tacos

Instant Pot Green Chile Pork Carnitas

January 2, 2018 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

“Positive and Present” is something Sam and I say to one another a lot. We strive to be present when we’re together and to unplug. I wish it was easy for me to just stop looking at my phone, but it takes real willpower. So in 2018, I’m trying to be present as much as possible. To foster real relationships and spend more time with family and less time on my phone. So when I got an Instant Pot, I realized that this was an easy way to spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing more important things. People, if you only knew just how much time I spent in the kitchen, you’d die. It is unbelievable. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner was nothing to me.

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Slow Cooker Korean Barbecue Tacos with Vinegar Slaw

November 6, 2017 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

To me, Asian food is ever-elusive. I can never quite pinpoint the flavors in so many Asian foods, which is why it interests me so much. There are so many lovely subtleties about Korean cuisine that I am sure my version is no match for the real thing. But when you pair delicious slow-roasted pork with tangy ribbons of cabbage in a taco, how could you go wrong? I don’t think it’s even possible to make a bad taco.

This recipe is so simple to throw together before you head out the door in the morning. Just throw everything into a crock pot and wait 8 hours. It certainly doesn’t hurt that when you get home your house will smell like some wonderful person has been prepping dinner for you–oh wait, that’s you. And it only took you five minutes to make. It makes a large amount, so it’s great for a crowd or you can turn it into a soup the next day. Or, hell, maybe a pizza! It’s so versatile.

Here’s a picture of some ingredients you may not have. I got all of these at Kroger, so fear not! You will be able to find them easily.

Look at that delicious ginger. The ginger really makes this one sing, so don’t skimp!

SLOW COOKER KOREAN BARBECUE TACOS WITH VINEGAR SLAW RECIPE

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

4 lb pork loin
1/2 cup gochujang
1/4 cup mirin (or sake)
1/4 cup soy
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbsp sesame oil
a thumb sized ginger root, peeled and minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 head of red or green cabbage
1 carrot
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
1 tsp soy sauce
18-24 corn tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Directions:

In a slow cooker, add the pork loin. In a small bowl, add the gojuchang, mirin, 1/4 cup soy, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, apple cider, sesame oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix together with a fork and pour over the pork loin. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Once cooked, shred the pork with two forks.

To make the slaw, finely slice the cabbage, making sure the pieces are very thin like cole slaw. Add to a large bowl. Peel the carrot and using a vegetable peeler, peel ribbons of carrot into the bowl of cabbage until the carrot is gone. In a small bowl, mix together the other 2 tbsp rice vinegar, vegetable oil, and soy sauce. Pour over the cabbage mixture and mix well. Set aside.

To heat your tortillas, put a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add each tortilla, cooking for about 1 minute on each side or until it starts to get small brown spots. To make your tacos, add the pork and then the slaw. Top with cilantro.

Chicken Tacos Al Pastor

February 1, 2017 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Tacos Al Pastor is one of my favorite things to get when I eat Mexican food. Usually this is a recipe made with pork, chiles and pineapple, but it can get a little on the greasy side… Traditionally the pork is grilled on a spit and cooked in the pastor sauce, rendering the fat. Sam and I don’t eat much pork, and I definitely never grill giant hunks of meat on a spit. So this is a simple recipe that you can make at home to mimic the flavors of the sauce and keep it on the light side.

If you don’t like spicy food, you can eliminate the jalapeno for a milder flavor. It’s about as easy as putting all the ingredients in the food processor and marinating the chicken. It turned out beautifully with a really smoky flavor, thanks to the chiles in adobo.

If you’re not sold on the corn tortillas because they fall apart, the secret is to grill them! I put a nonstick skillet on high heat and cook on each side until charred or a little brown. This keeps them intact when you eat tacos. The charred tortilla also goes really well with the smoky chicken.

This would also be a great slow cooker recipe if you prefer shredded chicken. In that case, do not chop the chicken and add to your crock pot with the sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Then shred the chicken with forks.

CHICKEN TACOS AL PASTOR RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast

3 chiles in adobo

1 jalapeno

1/2 onion

1 14 ounce can of pineapple chunks in pineapple juice

handful of cilantro, stalks and leaves

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

juice of half a lime

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

corn tortillas

avocado

cilantro and onion for topping

Directions:

In a food processor, add the adobo chiles, jalapeno, onion, 1/4 cup of pineapple chunks, 4 tbsp of pineapple juice, a small handful of cilantro (stalks and all!), vinegar, lime juice, oregano, cumin and salt. Blend until pureed.

Chop the chicken breast into 1/2 inch pieces and put into a large bowl. Cover the chicken with the pureed chile mixture and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours (up to 24 hours).

In a grill pan or a large pan over medium high heat add the chicken mixture with all the sauce. Saute, stirring and turning the chicken, until chicken is cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Wipe out the pan and add a few of the left over pineapple chunks to the grill pan, turning over until charred. You may want to chop these a little finer.

Heat a large nonstick pan over high heat. Grill tortillas in the pan, flipping over until each side has browned a bit or is a bit crispy.

Add the chicken to the tortillas. Top with diced avocado, chopped cilantro leaves, diced onion, and charred pineapple.