Pork Tacos

This came from an issue of Woman's Day. Thought I'd try a little something different in the "taco department" and these sounded easy enough. And let me tell you, they were REALLY good. Meat was super, duper flavorful.

2 tsp oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c salsa verde (green salsa)
1/2 c chopped cilantro
8 corn tortillas (heated according to package directions)
1 c shredded lettuce
other toppings (tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc)

The recipe claims it takes 15 minutes from start to finish which sold me. However, I feel it took a tad longer. By the time I cut the pork & cilantro, etc. I think it was closer to 30 minutes. But still, not bad. The shredding is what took the longest.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cumin. Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir salsa into skillet; cook 1 minute or until heated through. Stir in cilantro. Using two forks, pierce and shred cubes of pork.

Fill warmed tortillas with pork mixture, then add lettuce. Add additional toppings of your choice.

We served our tacos with Spanish Rice and watermelon.

Taco Hot Dish (Casserole)

I LOVE casseroles b/c you have everything all in one. No need to come up with you side dishes. No need for all the extra dishes, pots, and pans.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 pkg dry taco seasoning
1 (8 oz) bag Doritos, crushed
1 (12 oz) cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 c sliced black olives
2 c shredded Monterey Jack
2 c shredded cheddar

Combine meat and onion in skillet. Drain. Add tomato sauce and taco mix. Stir well. Place crushed Doritos in bottom of a greased 9 X 13 pan. Top with meat. Combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Sppread over meat. Top with olives followed by the shredded cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

We served this with my corn casserole (recipe posted previously).

NOTE: I forgot the onion and don't think I'd add it next time. Also, I used fat free cottage cheese and fat free sour cream and it was fine. I know sometimes fat free things don't always work.

Chicken Tacos

My friend recently blogged about her favorite things of summer 2010 and this was #7 "favorite summer meal". I've never had a bad meal at her house, so I gave it a go. They were different than what I expected, but still good. The chicken had a very subtle flavor and was sweeter than I thought. But paired with all the toppings, it came together.

Here's the link (for copyright purposes), but I'll also type it out for you so you don't have to jump around.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chicken-tacos/Detail.aspx

1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1 c lemonade
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls lime juice
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf

plus tortillas, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.

In medium skillet, combine first 5 ingredients. Add seasonings. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink. (about 15 to 20 minutes)



Warm tortillas in microwave or oven. Put out chicken, tortillas and fixings and let each person create their own wrap to their liking. Viola!

*Note: We added rice to our tortillas too. I wanted to have black beans as a topping option too, but I didn't have any on hand. Next time I will add them.

Hot Taco Dip (not spicy)

My bridal shower was a "recipe shower". Everyone was supposed to bring a favorite recipe and an ingredient/kitchen item used to prepare it. My sister sent this recipe along with a pizza pan. It is soooo good. This is another recipe that whenever I make it, someone asks for it. Oh, and by "hot", I don't mean spicy. It is baked in the oven, so "hot" refers to temperature.

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
8 oz sour cream
8 oz bottle green taco sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

Brown beef w/some salt, pepper, garlic salt, and onion (if desired). Drain. Add taco seasoning and beans.

Spread onto greased pizza pan.

Mix sour cream w/taco sauce. Spread over meat mixture. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.

Taco Lasagna

When Derek was finishing up Vet school, my nephew was also living in the area so we often had him over for dinner. My sister (his mom) sent me a bunch of recipes for his favorites. This was one of them. One thing I like about it is that I can make it earlier in the day, and bake it just before it is time to eat.

1 pound ground beef
16 oz of tomato sauce
1 packet of taco seasoning
flour tortillas (10)
cheddar cheese

*brown meat & drain
*add taco seasoning and tomato sauce and simmer for 20 minutes
*in 9 X 13 pan, layer tortillas, meat, cheese, tortillas, meat, cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes