Saturday Down South: Creamy Taco Dip with Taco-Ranch Sour Cream, Shredded Colby Jack Cheese, Crunchy Hearts of Romaine, Homemade Pico de Gallo, + a Drizzle of Salsa Verde Crema

I don't have many recipes that require very little work... but hey, I've got one for you today! It is literally so easy-peasy, that it took me less than 20 minutes to whip up. Hell, you could easily make it faster if you buy a store-bought pico de gallo instead of making it from scratch! Essentially this has all of the components from a bite of a taco. What doesn't sound good about that? We've been on a real Mexican kick as of lately... nearly eating it every other day. So when the weekend came, I knew I wanted to make this. The dip starts off with a cream cheese + sour cream layer that is fortified with loads of flavor from taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, and hot sauce. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate, and then sprinkle the colby jack cheese on top, followed by scattering the shredded romaine all over the dip. Next, make a mound of the pico de gallo and finish it off by drizzling some of the salsa verde crema + a sprinkle of chili powder. That's it... it's all done! All you have to do is serve it with some tortilla chips and you're gold as gold! Enjoy y'all :)

For the Taco-Ranch Sour Cream:

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

8oz Sour Cream

1 Package of Taco Seasoning

¼C Ranch Seasoning

¼C Hot Sauce

For the Pico de Gallo:

5 Whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced

1 Small Red Onion, Diced

2 Jalapeno Peppers, Minced

¼C Candied Jalapeno, Minced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

¼C Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1 Lime, Zested + Juiced

1T EVOO

Salt + Pepper, To Taste

For the Salsa Verde Crema:

½C Mexican Crema

½C Salsa Verde 

For the Creamy Taco Dip:

Prepared Taco-Ranch Sour Cream

8oz Colby Jack Cheese, Shredded

1-2 Hearts of Romaine, Shredded

Prepared Pico de Gallo

Prepared Salsa Verde Crema

Chili Powder, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Taco-Ranch Sour Cream: In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer running on low, start adding the sour cream a little at a time. Next, toss in the taco and ranch seasoning, followed by the hot sauce. Beat to combine.

2. For the Homemade Pico de Gallo: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

3. For the Salsa Verde Cream: Whisk together the salsa verde and sour cream. Spoon this mixture into a squeeze bottle and set it aside.

4. Assembling the Creamy Taco Dip: Spoon the Taco-Ranch sour cream onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the shredded colby jack over the sour cream and scatter the shredded romaine on top of the cheese. Top the lettuce with a mound of the homemade pico de gallo. Finish the dip by sprinkling on some chili powder and drizzling the salsa verde all over the dip. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado Taco's with Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw, Spicy Taco Pickles, Crumbled Cotija Cheese, + Bang-Bang Sauce on Homemade Beet Infused Soft Tortillas

Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado Taco's with Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw, Spicy Taco Pickles,
Crumbled Cotija Cheese, + Bang-Bang Sauce on Homemade Beet Infused Soft Tortillas

