Spicy and Saucy Verde Pork Enchiladas

Ever since these creamy chicken enchiladas changed my perspective on enchiladas as a whole, I've been excited about experimenting with different flavor combinations, sauces, and components.  Whenever my parents sent me some shredded pork roast, I knew I wanted to transform it into something delicious and flavorful. 

These enchiladas utilize all my favorite green things- green chilies, jalapenos, cilantro and avocado- alongside tender pork roast and a creamy sauce that pulls everything together. You can always cut back on the spiciness by using mild green chilies and deveining the jalapenos, but I loved how the cool avocado balanced the peppers out. 

This is a great recipe to double. You can always freeze half for later, or enjoy the leftovers-they're pretty amazing. 

What You'll Need:
12 white corn tortillas 
2 cups shredded roast pork 
1 tsp olive oil 
1/2 large yellow onion, diced  
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 large avocado
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese 
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour 
2 cups chicken broth 
1/2 cup heavy cream 
1 cup sour cream 
2 4oz cans diced green chilies 
1 small bunch cilantro, diced 
1 jalapeno, diced

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and add onion, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking for one minute more. Add half of a can of the green chilies, shredded pork, and salt and pepper to taste and cook for a couple minutes, until heated through. Add a splash of heavy cream, ensuring that all of the filling is moistened. Turn off heat and cover until ready to use. 

Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Allow the sauce to come to boil and to thicken. Lower heat to low. Add in the remaining green chilies, jalapeno, cilantro, sour cream, one cup of cheese, and stir well. Allow sauce to simmer until all ingredients are completely incorporated. (If desired, before adding the sour cream or cheese you can blend the sauce in a blender to get a smooth consistency and light green color.)

As the sauce simmers, microwave your tortillas 2-3 at a time, wrapped in a damp paper towel. Once heated, fill each tortilla with a generous scoop of the pork filling and two slices of avocado. Roll together, fitting into a baking dish. 

Once all of the tortillas are filled and rolled, pour your sauce over the tortillas, being sure to get every enchilada. There should be more than enough sauce for these saucy enchiladas. Cover with the remaining cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Broil for just a moment at the end for a nice browned top!

Serve with rice and beans, chips and salsa, and guacamole or your favorite Mexican side dishes!

original recipe. 

Verde Ranch Dressing

(chopped spinach, cucumber, tomato, avocado, corn, and black beans with seasoned shrimp)

this stuff.
ohmygoodness.
I started inventing meals to go with this dressing. 
I made tacos just so I could drizzle this liquid of the gods all over it. 
I ate it with tortilla chips. 
I ate it on salad. 
You get the idea. 

The base of the recipe is a basic ranch dressing with tons of green goodness added- jalapeno, cilantro, tomatillo, green onion/scallion, lime, and parsley. So much flavor is packed into every drop.  Plus, since you're blending everything up, there's no need to chop anything- just toss it all in the blender and let it do the work. 

Plus it's really easy to make this a little healthier (I didn't because I already had the high-fat ingredients on hand ;) Sub in low-fat or fat-free mayo and replace the sour cream with nonfat Greek yogurt. 

The xanthan gum isn't completely necessary- it just keeps the dressing consistent and thickens it. It can be found in the gluten-free baking aisle at your grocery store. Also, just use a pinch- you don't need to overdo it!

(brown rice, seared fajita chicken, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and queso fresco)

What You'll Need:
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small jalapeno, deveined and seeds removed (leave the veins for a spicier dressing)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
1 tomatillo, husks removed, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 scallion
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
a pinch of xanthan gum 

What To Do:Combine all ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust as desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to one week. 

To ensure desired consistency, only add a small amount of buttermilk to start and then add a little at a time to thin out the dressing to your preference. 

Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Fried Avocado Tacos

I believe that I have previously spoken of my taco addiction.

It lives on. 

Torchy's Tacos opened a Fort Worth location in December (and my soul rejoiced). I attempted to recreate one of my favorites from their tasty menu at home- the fried avocado taco. It turned out so good! The creamy goodness of avocado is balanced with crunchy slaw, spicy pico de gallo, and protein packed black beans. I will always be loyal to Torchy's (for that poblano ranch alone!) but it's nice to know that I can make this at home too!

What You'll Need:

(serves 4)

for avocados:

2 large avocados

1 egg

1/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup flour

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp cayenne 

1/2 tsp kosher salt 

4 cups canola oil 

for pico de gallo:

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

1-2 jalapenos, seed removed and diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice of half a lime 

for tacos:

1 can refried black beans

1 cup rainbow slaw (or your preference of slaw)

chipotle dressing or serrano cream sauce 

flour tortillas 

What To Do:

Combine diced tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Heat oil to 350. Lay paper towels over a plate for draining. 

Combine flour with salt and cayenne in a shallow dish. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In one more dish place panko crumbs. Halve each avocado and then slice each half into four equal sections. Scoop out with a spoon. 

Dip each slice into flour, then egg wash, then panko crumbs. Add avocado in small batched to heated oil, for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towels. 

