Category Archives: Healthy

Healthy, Salads, Side dishes, Sneaky Healthy, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts Salad

December 15, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Ahhh the tiny but mighty Brussels sprout. The divider of nations. The cruciferous ruiner of relationships. You get the idea.

Brussels sprouts tend to be a very polarizing vegetable. For as many veggie lovers that swear by the carmelized candy that is roasted sprouts, there are another 1-2 sad souls who have been turned off by less-than-ideal preparations of boiled, rubbery, or wilty sprouts and swear off these delicate nutrition-packed powerhouses.

Brussels sprouts grow on stalks up to three feet tall, and each bud resembles a miniature cabbage, with a diameter of 1/2 -2 inches. Typically sold in grocery stores removed from the stalk, they can be found in farmers markets and some specialty stores still attached. They also are offered canned or frozen, though I cannot vouch for their nutrient content or flavor in such preparations.

Brussels sprouts are members of the family which includes broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, known as Brassicas. These vegetables are lauded in nutrition circles for their hefty doses of vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and anti-inflammatory and potentially cancer-preventing compounds.

Taken from the website “world’s healthiest foods” (whfoods.com), Brussels sprouts have a whole host of healthful benefits:

“What’s New and Beneficial About Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will use a steaming method when cooking them. The fiber-related components in Brussels sprouts do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they’ve been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it’s easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw Brussels sprouts still have cholesterol-lowering ability — just not as much as steamed Brussels sprouts.
Brussels sprouts may have unique health benefits in the area of DNA protection. A recent study has shown improved stability of DNA inside of our white blood cells after daily consumption of Brussels sprouts in the amount of 1.25 cups. Interestingly, it’s the ability of certain compounds in Brussels sprouts to block the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes that researchers believe to be responsible for these DNA-protective benefits.
For total glucosinolate content, Brussels sprouts are now known to top the list of commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables. Their total glucosinolate content has been shown to be greater than the amount found in mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, or broccoli. In Germany, Brussels sprouts account for more glucosinolate intake than any other food except broccoli. Glucosinolates are important phytonutrients for our health because they are the chemical starting points for a variety of cancer-protective substances. All cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates and have great health benefits for this reason. But it’s recent research that’s made us realize how especially valuable Brussels sprouts are in this regard.
The cancer protection we get from Brussels sprouts is largely related to four specific glucosinolates found in this cruciferous vegetable: glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, sinigrin, and gluconasturtiian. Research has shown that Brussels sprouts offer these cancer-preventive components in special combination.
Brussels sprouts have been used to determine the potential impact of cruciferous vegetables on thyroid function. In a recent study, 5 ounces of Brussels sprouts were consumed on a daily basis for 4 consecutive weeks by a small group of healthy adults and not found to have an unwanted impact on their thyroid function. Although follow-up studies are needed, this study puts at least one large stamp of approval on Brussels sprouts as a food that can provide fantastic health benefits without putting the thyroid gland at risk.” READ MORE HERE

For those who are wary of Brussels sprouts, from past experience or a lack of experience, try this salad to introduce them. Finely shaved sprouts are mixed with naturally sweet fruit (apples and raisins) and coated in a mixture of sweet and tangy dressing to produce a side salad, or even main dish, of healthy intent sneakily hiding under the guise of almost-dessert. Everyone can feel good about eating this. Try it at your next picnic, potluck, as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, or just because it’s Tuesday night.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, shredded or diced very finely
1 apple, diced very thin
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp raisins

Step 1: Rinse your sprouts, and either use a shredder or a sharp knife to finely dice them, and put in a large bowl.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice, honey, mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Use as high quality an oil as you are able.

Step 3: Very finely dice and slice the apple. The best & quickest way is to rinse the apple, then slice into fourths. Cut out the middle core & seeds and discard. Then lay each quarter on a side, and thinly slice. Slice each of those in half and you should have very thin, bite-sized slivers of apple.

Step 4: Mix the shredded sprouts, apple slivers, and raisins in a bowl. Pour on the liquid dressing mixture, and toss well to coat. You can serve hot, cold, or room temperature. You can serve immediately, or let it sit in the refrigerator up to three days for the flavors to mix.

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Appetizers, Comfort food, Fish, Healthy, Main Dishes

Salmon Latkes

December 13, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

Latkes, the Yiddish word for potato pancakes, have a long history in Jewish tradition. According to history, the tradition is more about the oil used to fry the cakes than the potato pancakes themselves. The Maccabees freed the holiest Temple in Jerusalem from the takeover of King Antiochus. After ridding the temple of all idols, they lit the menorah with a little purified olive oil. It seemed there was enough to last only one day.

But then, a miracle happened. The lamp burned for eight days and nights. Just long enough to press fresh oil.

And thus, olive oil is a sacred tradition during Hannukah, the eight days and nights celebrated in 2015 from Sunday December 6 – Monday December 14. Any food fried in oil can be commemorative of the Miracle of the Oil, in fact donuts are a very popular Hannukah food, as are matzoh and other kinds of fritters.

This recipe takes the classic potato latke and adds in canned salmon for a protein-filled, full meal on its own. They can be served alone, or atop a bed of lettuce, or covered in applesauce, salsa, relish, or any other condiments you like. Feel free to experiment, there are no rules saying you have to use potatoes and potatoes only.

Grate in some onion, carrots, or beets. Try regular flour, chickpea flour, matzoh, or breadcrumbs as the binding agent. Fry them in olive oil, coconut, or even bake them in the oven. But no matter what you do, do make sure to use a high quality oil, share with your loved ones, and be thankful for all you have!

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed potatoes
2 can salmon, drained
2 eggs
1/2 – 1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Step 1: Either make mashed potatoes from scratch, use leftover mashed potatoes from a previous meal, or use boxed/instant potatoes to make approximately 1 cup cooked. Open the canned salmon and drain.

Step 2: Mix the potatoes, salmon, eggs, and seasonings in a bowl. Add breadcrumbs until the mixture is moist but able to stick together. Form into patties, this should make about 4-8 depending on thickness and size.

Step 3: Add 2 tbsp oil to a frying pan and heat to medium. Add the patties, working in batches if you made more than will fit. Leave some room between each latke so they can heat and cook evenly.

Step 4: Fry about 4-6 minutes, then flip. Each side should get a nice golden brown color. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil.

Top however you would like and serve! I covered mine in sriracha and homemade green tomato salsa and it was positively delicious.

Appetizers, Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Holidays, Vegetarian

Christmas Tree Appetizer Tray

December 6, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

With the holiday season come holiday parties. From friends to family reunions, cocktail hours and work gatherings, the holidays are rife with opportunity to eat things we normally wouldn’t, shouldn’t, and far more of them. You could choose to just eat yourself into a coma every week and deal with the consequences later. You could live a puritanical existence for the next few weeks, exercising iron will over all sweets and tasty delights. Or…

You could choose better options. You could nudge family, friends, and co-workers in a healthier direction. You could provide healthy yet delicious treats, so you know you will always have something healthful to enjoy at any get-together.

I know which option I choose each year.

Would you like to know the answer to one of life’s biggest questions? How can you be both happy and healthy all the time? The key to health and happiness, is moderation. Go ahead and indulge in the things that truly bring you joy, like the cookies you look forward to all year, spiral-sliced holiday ham, or your aunt’s amazing casserole. But know that means you must cut back in other areas. Don’t have every appetizer offered, three cups of eggnog, seconds and thirds at dinner, followed by an entire angel food cake roll.

And by bringing healthier options to any party or gathering, you virtually guarantee yourself at least one option that will be “safe” and you can indulge as much as you like. You are also giving everyone else at the party a healthy option they may not have considered previously.

This is an appetizer tray my mother had made for a party last year. You will notice that it not only looks very appealing, with its holiday themed tree shape, but it also has a whole cornucopia of options from broccoli to cheeses, to olives and grape tomatoes. This would be awesome to serve with a healthful dip on the side such as Black Bean Hummus, Lean Green Guacamole, or Radish, Onion & Herb cream cheese dip.

How to create an appetizer tree:

1 large head broccoli
1 can black olives
1 small jar green olives
Assorted cheese cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Handful of pretzel sticks
Any other dipping veggies, cut into cubes or sticks

Step 1: Dice all your veggies into bite size pieces, and cube the cheeses. Drain the olives.

Step 2: In a large pan or on a serving platter, arrange the cheese and vegetables in layers, including at least 2 large layers of broccoli for the green color. Finish with a handful of pretzels on the bottom for the tree trunk.

You could get very creative with this, for example by including “ornaments” on the tree by using different colors of vegetables or fruits, or making different shapes. You could use cauliflower, red bell peppers and tomatoes to create a santa hat shape, or other types of finger foods arranged to look like wrapped gifts. Let your imagination run wild, and watch as the crowd gobbles up healthy nibbles happily!

Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta

Dried Tomato and Artichoke Pasta

December 1, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Those of you who have been cooking for a long time probably know the feeling of making a dish which to you seems quite simple, yet to someone else who enjoyed the meal with you, it is fancy and magical. I’d like to share a secret: sometimes all it takes is one to two little touches, that don’t take much time or work, to elevate a dish from plain to pizazz!

Oven-dried tomatoes in olive oil and jarred artichokes are examples of such a touch.

Simple things that only cost a few dollars can really jazz up a weeknight meal or make an occasion special. Using pre-canned dried tomatoes and artichokes adds almost literally no prep time (ok, you have to open it…) but makes the final plate look and taste restaurant quality. Other such items are kalamata or pimiento olives, infused oils or vinegars, capers, pine nuts, brined pepper rings, citrus zest, shaved fresh cheeses, or finishing salts.

This dish takes less than 20 minutes start to finish, with no slicing and dicing of mountains of produce or complex kitchen skills besides boiling, straining, and mixing. If you don’t like spinach, use whatever other vegetables you have on hand, or just stick with tomatoes and artichokes alone. I had some broccoli on hand, so I added it in for extra fiber and nutrition, plus it went with the already-there colors.

Whip this meal up to impress dinner guests, say I love you, or just to enjoy a magical moment to yourself any time.

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta
1/2 jar artichoke hearts
2 cups dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
1 cup spinach, optional
1 cup broccoli, optional
2-3 cloves garlic, diced

Step 1: In a large pot, bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Add the pound of pasta. You can use any shape here, but plain straight spaghetti is the classic choice.

Step 2: Boil the pasta for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pan, add the garlic, chopped tomatoes in oil, and artichokes (and any other vegetables you are using, like the broccoli) and saute for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and the vegetables soften.

Step 3: Strain the pasta, do not rinse, and add the hot noodles into the frying pan. Stir it all together to coat the noodles with the oil from the tomatoes and the juice from artichoke hearts.

If desired, sprinkle with garlic salt or whatever herbs you enjoy, or grate some fresh hard cheese on top (like Parmesan or white cheddar).

Administrative, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes, Review

Restaurant Review: Wang’s Chinese Food in Cromwell, CT

November 22, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

For those unfamiliar with my system of reviewing food service establishments, I use three areas, with a scale of 1-10. The Budget Epicurean has not been compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions are my own. For reviews, preference will be given to unique, local, family-owned establishments. Food locations will be evaluated based on:

Taste: 1 (wet toast) – 10 (your taste buds have died and gone to heaven)
Atmosphere: 1 (gas station bathroom) – 10 (Buckingham Palace)
Value: 1 (not worth it) – 10 (super duper deal)

Today’s restaurant review is for Wang’s Chinese Restaurant in Cromwell, CT. A small home slash business building tucked just off West Street (Route 372) in between Route 9 and highway 91, I have passed this place countless times on my way to work. And every time I think, hm I should go there sometime. Somehow I just never got around to it… Then I found out a friend of mine just so happens to know the owner, and so we decided to take a trip for lunch.