First of all, sorry for not posting this week. I've been sick and my birthday was two days ago, so I just hadn't gotten to it yet. Second of all, and most importantly, this whole meal is vegetarian. That's breaking news around this joint. My inclination to put bacon in every recipe, including desserts, has honestly turned into a form of habit... some might call it an addiction; I prefer to say that I just have an unbreakable bond to that smoky-fatty-porky goodness. To sum it all up, I apparently share an affinity for bacon culture. Frankly, that might not exist, but I wholeheartedly believe it does. Okay, okay enough with the meat and onto the veggies. Have y'all ever had fried avocado? It somehow straddles the line between deliciously creamy and expertly crispy all at once. What a do-gooder that avocado is... or because I'm bitter, it's a suck up. Well, I got the sudden urge to finally make fried avocado with a slight twist, coconut fried avocado. Who doesn't like coconut shrimp? Tell me now because I want to go beat them up talk to them. The little bit of added sweetness is perfection, especially in a fully loaded taco. All of our tacos are completely packed, I am compelled to do it. So, I made some creamy cilantro coleslaw, a bang-bang sauce, & our new favorite condiment/topping... Taco Pickles. I saw the recipe for these pickles on Pinterest and just knew I had to try them, that day. And we did... and they are awesome. I slightly adapted ours to include a few extra special ingredients; they're lovable, I tell ya, lovable. Another key element to this meal were the homemade flour tortillas. For those of you shaking your heads, they aren't that hard to make and they taste wayyyyyy better. I infused ours with beets, making them delightfully pink (yes, I know I made pink tacos. I went there, you did too. Let's both get our heads out of the gutter, people... naughty jokes aside). Anyway, pink is the new brown butter, y'all. Okay, no that's not true, I'm still in a very committed relationship with brown butter and I don't see that changing any time soon. But these beet tacos with coconut fried avocado, they're the new vegetarian jam. All my life, I've been told "you eat with your eyes first", and this recipe is living proof of it. My Mountain Man moaned + groaned all the way through it and also proclaimed these to be "some of the best tacos I've ever eaten". Just a reminder... he's a meat-lovin'-rabid-carnivore and these, once again, are all vegetarian (no bacon fat included). I wanted to make sure y'all realized that. Besides that, we finished them with a little bit of pico de gallo, crumbled cotija cheese, & fresh cilantro. I've done enough describing, and hopefully, enough convincing, that some of you meat lovers will join in on the fun with us!! Enjoy :)

Look at all that color in one meal, it makes me smile :) 

Right there, that's some coconut fried avocado poking out.

So many toppings... 

And to go along with our tacos, I made some maduros (fried sweet plantains) + yellow rice. 

One, very delicious, vegetarian meal. 

For the Spicy “Taco Pickles”:

1C White Vinegar

½C Apple Cider Vinegar

½C Red or White Wine Vinegar (if you use the red vinegar, expect some pink color tinting)

1C Sugar

1 Peeled Jicama, Thinly Sliced or Julienned (cutting it into small cubes works as well)

8 Radishes, Thinly Sliced with a Mandolin

4 Carrots, Thinly Sliced with a Mandolin

4 Jalapenos or Serranos, Thinly Sliced with a Mandolin (if this is too spicy, use 2 peppers)

¼C Candied Jalapeno Slices (optional, but we liked the added sweetness & heat)

Half of a Small Red Onion, Very Thinly Sliced

4 Large Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped

1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro, Finely Chopped

½t Dried Oregano

¼t Cumin & Coriander

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Beet Infused Water:

1 ½C Water

2 Beets, Peeled & Roughly Chopped

For the Beet Infused Soft Tortillas:

2 ½C AP Flour

2 ½t Baking Powder

1t Sea Salt

½C + 2T Vegetable Shortening

1C Beet Infused Water, Hot (if the dough is still too thick, add a touch more beet water)

For the Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw:

2C Coleslaw Mix (or thinly shaved cabbage)

Half of a Small Red Onion, Very Thinly Sliced

2 Green Onions, Minced

Small Handful of Fresh Cilantro, Finely Minced (you can add as much as you want)

Fresh Lime Juice & Fresh Lime Zest, To Taste

2-3T Mayo (we wanted just enough mayo to lightly coat the slaw)

Pinch of Sugar, Salt, & Pepper

For the Bang-Bang Sauce:

½C Mayo

1T + 1t Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce

1T Honey or Sweet Chili Sauce

Pinch of Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado:

1-2 Avocados, Cut into Wedges (make sure they are ripe, but still somewhat firm)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (plus extra for sprinkling after they have fried)

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (to lightly drizzle over the avocados)

1C AP Flour

1t Baking Powder

Water

2C Shredded, Sweetened Coconut

½C Panko Bread Crumbs

Canola Oil, For Frying

 

For the Taco's:

Homemade Beet Infused Flour Tortillas, Warm

Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado Wedges, Hot

Prepared Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw

Prepared Spicy Taco Pickles

Prepared Bang-Bang Sauce, For Drizzling

Crumbled Cotija Cheese, Pico de Gallo, & Fresh Cilantro (for garnishing)

Directions:

1. For the Spicy “Taco Pickles”: Cut up all your veggies into what ever shape you like. (I used my mandolin slicer and just made them into thin round pieces). Bring your sugar and vinegar to a slow boil and whisk until all the sugar is dissolved and then store in the fridge or freezer to bring it back to room temp. Once cool, add the liquid to your mix of veggies, jalapeño, cilantro and salt and combined. Store in a container in the fridge and eat your pickles over the next couple of weeks. One thing that I did is that I left the radishes and Jicama out of the pickling liquid until an hour or so before because I wanted to maintain their bright white color from the pink pickling liquid. This is completely up to you. It will all taste the same, so no worries!

