Crock Pot Ribs

With baseball practice, church, and miscellaneous events, life is busy these days. So any time I can throw something in the crock pot and not have to worry about it too much is a win. I've made these ribs from Mmm... is for Mommy a couple times, and tonight I'm making them again. Aaron and the kids are big ribs fans, and they all loved these. They're easy, and they have a nice glaze/crust on the outside and they're fall-right-off-the-bone tender.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• S&P to taste (about 1 tsp each is what I used)
• 2 lbs pork baby back ribs (leave the membrane on the ribs to help hold them together)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne and S&P.  Rub this mixture all over both sides of your ribs well.  Arrange ribs in the slow cooker by standing them up against the wall of the stoneware pot, thicker side down and meaty side against the pot. Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low (I did 7 hours and they were perfect).

Once the initial slow cooking is done, very carefully (as they are tennnnderrrrr) remove the ribs to a baking pan which you have lined with foil and put a rack on, bone side up and set aside. Skim any fat that has risen to the top and strain all of the remaining juices from the slow cooker through a mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Bring to boil and allow to simmer and reduce by about a third, approximately 15 minutes.  Put your oven’s broiler on to preheat and make sure that there is an oven rack about 10 inches below the broiler element.  Once the broiler is preheated, brush the ribs with sauce and broil for 3 or 4 minutes. Take them out and very carefully flip them over, brush with sauce and broil again, meat side up, for approximately 9 minutes, taking them out once or twice to baste with more sauce. Serve any remaining sauce on the side with the ribs.

Shakes & Smoothies

A couple of weeks ago, we decided to start working towards eating healthier (again), and I found this week long cleanse from Shape. We didn't do the full cleanse, but did opt to do the shakes/smoothies for breakfast and lunch most days. They were pretty good, filling, and we both lost a few pounds. Here are a few of our favorites.

Chocolate Morning Wake-up: Combine 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup baby spinach, 1 frozen banana, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon superfood greens (I didn't have this on hand so I left it out), 2 tablespoons protein powder, and 1 cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes 2 servings.)

Blueberry Protein Power "Shake": Combine 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, 1 frozen banana, 2 cups frozen blueberries, 1 scoop (1/4 cup) protein powder, and 1 cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes 2 to 4 servings.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup: (Aaron's favorite, of course) Combine 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 cups baby spinach, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cored Bartlett pear, 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes 3 servings.)

Chocolate Avocado Goddess: Combine 1 avocado, 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup ice, and 1 cup unsweetened almond milk in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. 

Grilled Shrimp with Triple Lemon Butter

BUTTER
6 lemons (limes may also be substituted)
8 T. butter (1 stick), slightly softened
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Set one lemon aside for step 2. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons until you have 1 cup. Place the lemon juice in small saucepan and boil until syrupy and reduced. Let cool.
2. Grate the zest from the reserved lemon and set zest aside. Using a small knife, cut off all the white pith to expose the yellow flesh of the lemon. Chop the lemon flesh, discarding the pits and the membranes.
3. Combine butter, lemon zest, chopped lemon, cooled lemon syrup, and salt and pepper in food processor and process until smooth.

Butter can be made in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a week. Bring to room temp before serving.

SHRIMP

20 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 T. finely chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat grill to high.
2. Brush shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the shrimp until pink and opaque, and just cooked through. 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove the shrimp to platter and brush hot shrimp with lemon butter. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Spaghetti & Meatballs (The Minimal Prep Version)

Here's yet another of my minimal prep, uber cheap dinners for nights when we have a lot going on, but still want to take the time to sit at the table together. Plus, its one of Abby and Carson's favorite meals. Sometimes, I do it all homemade, but I like to have these things on hand for the nights when I don't have the time to make meatballs and sauce.

Ingredients
Whole wheat pasta (I like Market Pantry at Target) ($1)
1 jar pasta sauce (I like Market Pantry at Target) ($1.32)
1/2-1 bag Fully Cooked Italian Meatballs (Beef or Turkey) from HEB ($2.98)

1 bag steamable vegetables (green beans or broccoli) or an easy salad ($2 or less)

Directions
Follow package instructions.

P.S. The above photo is from our Back to School Dinner in 2010, and annual tradition in our house, and no, my son is not drinking wine. It's sparkling grape juice!

Asian Pork Loin Dinner

Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking a whole meal from scratch, so I'm always looking for easy to prep items that can be ready in a short amount of time BUT ARE STILL HEALTHY. We all know how hard this can be, so I thought I'd share one of my favorites.

Ingredients
Artisan Fresh Sweet Thai Style Chili Pork Loin Filet
Taylor Farms Asian Chopped Salad
Crock Pot Coconut Rice

Directions

1. A couple hours before dinner, begin the coconut rice in the crock pot.
2. Cook Pork Loin. Option 1: Grill it. Option 2: Sear in cast iron skillet on all sides and then finish cooking in the oven.
3. While pork is cooking, cut bag of salad open. Dump salad in a bowl.
4. Serve.