Upon parking, the first thing I noticed was that it is actually quite larger than I had thought, since the entire left side of the building was a large dining area which can be rented out. When we walked inside, it smelled immediately of those delicious umami smells of soy sauce, bubbling soup, and stir frying vegetables.

There is a fully stocked bar, so you can have traditional sake right alongside a Cosmopolitan if you so desire. There is ample seating for both tables and booths, in a nice dark cherry wood, and white linen table cloths. Some very quiet, soothing music was playing in the background, nonintrusive enough that you forgot it was there.

As soon as you are seated, the waiter immediately brings over a bowl of fried dough pieces and sweet and sour dipping sauce. It is like the Chinese version of chips and salsa. The sweet and sour was so delicious, I could practically drink the stuff, and the dough chips were the perfect level of crispy. Somehow, it all disappeared very quickly…

The next endless part of the experience is the hot tea. Every lunch special (and dinner too) includes bottomless pots of hot tea. I love that, because tea is the best. I’m pretty sure I had at minimum nine cups. Good thing the cups are so small! We also had soup included in our lunch orders, I chose won ton while my friend ordered the egg drop. The soup was so tasty I wolfed it right down, and didn’t even get to take a picture… oops. Sorry, not sorry.

With menu items ranging from $1.50 to nearly $28 for the Peking Duck, there is something for everyone’s budget. Their lunch specials are quite reasonable at $6.50 or $6.95, and includes all you can drink hot tea, soup (won ton or egg drop), egg roll, and entree. Lunch is daily from 11:30 – 3:00.

I ordered the shrimp and broccoli, and funny story, my friend ordered the same thing. She got veggie fried rice, while I stuck with the included pork fried rice, and you can also choose steamed white rice. When the food came out, it smelled absolutely wonderful, and was a very generous portion size. You can see the plate was pretty much overflowing.

The brown sauce was perfect, lightly coating the shrimp and veg but not overpowering. There was a ton of flavor, but I didn’t feel as if I had licked a salt shaker while eating it, which is a good sign. The rice was springy and flavorful as well. The broccoli was steamed just right, soft enough but still with a slight crunch. And the shrimp were gigantic, with 5-6 big pieces per plate.

The owner came over to say hello while we were there and asked how our meals were. We of course said ‘absolutely wonderful’! My friend introduced me as a new frequent customer, and I have to say, she was right. With a distinctly mom-and-pop feel, attention to detail and attentive staff, very generous portions for a reasonable price, and amazing food that actually tastes like food and not something frozen and microwaved or doused in chemicals, I will definitely be returning here often! I’m glad to have finally given this hidden gem a try, and so should you.

Overall, I’d rate Wang’s Chinese Restaurant:

Taste: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Value: 9

You can read other reviews here:

Taste of Austin Part I (Austin, TX)
Taste of Austin Part II (Austin, TX)
Sue of Siam (Aurora, CO)
Pho Lee (Centennial, CO)
Little Owl Coffee (Denver, CO)
Three Sheets (New Haven, CT)
Sushi Palace (North Haven, CT)
O’Rourke’s Diner (Middletown, CT)

Comfort food, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Soups

Ham and White Bean Soup

November 19, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 2 Comments

As the days grow colder and shorter, sometimes there is nothing quite so amazing as a steaming bowl of soup. Soup is wonderful for so many reasons. You can easily sneak all kinds of healthy veggies and ingredients into soup. Soups are generally very kind to the budget, with frugal ingredients like beans and grains, and the ability to save about-to-expire produce. Soup feels good on a sore throat, and is mostly healthy (if broth based, not fatty/creamy).

And soup just tastes great.

This ham soup starts with a rich & nutritious broth made from the ham bones, but if you don’t have the time (or the bones) you can use pre-made stock as well. You can also substitute in any type of veggie you prefer, though I recommend sticking to about 2 cups of some sort of leafy green, and 1 cup of another harder veg for contrast.

