California Carnitas Style Tacos

Light and Fresh  - Inspired by the Street Tacos in SoCal

View from Our Neighbor's Beach House

Chilling in the Courtyard

A couple weeks ago we visited Jenn in Southern California and were thrilled that Caroline could join us as well. Of course we had a wonderful time - What's not to love! There are tons of farmers' markets', beautiful beaches, hiking beaches, bike paths, and great weather! Our neighbor back home owns a vacation home and she graciously offered to let us stay there for a few days. It was just yards from the beach, and there were tons of taco joints within walking distance.

This makes eight or more tacos:

Ingredients and Directions for the Pork:

2 pound pork shoulder roast

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon ground ancho chili pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, put through press

Trim the excess fat off of the roast. Place in oven safe dish with high sides. In a bowl put the diced onion, lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, pressed garlic, ancho chili powder, and oregano.and whisk it all together. Pour over the pork. Cover with foil and bake in a 325 degree oven for 4 hours or cook in a crock pot for 4-5 hours on high or all day on low.  At the end of the cooking time, remove from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon, and place on a platter. Shred the meat using two forks.

Ingredients and Directions for Salad in Taco

1/2 head of lettuce, shredded

1/4 head of green cabbage, shredded

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 radishes, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 cup cotija cheese

In a large bowl place the lettuce, onion, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, and radishes. Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil, pour the mixture over the ingredients in the bowl, and gently toss. Sprinkle the cotija cheese on top.

*Note - if you have a few extra minutes before assembling the salad, place the red onion slices in a shallow bowl and pour white vinegar over them. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes, then drain them and add them to the salad mixture. 

To Assemble:

Warm 16 corn tortillas between paper towels in microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Place two tortillas together and spoon 1/4 cup of salad mixture on each one.

Place 1/4 cup of shredded pork on top of the salad.

Garnish with radish slices, red onion slices, and crumbled cheese from the salad

Very Easy (and Yummy) Shrimp Tacos

It doesn't get much easier ( or tastier) than this!  I have found that "cheating" by using frozen precooked shrimp allows me to whip up a meal in about 15 minutes.  The shrimp tacos here are so quick to make but they are so yummy.  They came about one dinner time when the only protein I had in the house was a bag of frozen shrimp. I was lucky enough to have an avocado and a lime as well as a tomato.  I had just gotten back from California after visiting Jenn and I was dreaming of the shrimp ceviche we had eaten out of a paper cup in one of the many fish taco joints near her apartment. The shrimp mixture in these tacos tastes a lot like that; the lime makes the precooked shrimp tastes fresh. With the addition of a corn tortilla, avocado, and tomato - it's a winner!

Ingredients for Eight Shrimp Tacos

1 pound precooked large frozen shrimp

2 to 3 tomatoes

3 green onions

2 limes (enough  for 3 tablespoons juice and garnish)

1 avocado

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
16 (six inch) corn tortillas

Directions

Put the shrimp in a bowl of cold water to thaw while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. Peel the avocado, discard the seed, and dice it into chunks. Chop the tomatoes. Slice only the stems of the green onions.  Then drain the shrimp and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp, avocado, tomatoes, and green onions into a mixing bowl.

Peel the garlic clove and put it through a garlic press. Juice one of the limes so there is three tablespoons of juice.  In a small bowl, whisk together the pressed garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Gently toss. Warm the corn tortillas up by wrapping them in paper towels and microwaving them for 30 seconds. Or, wrap them in foil and heat them in a 350 oven for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Assemble by using two corn tortillas per serving. Put 1/4 cup of the shredded lettuce on each double tortilla and divide the shrimp mixture up evenly among them. Serve with lime slices.

California Dreaming - Carne Asada Tacos

     The big news around here is that Jenn is moving to California.  She's young, single and ready to spread her wings and fly!  While there is no doubt I will miss her being close to home, I am proud of her adventurous spirit and glad she has this opportunity.  I'm also excited that we now have a wonderful place to visit.  She and I spent last weekend exploring her new city and finding an apartment.  While we were familiarizing ourselves with the area, I discovered a specialty in Southern California - Carne Asada. It's thin, citrus marinated grilled steak served in tacos or burritos.  I had it twice while we were there and each time it was served with salsa and guacamole.  I had to try it once we got home and no one here was disappointed with the results - these are yummy!

 Carne Asada Tacos:  Lime Marinated Steak, Salsa, and Guacamole 

 

Ingredients for enough marinade for 2 pounds of flank, skirt, or flat iron steak:

4 garlic cloves, put through a press

2 teaspoons jalapeño or Serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped

 1/4 cup lime juice 

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch pepper

 *This marinade recipe is modified from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/carne_asada/

Directions:

Take a serrated knife and "butterfly" the steak by cutting it through the middle so it becomes a larger but thinner cut of meat. Whisk the marinade ingredients together.  Place the steak in a glass dish and pour the marinade over it.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

While the steak is marinating, make the salsa and the guacamole...

Ingredients for 2 cups salsa:

3 tomatoes, chopped

3 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

1 tablespoon diced jalapeno or Serrano pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper 



Directions: 

 Combine the salsa ingredients together and serve with chips or tacos

Ingredients for 2 cups guacamole:

2 ripe avocados

2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno or Serrano pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, put through a press

2 tablespoons finely diced onion

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 tomato, chopped

 Directions: 

Put all the ingredients but the chopped tomato into a bowl.  Use the bottom of a glass to smash and combine everything together.  After it is well blended, stir in the chopped tomato.

To Assemble the Carne Asada Tacos:

Grill the steak about 7 minutes per side.  Slice into strips.

Heat corn tortillas in the microwave for about 15 seconds or covered with foil in a 350 degree oven until warm.  Use two tortillas per taco.  Place steak strips, salsa, and guacamole on one side and then fold over.  This is great served with rice and black beans seasoned with a sprinkle of lime juice and a pinch of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Also nice is simple salad made of cabbage, diced tomatoes, and red onions that have soaked in white vinegar for about 10 minutes. Dress the salad with a drizzle of a basic oil and vinegar mixture: 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.