Slow-Cooked Carnitas Tacos

This is my all time favorite taco recipe. It's super simple and tasty.

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2 large onion, cut into 4 pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
Fresh cilantro springs
Corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Using fingers, shred pork; transfer carnitas to platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside.
3. Wrap corn tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and tomatillo salsa.

Marinated Chicken Breasts

FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vinegar, like cider, balsamic, or red wine
3 teaspoons dried herbs, like thyme, oregano, rosemary, or crumbled bay leaf
2 tablespoons mustard, whole grain or Dijon
2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces

Directions:
1. Put the vinegar, herbs, mustard, powders if using and oil in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. Open the bag, drop in the chicken breast in the bag. Close and shake the bag to coat evenly. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
2. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, under cold, running water, or in the microwave at 30 percent power for 1 minute at a time.
3. Heat a grill or grill pan. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. You can also bake the thawed chicken in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro Stir-fried Spicy Eggplant

I found all the P.F. Chang's recipes online!

Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant, peeled, cut into 1" dice
1 lb ground pork
1 tspn garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a paste
Canola oil for deep-frying

Spicy sauce:
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (or substitute oyster sauce)
2 tbsp Lite soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn chili paste
½ tspn ground bean sauce
½ tspn sesame oil

Directions:
1. Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well.
2. In a wok, deep-fry eggplant at 350°F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels.
3. Meanwhile remove all but ½ tspn of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds. Add eggplant and simmer for another 10 seconds.
4. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Salmon and Zucchini With Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini (about 3), cut into thin sticks

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, sage, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat

3. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

4. Add the zucchini and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6. Serve the zucchini with the salmon and vinaigrette

Soba Noodle Salad with Salmon and Asparagus

Asparagus season is here! I see fresh asparagus on sale every where. Here is a great dish you can make with it!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
Fine sea salt
5 1/2 ounces soba (Japanese-style noodles)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces wild salmon fillet, skinned
9 ounces thick asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 ounces baby spinach leaves (5 to 6 cups)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Soba noodles can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets.
Preparation
2. Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Cook soba noodles in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well; transfer to large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to coat.
4. Heat vegetable oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with sea salt and pepper. Cook until browned but still deep pink in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plate; cool slightly. Wipe skillet clean. Add enough water to skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Bring to boil. Sprinkle sea salt over and add asparagus. Simmer until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain. Add spinach and asparagus to noodles; toss to incorporate evenly. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Divide noodle salad among plates. Break salmon into bite-size pieces. Tuck salmon and avocado into noodles on plates. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and serve

Steak Picadillo Soft Tacos

This recipe was from the April issue of Bon Appetit. I love how simple it was to make it. To add some HEAT to the tacos I added some fresh jalapeno peppers.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 12-ounce strip of skirt steak
• 1/2 cup 1/4-inch squares green bell pepper
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/3 cup halved drained pimiento-stuffed green olives plus brine from jar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 corn tortillas
• Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; sauté 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add bell pepper to skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with green chiles, olives, raisins, tomato paste, cumin, and allspice. Simmer until sauce is thick, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and olive brine.

2. Cut steak into 1/3-inch-thick slices on diagonal across grain. Add steak and any juices to sauce in skillet; toss to blend.

3. Char tortillas over gas flame or in broiler until blackened in spots, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Divide filling among tortillas. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Cheddar and Chive Bread

The cheddar and chive bread goes great with the pecan crusted chicken tenders and salad with tangy maple dressing. It was super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 loaf baguette or French bread, split lengthwise, then cut in 1/2
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 blades fresh chives, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat broiler. Lightly toast bread under hot broiler. Remove bread from broiler and cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle cheese liberally with chopped chives and set aside. When you are ready to serve your meal, return bread to broiler to melt cheese. When cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, remove bread from broiler and cut into 2-inch chunks.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad with Tangy Maple Dressing

Loved it! the dressing was amazing, and it was really easy to make. I may try and bake the chicken tenders next time to make it a little more healthy.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 to 2 pounds chicken tenders
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with a splash of milk or water
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup pecans, processed in food processor to finely chop
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground
1 orange, zested

Dressing:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tangy barbecue sauce
1 navel orange, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped on an angle

Directions:
1. Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Set out 3 shallow dishes. Place flour in 1 dish, eggs beaten with water or milk in a second. In the third dish, combine bread crumbs with ground pecans, nutmeg and orange zest. Coat tenders in batches in flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixture. Fry tenders in small batches 6 to 7 minutes. Drain tenders on paper towels.
2. Combine maple syrup, barbecue sauce and orange juice in a bowl. Whisk in oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine romaine, radishes and scallions in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Toss with 3/4 of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Top salad with pecan crusted chicken tenders and drizzle remaining dressing over top.

Sauteed Cod with Asparagus, Asparagus Veloute

I discovered this recipe from Rozanne Gold's Healthy 1-2-3 cook book. This is a nutritional cookbook that utilizes only three ingredients per recipe. I like this book because the recipes are fat-free, low fat or low calories.

Ingredients:
2 pounds asparagus
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 7ounce cod fillets

Directions:
1. Cut asparagus off top 2 1/2 inches of asparagus stalks and set aside. Peel asparagus stalks. Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces. Cook stalks in large saucepan of boiling slightly salted water until very tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer stalks to blender. Add 3/4 cup cooking liquid to blender. Blend until very smooth, adding more cooking liquid to thin sauce. Blend 2 tablespoons butter into sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook asparagus tips in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain
3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Add 3 fish fillets to each skillet and cook until golden and opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Spoon warm sauce onto plates. Top with fish. Garnish with asparagus tips and serve.