Ingredients:

1 ham bone + 6-8 oz meat
2 large carrots
1/2 bunch kale
1 large can white beans, or 2 small cans
Optional: 2 tbsp chicken bouillon

Step 1: In a crock pot or stock pot, simmer the ham bone in enough water to cover for 8-12 hours, during the day or overnight. Strain the liquid, pull any remaining meat off the bone and shred it, and return it to the pot. Discard the bones.

Step 2: Bring the stock to a boil, and add the kale and carrots. Drain and rinse the beans to get rid of excess sodium and add to the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until carrots soften.

Step 3: If needed, add in the bouillon. This soup seems simple, but the base is so flavorful from being stewed so long.

I suggest serving this with thick, soft Italian or multi-grain bread, and you may or may not want to shred some cheese over top. I added just a touch of Vermont white cheddar, and it was absolutely scrumptious! Even the fiancee, who just kind of tolerates soups, loved it and had seconds. If you’d like your soup a little thicker, add less water and mash up one of the cans of beans before adding it.

Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Informative, Vegan, Vegetarian

Green Tomato Salsa

November 17, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

When you have lots of green tomatoes and are tired of fried green tomatoes, what else can you do besides wait for them to ripen? You can turn a whole bunch of them into salsa! Red tomatoes shouldn’t have all the fun. Salsa is a classic condiment, and is great on tacos, eggs, in soups, or on chicken or pork. Green tomato salsa has a unique vegetal taste that red tomato salsa can’t match. And once you’ve made a big batch, you could can the rest and have it all year long! Or give them as cute, thrifty, from-the-heart gifts.

This recipe includes no added sugar, you instead get some sweetness from baking apples. If you require your salsa to be sweeter, you can add in a tablespoon or two. I’d recommend apple cider vinegar over white, but you can also use white vinegar. Add hot peppers to your own spice preference level too. Same goes for sea salt, if you want some salt in your salsa. I prefer my salsa as plain and clean as possible so I know what is in it and can adjust the meal as a whole later when I use it.

Ingredients:

10 pounds green tomatoes
2-3 large green apples
1 red onion
1 head garlic
2 green bell peppers
1 hot pepper (serrano, jalapeno…)
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Step 1: This step definitely takes the longest, but is fun. Rinse your tomatoes and other produce, and chop everything into small bite-size pieces. I just did them in rotating batches of lots of tomatoes, then half the onion, then one pepper, etc. until everything was chopped up. Put it all in a big stock pot.

Step 2: Put the heat on medium-high, and add the cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook for at least one hour. You can go do something else while this is cooking down, and could probably do it in a slow cooker as well.

Step 3: If you want certain spices/flavorings (like bay leaves, cumin, sea salt, cilantro, etc) add them here.

Step 4: To use a pressure canner, consult the instructions for your machine. To use water bath canning, same prep work. Sterilize your empty jars by running through a dish washer cycle and/or boiling in plain water 20 minutes.

Step 5: Fill each jar up to 1 – 1/2 inch from the rim. Wipe the rim clean, and place a lid and ring on it, tightening it (but not too tight, you need air to escape). Here I tried the Tattler re-useable jar lids for the first time!

Step 6: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and place the jars inside. Process the jars for about an hour. Adjust for your altitude if above sea level.

Step 7: Remove the jars to a towel, and let them sit, undisturbed, overnight or about 8 hours, to cool. The lids should “pop” tight and will not give or bounce when pressed. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Easy Stuffed Peppers

November 15, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Do you love meals that don’t take much work? Do you want to eat healthier? Do you want healthy meal ideas that don’t take much work? You’ve come to the right place!

This is a super simple meal I had at work during my “track every thing I eat week“. It took less than 10 minutes in the morning to put together, then I just let it cook in our small toaster oven at work for an hour. By lunchtime it was hot and ready to go! With no preservative, added fats or sugars, and all fresh produce from my or my neighbor’s garden, it doesn’t get much better.

