From the Archives: Pork Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw

It had been awhile since I had made these pork tacos. I was actually reminded by some friends about them when they mentioned it is a weekly staple in their house. Running into friends and readers at the market and knowing they are making recipes I have posted over the years is the reason I keep this little site up. Thank you for helping me do so! 

Now back to these tacos, they are so easy and full of flavor. The nice thing is that with minimal effort you can elevate your taco night to something really special that feels gourmet. Bonus is that it is light and healthy. I forgot the peanuts this time around, but if you have them use them. It really takes it over the edge. 

Pork Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw and Peanuts
Forks & Amusement 2011
serves 4

For the Pork:
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and cumin
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced and smashed with the back of your knife to make a paste
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin (could use 1 whole or 2 small)

For the Slaw:
2 tablespoons light sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons honey
juice of one lime
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

For serving:
1/2 cup crushed peanuts
chopped fresh cilantro 
tortillas of your choice heated according to package instructions

Combine all the seasonings for the pork in a small bowl and stir to combine well. Rub seasoning all over the tenderloin, cover and refrigerate at least for 1 hour and up to overnight.

Preheat grill or grill pan on stove to medium-high heat. Grill tenderloin for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness), turning over once until cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes with a foil tent cover. Cut into 1/2 inch sized cubes and toss in any remaining juices from cutting board.

Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, salt, pepper, honey, lime, cilantro, and scallion in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add the cabbage and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

To assemble: Place two tortillas on each plate. Fill with some of the meat, top with a little slaw, cilantro and sprinkle with the peanuts. Serve immediately. 

(note: if you like extra spice, add some Cholula like I did in the pic above. Or green Tabasco!)

Enjoy!
xoxo
Erin

Mexican Lasagna

This is a recipe from the archives that I make all the time. I get asked for the recipe all the time. And I happen to know that those that have made it, make it over and over again as well. So it is time for you to get on board. It deserves a repost on this site and I hope you dive right in. It is so, so delicious. If you want to make this for more of a crowd, just double it and add more layers. 

Mexican Lasagna 
Forks  &Amusement 2010

serves 4+

There are 5 layering components, I have separated them out and then we will talk assembly at the end

Meat Mixture

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1.25 lbs. ground turkey (you can use any ground meat you prefer)

1 tablespoon cumin

2 dashes cayenne

salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the olive oil and add the onion and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes then add a pinch of salt & pepper, stirring to coat with the oil. Cook an additional 5 minutes and add the garlic. Stir occasionally, then once the onions are translucent, add the turkey, breaking it up and combining with the other ingredients with a wooden spoon. Add the cumin and cayenne, sprinkle with more salt and pepper, continue to stir and break up meat. Cook until meat is cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Sour Cream Mixture

16 oz 2% cottage cheese

1/2 cup light sour cream

juice of 1/2 of lime

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside

Other components:

7 oz. or 1 3/4 cup grated cheese (I use the Mexican mix at the market, cheddar and Monterrey jack, reduced fat)

9-12 soft tortillas (use multigrain, low carb, or old fashioned, they all work)

1 1/2 cups salsa or your choice (I use my cilantro sauce from this post)

Assembly & Cooking

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Spray a standard lasagna pan (usually around 14"x 11") with cooking spray. Layer 3 tortillas on the bottom of the pan. Lay two down, rip the other in half and fill the space. Spread 1/3 of the sour cream mixture onto the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 of the meat mixture on top of that. Next sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese on top of the meat. Last, drizzle with 1/3 of the salsa. Repeat starting with the tortillas, then the sour cream, meat, grated cheese, and salsa. Top with 3 more tortillas, spread the rest of the sour cream mixture on top, sprinkle the last of the grated cheese and drizzle the last of the salsa. Note that nothing has to look perfect or be done perfectly! Bake for 45 minutes until warmed through and bubbling.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

Pork Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw & Peanuts

This is a great one from the archives over at Forks & Amusement (side note: this was my previous blog with just recipes). Sometimes I forget about these older recipes and I love going over to the other site to find recipes for the week. This recipe uses lean pork tenderloin and gives you the added bonus of some crunchy slaw. Pick whichever tortilla you like (the soft whole wheat ones have been a hit here) and you can even ditch it and serve as a salad just as well. This is an easy way to mix up your usual taco night. 

Pork Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw and Peanuts

Forks & Amusement 2011

serves 4

For the Pork:

1 teaspoon lime zest 

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, chili powder, chipotle chili 

powder, and cumin

3 teaspoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced and smashed with the back 

of your knife to make a paste

1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin (could use 1 whole or 2 small)

For the Slaw:

2 tablespoons light sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons honey

juice of one lime

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

For serving:

1/2 cup crushed peanuts

tortillas of your choice heated according to package

 instructions


Combine all the seasonings for the pork in a small bowl and 

stir to combine well. Rub seasoning all over the tenderloin,

 cover and refrigerate at least for 1 hour and up to

 overnight.

Preheat grill or grill pan on stove to medium-high heat. Grill 

tenderloin for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness),

 turning over once until cooked through. Let rest for 5

 minutes with a foil tent cover. Cut into 1/2 inch sized

 cubes and toss in any remaining juices from cutting board.


Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, salt, pepper, honey, 

lime, cilantro, and scallion in a large bowl. Mix to combine. 

Add the cabbage and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for 

seasoning.

To assemble: Place two tortillas on each plate. Fill with 

some of the meat, top with a little slaw, and sprinkle with 

the peanuts. Serve immediately.

Enjoy! 
xo
Erin 

Ahi Tuna Ceviche

Ceviche always reminds me of lunchtime on the beach in Mexico. A refreshing Marg, bowls of chips and guac, and insanely fresh fish punched up with plenty of lime. Heaven. This was my first attempt to make it at home and it was surprisingly easy and required few ingredients. The key is to get the freshest fish you can get, which is now easy at your local market. The Ahi gets "cooked" on the outside from the lime juice and stays super tender. It works great as an entree for lunch or as an appetizer like I did. Serve with chips and pretend you are having a getaway.  

Ahi Tuna Ceviche

serves 6

1lb Ahi Tuna, Sushi Grade sliced in 1/4 inch thick
1 cup fresh lime juice, about 5-6 limes
1 small red onion, small dice
1 jalapeno, small diced, seeds removed (leave in if you want super spicy)
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, diced
Green Tabasco, red is fine too

Place the tuna in the freezer for 15 minutes to get really cold, it makes it easier to cut. With a really sharp knife, dice the tuna into cubes and place in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the lime juice, onion, and jalapeno and stir to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. 

After the hour, add the avocados, cilantro, dashes of Tabasco, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled. 

Enjoy! 
xo
Erin 

Corn & Avocado Pasta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

This last weekend was probably one of the nicest we have had in any Memorial Day that I can remember. Perfect weather, burgers, and good vino was only trumped by watching the kids play together outside. We had family over for a BBQ on Monday and I made this pasta salad that I tried to make edible for everyone at the table (toddler, baby, dairy allergy, egg allergy) and it was enjoyed by all. This is a slightly different version of this orzo salad that is one of my previous food blogs highest hit recipes. I simply adjusted by not adding scallion, changing to a baby finger food friendly pasta shape, and sweetened it up the dressing. I recommend some heat if you like it, simple add in some chopped jalapeno or season with green Tabasco.

Corn & Avocado Pasta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
serves 8

1 lb elbow pasta (any shape will really do)
olive oil (1 tablespoon and 1/3 cup)
1 cup fresh corn (from two ears, sub frozen if necessary)
1/2 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon honey
4 avocados
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Cook pasta according to package, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add corn and cook just until it starts to brown and char a bit. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, and honey. Season well and to taste with salt and pepper.

Dice the avocados into cubes and add to a large serving bowl. Pour over some of the dressing and toss gently to keep them from turning brown. Add in the pasta, corn, and cilantro. Dress the salad to taste and toss gently until well combined. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin

Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos

I have been making a lot of tacos lately because I can make the meat in advance, do some chopping and make a Mexican slaw during nap time, and dinner is easy breezy come 5:30. Yep, we are on the "let's eat before bedtime train" over here. This recipe using the slow cooker is so easy. No browning beforehand, no laundry list of steps, and not a huge amount of ingredients. This meat is delicious. So juicy and tender when it comes out and perfect after a long day. Just add a margarita and you are set. 

Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos
serves 4-6
From: Eat Live Run

Ingredients:

2 lbs flank steak

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

for spice rub---

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

for serving---

corn tortillas

avocado slices

cilantro

your favorite salsa

limes

Directions:

Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak---be generous here! Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.

Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and shred with a fork. It should be incredibly easy to shred. You can either stick the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour or serve as is.

To serve, heat your corn tortillas in a skillet on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla then top with salsa, avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

My slow cooker has not been getting a lot of use this summer. It is hard to find recipes that are not heavy when using it. But there is one dish that runs all year round to everyone's delight, tacos. I am all about easy dinners that taste like you slaved. These carnitas are in the slow cooker in fifteen minutes and at the end of the day you have tender, flavorful meat to pile onto tortillas with your favorite toppings. 

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Skinny Taste

Servings: 8 

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean
• 6 cloves garlic, cut into sliver
• cumin
• dry adobo seasoning (I used Goya)
• garlic powder
• 3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste, I take the seeds out)
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on 

medium-high heat,brown pork on all sides for about 10 

minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small 

holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with

 cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crockpot, add bay leaves and 

chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low 

for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and

 combine well with the juices that accumalated at the bottom. 

Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will 

probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 

minutes.

Serve warm with tortillas, fresh chopped cilantro, avocado,

lime and all your favorite toppings. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Orecchiette with Sausage, Corn, and Chilies

There are not a ton of pasta recipes that make since in the summer that you serve warm, but this one has al fresco night dinner written all over it. The recipe is an interesting mix of Mexican and Italian flavored that really turned out lovely. I wish I could take credit for this creativity, but Martha strikes again. This is also delicious as leftovers for lunch the next day. The market did not have orecchiette that day, but bow tie was just as good. 

Orecchiette with Sausage, Corn, and Chilies

Martha Stewart Living, June 2013

serves 4 to 6

Salt and Pepper

1 lb orecchiette pasta

8 oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 to 3 jalapeño or Fresno chilies, deseeded, very thinly sliced (keep some seeds if you like more heat)

4 1/2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (from about 6 ears)

sour cream, for serving

fresh chopped cilantro, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, and then drain pasta. 

2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up into bite size pieces, until golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate; drain fat from skillet. Add butter to skillet, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add chills and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add corn and continue to cook until corn turns a deeper yellow and chilies are softened, about 2 minutes. Return sausage to pan along with pasta and toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to form a smooth sauce that coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with sour cream and cilantro. 

Enjoy! 

Erin 

Weekend Look: Cinco de Mayo

You must think I am totally obsessed with Cinco de Mayo given the amount of posts I am writing about it. And truth be told, I am. But I think because I am not celebrating with a big soiree this year, I am having withdrawals and taking it out on my posts. I promise, this is the last one.... At least until next year. 


So now that we have the meal covered, the drinks and the table, it is time to style you for the party. A crisp white dress with neon accents, the perfect canary clutch that you will cherish for years, and some earthy, but fab espadrilles to keep it down to earth....

Dress: Lipsy $136

Clutch: Victoria Beckham $650

Wedges: Delman $237

That over sized VB envelope clutch is officially on my list of must haves for the summer. Nothing is a better summer staple than tan leather wedges that work day or night and these actually look comfortable. The dress also has an exposed zipper in the back making it even more amazing. 

Happy celebrating this weekend. Whether you are going all out for the holiday or just cracking open a Corona, enjoy. 

xo

Erin 

Set the Table: Cinco de Mayo

To go with my recipe on Monday, I was thinking of how to set the scene with a few easy pieces. Instead of the over-the-top decor of so many fiestas, let's try a more sophisticated approach...

 Set of four Tumblers $18

Walnut Serving Tray (on sale) $58

Sacaton Dinner Plate $20

Azure Tablecloth $128

Spicy Grapefruit Margarita 

I am totally obsessed with the plates. The pop of orange with a great print is the perfect backdrop for a fun meal. The cobalt blue in the tumblers is a great contrast with the richness of the wood tray. As for the Spicy Grapefruit Margarita (recipe here), it not only looks delicious but color coordinated. Who could ask for more? 

xo

Erin

Cinco de Mayo Carnitas

With Cinco de Mayo just five days away, I wanted to share one of my favorite (and easy) Mexican recipes. This takes just a few steps and produces the most melt in your mouth carnitas I have ever made. It is the perfect base for a taco bar and a night of margaritas. I like to set out warm tortillas, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, pickled red onions (recipe here), lots of chopped fresh cilantro and a variety of hot sauces. The recipe makes quite a bit, but you can certainly make even more for a large crowd. I like leftovers, as the carnitas are amazing the next day with fried eggs and tortillas. 


Carnitas
Epicurious April 2011
serves 8, 24-32 tacos


4 lbs pork shoulder (also called Boston butt, I know not a great moniker), cut into two inch cubes
3 cups water
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 navel orange, halved
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican if you have it
1 tablespoon salt


Put all the ingredients in a wide 6 to 7 quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface and discarding any froth that comes to the top. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender. About 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated, leaving just the fat, after two hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often until it has. 


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish and brown, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This gives the pork that nice crisp on the outside. 


Carnitas keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. 


Note: If you want to make half a batch, cut the amount of pork, salt and oregano in half, but use the same amount of remaining ingredients and water. 


xo
Erin 

South of the Border Chic

I am obsessed with Otomi embroidered fabrics from Mexico. Ever since I had Christmas dinner on one last year, I have wanted one of my own. The crazy price of it has kept me from taking the plunge since I do not spend that much on table linens. But after seeing this application from Pinterest, I think I could justify the price tag. 

via Pinterest 

The headboard is fantastic and such a great way to use the fabric. I also am loving it as a way to cover otherwise dull chairs. 

via Pinterest

Or you could simply use as a bedspread like below. I like how the neutral color gives some interest to this otherwise basic room without being too loud. 

via Pinterest

Simply hanging as wall art would be so fun, especially in a little nook like this. 

via Pinterest

The large sizes of the Otomi fabric starts around three hundred dollars. 

This Etsy store sells the below option and a couple others. 

Also on Etsy was this great Otomi covered ottoman. Obsessed. 

For a less pricey option, these pillows would be so fun on a bed, couch or piled on a chair. You can find them in a few colors and styles from this Etsy store. 

I love that there are options for this great fabric and I am hoping to figure out how to incorporate it into my pad. 

xo

Erin