2. For the Beet Infused Water: Puree the beet pieces with the water in a food processor until smooth and hot pink in color. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. Immediately pour this colored water into a small pot and heat it in order to make the homemade flour tortillas.

3. For the Beet Infused Flour Soft Tortillas: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir together. Add spoonfuls of the shortening, and then use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients. Continue to cut the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the hot beet infused water, stirring to bring the mixture together. Lightly knead the dough, 30-40 times, or until it becomes a cohesive ball of dough and is less sticky in texture. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for at least an hour. Roll into ping-pong sized balls, place on a plate, cover with the tea towel, and allow it to rest again, for another 30 minutes. When you are ready to make them, heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and roll out the balls of dough until they are very thin. Cook the tortillas in the preheated pan until they are soft, but slightly brown in spots. This should take about 30 seconds a side, just take your time and fiddle around with the appropriate heat for your pan. Keep the tortillas warm until you are ready to assemble them.

4. For the Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss together until completely coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a little sugar. I like to do this right before serving in order to keep the coleslaw crisp and not soggy when I eat them.

5. For the Bang-Bang Sauce: Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk until smooth (and season to your tastes). Refrigerate it until you are ready to use and also pour into a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.

6. For the Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado: Cut the avocado into wedges, squeeze some fresh lime juice over them, and then sprinkle them with some salt & pepper. In a dish, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes. In another dish, toss together the coconut and panko. Heat about 2 inches of oil to roughly 350 degrees or medium heat in a small skillet. Put the prepared avocado into the batter, and then dredge them in the coconut mixture, pressing it very gently to help the coconut adhere. Fry the avocado, in batches, in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain the avocado on a paper towel lined plate and season with salt & pepper. Immediately layer them onto the tortillas while they are still hot.

7. Assembling the Taco's: Place a fried avocado wedge into a warm beet tortilla, and then top them with creamy cilantro coleslaw, spicy taco pickles, and a drizzle of bang-bang sauce. Garnish with some crumbled Cotija cheese, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy immediately!

source: homemade tortillas. taco pickles. coconut shrimp. 

BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork, Tangy Apple Coleslaw, & Pickled Red Onions

BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork, Tangy Apple Coleslaw, & Pickled Red Onions

Can y'all believe how fast Summer has flown by? I mean I realize that it's still Summer, but I mean it's almost over. I love Summer, but I've always been an Autumn girl myself. I just love everything about it. Especially the food. So, I really can't wait for October to get here and I can get to makin' those seasonal dishes. But, nonetheless, it's still Summer and hot as hell. It reached about 105 degrees last week, but luckily for us, Savannah has had a long afternoon shower every day this week. So, it's finally cooled off to the low 90's. And you know what I crave when it's hot outside? Tacos. Lots and lots of them. They are like the ultimate Summertime food for me. And the variations are endless. I mean I can just sit at home and think of a million different taco combinations & toppings. I think we actually might make some Asian-inspired ones this weekend. Haven't really decided on that, but leaning towards it. Well these are made with BBQ pulled pork and they are just so tender and juicy. I used the Pioneer Woman's spicy pop pulled pork as my recipe, but instead of using Dr. Pepper, I used a Southern favorite, Cheerwine. Cheerwine is like a really good cherry coke, and it used to only be sold in South Carolina, but it's spread all over the South now. After the pork was cooked & shredded, I tossed it in my favorite BBQ Sauce, and it was perfect. Then, I knew that I just had to make a killer slaw to top the meat off. I sat there thinking, what goes good with pork? Apple. Pork + Apples are perfect together. Why not a tangy apple slaw? It was perfect. I loved this slaw. And I think it would be a great side at a cookout or barbecue. It's crispy, sweet, sour, and everything spicy & nice. Also, it's not covered or slammed in a heavy mayo dressing, but a like olive oil vinaigrette. That just screams Summer even more to me. I had to make some pickled red onions to put on the tacos because I just love them with pork. Of course, we loaded ours up with a bunch of different components... guacamole, salsa, crumbled queso fresco, and a touch of my Alabama White BBQ Sauce that I made for our Beer Can Chicken. These tacos were hearty, yet refreshing, and perfect for a dinner out in our garden!! Enjoy :)

For the Pickled Red Onions:

2 Medium Red Onions, Thinly Sliced

1 ½C White Vinegar

½C Sugar

½ Cinnamon Stick, 5 Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 Star Anise

¼t Red Pepper Flakes  

For the Vinaigrette:

1T Dijon Mustard

3T Red Wine Vinegar

1t Salt

½C Olive Oil

For the Tangy Apple Coleslaw:

Prepared Vinaigrette

½C Pickled Red Onions

2 Jalapenos, Seeded & Thinly Sliced

¼C Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

3 Green Onions, Finely Sliced

2C Green Apples, Shredded

2C Coleslaw Mix

For the Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork:

1 Large Vidalia onion, Cut into Wedges

1 Pork Butt (between 5-7lbs)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

11oz Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

16oz Cheerwine Soda

2T Brown Sugar

For the Pulled Pork Tacos:

Prepared Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork

Barbeque Sauce

Prepared Tangy Apple Coleslaw

Crumbled Cotija Cheese, Fresh Lime, Salsa, Guacamole, Cilantro, & Any Other Toppings

Directions:

1. For the Cheerwine-Chipotle Pulled Pork: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the onion wedges into the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Generously season the pork with salt & pepper. Place the pork on top of the onions. In a small bowl, gently whisk together the chipotle peppers in adobo, brown sugar, and Cheerwine until mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Pour this mixture over the pork. Place the lid on tightly and cook the meat for roughly 5-7 hours depending on how big your pork butt is (make sure the turn the roast 2-3 times during the cooking process). The meat should fall apart easily and be able to be pulled with two forks. If it isn’t return the pork to the oven for another hour. Remove the meat from the pot and place onto a cutting board. Using two forks shred the meat into pieces, making sure to discard the fat (strain the fat off the top of the cooking liquid). Return the shredded pork to the cooking liquid and keep warm until ready to serve.

2. For the Pickled Red Onions: Blanch the thinly sliced red onions in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes, and then drain them in a colander. In a pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, and spices and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the blanched, drained onions into Mason jar. Once the vinegar mixture has cooked, pour it into the jar of onions, making sure they are all covered. Allow the jar come to room temperature and then refrigerate until cool and pink in color.

3. For the Vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well blended. Set it aside.

4. For the Tangy Apple Coleslaw: In a mixing bowl, combine pickled red onions, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, green onions, shredded green apples, and coleslaw mix. Toss until the ingredients are all combined. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat the ingredients. Season with salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate the coleslaw until you are ready to put on the tacos.

5. Place some of the pulled pork on a flour tortilla, and then top them with the tangy apple coleslaw, pickled red onions, and any other toppings that you like. Enjoy. 

Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette Coleslaw, Mango de Gallo, Roasted Chile-Charred Corn Salsa, & Roasted Poblano Tartar Sauce

Next up for our Cinco de Mayo week are my absolutely ridiculous, over-the-top fried fish tacos. Now people, these aren't your ordinary fish tacos. Because I've had those fish tacos that are fried well and served with some sauce, maybe some lettuce and jalapenos... but they were just missin' something (apparently a whole lot of somethin'). I coated some small fish filets in my favorite beer batter and fried them until they were golden brown & crispy. After that, I made a whole bunch of different toppings. Let's start with the Mango de Gallo and the Roasted Chile-Charred Corn Salsa...

