blog features recipes that are always under $20, along with great advice on inexpensive yet delicious beers, wines, cocktails and more.
I love Gabi’s spunky attitude and clever recipes and titles, including Mazel Tov Cocktail, Buffalo Cauliflower, and BrokeAss Vegetarian Noodles. She also includes the approximate food cost for each meal in the recipes so you can decide beforehand if the meal is in your budget, or in the case of a really hot date, you might decide to go over budget by a little (or a lot). In any case, it’s your choice.
For example, here’s her recipe for BrokeAss Vegetarian Noodles:
BROKEASS VEGETARIAN NOODLES
- PREP TIME 20 MINUTES
- COOK TIME 20 MINUTES
- ESTIMATED COST $9.50
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz. dried fettucine (gluten-free pasta or rice noodles will also work) $2 for 16 oz.
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced $0.50
- 3 tablespoons vegetable, coconut or olive oil, divided Pantry
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced Pantry
- 12 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and cubed $1.50
- salt to taste Pantry
- 1/8 cup Asian chili sauce $2.50 for 8 oz.
- 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage (about 1/4 medium cabbage) $1.50 for half of a cabbage
- 1 carrot, shredded $0.50
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped $1 for a bunch
RECIPE SERVES 4
DIRECTIONS
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- In a small pot, bring some salted water to a light boil. Add the diced potato and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse, drain and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until very lightly golden brown and crisp (watch to ensure it doesn’t burn).
- Fish the garlic out of the hot oil and drain it on a paper towel.
- Add the cubed tofu to the hot oil, turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook until the tofu is lightly crisp, tossing in the pan a few times.
- Once the tofu has finished cooking, drain it on a paper towel and salt lightly.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of oil with the Asian chili sauce (add more if you want it to be super-spicy).
- Return the cooked noodles to their cooking pot and toss thoroughly with the chili sauce-oil mixture.
- To the noodles, add the potatoes, garlic, tofu, carrot and cabbage. Toss gently a few times to incorporate.
- Serve the noodles topped with the cilantro and pass extra chili sauce at the table, for those who clamor for heat.
So, there ya go . . . you can find this and tons of other great recipes on Gabi’s website, http://brokeassgourmet.com/. Be sure to check out the Recipe Archives, which are searchable by category.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s featured blog. Be sure to check back often for recipes, videos, food news, and more. And until we meet again, remember to Live Well, Eat Well, and Be Happy!