Spread each tortilla with hot refried beans, and top with slaw and pico de gallo. Stuff with 1-2 avocado slices. Drizzle chipotle sauce over the top. 

Eat it while it's hot! 

Recipe from Foodie Crush 

Carnitas Stuffed Poblano Pepper with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Poblanos are fantastic, especially when stuffed with seasoned pulled pork, rice and veggies. This is a delicious meal with a beautiful presentation. Impress your friends with this meal and make it look like you worked a lot harder than you did ;) 

What You'll Need:
serves 4
for pepper:
4 poblano peppers
1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1 cup carnitas
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced 
a handful goat cheese crumbles 
for sauce:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1 cube chipotle seasoning 
for topping:
extra goat cheese crumbles
avocado slices 

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 375. Rub poblano peppers with olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until soft and charred in spots, turning once. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onions with olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add rice and garlic cooking about five minutes more, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, rice, and carnitas and stir well, heating it through. Stir in goat cheese crumbles.

Slice peppers lengthwise and carefully remove veins and seeds. Stuff each pepper with filling. Place back into the oven for 10 minutes. 

While the peppers are cooking, begin your sauce. Over medium heat, combine cream cheese, salsa and chipotle seasoning, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese is completely melted and it is a uniform consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust with more cream cheese to thicken or more salsa to thin it out. 

Pour a spoonful of sauce on your serving plate, place pepper on top, sprinkle with extra goat cheese crumbles and serve alongside avocado slices! Delicious. 

original recipe

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Hey y'all!

Life has pulled me away from blogging a little bit- nothing too big or exciting, just a lot of little things. I should be back to regularly scheduled posting soon :) Hope you won't miss my absence too much! 

This is a super simple meal to throw together that is simple to customize for any palate. 

What You'll Need:

(serves 1)

1 cup shredded chicken 

1/2 cup salsa 

1/2 cup water

1 chipotle bullion cube (or other chipotle seasoning of your choice)

salt and pepper to taste

for serving:

flour tortillas

diced onion

diced mango

sliced avocado

What To Do:

Toss ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for ten minutes or until chicken is hot. Serve chicken in warm tortillas with onion, avocado and mango! 

Crockpot Carnitas

If you follow along with me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that I could eat tacos

every

single 

day

and never tire of their deliciousness. 

This recipe was so low maintenance and I've been eating the leftovers for five days now. Seriously, what is there to not love about tenderized, flavorful pulled pork? This stuff never dries out and pairs well with so many different flavors!

I actually used a 3 lb roast and reduced the cooking time by a couple of hours. It still made enough to feed a small army. You can also substitute broth, ginger ale or cola for the beer.

What You'll Need:

5-6 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)

1 tablespoons canola oil

8 ounces of your favorite beer

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

What To Do:

Combine seasonings together in a bowl and mix until combined. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).

Add pork to the crockpot and sprinkle seasonings all over. Pour in beer, then cook on low for 10-12 hours. Check once or twice if possible and if needed, add more beer (I did not add any). Before serving, use forks or kitchen tongs to shred pork. Let sit on low or warm for another 20-30 minutes before serving.

Recipe from How Sweet Eats

Top your taco with your favorite toppings! My go to is avocado slices and sour cream but you could also mix and match the following:

• diced onion
• cilantro
• avocado slices
• pico de gallo
• diced mango 
• sour cream/ greek yogurt
• sliced jalapeno
• fresh squeezed lime 
• layer in bowl with rice, pinto beans, meat, and top with any of the above

Pan Seared Chicken with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

There are a couple of things that I always have in the freezer. One of those is boneless skinless chicken breasts. I love how I can buy them in bulk, how versatile they are, and how quickly they defrost. 

However, sometimes chicken can get old. It doesn't sound as appealing as, oh, going out for Torchy's Tacos or Texas Roadhouse. 

Well, this sauce is a game changer. It's spicy and a little sweet and so creamy. And I think it makes the world go round. If you devein the peppers, it's a very mild sauce so leave those in if you like a little kick.

We served it with brown rice and steamed broccoli, but it would be delicious with an avocado salad, quinoa, or potatoes as well! 

What You'll Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour (any kind will do, I used whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup low-fat or skim milk
• 1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

What To Do:

Add chopped jalapenos, shallots and garlic to a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped (not pureed). Set aside.

Tenderize chicken breasts if desired and pat completely dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add chicken breasts (make sure they are completely dry) and cook for about 8-10 minutes per side, until each side is caramelized and golden. If needed, use the remaining canola oil when flipping the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, add in the chopped jalapeno mixture, stirring to coat, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once fragrant (do NOT put your face directly over the jalapenos!), whisk in flour and stir continuously to create a roux. Cook mixture for 1-2 minutes, then add in milks, reducing the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir continuously until mixture begins to thicken (about 6-8 minutes), adding in parmesan cheese and reducing the heat even more. Once the desired thickness has been reached, turn off heat. Stir every so often – it may thicken even more while sitting – and you can add additional milk to thin it out if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Serve chicken over rice, vegetables or pasta and top with jalapeno cream. 

recipe from How Sweet Eats

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Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish

I'm pretty far from vegetarian, but I'm pretty open to delicious food. I also run out of food sometimes and have to be creative with what's in the fridge and pantry.