Mango de Gallo & Roasted Chile-Charred Corn Salsa

The Mango de Gallo is sweet & fruity, which perfectly complements the fried fish. And the corn salsa is just damn good. I'm a lover of corn. Big lover. We just ate the corn salsa with chips for days. So don't leave either of these components out, they're key to fish taco greatness. I also made a coleslaw tossed in a homemade Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette for some acidity and freshness to cut through the heaviness of the beer batter and tartar sauce. I love this coleslaw... put it on every taco that you can, people. Lastly, there is the Roasted Poblano Tartar Sauce, which is personally my favorite component. It's spicy and creamy, and pretty much what dreams are made of. I will be making this again when I make homemade fish sticks... or fried shrimp. By the way, did I mention that I hate fish?! Yes, it's true. The stuff gives me the heeby-geebies. But guess what, I friggin' loved these tacos. So much so, that we will be making them again very soon. Most likely this weekend!! Enjoy :)

Always Garnish with Some Crumbled Cotija Cheese...

For the Beer Battered Fish:

2C AP Flour (plus a little extra)

Pinch of Salt

1t Baking Powder

½C + 2T Seltzer Water

½C + 2T Beer

Thin Filets of Cod Fish (or any other white, flaky fish)

Few Drops of Yellow Food Dye

1Q Canola Oil 

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette:

½C Red Wine Vinegar, Honey, & Olive Oil

2t Dijon Mustard

2t Adobo Sauce

½t Paprika

¼t Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, & Dried Oregano  

For the Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette Coleslaw:

1 ½C Coleslaw Mix

2-3 Green Onions, Chopped (depending on how much onion you like)

1 Large Jalapeno, Seeded & Diced

Prepared Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Mango de Gallo:

1C Mango, Cut into Small Cubes

1 Jalapeno, Seeded & Diced

¼C Chopped Cilantro

½C Red Onion, Finely Diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Lime, Zested & Juiced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Roasted Chile-Charred Corn Salsa:

1 Poblano Chile Pepper, Roasted & Diced

1C Corn Kernels, Charred

1 Small Jalapeno Pepper, Seeded & Chopped

2T Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

2T Red Onion, Chopped

2T Fresh Lime Juice

2t Olive Oil

½t Sugar

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Roasted Poblano Tartar Sauce:

½C Mayo

1t Fresh Cilantro, Minced

½t Dijon Mustard

1t Capers, Roughly Chopped

1t Sweet Onion, Minced 

1 Roasted Poblano, Seeded & Diced

1 Roasted Jalapeno, Seeded & Diced

½t Lime Zest

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Fish Tacos:

Flour Tortillas

Prepared Roasted Poblano Tartar Sauce

Crispy Beer Battered Fried Fish Filets

Prepared Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette Coleslaw

Prepared Mango de Gallo

Prepared Roasted Chile-Charred Corn Salsa

Pico de Gallo, Fresh Lime, or Cotija Cheese

Directions:

1. For the Beer Battered Fish: Heat the oil in your deep fryer to 375 degrees. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add in the seltzer, beer, and yellow food dye. Whisk until lumps are gone. Dip the filets into some plain AP Flour, so that it is completely covered, and then shake off the excess. Dip the floured filets into the batter and gently lay into the hot oil for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and flaky inside. Sprinkle the fried fish with salt and pepper.

2. For the Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients, except oil in a blender and blend on low speed for 10 seconds. Slowly drizzle the oil into the blender on low speed. Chill the finished dressing for at least an hour.

3. For the Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette Coleslaw: In a medium-mixing bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with the diced jalapenos and green onions until incorporated. Coat the coleslaw mixture with the prepared chipotle-honey vinaigrette until completely coated. Set it aside until ready to assemble the tacos.

4. For the Mango de Gallo: Add in all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve on the tacos.

5. For the Roasted Chile-Charred Corn Salsa: Add in all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve on the tacos.

6. For the Roasted Poblano Tartar Sauce: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. Assembling the Fried Fish Tacos: Line 3 tortillas on a plate, and then spread on some of the homemade roasted poblano tartar sauce. Place 1-2 pieces of beer battered fish onto each tortilla and top with chipotle-honey vinaigrette coleslaw and mango de gallo. Garnish with a spoonful of chunky guacamole, Pico de gallo, some onion, a squeeze of lime, and crumbled Cotija cheese (optional).