I ♥ COOKING

So I normally don't post things I have made myself, but today will be an exception. I love, love, LOVE cooking! I especially enjoy cooking for my dear husband. There is nothing better than cooking for those you love! It makes me so happy and to me it's one of the best ways to get inspired. I rarely follow a recipe (not that I think there is ANYTHING wrong with that at all, it's just the opposite, but as soon as I start mixing ingredients my brain starts going "what if I added this?" and "I wonder what it would taste like if I did this?"... I can't help it!). Something that I started doing a couple of months ago is taking pictures after I've cooked a meal. I didn't really intend to post them anywhere. It's more like a food journal. It's too often that I make new things and then COMPLETELY forget about that dish. I though this would be a good way to keep a little record of some of my favorite things I've tried out.

Since my sweet husband started his diet, I've been making tons of healthy foods. Here are a few of them!

This one was a ricotta/beef stuffed manicotti

Pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes+gravy, herbed broccoli

Salad with a bunch of stuff, parmesan couscous, basa fish

During Spring we got to enjoy this beautiful garden

the weather was perfect for an outdoor breakfast. It was my favorite part of spring

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice + mini pizza (I ran out of mozzarella)

breakfast turkey+ spinach omelette sandwich

Strawberry Pear smoothie with coconut milk

Spinach/sun-dried tomatoes/fetta cheese stuffed pork chops with a mustard sauce

beef stroganoff with steamed/herbed veggies 

Savory ground beef crepes with creamy cheese sauce

chicken lettuce wraps

Seared Salmon Salad + Basil, asiago cheese artisan bread topped with mediterranean tomatoes

chicken/spinach/tomatoes/red bell peppers/ lemon butter sauce pasta

Pork ribs + corn/pepper risotto + roasted garlic asparagus

After announcing on facebook that I was makingthe pork ribs above, my sweet cousin Marjorie asked for the recipe. Here it goes! Sorry the measurements aren't very specific - just another problem of cooking recipe-less.

Costelinha de Porco:

2 pounds of country style boneless pork ribs
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2-3 bay leaves
1 beef bouillon cube (I actually used the "costelinha" flavored one my mom brings from Brazil)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Just add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to a large pot, add the ribs and garlic and brown the meat for just a little bit to seal the juices in. Add all the other ingredients together. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 45min to 1 hour stirring periodically. It should only take about an hour, but if the meat is not tender enough, just add a little more water and let it cook for a while longer. Once the meat is to the desired tenderness, just take the lid off, turn the heat to medium high and stir until all water is evaporated you you are left with a little bit of a thick sauce covering the meat. Super easy!