Shrimp Tacos

Andy and I discovered the deliciousness of fish tacos on our trip to Mexico in 2008 - we have spent the time at home since that vacation trying to perfect the fish taco at home with many variations. We almost always have shrimp on hand in the freezer so we decided to mix it up this time and make fish tacos with shrimp instead of the usual white fish...it was amazing! These were so good that I was surprised we somehow managed to save the last two tacos to photograph before devouring them! If you like Mexican food and shrimp, these tacos are a must-try - they are also great with the usual white fish with the same seasonings, but the shrimp are a little sweeter and firmer. Enjoy! :o)

Andy took this photo of our creation - yummy!!

Shrimp Tacos

Makes 6-8 small tacos

The tacos include layers of guacamole, shrimp, and coleslaw on a tortilla. 

Instructions for each of the components are below.

For the tortillas:

1 cup Maseca

water

salt

Combine the Maseca and salt in a medium bowl. Add enough water to form the dough (add water or Maseca as needed to create the correct texture). Roll dough into golf ball sized pieces and press with a tortilla press or roll thin with a rolling pan. Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat and cook tortillas one at a time for 45 seconds on each side. Remove to a plate.

For the shrimp:

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tbsp. lime juice

1/2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes on each side until pink and cooked through. Cut shrimp into smaller pieces if you want to. Toss cooked shrimp with lime, cilantro, salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the coleslaw:

1 package shredded cabbage (next to the bags of salad)

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. agave nectar

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until using - stir occasionally.

For the guacamole:

2 ripe Hass avocados, flesh scooped out

1 tbsp. minced jalapeno (adjust to taste)

1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp. onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

salt and pepper

Mash all ingredients for the guacamole in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate until using.

Layer each component as you wish, and enjoy. Yum! :o)

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Andy adores mexican food.... a lot! Because of his crazy work schedule lately, we wanted to make a delicious home-cooked Mexican meal on Sunday, and these enchiladas sounded great. I have never made enchiladas before, so I did a lot of research - this particular dish is a blend of several recipes, primarily one by Tyler Florence. This makes a pretty big batch (10 enchiladas) and they reheat really well for lunches or meals several days later. Next time I make these, I will make a double batch of the tomatillo salsa because it was very good and it would be delicious with chips as an afternoon snack! Enjoy :o)

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 10 enchiladas

Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic clove, peeled
2 jalapeno, halved and seeded
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced 

For the salsa: pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet lined with foil, put the tomatillos (halve or quarter any bigger ones), onion, garlic and jalapeno. Roast for 15 minutes, then transfer vegetables and any accumulated juices to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until ingredients are blended well and the salsa is still a little chunky. Set aside.

Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chicken stock, storebought

Chopped cilantro leaves

1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 large corn tortillas

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 

To make the enchiladas: pre-hear the oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the flour until there are no lumps, then gradually whisk in the stock, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Increase the heat and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a simmer, then remove from heat. Add the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the tomatillo salsa, and cilantro and stir well to combine. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread a spoonful of the tomatillo salsa onto the bottom of a large casserole dish (13"x9") and also pour some of the salsa onto a separate plate. Warm the tortillas over the flame of the stove for about 10 seconds per side (if you don't have a gas stovetop just put them under the broiler in the oven for a minute or so). Once warmed, put the tortilla on the plate with the salsa and turn to coat both sides of the tortilla with the salsa. Spoon a tenth of the chicken mixture down the middle of the tortilla and top with a little Monterey Jack cheese. Roll like a cigar and put into the casserole dish seam side down. Continue with the remaining 9 tortillas. Top the enchiladas with some more tomatillo salsa and more cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with cilantro lime rice and black beans for a delicious Mexican-inspired meal! Yum :o)

Pork Carnitas

Delcious Carnitas!

Carnitas literally means "little meats" and it is usually pork or beef which has been simmered or braised for hours. I think of it as pulled pork, Mexican style. This version is for pork carnitas which ends up being a very versatile ingredient in many recipes. Use for tacos, burritos, a topping for nachos, quesadillas, huevos rancheros... the list goes on and on!

In this version, most of the work is done in a slow cooker. It starts with an inexpensive cut of meat seared in a hot pan, then finished for a few hours in the slow cooker. You can sear the meat the night before, then put it in the slow cooker the next morning. Easy and delicious... enjoy! :o)

Pork Carnitas

Serves 4-6 when used in an entree

Ingredients

1 (4 lb.) pork butt or pork shoulder - remove any excess fat

2 tbsp. oil

spice rub (below)

1 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Spice Rub
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions

Mix together all ingredients for spice rub. Set aside.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Sear the pork for 2-3 minutes on each side until slightly browned, then remove to a plate. Put the bay leaf in the bottom of the slow cooker. Rub the spice blend on all sides of the pork and add to the slow cooker then pour the chicken stock around the pork being careful not to wash off the spice rub. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 8-10 hours until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily. Remove from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks or your fingers (let it cool for a few minutes first). Enjoy!

Carnitas Burrito Bowls

Enough of these Winter blues... we decided to heat it up for dinner and make something warm, spicy, and delicious! I am a huge fan of burrito bowls from Chipotle. If you have never had one, I recommend it, but this homemade version comes very close! The burrito bowl is basically a pile of burrito ingredients minus the wrap. They are sometimes called "naked" burritos as well, but either way, it is all the goodness of a burrito without all the fuss. I fell in love with the burrito bowl because I could never finish a whole burrito when we ate out, and the bowl was easy to store and eat the next day. The leftovers also make a wonderful huevos rancheros brunch dish, but that's for another day :o)

To make the burrito bowls, we layered chipotle lime rice, then frijoles negros, carnitas, cheese, homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, then sour cream in a shallow bowl. Feel free to mix up the toppings to suit your own taste! 

I highly recommend trying this out, either as a bowl or as a burrito. For the burrito, just use all the same ingredients and wrap them in a flour tortilla. Delicious!