Slow Cooker Chile Verde Pulled Pork Tacos

I've got to say...It doesn't get much better than these tacos here.

I mean...the pork simmers in delicious roasted poblano sauce in a crockpot all day.

How can you go wrong with that?

 I really enjoyed mine topped with a lightly dressed coleslaw.

I added some diced red peppers to coleslaw mix, then added that to a mixture of 

1 tablespoon of mayo, juice of 1/2 a lime, tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, sprinkle of celery seed and some salt and pepper.

I have a couple of coleslaw recipes you can check out if you want. 

This one here is lightly dressed (no mayo) and this Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw is obviously 

a creamier version with a nice heat from jalapeno. Or...just some shredded cabbage 

topped with sour cream and a shot of lime juice would be good.

We finished up leftovers the next day with our favorite bbq sauce drizzled over 

some warmed up pork and topped with coleslaw. Really good!

Linked with Weekend Potluck & Foodie Friday.

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SLOW COOKER CHILE VERDE PULLED PORK TACOS

4 large poblano peppers
corn tortillas
2 cups onion, chopped (apprx 2 onions)
6 large tomatillos, husked, washed and quartered
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp ground cumin
4 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Place poblanos on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet; broil until blackened, about 10-15 minutes, turning to get both sides. Wrap in the foil and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and remove seeds and membranes.

Also broil 2 corn tortillas until beginning to char, 30 seconds to a minute per side. Tear charred tortillas into pieces.

Process poblanos, charred tortillas, onions, tomatillos, garlic and cumin in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Pour poblano mixture over pork. Cook on low until pork is done, about 8 hours.

Skim fat from top of slow cooker and discard. Remove pork and shred with 2 forks. Stir in 1 cup of the poblano mixture from the slow cooker (or more to taste).

Serve on corn tortillas with desired toppings.

Original recipe from 2017 Christmas with Southern Living

Chicken Tacos

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for leftover chicken.

My family just loves them.

Some of our favorite toppings: fresh tomatoes, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion, pickled jalapenos, salsa, sour cream and definitely a squirt of lime or lemon (I actually prefer lime).

I had some Spicy Tomatillo Sauce that was made several days before (recipe below),

which I added to my taco. It was exactly what was needed to put it 

over the top. I eat it on lots of things like fajitas, grilled hot dogs, 

hamburgers and of course tacos. 

Fabulous!!

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Chicken Tacos with Spicy Tomatillo Sauce

2 cups chicken, cooked

1 onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced/and seeded if desired

3 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp adobo powder

1/2 tsp southwest seasoning, optional

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp coriander

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/3 cup water

Salt

Pepper

In a skillet over med. heat, saute onion, jalapeno, and a good pinch of salt and pepper in olive oil, 4-5 minutes or until onion starts turning translucent, then add minced garlic. Continue to saute until softened.

Add cooked chicken (chopped) and the following spices: cumin, adobo powder, chili powder, southwest seasoning (if using), smoked paprika, and coriander.

Stir together well, breaking up chicken with the tip of your spoon.  Stir in juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/3 cup of water. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5-10 minutes more.

Spicy Tomatillo Sauce 

7-8 tomatillos, husked washed & halved
2 jalapenos
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Heat oven to 450*

Place tomatillos, jalapenos onion and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

Cool, then place into a blender with 3/4 cup of chicken stock (I seeded one of the jalapenos before blending). Blend and pour into a sauce pan; add honey and balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning, adding salt & pepper if desired. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened.

Spicy Beef Wontons with Chili Dipping Sauce

These wontons were a part of our football eats for this past weekend.

OMG....they were awesome.

Very few of them actually made it on to a plate, lol.

I wish I would have gotten a picture of the inside of one. 

To me, these pictures don't give a great representation of the flavor packed in these beauties.

I made a Spicy Chili Dipping Sauce to serve them with, which made for a perfect combination 

with just the right amount of spiciness.

Linked with Weekend Potluck & Foodie Friday.

Spicy Beef Wontons
Makes 32-35 wontons

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp lime juice
Wonton wrappers
Water for sealing wontons
Vegetable oil for frying
Spicy Chili Dipping Sauce

Heat skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add meat and cook until almost done. Stir in onion, red pepper, cumin, salt, chipotle chile powder, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Cook stirring occasionally until meat is cooked through and onion and pepper is tender.

Stir in cream cheese to melt and lime juice. Cool to almost room temp.

Fill wrapper with 1 tbsp of filling; dampen all 4 edges of wonton with finger dipped in water; fold and seal.

Pour amount of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet to reach 1 inch deep. Heat over medium heat to 350*. Fry wontons 4 or 5 at a time until golden brown turning 1/2 way through. Approx. 15-20 seconds per side. Keep an eye on them, it doesn't take long.

Spicy Chili Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
3 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

Whisk together ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes.

Grilled Shrimp Burgers with Sweet & Spicy Tartar Sauce

What a great change up for a burger.

Super easy to make with a few simple ingredients.

My original recipe calls for cornbread crackers. I didn't have any so I substituted saltines, which worked out wonderfully. Instead of adding the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, I kept that to a pinch because of the additional salt in the cracker.

So good. Especially with the tartar sauce.

Linked with Foodie Friday and Weekend Potluck.

Grilled Shrimp Burgers with Sweet & Spicy Tartar Sauce

Makes 4 Burgers

1 1/4 lb. med. shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 x-large egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground red pepper, or more to taste

3 tbsp celery, finely chopped

2 tbsp green onion, chopped

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/4 cups crushed cornbread crackers, appx 1 sleeve

4 hamburger buns (I like an onion bun or a Kaiser)

Bibb lettuce

Sweet & Spicy Tarter Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsp horseradish

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch of red pepper, if desired

Mix together, cover and chill 30 minutes to 24 hours.

Cut shrimp into 3rds.

Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray.

Stir together egg and next 4 ingredients until blended; stir in celery, green onion and parsley. Fold in shrimp and cracker crumbs (mixture will be very thick). Shape into 4 (4 inch wide, 1 inch thick) patties. Place patties on prepared pan. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours. Transfer to freezer, and freeze 30 minutes.

Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high heat). Grill burgers, covered with grill lid, 5-6 minutes or until burgers lift easily from cooking grate using a large spatula. Carefully turn burgers, and grill 5-6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and burgers are cooked through and lightly crisp.

Grill buns on grill 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted. 

Serve on buns with tarter sauce and lettuce.