Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Cinnamon Crisps

Here is a delicious way to end any Mexican dinner night. This dessert is the best.

4 T. butter
6 (6-inch) flour tortillas
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream

Heat oven to 450. Put butter on a large baking sheet and melt in oven, about 2 min. Place tortillas on baking sheet (they may overlap a bit) and coat with butter, turning each once to coat both sides. Bake for 6-7 min, until golden and puffed in spots.
Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tortillas. Top with scoops of ice cream and let it melt just a little. Serve them warm. Delicious!

Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

This is a GREAT new recipe that I just tried. I got it out of a Cooking Light magazine (thanks Paige!) It was a BIG hit with my family--and my kids don't usually eat tacos when I serve them. Must have been the pineapple salsa! Pretty easy to make and you could make it in advance and refrigerate it until dinner. I served it with watermelon and chips and salsa, quacamole and afterwards:dessert--Cinnamon Crisps (another Mexican inspiration). The recipe for that will also be posted. Enjoy! Laura

T=tablespoon
t=teaspoon

Salsa:
1 15 oz. can crushed pineapple minus about 1 large spoonful, drained
1 C. minced apple (any kind will do)
1/4 C. minced shallots (I don't know what these are so I used green onion instead)
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 T. lime juice
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. Salt

Combine ingredients, stir until blended. Cover and chill

Tacos:
1 T. canola/vegetable oil
1 C. thinly sliced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs. pork (see below for cooking instructions. You can either cook in crock pot or in pot on stove. Cooking in crock pot will produce very moist and tender meat--this is the method I recommend, but if time doesn't permit you can cook it on the stove).
1/2 C. chicken broth
1 T. cider vinegar
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 1-2 large tomatoes diced)
1 can diced green chilies (how ever spicy your family likes it!)
corn tortillas, warmed according to package (tip:warm tortillas in the microwave wrapped up in a dish towel )

Cook pork in crock pot in 1 C. water for 4 hours on High. When cooked through, shred/dice pork. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 2 min. or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add pork to pan and add chicken broth (If you don't have time to cook the pork in the crock pot, cut meat into chunks and add it to the pot); cook for 7 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients (through chilies). Cover pot if meat was not pre-cooked in crock pot (no need to cover is meat is pre-cooked). Let simmer for 10 minutes (or until meat is cooked through) and liquid is nearly evaporated. Warm tortillas according to package and serve with salsa. Yields 6 servings