Thai Chicken Pizza

My favorite grocery store is Central Market. They have the best seafood and meat selection and wide range of fresh produce. I shop there weekly and the best part about this grocery store is they have a "culinary resource center" I call it free for all fancy sample station. I never skip the food station. They usually use fresh ingredients in the store to make some dishes for customers to try and they offer the recipe with the sample. That is where I got the Thai Chicken Pizza recipe. It was so good I had went back a few times. The pizza turned out amazing. You can get precooked chicken breast and whole wheat flatbreads from most grocery stores.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
4 large flatbreads, about 8 inches in diameter
1 yellow pepper diced
1/4 cup your favorite Thai peanut sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup baby spinach leaves
Sriracha chili sauce to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season chicken with salt and five spice.
2. Divide peanut sauce between flatbreads and spread to edge.
3. Top pizza with spinach, chicken, yellow pepper and then cheese. Dot with Sriracha to taste. Top with green onions.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until flatbread is crisp ad cheese is melted. Cut each pizza into wedges and serve hot.

Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale

This recipe was from the January issue of Real Simple. I still love all of their recipes. I started trying other cook books and magazines and they were not as healthy. I'll post some of those here later with my updated version. I keep coming back to Real Simple recipes because they taste good, ingredients simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (each 1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large bunch kale, thick ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 14 cups)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the sage, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. When the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the pork to the baking sheet with the squash and roast until the pork is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing the kale and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, until the kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the pork and squash.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Basil

This is a long over due recipe. I made it right after Thanksgiving and I didn't get a chance to post until now. I made turkey stock with my left over Thanksgiving turkey and also saved some of the turkey meat. I used the turkey stock in place of the vegetable broth and also added some of the turkey meat. We ordered the smoke turkey from Greenberg Smoked Turkey. I loved that the turkey stock and the meat give the risotto a smoky flavor.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 2 1/4 pounds squash)
3 cups 1/2-inch-wide slices leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups arborio rice
4 14-ounce cans (or more) vegetable broth
1 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

Direction: 
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer squash to medium bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, leeks, and thyme to same pot and stir until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Return squash to pot. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in basil and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Quick Greek Couscous with Shrimp

This is a very simple weekday dinner recipe. To spice things up a little you can put some paprika on to the shrimp and grill it. I used whole wheat couscous for this recipe. You can find whole wheat couscous from most grocery stores.

Ingredients:
1 1/2  cups water
1 1/3  cups  uncooked couscous
3/8  teaspoon salt, divided
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
3  tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2  pounds  peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1  cup  grape tomatoes, halved
1/2  cup  thinly sliced green onions
1/3  cup  pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4  cup  2% reduced-fat Greek-style plain yogurt

Directions:
1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add couscous, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add shrimp to pan, and sauté for 3 minutes or until done. Add shrimp to couscous mixture.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, onions, and olives in a large bowl; toss. Add tomato mixture to couscous mixture; toss to combine. Serve with yogurt.

Orange Aioli Chicken Sandwich

I had to try this recipe when I found it in cooking light. The whole wheat Oroweat Sandwich Thins seems like a great idea. These thin buns are light, somewhat pillowy but not a waste of space like Wonder Bread. They are whole grain, do not have any high fructose corn syrup, are very low fat, and best of all, each bun is just 100 calories (the typical calorie count for one slice of bread is 90, so you're getting a complete bun for the cost of one slice of bread)!

Ingredients:
Citrus Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
4  tablespoons orange juice
1  teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

Sandwiches:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4  Oroweat Sandwich Thins
4  small romaine lettuce leaves
2  plum tomatoes, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices
1  peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. To prepare citrus mayonnaise, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To prepare the sandwiches, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add chicken. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove from heat. Cut chicken diagonally across 
grain into thin slices.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon citrus mayonnaise on each of 4 Oroweat Sandwich Thins halves. Top with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 chicken breast, 2 tomato slices, 2 avocado wedges, and close. 

Kale Chips

Why didn't I know about this recipe before! I would make this all the time! These are a low calorie nutritious snack. Like potato chips, you cannot stop at just eating one.

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt


Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. 
3. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms

I can't wait to eat my left over for lunch tomorrow. I just tried this new tortellini recipe tonight and I love it. It's got so many things I like in it. If you don't like fennel you can substitute with an onion. Also here is quick tip, to crush the fennel seeds, enclose the seeds in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, then pound them with a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet. Here is how you make it...

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through core, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 3 cups), fronds chopped
1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage coarsely crumbled
1 8-ounce package sliced fresh crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 16-ounce package dried tortellini with pesto filling or fresh tortellini with 3-cheese filling
1 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; sauté until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream, then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini; return to same pot.
3. Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds, and serve, passing additional cheese.

Mixed Lettuce, Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Dressing

This is my fist post in a while. I been trying out new recipes but I haven't post them on here. I going to try to post all of my back logged recipes this month.

I found a great salad recipe this month. I just love the light citrus dressing and the sweetness of the pear. I make it all the time for lunch. 

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1  tablespoon  finely chopped shallots

1  teaspoon  Dijon mustard

1/4  cup orange juice

4  teaspoons lemon juice

1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt

1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

4  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

2  tablespoons  fresh orange juice

2  firm ripe Bosc pears, cored and thinly sliced

6  cups  mixed baby lettuces

3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

1. To prepare dressing, combine shallots and mustard in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 cup orange juice and next 3 ingredients (through pepper). Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.

2. To prepare salad, combine 2 tablespoons orange juice and pears, tossing to coat. Combine lettuces in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Arrange about 1 cup lettuce mixture on each of 8 salad plates. Top each serving with about 1/4 cup pear and 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese.