So here it is, in all its unglamorous glory: my cheap meal. Not just a cheap meal, but the ultimate one. This is the dinner or lunch I turn to constantly when money is tight. The great thing about it is it’s simple to adjust the flavor to match what you feel like at the moment. Basically it’s just rice, some frozen veggie you have on hand, and as an option some old frozen protein. Toss those three items in a bowl with some sort of flavor profile that you find appealing and you have yourself a meal fit for a king, but paid for from the pockets of a pauper. more…

Ingredients

Pork Chop

1 pork chop
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorn
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp crystallized ginger
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 gallon water more…

The best test for checking out the new seasonal fruits and vegetables is to prepare them with little fanfare. Roast some root vegetables or squash. Make an apple tart. Anything that requires you to do as little as possible to the produce will garner you praise for your cooking prowess. Meanwhile it’s all nature’s doing. That was the inspiration for dinner this evening. I couldn’t pass by the mounds of squash tumbling off the display racks at the grocery store without picking up just one. more…

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
2 Tbsp butter
1 ½ tsp maple syrup
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees more…

Ingredients

1 pork loin chop
Sofrito (recipe follows)
Arepas (recipe follows)
Rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro, for garnish more…

Ingredients

Brine

¼ cup salt
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp black pepper corn
1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
5 whole cloves
¼ cup orange juice
Ice and water more…