So one day I had leftover black beans, chipotle in adobo sauce and corn and needed to use them quick. I remembered this recipe from Annie and went for it!

I only made about 1/4 the amount the recipe calls for and I didn't have all of the ingredients it is quite forgiving! I'm not a fan of bell peppers (scandalous, I know) so I left them out. I also didn't have a jalapeno for the corn relish or avocado to make an avocado crema. I just subbed in my favorite chipotle ranch instead! It was plenty spicy enough.

These black bean patties were packed with flavor and were super filling. I didn't even finish two! These would be great for Meatless Monday or really any day of the week :)

Black Bean Patties
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 roasted red bell peppers, divided
2 eggs
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic
1/2 chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 – 2/3 cup cornmeal, breadcrumbs, or panko (or a combination)
salt and pepper
Canola oil

Place 1 can of drained black beans, 1 coarsely chopped red pepper, eggs, oregano, cumin, garlic, and chipotle in a food processor. Pulse process until well-combined and relatively smooth. Finely dice the remaining red pepper. In a bowl, lightly mash the remaining can of black beans (not completely, just enough to smash each one). Add the diced red pepper, onion, and the mixture from the food processor.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (I used about 3/4 tsp. salt). Stir in the cornmeal/breadcrumbs a little at a time, and mix lightly until the mixture firms up. It doesn’t have to be super firm, but enough that you can pick up a piece and roll it into a ball in your hands. Place the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer. Form the mixture into patties. Heat a nonstick skillet with a little canola oil over medium heat. Add the patties in batches and cook until done, flipping halfway through (about 5-6 minutes total for small patties and 8-12 minutes total for bigger burgers).

Corn Relish
2 tsp. canola oil
2 cups corn
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 lime, juiced (about 2-3 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. Stir in the corn, and let it sit for about 1-2 minutes before stirring. Continue to saute until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno, just until fragrant – about 30-60 seconds. Place the mixture in a bowl. To the bowl, add the tomato, lime juice, cilantro/parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Avocado Cream
1 avocado, pitted and cut into a few pieces
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Recipe from Annie's Eats, originally from Elly Says Opa

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Winner announced Friday!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Here are some delicious Mexican inspired recipes to help you celebrate today!

Queso Blanco

Taco Soup

Beans a la Charra 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas 

Fish Tacos with Avocado Pico de Gallo and Chipotle Ranch

Carne Guisada

Grilled Fish Tacos with Mango Cucumber Salsa and Chipotle Crema

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

(great with queso blanco and guacamole!)

So yes, this is a terrible iPhone picture... but these taquitos are absolutely delicious and I wanted to share even without a nice, edited photo. These are far from the frozen, tasteless guys that you can pop in the microwave. 

These are:

 creamy

 full of flavor 

and can definitely constitute a meal. 

Plus because tortillas and pulled chicken are cheap, 

it's easy to make a large quantity all at once! 

And they're great for parties because they don't require utensils.

They're also healthier than the frozen/restaurant variety 

because these are baked instead of fried.

Have I sold you on them yet?

Definitely try these out, where or not you've got a fiesta planned for Saturday! 

What You'll Need:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup green salsa
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
• small flour or corn tortillas
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze: Before baking, freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Source: Pennies on a Platter, originally adapted from Our Best Bites

Queso Blanco

This Saturday is Cinco de Mayo! 

(my silly students)

Working at a predominantly Hispanic church , dating a Hispanic guy and living in Texas in general makes me really appreciate all the Mexican heritage around me. The culture is so vibrant and colorful... and the food is some of the best in the world!

(my love)

So I'll be sharing some of my favorite Mexican-influenced recipes between now and then to give you some fun ideas on how you can celebrate this weekend.

This queso blanco is the perfect dip for a Cinco de Mayo party or gathering because it's simple to throw together... and who doesn't like melted cheese?? Serve it with tortilla chips or warm tortillas. I've poured leftover queso over scrambled eggs!

I will note that I use quite a bit more milk/cream than this recipe calls for, probably about 1.5-2 cups as needed to keep it nice and smooth. However, if you can keep your queso dip warm in a crock pot or over a candle warmer, then there should be no problem!

The secret to this melty goodness is White American Cheese

(You can get it at the deli counter at the grocery store)

So make sure you don't substitute in a different white cheese

You can end up with a gooey mess! 

What You’ll Need:

1 tbsp cooking oil

¼ cup white onion, diced

1 large jalapeno, seeds and stem removed, diced

12 oz White American cheese, shredded (ask for 3 slices on 10 at the deli!)

4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (but not pre-shredded)

¼- 2/3 cup heavy cream or milk

1 roma tomato, seeded and diced

1small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 small avocado- optional

Tortilla chips 

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened (about five minutes) and  reduce heat to medium-low. Add the shredded cheese and ¼ cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Serve warm topped with sliced avocado, along with chips, tortillas or over tacos!

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride