{ lime and chili pork tacos with jalapeño cream sauce }

These pork tacos are awesome -- so many contrasts of flavors make for an overall tangy combination that's out of this world. Ty kept saying, "These are GOOD," throughout dinner, which is always a good sign.

The jalapeño cream sauce was made from peppers grown by a friend (thanks, Ben!), and the potential list of dishes to which this could be added is limitless. For starters, I added it to my eggs the next morning (and included a picture below!). It's delicious. If possible, make it in advance so that it has a chance to chill before being added on the tacos. The cool, smooth texture is so yummy with the warm meat and onions (don't skip making the onions!).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat another pork taco. :)

Lime and Chili Pork Tacos with Jalapeño Cream Sauce
(adapted from Food & Wine)

Ingredients
Jalapeño Cream Sauce

• 4 jalapeños, seeded and cut into large sections
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• juice of one lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt, to taste

Tacos

• 8 1/4-inch-thick boneless pork chops
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced in rings
• juice from 1 1/2 limes, divided
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder (regular chili powder works fine), divided
• kosher salt and freshy-ground pepper, to taste
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
• 1 avocado, halved and sliced length-wise
• jalapeño cream sauce (see accompanying recipe), lime wedges, and cilantro, to garnish

Process
Jalapeño Cream Sauce
In a food processor,puree jalapeños, cilantro, mayo, garlic, olive oil and lime juice. Taste and add salt, as needed.

Refrigerate.

Tacos
Preheat a grill pan for at least 5 minutes. Arrange the pork on a large baking sheet. Brush all over with half of the olive oil. Season with salt and half of the chile powder. Squeeze the juice from a lime on the meat before putting on the grill. Do the same once the meat has been flipped.

Grill the pork, turning once, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Preheat heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Place sliced onions in a bowl and top with remaining olive oil. Stir until evenly coated. Add remaining chili powder and sprinkle with salt.

Add onions to hot skillet, stirring occasionally to cook evenly. Once onions begin to soften, squeeze the juice from half a lime over the onions and continue to cook until charred and tender.

Transfer the pork to the cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch strips; transfer to a platter. Serve on warm tortilla with the onions, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño cream sauce and lime wedges.






breakfast the next morning!

{ spicy cool cilantro yogurt sauce }

I've repeatedly scribed about my love affair with El Pato Mexican tomato sauce. It has a perfect spicy flavor without being overwhelmingly hot, and goes well with so many recipes. I adore it, and it's become a staple in my pantry (added bonus: you can buy it at Wal-Mart!).

So recently when I needed a cool cream sauce for shrimp tacos, I naturally turned to my favorite condiment, El Pato, and added it to yogurt and a few other spices. In the process, I made a pleasant and surprising discovery -- the resulting tasty concoction is good on so many different dishes. I've topped scrambled eggs with it for an amazingly scrumptious breakfast. I've also used it as a dipping side (much like sour cream) for chicken cilantro quesadillas, where it blends so well with warm chicken and ooey gooey melted cheese.

I've now taken to keeping a bowl of my "goes with anything" sauce in a covered glass bowl in the refrigerator. It easily spoons on top of so many different things!


Ingredients

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup El Pato tomato sauce
  
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

Process
Whisk together yogurt and El Pato sauce. Add cilantro and lime juice, and then remaining seasonings.

Spoon over favorite dishes, such as tacos or quesadillas, or use as a dipping substitute for sour cream.


Keep in refrigerator and enjoy!

cheesy jalapeño breakfast casserole

I stumbled upon this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, the Homesick Texan, and decided to give it a whirl when my mom and sister were visiting last week. I tweaked it some, and can absolutely see it becoming a breakfast-time staple in our house. Everyone loved it!

My only complaint is that I actually wish I'd doubled the recipe -- I could've eaten on it for days and days.

It's a perfect (fast & easy) dish for entertaining out-of-town guests, and would be an absolutely super addition to any brunch.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 Roma/plum tomato, seeded and cubed
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, diced
• sour cream, tomatoes, avocado (topped with lime juice), and fresh cilantro, for serving

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using non-stick cooking spray, lightly grease an 8x8 casserole dish.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in flour, dry mustard, baking powder and salt.
• Add the cottage cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, butter, jalapeños, tomatoes, and cilantro; mix.
• Pour the eggs into the casserole dish, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the center is firm.
  
• Serve warm topped with a dollop of sour cream, chopped tomatoes, cubed avocado with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
  

Yields 4-6 servings

cilantro chicken sour cream enchiladas with cilantro lime rice

... con El Pato!

That's right! Mi amigo, El Pato, has returned. But this time, he's wearing a green can, as opposed to red. I feel like I've discovered a whole new world. I love the spicy kick these salsas add to so many different recipes.

Today's offering: Cilantro Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 cup sour cream (I used 1/2 a cup of low-fat and 1/2 a cup of fat-free)
  
• 2 (7 ounce) cans jalapeno salsa (El Pato!)
  
• 2 (7 ounce) cans prepared green chile salsa
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked (poached) and shredded
  
• 1 small yellow onion
• 12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I use a 2% milk, Mexican mix)
  
• sour cream, to garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Sour Cream Mixture: In a blender or food processor, puree cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno salsa and green chile salsa. Set aside.
2. Chicken Mixture: In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, onion, 1 cup of cheese, and 1-2 cups of the sour cream mixture. Mix well.
3. Preheat oven to 350° F.
4. Heat tortillas in conventional or microwave oven until soft. Pour enough of the sour cream mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish to coat the bottom. Place 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour remaining sour cream mixture over all and top with remaining shredded cheese.
5. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes, or until dish is heated through and bubbling.

Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, a sprig of cilantro and a side of cilantro lime rice.

Cilantro lime rice

Ingredients

• 3 cups of cooked, hot basmati/long-grain rice (I use Texmati)
  
• 1 large lime
  
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup of chopped, fresh cilantro
  
• 1-2 teaspoons of salt, to taste

  

Preparation

1. Fluff cooked rice with a fork
   
2. Add lime juice, zest, cilantro, and salt.
3. Stir well.
   

my [indoor] herb experiment

Here's my first stab at growing herbs indoors. I'm starting with my two favorites -- basil and cilantro. So far, they love the big bay window in the kitchen. I'm kind of stunned at how well they're doing!

It's been a lot of fun to watch them sprout and grow -- especially the cilantro. We just planted a handful of seeds in a tin container, and voila!

I would love it if they exploded in potential salsa productivity. I've never been too successful growing cilantro in the ground for longer than a month or so. At that point, the Texas sun has always fried the beautiful, tender green goodness. So hopefully, the indoor variety will be kinder and gentler.

My dream would be to have to re-pot it in a ginormous "just for my cilantro" clay pot. A girl can dream, anyway.

We shall see.