You can of course use whatever produce you have available to you. Other pepper colors can be sweeter (for example, red bell peppers) and you can stuff just about any vegetable in there. You can also use other grains if you don’t like couscous, for example rice, barley, quinoa, or wheat germ.

Ingredients:

2 small bell peppers
1 large tomato
1/2 small eggplant
6 tbsp couscous
2 garlic cloves
8 tbsp hot water

Step 1: Cut the tops off the peppers and pull out the seeds. Cut in half and lay in an oven-safe container. Chop the eggplant and garlic, and cut the tomato into quarters.

Step 2: Pour 1 1/2 tbsp couscous into the pepper, mix with chopped garlic, and top with eggplant pieces. Add 2 tbsp hot water to each half to get the couscous soaking. If you want to add some ground turkey, go for it. Cover with the tomato slices.

Step 3: In an oven or toaster oven, cook on high (350) for about 1 hour. Add more water to each pepper half as needed.

This is a lovely, hands-off meal, just assemble and let it go. It is light and healthy but packed with flavor.

Comfort food, Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta, Sneaky Healthy, Vegetarian

Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce

November 12, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Pasta sauce is one of my absolute favorite things to pack extra veggies into! Any time you have a sauce, chili, soup, or stew, is an excellent opportunity to be sneaky healthy. By blending things in, no one knows they are there, yet you are giving the people eating the meal extra doses of fiber and vitamins. There’s no reason not to!

The best things for blending in include beans, greens, and carrots. Beans thicken the sauce because of their natural fiber content. Greens may change the color a bit, so keep that in mind. And carrots provide a slight sweetness while not affecting the overall color very much. Keep in mind with carrots, you must cook them first so they soften before trying to blend them in, or juice them.

In this sauce, I went really bold and added some spinach as well as a half bag of frozen carrots and peas I had left from a previous meal. To this I added a full can of stewed tomatoes, and 1/2 cup milk. Simmering everything together makes it soften, and then if you have eaters that won’t tolerate chunks, pop half or all of it into a blender before serving.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen spinach, thawed
1 can stewed diced tomatoes
1/2 bag frozen carrots & peas
1/2 cup milk

Step 1: Thaw the spinach, and squeeze out extra water. Put in a pan with the peas and carrots, and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until carrots have softened.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and milk, and cook another few minutes. Puree in a blender. You can further cook it down to thicken the sauce, or serve as is.

I added some crumbled cooked bacon and sprinkled on Parmesan cheese, but if you serve as is this is a perfect vegetarian meal. You can see what I mean about the greens changing the color of the sauce. If that is a problem, just start with very small amounts of greens, maybe just a handful of spinach rather than the whole package.

Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Main Dishes

Pork with Peppermint Raspberry Sauce

November 5, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

This is a super-easy dinner you can create in less than 30 minutes, and it looks like you slaved all day. Raspberry and peppermint naturally go together, with a sweet yet menthol cooling after taste. Thin boneless pork chops are great to keep in the freezer for a quick last-minute dinner, because they defrost very quickly, and take to hundreds of different flavors and sauces well.

For this recipe, use either 4 small pork chops, or one larger 1-1.5 pound pork roast. The sauce can be made while the chops cook, so that they are ready at the same time. I made some potatoes and wilted spinach, but you could have a salad or any roasted veggie you like on the side to complete the meal.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops or 1 pound roast
1 tbsp butter or margerine
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp cran-cherry juice
2-3 drops peppermint
1/2 pint raspberries

Step 1: In a frying pan, melt the butter and fry the pork chops. Cook 5-6 minutes, then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes.

Step 2: In a small sauce pan, mix the juice and vinegar. Add the raspberries, and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: After the raspberries have basically fallen apart, add the drops of peppermint, and strain it if you don’t want the seeds. Drizzle over the cooked pork.

“What’s New and Beneficial About Brussels Sprouts

The fusion of food, fun, frugality, and curiosity.