Taco Time Continues!

Chili Lime Pork Tacos w/Avocado Salad,

Chipotle Cream & Shredded Jack Cheese!

 

Ingredients:
1 six ounce boneless, thick cut, trimmed pork chop, cut into small pieces
1/4 medium onion diced
1 large fresh jalapenos sliced thin
2 limes, juice & zest
1 big pinch of salt
3 grinds black pepper
6 shakes hot Mexican chili powder
1 palm full of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 avocado, cut up in larger chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons Tabasco Chipotle
3 to 4 tablespoons 0% Plain Chobani
1/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
4 taco size soft flour tortillas

Directions:
In a gallon size Ziploc bag combine pork, salt, pepper, chili powder, juice & zest of one lime, onion and jalapeno.  Let it sit in fridge for 15 to 20 minutes while you prep other ingredients.  While meat marinates, combine avocado, juice of the other lime, and cilantro.  Stir and set in fridge until ready to serve.  In a small bowl combine yogurt and Tabasco, and set aside.  Shred cheese and set aside.  Basically, make all your toppings and put in the fridge until ready to serve, Duh!  Remove the limes from the bag of pork, then pour mixture into a hot (medium/high) skillet with 1 tsp. canola oil.  Cook until pork is browned and onions and jalapenos are a little charred.  In another lightly sprayed skillet, heat tortillas until they are spotted brown.  Build you tacos... Pork, Avocado Salad, Cream, Cheese...Goooood Stuff!

This recipe makes 4 to 6 tacos depending on how full you make them.

 

Taco Time!

This summer weather sets the stage for those classic picnic dishes.  In my house, it's my BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad!  This is my "go-to" for cover dish cookouts/picnics.  It's always a hit and goes great with grilled chicken! Well.... thinking of this dish led me to my latest taco creation.  The "Perfect Picnic Taco".  This recipe combines grilled BBQ chicken, grilled corn on the cob, and my pasta salad minus the pasta of course.  It took a little prep work, but is so worth it!

Perfect Picnic Taco

Ingredients:
Grilled Chicken, chopped with Spicy Chipotle BBQ Sauce (see recipe below)
1 ear grilled corn on the cob, cut off the cob
1 sweet red bell pepper grilled, then diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 medium sized cucumber diced
1 tomato diced
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 avocado sliced
Dill Cream (see recipe below)

Directions: 1)  Make Dill Cream (combine small carton nonfat plain Greek yogurt with 2 shakes garlic powder, 2 pinches of kosher course salt, 4 grinds black pepper, 10 shakes of dried dill, 2 shakes paprika, 1 shake cayenne pepper, then cover and refrigerate). 2) Make topping. Combine grilled corn on the cob, grilled red pepper, onion, cucumber , a pinch of salt, two grinds of pepper, a splash of olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 3) Make BBQ Sauce (combine 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce with 10 shakes of Tabasco Chipotle, 2 shakes garlic powder, 2 shakes cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 individual packet sugar in the raw, 1/2 teaspoon honey, set aside).  4)  Sprinkle 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning and grill until done.  Coat the chicken with 1/2 the BBQ sauce while cooking.  Once done, chop the chicken and mix with remaining BBQ sauce.  5) Warm small flour tortillas and create your taco.  Chicken...Topping...Cheese...Cream...Avocado!

Apple Cheddar Turkey Sliders

Burger Week was a bit of a bust!  I'm sticking with Tacos!  Regardless, these Apple Cheddar Turkey Sliders were delicious and sooo easy.  My advice is to read labels carefully when looking for rolls.  I opted for the King Hawaiian brand honey wheat rolls without reading the label first.  200 calories per roll.  I know you can do better!

Apple Cheddar Turkey Sliders

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 pound Ground Turkey Breast

4 shakes Smoked Paprika

2 quick shakes Garlic Powder

Big pinch of Kosher Salt

3 grinds black pepper

8 slices of the block (1 oz. each) of light sharp cheddar (I use a block of Cabot brand)

1/2 sweet onion diced & caramelized using olive oil

4 to 6 teaspoons honey mustard

1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced (see pic for thickness)

4 to 6 dinner rolls

 

Directions:  First make the caramelized onions.  In a nonstick skillet, combine 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, a pinch of salt, one individual packet of sugar in the raw and the diced onions.  Cook on medium heat until onions are brown.  I cooked mine for 20 minutes. In a bowl combine turkey, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Form into 4 to 6 small patties.  Grill the patties in grill pan or in cast iron skillet (that has been sprayed generously with canola or olive oil spray) until well done (about 4 to 5 minutes per side).  Top the burgers with 1 or 2 slices of cheese toward the end of cooking time so it can melt some.  Put 1 patty on a roll, top with onions, apples and honey mustard & enjoy!

 

This one was a winner in my book!  Apple & Cheddar is such a great combination!