All day was feeling like a Taco Tuesday.  I love Mexican cuisine and I like to be as authentic as I can.  Tonight I made pork tacos with pico de gallo.   Pork shoulder is one of my favorite cuts of meat because of its texture and flavor, and it just goes great with the traditional herbs and spices of Mexican cuisine.  This is a simple recipe that anyone can put together and look like a Mexican Food Master.  Here’s what you need.

For the Pico de Gallo

• 2 Cups Seeded, Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 Cup Diced Scallion
• 1/4 Cup Diced White Onion
• 1 Serrano Pepper, Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 Limes, Juiced
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• Salt and Pepper

The Pico is a cinch to put together.  Take all the ingredients listed above, put them in a bowl and mix ‘em up.  I like to let the pico sit for at least an hour to let the lime soak into the rest of the ingredients.  That’s really all there is to it!

For the pork tacos

• 1 - 2½ lb. Pork Shoulder
• 3 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper 
• 1 Tbsp Cumin 
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 12 White Corn Tortillas
• 2 Cups Yellow Rice
• ½ Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cut your pork shoulder into thin strips, about ½ inch pieces.  Remember that your teeth are the only tools you’ll be using, so cut the pork into an edible size.  Smart.   Also, cut the fat.  You don’t have to get every little piece of fat, because it does add flavor, but a trimming won’t hurt anything.  Now put all your pork into a large non-reactive bowl and add your salt, pepper, cayenne and cumin.  Massage the spices into the meat with your hands and let it sit for about an hour.  

During this time you can do something productive like starting your rice, making your pico, or cleaning up your work space.  Or you can just watch some TV, it’s up to you.   After your unproductive hour has passed, get a large pan heated up to medium, add some canola oil and get that pork cooking!  Because your pork is cut into small pieces, it should only take 6-7 minutes to be thoroughly cooked.  In the mean time, start to heat up your tortillas in a pan or on a griddle, no oil needed. You want to heat them on low for a few minutes, until they start to curl up on the sides a bit.  

Now everything should be ready!  Set the table up “buffet” style and build yourself a taco!  After you have that guy loaded up, make sure to squeeze a lime over it, it adds flavor that you don’t want to miss out on!  You are now ready to grub, enjoy!

If you’re going to make a grilled cheese sandwich, make it right!  And by ”make it right”, I mean put some effort into it.  Get creative, buy good bread and cheese.  You can really go wild with this sandwich, maybe throw some apple slices and walnuts with brie in between that bread.  Spinach and goat cheese go well together also.  The ideas are endless!  Today we put together a great grilled cheese with some fun ingredients that you can make at home.  Here’s what you need!

• 2 Thick Slices White Bread
• 2 Slices Sharp Cheddar
• 1 Slice Brie
• 1 Slice Havarti
• 1/2 Avocado
• 3 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
• Butter

Start off by cooking your bacon.  I like to get bacon pretty crispy for a grilled cheese, mostly for the texture that it adds to the gooey cheese.  Now, carefully   butter the outside of your of bread.  Slice up the avocado, get your cheese ready, and you can start to build your sandwich!  I like to put 1/2 the cheese down on the bread, then put down the avocado and bacon down, and cover that with the rest of the cheese.  This way the cheese melts and incorporates all the ingredients evenly.  Warm up your cast iron pan to medium-high heat and get that grilled cheese cooking!  You do not need to add any butter or oil to the pan now that your bread is buttered.  After the first side of your sandwich has a nice toasted look, flip it over and turn the heat down to medium and let that cheese melt.  It should only take about 3 minutes on each side.  Now you can remove it from the pan, cut it in half, and dig in!! 

I love fried chicken.  The textures and flavors that come from this little bird, when prepared correctly, are incredible.  There are countless methods to preparing fried chicken, and I believe I have tried just about all of them.  The recipe we have today is by far my favorite for both its simplicity and awesomeness.  Get your skillet fired up and try this ASAP!!  (If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you should really invest in one.  You will have it for the rest of your life and then some.)  Here’s what you need!

• 1 3lb Whole Chicken
• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Canola Oil 
• 1 Qt Buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Salt
• Salt and Pepper

The first step here is to break down your chicken.  This is an important process to learn for practicality in the kitchen, it will also save you some money.  Separate the legs, thighs, breasts and wings of your chicken and let those pieces soak in buttermilk for at least 8 hours.  This step is crucial, don’t take shortcuts here.  

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and strain.  Pour your flour and spices into a large zip lock bag, add your chicken, and shake it up!  Make sure every piece of chicken is thoroughly coated with your seasoned flour.  In a large skillet, start to heat up your canola oil, topping out at about 300º.

When your oil is up to temperature, add your chicken in batches.  You don’t want to crowd your skillet.  Place the chicken skin side down in the oil, VERY CAREFULLY!!  This oil is super hot and will do serious damage if it comes in contact with your skin.  Cook the chicken covered for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken over and cook for another 15 minutes, uncovered.  When the internal temperature has reached 170º, remove the chicken from the oil and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Grab some hot sauce and napkins, and you are now ready to grub, enjoy!!

Pizza cravings can be very difficult to avoid.  The problem here is that there really isn’t a great abundance of awesome pizza in my area, and I don’t have a wood burning oven to create my own neapolitans. 

We are nothing if not resourceful. 

Here’s what to do if you ever find yourself in pizza zombie mode and domino’s won’t cut it.  Buy a pizza stone, you really can’t come any closer to the real deal, and these guys are about $30, consider it a good investment.  No time to make the dough and let it rest forever?  Find a pizza shop that has pizza that is close to your ideal, and buy some raw dough, usually just a few bucks.  Now you can create whatever pizza you want!  The options are endless, so get creative and have fun with it!  What we did here was an old classic Margherita pizza.  It turned out great.  Next time you get the craving, give this a try.  Here’s what you need!

• 1 Medium Pizza Dough
• 1 Can San Marzano Tomatoes (28oz)
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Fresh Basil
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

The first thing you want to do is crank your oven to as high as it will go, this is typically around 500º.  Keep the stone in the oven for the entire time, it needs to get super hot.  Now you can start on your pizza sauce.  In a large bowl, empty your San Marzano’s in and crush them with your recently washed hands.  This gives just the right texture for the rustic sauce.  Add a bit of salt, pepper, olive oil and some fresh chopped basil, and your sauce is ready!  When your oven is up to temperature, start stretching your dough.  The more you practice, the easier it becomes.  I like to stretch my dough until it is just about transparent, so we get a nice crispy thin crust, just how it was intended to be.

Now here is the tricky part.  Pizza dough tends to stick on most surfaces that are not floured.  Assuming you don’t own a pizzeria style wooden paddle for getting pizzas in and out of the oven, I find this to be the easiest way.  Take your super hot pizza stone out of the oven and rest it on the stove.  Now carefully put the dough on the stone, quickly put the sauce and cheese on the dough, and pop it back in the oven.  You are good to go.  This process should only take about 6-7 minutes to cook, but keep an eye on it and you will see when it’s finished.  The pizza will be nice and crispy when you go to pull it out.  Let it cool for a minute, grab yourself a slice and enjoy!!

The first time I had Tortilla Soup was during a trip to Cozumel, Mexico.  I went on a snorkeling tour for most of one morning, and afterwards, everyone was exhausted.  To recharge the groups batteries, the tour guides had prepared lunch for us.  The atmosphere for this lunch was just incredible.  We were basically in a jungle kitchen, with super fresh ingredients being cooked on a 10 foot long BBQ pit.  It was really a exciting experience; even more so than the snorkeling itself.  I love to explore different cultures and see different cooking methods.  We had a traditional Tortilla Soup that day, and it was mind blowing.  I have tried over the past several years to come close to the recipe I had tasted that day, and this is about as close as I can get!  

Before we start, I should say that this is not an easy meal to prepare.  I find that many people take way too many short cuts with soups, and it makes a bigger difference than one may think.  Timing is extremely important due to the fact that everything should be prepared in one pot to maximize flavor.  As with most things in life, the time and effort really do pay off in this dish.  If you have it in you, I really suggest you give this one a try, it’ll be worth it!

Here’s what you need!

• 1 3.5 lb. Whole Chicken
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (12 oz.)
• 1 Large Yellow Onion
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Ribs of Celery
• 2 Poblano Peppers
• 2 Avocados
• 3 Jalapeno Peppers
• 3 Corn Tortillas
• 1 Cup Canola Oil
• 1 Sprig Fresh Cilantro
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Lime
• Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper 

And now we can start!

First thing first, we roast our chicken.  Rinse, dry and season your chicken very well, inside and out.   After all, it is going to be the centerpiece of your soup!  Truss your chicken nice and tight, pop it in the oven at 450º for about 50 minutes.  If you have any questions about roasting the chicken, I have a more detailed description that you can find earlier in my blog.  When the chicken has cooled, remove all the meat and set it aside.  Save the carcass!!

