"Guilt-Free" Ribs

"Guilt-Free" Ribs

So, I thought I had invented the holy grail of delicious clean food. BUT I didn't. When I make ribs, I usually use the crockpot and, fit people look away..., use a soda, coke, dr pepper, etc and pour it over the ribs close it and I'm good to go. But since we're trying to be clean, I decided to think outside of the box. I opened my fridge and saw organic apple juice and thought, oh. my. gosh. I'm a genius, but I'm not.. this is a totally documented way to make healthier version of ribs. Oh well, it was still mighty tasty!

2lbs Pork Ribs

2 cups organic apple juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

2Tbsp white vinegar

1Tsp garlic powder

2Tsp Worcestershire Sauce

S&P

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce (you can sub in something organic, or homemade)

The best ribs are cooked low and slow. I didn't really have the time so I did high for 5 hours. An hour before it was finished I put a light coating of bbq sauce on top.

Alana's Review

Taste: 4/5

Ease: 5/5
Comments: This was amazing and I didn't feel guilty for eating it (I rarely do - baha). The only complaint I had was that my ribs were super thick and a little fatty. So, it was extremely moist, and I much prefer it a little drier and some char. I didn't broil it either, which I will do next time!

Get Well Chicken

Get Well Chicken

Right as I got back on the blogging wagon, my whole family got sick! Somehow, each was sick in differing ways... So when I finally mustered up enough strength to cook, I wanted to make something that was easy and would make up feel better. I love combining rice, chicken and ginger when we're sick. It always makes me feel a little better.
 I took a whole chicken, rinsed it inside and out, put it in a baking dish, and added some S&P and garlic powder. I also added (don't read the next word bc it's not diet friendly...) butter. I added 1/3 butter stick on top and let it melt over the whole chicken. Baked at 350* for about an hr and 40 minutes. I cooked some white rice and dusted ginger over the rice and placed the chicken on top.

Alana's Review

Taste: 4/5
Ease: 4/5
Comments: This was super delicious, the only change I would make is to baste it throughout.

Toddler Review:
While he didn't "mmmmmm" through every bite, he a bunch of it. So I count this as a win in my book!
Summary: Toddler approved!

Seared Sea Bass w/ Rice and Veggie Medley

Seared Sea Bass w/ Rice and Veggie Medley

I'm always on the hunt for new types of fish to try. My local supermarket was having a special on sea bass, so I thought I'd give it a try. Since I'm unfamiliar with this type of fish and what goes good on it, I decided to cook it simply with basic spices and butter. I didn't measure the spices I used, so you'll have to adjust to taste, but I sprinkled the sea bass with garlic powder, paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper, italian seasoning, and S&P. I melted some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, I seared the sea bass on both sides. One great thing I learned about this fish is it is a pinkish red when raw, but turns white when cooked so you can easily gauge how done it is. For the veggie side, I just cut up 1 carrot, a quarter of a yellow squash, and 1 stalk of baby broccoli (I was cooking for just myself tonight so if you're cooking for your family, use way more). I sauteed the carrot first in a pan with a splash of olive oil, then once that started softening I added the sliced yellow squash and cut up baby broccoli. I also added a bit of minced garlic, S&P, and let it all cook together until soft and lightly browned. Then I served the fish and veggies with a side of plain white rice. 

Sarah's Review

Ease: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Comments: Sea bass is DELICIOUS! I loved this fish. It stays together pretty well in the pan and has a great flavor. The spices worked really well with the fish, and there wasn't a drop of food left on my plate afterwards. You can of cource sub brown rice for the white, but I'm just not a big fan of brown rice. You can also you any veggies you want for the side, sky's the limit!