Cinco de Mayo!

Is everyone getting as excited about Cinco de Mayo as I am?  Yes, we know that Cinco is barely even celebrated in Mexico, but around here we love any excuse for a good party–especially if that party includes loads of margaritas and guacamole.  Tomorrow you can try to weather the crowds at your favorite taco joint, but why not stay home and make some of our favorite Tex-Mex recipes for your friends?  Amazing taste, leftovers, and no Uber required. Here is a round up of our favorite Mexican posts throughout the last year. ¡Happy Cinco!

1. Classic Margaritas

Starting off strong with a classic margarita.

2. Spicy Chicken Tacos with Corn and Black Bean Salsa

The corn salsa gives a little freshness and crunch to this spicy chicken taco.

3. Mexican Street Corn Salad

A take on the traditional elote, this corn salad is the perfect side for your Mexican feast.

4. Slow Roasted Pork Tacos with Salsa Verde

Let the oven and a jar of salsa do all of the work for you–your friends will never know!

 

5. Mahi Tacos with Mango Salsa and Mexican Slaw

The grilled fish along with the sweet slaw gives a little baja flair to this taco.

6. Mexican Chicken Soup

The best take on a comfort food classic. This lightened-up version has lots of fresh lime and cilantro, yum!

7. Healthy Tex-Mex Tostadas with Tomatillo Cilantro Lime Dressing

Loaded up with veggies and a creamy dressing that’s surprisingly healthy, you can get away with eating these tostadas every day of the week.

8. Mexican Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

Easy weeknight stuffed peppers with a kick from our favorite Mexican seasoning.

9. Creamy Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Green salsa, cream sauce, and tons of melted cheese?  Sign me up!

10. Tacos al Pastor

Pork, pineapple, and spice make these my favorite tacos on the list!

11. Watermelon Agua Fresca and Popsicles

 

Bright, refreshing, and the perfect cool end for your fiesta.

Hope everyone has the happiest of Cinco de Mayos! What are your plans for the big day?

 

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Tuesday’s Table – Slow Roasted Mexican Pork Tacos with Salsa Verde

I definitely have a penchant for Tex-Mex flavors, (that’s clearly been shown here already!) but I’m also always trying to find a way to make my Mexican food more authentic.  This recipe is adapted from carntias recipe by Javier Plascencia, one of the hottest chef’s in Mexico these days.  It’s ridiculously easy to throw together although does take a while to cook down once it’s in the oven.  I’ve never had much experience with a slow cooker, but I bet this would be the perfect recipe for one! By ways of salsa, both making your own and buying a good store-bought type are great options, but I like combining the best of both worlds to maximize ease and deliciousness.

Slow Roasted Mexican Pork

2 lb pork butt, fat trimmed

3 tsp salt

3 tsp cumin

3 tsp coriander

3 c. apple juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

Season the pork butt with salt, cumin, and coriander and put it in a large heavyweight pot.  Cover with apple juice and add minced garlic.  Put it in a 425 oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes to start to caramelize.  (If using crock pot add after this step on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8). Then cover the pot, drop the temp to 200 and let cook for 3 hours.  At this point you will want to check the tenderness with a fork.  If it’s not quite tender enough yet, cook for up to an hour more.  Whether using oven or crock pot you should always have some liquid in the pan, so feel free to add a little more apple juice, water, or stock if you’re increasing the cooking time.  Then remove from oven or crock pot, let rest for 15 minutes, and shred with forks.

Salsa Verde

1 c. jarred green salsa

1 handful cherry tomatoes, chopped

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, minced

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/2 avocado, chopped

juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve on top of tacos or with tortilla chips!

Tacos al Pastor

Our friend Catherine is an excellent cook. She always has been and often cooks gluten free. I saw these tacos of hers and knew immediately that I wanted to make them for Cinco de Mayo and asked if I could share her recipe of hers.

So here we have our very first guest post… Thank you so much, Cath!!! 

Tacos are my very favorite thing. Or maybe nachos…it is a close race. I think they are both the perfect treat, and we do many versions. This is one of my favorite ones because you make the filling of the tacos in the crockpot, so that makes this easy recipe even easier. Who wouldn’t want to come home to a house filled with the smell of tacos after a long day?

There is also a way to do this in a hot skillet on the stove, but I prefer the crockpot for days when I have been working.

I do take the time to grill the corn. Grilling the corn is actually quicker and easier than it sounds and adds depth to the tacos.

  
For the pork:

1 Boston butt/pork shoulder
A good dusting of cumin
A capful of hot Mexican chili powder, or regular chili powder
1 can of chilies in adobo sauce (in the ethnic foods aisle at most grocery stores)
3 table spoons/cloves of minced garlic
3 tablespoon/small handful of minced cilantro 
Pineapple chopper into cubes
1 teaspoon olive oil

First, sear the pork on all sides in a hot skillet with the olive oil. Once it has a nice crust on all sides, put in the crockpot. Add in the chilies in adobo sauce (whole can), garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. If you are doing this in the a.m. before work, set on low. If doing later in the day, set on high. About 30 min before you are ready to serve, add in diced up pineapple. The pork will be very tender, and you can shred it easily.

