Tomato and Cucumber Salad– I know, without any meat :(

Ok, so sometimes it is good to have a side of something other than meat. I might argue this point, but for the few that like to eat other food, this is a great and easy way to use tomatoes and cucumbers for something healthy and good.

Ingredients: 

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• 2 Lemons
• Fresh Mint
• 1 Teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 small box of feta cheese (a must for this side)

Directions:

• Cut up the tomatoes and cucumbers into small squares
• Squeeze the lemon into a bowl with the tomatoes and cucumbers
• Add the olive oil
• Chop up the mint and add to the bowl
• Add some pepper if you want
• Mix together and refrigerate

Your going to love these meatballs! I promise!

Ok, so this recipe is home grown and has some ideas from my wife (I had to admit it in case she read this blog one day… ) Anyway, this recipe is quick and easy and sure to be loved by everyone in the family.

Ingredients: 

• Organic Beef
• 1-15 crackers (yes, I said crackers!)
• Salt – 1/4 teaspoon or less
• Pepper- 1/4 teaspoon or less
• Oregano- 1/4 teaspoon or less
• Crushed Rosemary- 1/4 teaspoon or less
• Tarragon- 1/4 teaspoon or less
• Virgin Olive Oil – add this to a hot cooking pan
• One Egg
• 1 jar of organic tomato sauce (I like Newman’s Own)
• 1/2 box small wheat noodles

Cooking Instructions:

• Mix the all the ingredients together (except Olive Oil) in a mixing bowl, be sure to really mix it up and crush the crackers before you add them to the mix.
• Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat on high
• Go ahead and start to boil water, add a little salt and olive oil
• After you mix the meat up, shape into small or medium sized balls and sit on a plate, you might want to do this in the morning and let chill all day in the frig, makes them stay together better 🙂
• Add the meat balls to the hot pan and cook the outside of the meatballs until well done (do not worry about cooking completely, goal here is nice crust on the outside)
• Add noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender, prob about 10 min or less (just taste a few to see)
• Add the jar of tomato sauce and cook a little bit, then place into the oven on 350 for about 10-15 minutes (until you are sure the meatballs are cooked)

Once the meatballs are done, add noodles to a plate and if you want something really unique, add a little feta cheese on top of the noodles and then add the meat balls and tomato sauce…. enjoy!

Ok, enough of the grill and into the pan!

Ok, let’s make something not of the grill tonight! We are going to make a killer spaghetti and meatballs and make it really quick and easy, but with awesome flavor. This is a great dish to make during the week or when you have friends over! We are going all organic tonight too!

Here it is, RIBS… YUM! (yes I said YUM)

Ok, so I love to make ribs, but to be honest, I think I cooked these a little too long. Some things I would change: 1. Cook a little less and keep closer to 3 hours for pork… 2. Not use as much dry rub, less can be better! Again, this original recipe was derived from here.

Dry Rub Recipe (Bold have been changed from the org recipe):

1. 1 & 1/2 Cups paprika
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 3 & 3/4 tablespoon onion powder
4. BBQ Sauce 

Directions:

1. Rub the Rub on the meat (lightly, let refrigerate for 8 hours+)
2. Pork: Cook for about 3 hours (I did it around 250)
3. Beef: Cook for about 2 hours (I did it around 250)

 

BBQ Sauce with a little kick :)

Ok, so I made my first BBQ sauce yesterday off a recipe from here. I of course modified it, I don’t like sauce without a kick. So I added some spice with a little Cayenne 🙂

Mix the following (bold are modified from the original recipe):

1. 1 & 1/2 cups ketchup
2. 1 cup water
3. 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (might want to increase this a bit)
4. 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5. 4 tablespoons of sugar
6. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
7. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8. 2/3 tablespoon ground pepper
9. 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
10. 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
11. 1 or 1/2 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper (for some heat)

Directions:
Mix everything together, bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Prep tips

Here are some tips to help making cooking more enjoyable:

1. Prep in the morning – cooking is 80% prep
2. Clean as you go
3. Experiment, if not go buy your meal somewhere else!
4. Listen to music! I always have music playing
5. Make the time, don’t rush it
6. Include the kids if old enough

These tips will help you have more fun cooking…

Coming soon, ribs!

Tonight I plan on making a custom rub and BBQ sauce! Going to be a whole new recipe… I will post exactly what I use after I make sure it kicks butt.

I will start with a dry rub, smoke the ribs on the green egg and then a custom wet BBQ sauce. Excited!!! More to come….

Amazing Pulled Pork

Ok, so I have to admit, I love pulled pork! My daughter also loves it (she is 6 at the time of this article). I am not going to bore you with a lot of details. I want to give you the framework for making great pulled pork and let you experiment and run with it. Here is the list of things you will need:

• Boston Butt
• Salt
• Pepper
• Smoker – I like the Green Egg myself
• BBQ sauce, your choice here – I like more vinegar style myself

Step 1: Rub the pork with salt and pepper (you can add more, but why ruin the taste of the meat!)

Step 2: Put the pork on the smoker for about 3 hours at 240

Step 3: Once the pork has a nice outer crust, wrap in foil and cook until it reaches about 210 internal temp (may take a while, grab a drink and relax)

Step 4: Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, pull apart and eat!

Welcome to my blog!

Ok, so most people do not like the hassle of cooking… the cleaning and the work it takes. But, there is hope! If you do the prep early, experiment and have fun, you will learn to enjoy cooking and eating at home!

Not to mention, it is a lot more affordable and healthier too!

My plan is to post one recipe a month and tips to help you learn, enjoy and share on this blog!

-M