New Years Eve: Roast Pork in Pork Belly, lemon risotto, carmelized onions and broccolini

No cooking tonight! We went to our friend's home and they cooked up a feast......Roasted Pork wrapped in Pork belly, lemon risotto, balsamic caramelized onions, and broccolini. It did not fit any of the categories of "quick, healthy, or inexpensive" but that's what holidays are all about. We tasted a series of amazing barrel beers such as Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale (highly recommend). It was a new experience for me. It was fun to spend New Years with some foodies that have a different cooking style than my typical.

fig and goat cheese pizza

And what's za without a salad...and if im going to use the oven..why not make some cranberry chocolate chip bars for dessert:)

The Cheap: Buy the 1 dollar whole-wheat refrigerated pizza dough from Trader Joes!

Thai pineapple rice salad with jerk chicken

3 cups cooked rice, chilled in the fridge 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 can of diced pineapple drained 2 large carrots, shredded ½ cup thawed frozen green peas ¼ cup green onion, sliced 1 red chili, seeded and minced ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped + a few leaves for garnish ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped For the dressing: ¼ cup rice vinegar 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 2 tsp brown sugar ½ tsp salt (Recipe from Robin Robertson's "Vegan on the cheap") I baked some Chicken in Jerk sauce to go with it.