Meat on the side meal #1

Well dinner last night didn't turn out just as planned but it was still good.
I ended up making the chick pea spinach pilaf with peppered smothered country style pork ribs and caramelized onions. I know what you might be thinking onion as a side,  onions have amazing nutritional value they are low in cost and way tastier then just a topping or accompaniment.
So onto the recipe

Chick Pea and Spinach Pilaf:
2 tbls olive oil
1 medium onion,  small dice
1 tbls of minced garlic
2 cups of brown rice
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste.
1 can or 1 1/2 cup cooked dry chick peas
16 oz of frozen spinach
1/2 cup of cheese,  I used mozzarella

Peppered Smothered Country Style Pork Ribs:
Serving 8. 6 oz servings
3 lbs country style pork ribs, I cut them in half so the portions were 4-6 oz each
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls butter
Brine:
1 gallon of water
3/4 cup of salt
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of Apple cider vinegar
2 tbls of cinnamon
1/4 cup of pepper
2 tbls celery flakes
Peppered Gravy:
4 tbls of flour
2 tbls pepper
2 cups of milk

Caramelized Onions
3 large onions, 1/4 inch slices
S & P to taste

Instructions for pork and onions
Mix all of the ingredients of the Brine together bring to boil and let it cool Once cool add pork let set 4 hours.
Take out of the fridge and rinse throughly set on paper towels to dry.
Heat a heavy bottom pan once hot add butter and oil.
Place pork ribs into pan but don't crowd the pan I did two batches. Once done place the pork on a cooling rack and put in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while making the onions and gravy.
Once pork is fully cooked add the onions to the drippings and use the onions to scrape the bottoms.
Once softened remove leaving as much of the oil as possible and add the flour once it smells slightly nutty add the milk and pepper.
Once thickened add the pork ribs back and cook on low for 10 minutes

Instructions for the pilaf:
Heat a covered pot up and add oil,  once hot add onions and sauté until softened about 5 minutes,  add garlic and rice stir and cook for 10 minutes add liquid don't stir and let cook for 45 minutes once cooked add the rest of the ingredients and let cook an additional 10 minutes and serve.

Side dishes

So many people like planning a main dish and then finding sides to accompany with it, or it a lot of cases make the meat go further to save money. So what if the meat is on the side and the main dish is something lower in cost but just as amazing. Meat on the side is becoming a popularized concept for both health and financial reasoning. Most people in this country eat more the recommend servings of meat and not enough vegetables. So my goal over the next month is too use vegetables or healthy starches as the main dish at least two vegetable dishes at each meal and lead meat. 
In my situation at the moment there are 4 adults and one toddler so I don't do all of the cooking so I will only being posting this on days I'm cooking starting tomorrow.
I will be making chickpea, brown rice, & spinach with bruschetta chicken over cauliflower rice.  I'll take pictures and step by step directions.

This week I will also be making a spinach frittata with buiscuits and gravy and cranberry oat meal smoothies.

Lentil sloppy Joes with hidden veggies
And broccoli stuffed onions!

Rotisserie chicken in THE CROCK POT

Ok so who doesn't love rotisserie chicken I mean it's convenient right but have you seen the cost? For 6 dollars you get like 2 maybe 3 lbs of meat and bones, it's loaded with salt too. Aldis carry whole tyson chickens for about a dollar a pound so get your self a 4-5 pound chicken and try this recipe with me.

What you will need:
1. 4-5 lb chicken
2. 2 lemons, cut in 1/4s
3. 3 tbsp Rotisserie chicken seasoning it's worth the money.
4. 6 Medium potatoes
5. Aluminum foil

How to do it:
Clean and wrap the potatos and place in the bottom of a crock pot

Take some more aluminum foil and with one piece make a sling to put the chicken in this step helps getting it out later

Sprinkle half the seasoning on the lemon quarters

Put the lemon inside the chicken and then season the outside of the bird and place in the sling.

Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours

Serve with 5 color slaw (coming tomorrow), and glazed carrots & radishes.

Pilot post

This is a blog built mostly for recipes, but I will also be including information on my journey of Mothering a mildly affected child.

Two things I will use is a food processor and a crock pot.

We will start my first post with a kid favorite meatloaf cupcakes.

You will need:
1. 20 oz of ground turkey
2. 1 cup of cooked quinoa
3. 1 cup of carrots
4. 1 cup of kale
5. 1/2 cup of onion
6. 1/2 cup of Red pepper
7. 2 tbls of garlic
8. 2 oz of tomato paste
9. 2 tbls of worsteshire
10. 1/2 cup of cheese
11. 2 eggs

12. 2 oz of tomato paste
13. 1 tbls Brown sugar
14. 2 tbls odd worsteshire
15. 2 tbls of water
      Salt & pepper

16. 2 lbs of potatoes or sweet potatoes
17. 3 tbls of olive oil
18. 1/2 cup Sour Cream
19. 1 tsp garlic powder
        Salt & pepper

20. 1/4 cup of shredded cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350

Pulse together ingredients 2-11 in processor until completely integrated into very small bits you want it to dissolve into the meat.

Add mixture meat just until combined add to a greased muffin tin.

Mix ingredients 12-15 and top onto each of each meatloaf.

Put in oven for 35 minutes.  While that's baking start on potatoes cut the potatos into 1/4 inch cubes.

Heat a covered skillet and add oil once hot add potatos. Let cook 3 minutes and add 1/2 cup of water cover until cook. Mash and add seasoning and sour cream. Let slightly cool and add to a gallon bag cut a small hole in one corner.

Once the "cupcakes" are done top with potatoes and add the cheese as sprinkles return to the oven until melted serve with a toss salad and whole wheat dinner rolls.