Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope you enjoy your weekend and eat well!
Roasted Chile Verde Tacos
4-6 lbs. bone in pork shoulder (pork butt)
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
2 poblano Chile peppers seeded, cut in half and roasted
1or 2 jalapenos seeded, cut in half and roasted
1 lb. tomatillos husks removed, quartered and roasted
1 yellow onion quartered and roasted
4 cloves garlic whole or 4 teaspoons jarred
Chili powder. About a palm full
ground cumin. About a palm full
Dried oregano. About a palm full
Fresh cilantro chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Corn or flour tortillas
Toppings:
Red onion finely diced or sliced into half-moons
Cilantro
Sliced radishes (pickled or not)
Thinly sliced red or green cabbage
Queso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
On a baking sheet, rub your vegetables with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Season the pork with the salt and pepper and then add to the hot oil. Sear on all sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Place the browned pork into a slow cooker, with the poblano chiles, jalapeno, tomatillos, yellow onion, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, cilantro, chicken broth/stock, and bay leaf.
Turn the heat to low and cook 6-7 hours, or until the pork is tender enough to be pulled apart with a fork. You can also cook in a pressure cooker, 60-90 minutes.
Remove the pork and shred using two forks or the bone of the pork butt (wait for it to cool a bit).
In the meantime, remove the bay leaf from the cooker and discard. Either using an immersion blender directly in the cooker bowl or by transferring the contents to a kitchen blender, puree the cooked peppers, onion, and chicken broth mixture until smooth. This is the Chile Verde sauce. If using a blender, let the sauce cool a bit and put a kitchen towel over the top of the blender and hold the lid on with your hand. Otherwise, it could explode on ya. If you Season to taste with salt as needed.
Heat and slightly char your tortillas over a gas flame or on your grill.
Top the tortillas with a mound of the shredded pork, followed by the pureed Chile Verde sauce. Also top with additional chopped cilantro, red onion, radish crumbled queso fresco. Feel free to squeeze some limes as well!
Chicken-and-Cheese Enchiladas and Cilantro-Lime Avocado Salsa
Enchiladas:
1 small red onion, halved
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 serrano Chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt
Pinch of sugar
8 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
Preheat the broiler. Slice half of the onion into thin rings and set aside.
Place the other onion half, tomatillos and serranos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the vegetables and any liquid to a blender, add the broth and puree. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar.
Meanwhile, stack the tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave just until warm and soft, 1 minute; keep covered. Toss the chicken with 2 cups shredded cheese in a bowl. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up.
Place the enchiladas side by side in a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish and brush with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Broil until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.
Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese. Return to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with the onion rings, queso fresco and any remaining cilantro.
Cilantro-Lime Avocado Salsa:
6 tomatillos
1 jalapeño
2 avocados
A handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 cup crema mexicana
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
Kosher salt, to taste
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 of a white onion
About 1 cup of boiling water from the tomatillos and jalapeño
In a saucepan, boil the tomatillos and jalapeño (if using) for about 10 minutes until softened.
In a blender, combine the avocados, fresh cilantro, crema mexicana, minced garlic, chicken bouillon powder, salt, lime juice, and white onion.
Once the tomatillos and jalapeño are done boiling, add them to the blender along with approximately 1 cup of the boiling water to help blend.
Blend everything until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Serve this rich, zesty salsa as a topping for tacos, enchiladas, or enjoy it as a delicious dip with tortilla chips!
1lb raw medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
Vegetable oil
1 bag tortilla chips
Mexican cheese blend
Iceberg lettuce
Mexican crema
3 green onions, sliced
Lime wedges, for squeezing
In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients for the blackened seasoning. Mix well and set aside.
In a bowl combine tomato, onion, peppers, and cilantro. Add lime juice and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the shrimp in a bowl with the blackened seasoning. Add the shrimp and sauté for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked.
Layout of the tortilla chips on a large baking sheet or 9X13 baking dish. Top the tortilla chips evenly with the shredded cheese. Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese has melted.
Top with Pico del Gallo, crema, lettuce, shrimp and green onion. Serve with lime wedges, for squeezing.
1 small red onion, halved & sliced into half-moons
1 avocado, sliced or diced
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Hot sauce
In a small bowl, combine parsley, cilantro, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, lime juice, salt, and pepper to make the chimichurri sauce. Stir well and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together beer, orange juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, sliced onion, kosher salt, chili powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cumin. Place the steak in the marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 1 hour.
Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove steak from the marinade and grill for 4-6 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 130° for medium-rare. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
Meanwhile, season shrimp with hot sauce as a binder, then add salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a little olive oil and cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until pink and cooked through.
Warm tortillas on a dry skillet or on the grill for about 30 seconds per side. Assemble tacos by layering steak and shrimp on each tortilla. Top with red onion, avocado, fresh cilantro, and a generous spoonful of chimichurri sauce.
Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.
In a large heavy pot heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Cook the chorizo, stirring, until browned about 4 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the fat in the pot. Toss the bread crumbs with the chorizo.
Stuff the squid bodies with the chorizo mixture and seal each with a wooden toothpick.
Heat the fat in the pot over medium high heat and stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and zest and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the wine, stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Nestle the squid bodies and tentacles in the liquid and simmer, covered, until the squid is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the squid to a serving bowl, then boil the liquid until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
6 to 10 very thin slices of apple (use a mandolin, if you have one)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Combine the apple butter, mustard, honey, and a good pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. Spread evenly on two slices of bread and top with half of the cheese and the pastrami. Top that with a layer of sliced apple, overlapping the slices slightly, and the remaining cheese. Top with the other slices of bread to make two sandwiches.
Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned. Add the sandwiches and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter, and cook, lifting the edges of the bread to allow the butter to run under and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the cheese has melted and the other side is golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes. Slice in half and serve.
1-pound Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 medium carrots peeled and diced
1 stalk celery diced
1 small head green cabbage core removed and diced, about
4 cloves garlic minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
Parsley, chopped for garnish
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and brown the sausage.
Season the sausage with Italian seasoning as you brown it. Then add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is tender.
Add the diced cabbage and continue to cook for 3 more minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken stock/broth, diced tomatoes, and a bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer cover, and cook for 30 minutes. The soup is ready when the cabbage is tender.
Discard the bay leaf, and taste the soup to adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Garnish with chopped parsley for some color, and serve with crusty bread.
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