Now on to our simple stock.  In a large pot, start to sweat 1/2 of your onion along with your carrots and celery in 2 table spoons of canola oil.  Add your chicken carcass and your spices, then fill the pot up with water until everything is submerged.  Heat the water until you see some bubbles and then bring it down to a nice slow simmer.  Let the stock cook for at least 4 hours.  You will want to stir it occasionally, skim off any floating bits and add some water to keep the chicken submerged.  After at least 4 hours, remove, strain and reserve in a large bowl.  You now have your chicken stock!

The rest is easy!  In your soup pot, start to sweat the rest of your onion with the peppers.  When the are softened up, you can add your chicken.  I like to shred my chicken, it really works well for the texture.  Now you can add your stock back into the pot along with your diced tomatoes and cilantro.  Just sit back and let those flavors go! An hour at a slow simmer will suffice, but to really let those flavors release, the longer the better!

For garnish, some chopped tortilla’s fried up in canola oil add the perfect crunch.   They are Mexico’s answer to the Ritz Cracker!  Slice up some avocado, squeeze in a wedge of lime and you are ready to grub!  

I promise all the hard work will be worth it!!  Enjoy!!

Eggplant is a wonderful ingredient to get creative with.  Today we have a recipe for a tasty appetizer that is super healthy and fun to make!  As with most of my recipes, there are just a few ingredients and it takes no time at all.  Keep this one in mind next time you are in need for some appetizer ideas!  Here’s what you need.

• 3 Medium Eggplants
• 3 Cups Bread Crumbs
• 3 Whole Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

Now for the fun part.  After you rinse and dry your eggplant, you want to slice them as thin as you can.  Try to keep the cuts as uniform as possible so the eggplant “chips” will cook evenly. 

Now you can start your prep line and preheat your oven to 350º.  Set up your prep space so you have your bowl of eggs (beaten), a bowl of bread crumbs with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper mixed in, and a lightly oiled baking sheet at the end. 

Take each eggplant slice and move it down the line.  First you will coat it with the egg, then take it right into your seasoned bread crumbs and place it on your baking sheet.  Now that your oven is up to temperature, pop those guys in for about 15 minutes or until you see they are golden brown.  Take your healthy chips out, put them on a serving platter and enjoy!!

Who doesn’t love fresh from the garden green beans??  Today we have a very simple recipe with just a few ingredients that can be whipped up in about 20 minutes.  Think of this as an old style mac and cheese with some green beans to add more texture and flavor.  Here’s what you need!

• 1 lb. Rigatoni
• 1/2 lb. Fresh Green Beans
• 3 tbs. Unsalted Butter
• 1 tbs. Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1/2 cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese

We will start first by getting our pasta water boiling for the Rigatoni.  As always, make sure to thoroughly season the pasta water with plenty of kosher salt!  When your water comes to a boil, add the Rigatoni and let it cook for about 12 minutes.  As your pasta is cooking, add the butter to a large sauce pan on medium heat.  Be careful not to burn the butter!  When the butter is melted add your fresh cracked pepper and let it cook for a bit to pull out the flavor.  Take a cup of your seasoned pasta water and add it to your sauce pan, let reduce by about 1/3.  Add your green beans and let them cook through!

Now strain the Rigatoni and add it and the Parmesan cheese to your sauce pan to finish cooking.  Make sure to stir the Rigatoni constantly to ensure your sauce is coating everything well!  Now add to your favorite pasta bowl and dinner is ready!!  Enjoy!!

Guacamole is a great dip that you can make in about 5 minutes.  I like to mess around with my guacamole recipes to see what I can come up with, its super easy to get creative and try new things.  But for this post, I am just going to show my original recipe and maybe you can make some alterations of your own!  Here’s what you need!

• 2 ripe Avocado
• 1 Scallion
• 1 Tomato
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1/2 Lime
• Salt, Pepper, Cayenne Pepper to taste

Now here is the easy part.  For the avocado, just peel them, remove the seed and give them a nice large dice.  The smaller you cut the avocado, the less work you will have later, but remember, a few chunky pieces of avocado in guacamole is always good!  Then cut your tomatoes to a medium dice.  Mince your scallion and garlic clove.  Now put all of these ingredients into a large bowl and squeeze your lime in there.  Now take a wooden spoon and start to mash/mix the ingredients together, while adding your salt, pepper and cayenne.  Mash it up to a consistency that you like and you are ready to serve it up!