Thursday, June 23, 2011

Adobo Marinated Pork Tacos w/ Pineapple Salsa

Our entree this week is a southwestern favorite! Tacos! I know you will like these. There have mega flavor!
We need to marinate our pork for at least 2 hours. Here's the recipe:
Adobo Marinade
(adapted from fox13now.com)
2 cups fresh diced Tomatoes
3 tablespoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Chipotle Peppers, pureed
2 tablespoons Honey
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped Garlic
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2-3 lbs Pork Tenderloin or Pork Loin
Slice the roma tomatoes in half.
Slice each half into 4 slices.
Slice the tomato halves the opposite way you 
to create diced tomatoes. Do this until you have 2 cups.
Place the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of Chili powder
in a bowl.
Puree your chipotle Peppers in the food processor. If you don't 
have one available to you, chop chipotle peppers very fine or tiny.
Add it to the bowl.
Chop the garlic. 
Add the garlic to the bowl along with the honey, 
brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and cayenne pepper, 
and olive oil.
Slice your pork into thin slices.
Then cut the slices into strips.

Turn the pork side ways and cut slices again.
You will end up with these pieces above.
Take all you pork and put it into the bowl of marinade.
(I can't believe I missed this pic, sorry!)
Cover the bowl and set it in the refrigerator for
at least 2 hours, but no more than 24 hours.
Lets make our Pineapple Salsa while the pork is marinating.
(adapted from Dole.com)
2 cups chunked fresh Pineapple
1/4 cup Pineapple Juice
1/2 cup finely chopped Red Bell Peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped Yellow Peppers
1 tablespoon chopped Green Onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh Cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped Jalapenos Chilies
Chop the top off of the pineapple.
Slice down the side of the pineapple, taking the skin off.
Get as close to the skin as you can, but try to get as
many eyes as can. I left quite a few on my pineapple, 
so I will have to cut them out when I am done taking 
the skin off. DARN!
Slice pieces of pineapple.
Cut centers out of each piece.
Cut slices out of each slice.
Turn the slice and cut the other way.
Now you have your chunks!
Take your yellow pepper and cut off the top.
Cut the usable pieces away from the stem, 
and throw the stem away.
Cut a piece of the pepper off and cut it into strips.
Then cut the other way, creating diced pepper.
Do the same thing to the red pepper. 
 Chop the green onion.
Tear the cilantro off of the stem, bunch it together,
and chop into little pieces.
Cut the top off of the jalapeno pepper.
Cut down the side of the pepper, around the 
center membrane, which we do not want.
Make sure to keep your hands away from your face 
until you have time to wash your hands. The jalapeno 
and the seeds can cause a burning sensation and it really
can hurt your eyes.
 Clean out all the seeds by running the peppers through
cold water.
Slice the jalapeno into strips and cut into diced pieces,
just as we did the red and yellow peppers.
Place everything into a bowl, stir it up, and refrigerate.
Now, back to our tacos:
Get everything ready that you like on your tacos.
 Sizzle the pork with the marinade until the pork is 
cooked through.
 Put your taco together. Add some pineapple salsa.
Dig In & Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today. Thanks for your 
patience as I catch up with the week. (My new 
computer is working great~crossed fingers)

Later tonight, I will post this weeks side dish,
Southwest Egg Rolls.

I hope you can join me!!

 

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Salad w/ Homemade Chunky Mango Citrus Dressing

It's seems like I am saying this a lot lately, but again I could not post yesterday, due to some sort of technical problem with my computer. Actually, not just some sort of problem, my entire computer has passed on to a better place. Computer heaven, maybe? I don't know, but I am now posting this blog on a new computer! So, I hope that you will forgive me one last time? Or, should I say, one more time? Ouch, I hope this is the last time.
Anyway, let's talk greens. As in salad greens. We are making a Green Salad with Homemade Chunky Mango Citrus Dressing.
Green Salad

Green Lettuce (your favorite)
Endive Lettuce
1 Roma Tomato
Red Onion
Corn Niblets
Avocado
Nacho Chips



Homemade Chunky Mango Citrus Dressing 
2 large Mangos, peeled and diced
1/4 oz Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
4 tablespoons Green Onions. cut thinly
12 oz Sweet Chili Sauce (Mae Ploy)
1/2 cup Orange Juice or Orange, Strawberry, Banana Juice
Peel mangoes.
Cut the mango from the bone that runs through the 
center of it by slicing down the side of the mango
around the bone. Then, slice each piece of mango.
Now, cut through the slices sideways. 
Pull the leaves off of the mint. Put all the leaves in a 
small, tight bundle, and chop into small pieces.
Put the mango and mint in your bowl.
Chop your green onion and put it in the bowl.
Add the sweet chili sauce and the juice to your bowl.
Pour the ingredients in a blender, and pulse until 
Mango pieces are loosely pureed.
Pour your dressing back into your bowl, cover, and place
in the refrigerator overnight.
 Put your salad together, as you like. 
Serve dressing on the side when served.


Thanks for joining me today, and thank you for your
patience as I dealt with my computer problems.

Tomorrow we will be cooking our entree~
Adobo Marinated Pork Tacos w/ Pineapple Salsa!
Please join me!



Monday, June 20, 2011

Ridin' Fence Nachos

We are starting the week with one of my all time favorite appetizers. I have made lots of fancy, smancy appetizers in restaurant kitchens, but none of them can stand up to this one. This is the good stuff!
 Ridin' Fence Nachos

Nachos(your favorite kind)
1 can refried beans or our Cowboy Beans, right here:
(http://thefreshmancook.blogspot.com/2011/05/cole-slaw-cowboy-beans-quite-pair.html)
Diced Onions
Diced Roma Tomatoes
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Queso Fresco Cheese
Sour Cream
Avocado

Place the nacho chips on a microwavable plate.
You will be serving on this plate also.
Top your chips with the beans. I love the beans, so 
I put a generous helping on them. The amount is up to you.
Top the beans with your chopped onions and diced tomatoes.
Now top your tomatoes with shredded cheddar and 
Queso Fresco crumbles. Place in the microwave and cook for 
about 45-60 seconds, or until cheese is melted.
When the cheese is melted, top the nachos with a
scoop of sour cream. Cut your avocado and place
diced pieces around the plate wherever you want.
Isn't that pretty?!
Enjoy! It's sooo good!

Thanks for joining me today!
I hope you like today's recipe. 
Tomorrow we will be making
Green salad w/ Homemade Chunky Mango Citrus Dressing!

See you then!