Biggest Apologies!!!

I haven't posted anything in forever!!! I left for my baby shower on the fifth, and have been so busy putting together baby furniture and planning Thanksgiving, it just got away from me! The good news is, I WILL be doing my thanksgiving turkey recipe, garlic green beans, and possibly mashed potatoes! Ummmmmmmm...YUM

I've also got another roasted vegetable recipe coming up, but it's a secret *shhhhhhhhhh* ;)

Here's a picture of a delicious turkey to get you excited

Slow Cooker Apple and Onion Pork Roast

I had a plan when I went shopping, it was buy one get one free on chicken thighs, and they were more per pound than usual. There I was again, one plan out the window, and I had to come up with something on the fly. I was trying to get a decent amount of meat for a week for under $9. Pork sirloin roasts were on sale, and I saw my meal ticket! I got a five pound roast for about $8.50. Luckily, I had delicious things in my pantry. If you've never tried pork and apples in any combination...you need to, you just do. I could see it, juicy pulled pork, with slow cooked granny apples, and sweet onion. I was sold! I knew this would be a good recipe for this chilly, cold, stormy day. With such a large cut, my options for leftovers will be endless. I will be sure to post my ideas later in the week for leftovers. Tonight, I'm catering to Jeremys favorites, and so I'm making some healthy burritos with whole wheat tortillas and home made salsa. You'll be missing out if you don't give this a try when any roasts go on sale...just sayin'

Pulled Pork

Pork Sirloin Roast:

4 1/2 to 5 lb pork roast

1 rounded tbsp salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 tsp cumin

1 big onion (any kind), sliced into half moons

1 large granny smith apple, sliced, but not too thin

2 cups chicken stock or chicken bullion

Preheat a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Sprinkle all the seasonings over your pork roast. This seems like a lot, but there's a lot of meat on the inside that won't get seasoned, so you need a lot on the outside to ensure a lot of flavor. After your pan is heated, sear your pork until browned on four sides, about 2 to 3 minutes for each side. While your pork is browning, put your stock, apple, and onion in the slow cooker. Put your pork roast in the slow cooker, and turn it to low for 8 to 10 hours because this is a large cut of meat. You can also do it on high for about 5, but I really recommend slow for this one.

Also a side note, you can use a different kind of apple, but this kind of apple has a tartness that cuts through the richness of the pork. If you have a different kind of apple, slice up about half a lemon and add that so you have some acid to balance out your flavors. YUM

 

Turkey and Lentil Tacos

I'm in one of those places right now, where I have some of this, and some of that, but dinner still needs to be made. I only have 1/2 pound of ground turkey, but I had to figure out how to stretch that to make tacos. There are so many options to stretch a buck and fill out your meat, including shredded veggies or potatoes, and beans or legumes. I've always loved lentils, and that started because of their low calories, but I love the flavor that can be infused in them, much like rice. I'm also adding a layer of rice to the bottom, so this is a very cheap dinner. The goal here is to not tell anybody the "meat" filling, is not all meat. These are a wallet pleaser and a people pleaser all in one!

Turkey Lentil Tacos 

Meat mixture:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
3/4 tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water
1/4 cup water

Lentils:
1 cup lentils
3 cups water (roughly)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo
1/2 tsp curry
Black pepper
1 beef bullion cube (or add 2 cups water and 1 cup beef stock)
1/4 to 1/2 cup your favorite jarred or homemade salsa

Heat a skillet to medium high heat and melt your butter. Add your turkey and cook for about 2 minutes before adding your garlic and onions. Cook for at least one minute before adding your seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes. Mix your cornstarch and add it to your mixture with your 1/4 cup water. Cover with a lid or foil, and simmer for about 20 minutes. You may want to check to see that your liquid doesn't cook out and your meat burns. You can continue to add a bit of water at a time to maintain the original consistency. 

For the lentils, add everything to a pot of water over high heat except for your salsa. After it boils, turn it to a simmer, put a lid on, and cook for about 45 minutes until very tender. Add your salsa, the amount depends on how wet you want your meat/lentil mixture and how much of the liquid cooked into your lentils. Add a heaping one cup of your lentils into your meat and stir together. Put together your tacos! I layered white rice seasoned with curry, but you can do beans and cheese, or just meat if you want. Some crunch is really great too, like some shredded cabbage or lettuce. You'll think it's all meat, its THAT good! And cheap......and healthy........I've outdone myself