EASY RECIPE
October 4th is National Taco Day!! Here are some awesome but easy recipes to help you celebrate!
Slow Cook Pull-Pork Taco
I used my Ninja slow cooker. I now had the piece of mind that come’s from knowing there would be an awesome pull-pork meal ready in seven hours.
Serves 4 – and there will be leftovers for lunch!
Ingredients:
3 lbs, boneless center cut pork loins.
1 onion – sliced in thin rounds and then in half.
1 cup chicken stock.
1 cup coke.
3/4 cup BBQ sauce.
2 cloves garlic – minced.
1 Tbsp chipotle sauce.
1 tsp chili powder.
1/2 tsp dried cumin powder.
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke.
1 Tbsp olive oil
package of super soft corn tortillas.
1 or 2 tomatoes – diced
1 head cabbage – shredded coleslaw like.
1 avocado – skinned and sliced.
1 lime – cut into wedges.
1 can re-fried beans.
1 cup shredded white cheese such as Parmesan.
Preparation
Place olive oil in slow cooker (if using Ninja set to stove top).
Add the pork loins and onions.
In a bowl combine broth, coke, BBQ sauce, chipotle sauce, garlic, cumin, liquid smoke, chili powder (salt and pepper to taste) and stir to mix.
Pour the contents of the bowl over the pork and onions. Lift pork so cooking broth gets underneath.
Place cover on slow-cooker, and change setting to slow cook 7 hours.
Now go do what needs to be done for the next 7 hours.
Prior to dinner, shred the cabbage, dice the tomatoes, cut the limes, and avocado, and heat the re-fried beans.
Heat the tortilla shells in oil in hot pan, or micro-wave them, or eat as is – whatever.
Remove the pork and shred it on a cutting board.
Plate tortilla shells, add small portion of cabbage, shredded pork, onions from the slow-cooker, tomatoes, avocado, drizzle a little juice from slow-cooker,and top with cheese. Add a lime wedge for garnish.
Plate re-fried beans, and some hot sauce, and you are ready to eat!
Conrad’s Shrimp Street Tacos.
Ingredients: Serves 4 people
1lb Shrimp (peeled and deveined) use a medium to large size shrimp
Corn tortillas (min. 2 per person)
1 head lettuce
1 Onion
1 to 2 ripe tomatoes
4 Avocados
Cilantro
4 Limes
Sour Cream (light sour cream is fine for the calorie watchers)
Cheese (your choice, but we used medium sharp cheddar)
Old Bay seasoning (2 tbsp)
Cumin seasoning (1/2 tbsp)
Cayenne seasoning (1/2-1 tsp) This stuff brings the heat!
Olive oil
1-2 cans your choice black or re-fried beans (this will be your side)
Salsa of your choice
Tortilla chips
Taco Prep:
Shrimp:
Cut shrimp into little cubes about 1/2 inch and drop into bowl.
Add seasoning and sprinkle with olive oil.
Mix and set aside
Taco Fillings:
Get several bowls out. We are going to prep all the taco fillings. Go ahead and prep more than you think you’ll need. This will be served buffet style so we want people to not be shy about filling up their tacos.
Finely chop onion, tomatoes, lettuce, 1 avocado (small cubes), cilantro and grated cheese (1-2 cups). Slice limes.
Set all into individual bowls
Tortilla Prep:
Each tortilla needs to have a sprinkling of olive oil. This keeps them from sticking to the pan as you fry them, but also helps give a slight crunch and golden brown look. Follow my steps to achieve this goal and it’s a fairly low cal/grease technique. You want a slight coating on both sides. Not dripping, but coated.
Sprinkle/drizzle oil over tortilla. Then grab another “dry” tortilla and rub them together spreading oil onto both tortillas.
Repeat
Cook time:
Preheat one large pan/skillet (high heat).
Preheat one medium pan/skillet (medium high heat).
Open beans, put into pot on low to simmer.
In large pan/skillet over high heat fry tortillas. The idea is to give each side a nice golden brown. You know it’s close when the tortilla starts to visibly bubble up. Flip as needed. When cooked, place on plate and cover.
Add shrimp to medium pan. Cook for about 4 minutes or until pink. These guys cook fast!
Fish Tacos
Recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 lb. fish filets ( I used cod but you can use whatever you like or looks the freshest)
8 soft corn taco shells
4 limes
2 avocados – sliced
1 red onion – diced
1 tomato – diced
1/2 cup cilantro – chopped
14.5 oz black or re-fried beans
olive oil
1/2 Tbsp chipotle chili pepper
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
4 Tbsp low fat mayo
Colby cheese – grated
Siracha (spicy red sauce in Asian food section)
Preparation:
Rinse and paper towel dry the fish filets. Place filets on a plate and drizzle olive oil on each filet, then spread oil with fingers. Halve two limes. Squeeze juice of one lime on the filets and then sprinkle each with half the chipotle and cumin powder. Flip the filets drizzle with oil , juice of the second lime, and add the remain chiptole chili pepper and cumin. Finally sprinkle a little chopped cilantro and salt and pepper on the fish. Cover the fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Chop lettuce, dice onion, tomato, and place in small bowls for individual use.
To a small bowl add the mayo and add maybe a 1/4 tsp of Siracha, squeeze a little lime juice and stir. If you want the mayo spicier add more Siracha.
Heat BBQ grill to high. Grill fish on each side for 4 minutes. Only turn fish once to avoid breakage.
Heat beans on oven.
In the last 4 minutes of grilling peel the avocados and cut into strips.
Place 8 soft taco shells on a paper plate, cover with damp paper towel and cook in microwave for 40 seconds.
Plate one fish filet on each taco shell and invite your family or guests to add the goodies in the bowels, and small plate of lime and avocado slices, to construct their vision of the perfect taco. I like to put a little smear of the mayo-siracha spread on half the taco shell and top with all the goodies. Repeat as necessary!
Good Eating and Table Talk,
Roger
My action novels Goldplay and Veyron are available in select bookstores, and in all e-book formats. Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com
