Full Dinner - Pork Chops, Bulgar Pilaf, Garden Salad

Hey all - Thanks for the feedback about the breakfast smoothie-hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Well, here's the dinner I made last night. It was a hit...I don't think there's anything left. First of all, I'd like to preface these recipes by saying that 95% of the food I buy is from Costco. I love Costco because they have extremely high quality standards, and the bulk buying makes it more affordable for my family and saves some cost. I would highly recommend anyone who's buying for 3 or 4 or more to shop there.

GARDEN SALAD

Toss together in a large bowl:
Spring Greens
Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Spinach

Add:
2-3 carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 large seedless cucumber, seeds removed, diced
4-6 baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 apple, cored, diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 C dried cranberries

Toss salad so ingredients are disbursed. Serve with Strawberry Vinaigrette

STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Put in blender:
3 large strawberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
dried basil, to taste

Blend and tweak oil/vinegar to desired consistency.
Tip: Feel free to omit ingredients and/or add other ingredients such as walnuts, almonds, blueberries, etc. Get creative!

SAUTEED PORK LOIN CHOPS

I start with a full pork loin from Costco. I cut mine in half and freeze the other half for future use. Slice 8-10 3/4" thick chops from roast. Place chops in gallon freezer bag. Add directly to bag:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp lawry's seasoned salt
2 tsp ground sage
2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp dried thyme (or oregano, basil, or other dried italian herb)
1 tbsp granulated garlic

Seal bag and toss so that all chops are coated with seasonings and oil. Remove air from bag and let marinate for about 20-30 mins. Spray large sautee pan with Pam and heat over med-high heat. When pan is hot, add pork chops and sautee for 4-5 mins per side, and cook until internal temp is around 160 degrees. Place cooked chops on plate and cover with aluminum foil until ready to serve. Serve with Bulgar Pilaf. Enjoy!

BULGAR PILAF

Rinse with warm water and set aside:
2 cups cracked wheat
Heat in medium saucepan:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Add to heated oil:
1 C chopped red onion
When onion starts getting tender, add:
2 tbsp minced garlic
Add cracked wheat and toss to coat with onion, garlic, and oil. Add:
2 C hot water (tip: heat cold water, never use hot tap water)
2 tbsp chicken bullion
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground sage
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 jalepeno peppers, chopped (optional)
1 green pepper, seeds removed, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
4-6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 C frozen super sweet corn
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork and taste for tenderness. Keep covered until ready to serve.


I hope these recipes turn out well for you and your family. I have been using cracked wheat as a grain source. It seems more dynamic than brown rice and is easier to prepare. This and many of my recipes are created as they make them, so these ingredients are what I threw in to the best of my memory. Feel free to explore new ingredients and modify as needed to what you have on hand. I'm all about being resourceful and using the ingredients you have on hand, so feel free to innovate...you may not always produce a great dish, but you will surely learn what works and what doesn't. Thanks for reading, and leave some feedback about this meal if you use the recipe!