For the corn:

Corn
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper 
Dash of chili powder

Toss fresh cobs of corn in the olive oil, salt, & pepper to coat the corn in a small amount of olive oil. Grill over direct heat, turning frequently, for 5-10 min until the corn has good color & caramelization. Once done, cut corn off the cob.

For assembling the tacos (all optional, and all easy to sub):

Diced red onion
Lime wedges
Sliced radishes
Cilantro
Corn (or flour) tortillas (I prefer corn + they are gluten free)
Crumbled goat cheese, feta or a crumbled Mexican cheese (cotija, etc.)
Guacamole (I cheat & buy it from whole foods since theirs is awesome)
Grilled corn

Heat the tortillas (gas range, microwave, or oven), then put guacamole on each tortilla. Spoon the pork/pineapple on to the taco, add the corn and any of the other toppings. Squeeze a lime wedge over the top & enjoy!

*This recipe makes a LOT of taco filling, so you can freeze portions to pull out later, or these are great for a crowd. A great option for any Cinco De Mayo Fete*

**Cilantro lime rice is an easy side to add with these. Tastes great, and is very quick & easy!*

Mahi Tacos with Mango Salsa and Mexican Slaw

Fish tacos are always one of my favorite things. I feel like I make them throughout the Spring and Summer. Honestly should starting making them in the middle of January when I am wishing for any taste of Summer (will try to remember this next year).

You can make so many different variations making these an easy dish depending on what you already have at home.

  

  

Mango Salsa:

Mango

Avocado

Lime

Red Onion

Cilantro

Salt

Peel mango with vegetable peeler. Hold mango carefully as you slice away from the pit as it will be quite slippery once peeled; then dice and add to small bowl

Chop avocado. Add to mango.

Finely dice 1/2 of a red onion, add to bowl.

Add the juice AND zest of one lime

Add freshly washed, chopped cilantro (I LOVE cilantro so I use a lot but even just a little bit will do the trick)

Sprinkle sea salt on top and stir. Set aside until ready to top your fish tacos.

  

 

Mexican-y Slaw:

Cabbage – Either one bag of store bought angel hair slaw or 1/2 of a cabbage thrown in the food processor

Chopped Cilantro

1 Tbs. Mayonnaise

1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil

Juice AND Zest of 1/2 of a lime (for this whole meal buy two limes; one for mango salsa; 1/2 for this; 1/2 to squeeze on tacos before serving or in your water.. or beer)

1 Tbs. Sea Salt

Pinch of Sugar (1/2 tsp. ish)

Cumin

Cayenne Pepper

Paprika

Combine bottom 9 ingredients in a bowl to create a dressing, season with cumin, red pepper and paprika according to your taste. It will be a strong flavor but is needed to give a boost to the cabbage.

Toss the cabbage with the dressing, cover and place in the fridge to season. Could be made ahead of time.

  

  

Regardless of which white fish I find at the grocery or have in my freezer I use the same seasoning before I saute/grill the fish.

Fish Taco Seasoning:

2 tsp – Paprika

1 tsp – Cumin

1 tsp – Garlic Powder

1/4 – 1/2 tsp – Red Pepper (depending on the level of heat you like)

Salt and Pepper

Once fish is patted dry and seasoned on both sides, heat a small bit of vegetable oil in a skillet (or send these outside to be grilled). Add fish and cook for 3 minutes per side, until the fish is white and you cannot see through it.

  
For a more traditional tacos use corn tortillas, for an Americanized version use flour tortillas. Or really just use whatever you have. If you have a gas range run the tortillas over the flame to char them a bit, if not place them on a plate, dampen a paper towel and put on top of tortillas; place in microwave for 20 seconds. Both of these if just to add some warmth to the tortilla and neither of these are necessary.

This is all best served with a cerveza or a marg. 

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

Taco Night

I would happily eat Mexican food every day of my life.  Not only is it delicious, but the Tex-Mex version is quick to make and inexpensive.  My fiance William and I have tacos about once a week because of all of these winning qualities, and here’s how we do it.



Chicken Tacos

-2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces

-2 Tbsp. canola oil

-2 tsp. cumin

-1 tsp. coriander

-1 dash garlic powder

-1 pinch salt

-corn tortillas

Optional Toppings

-lime

-green onions

-cilantro

-red onion

-corn and black bean salsa*



Combine the canola oil, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and salt in a Ziploc bag and add your chicken.  Let this marinade overnight or for at least a couple of hours.  Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat, and add your chicken.  Allow this to cook without moving it around very often.  This will result in a nice char on the outside.  In the mean time, heat your tortillas over a gas range or you can warm them in your microwave.  Let everyone top their tacos how they please and enjoy!

*I made my corn and black bean salsa by combining 1 can of black beans (drained), 1 can of sweet corn (drained), 1 carton of cherry tomatoes (chopped), 1 green onion (chopped), a little red onion (diced), and a vinaigrette that I made with olive oil, lime juice, salt, crushed red pepper flake, and a pinch of sugar.  This was delicious to eat with tortilla chips too!