Tag: Main Dish
Pulled Pork Tostadas
I know in the past, I’ve gotten pretty excited about what I call the Double-Duty Dinner. In a nutshell, it’s when something you make one night for dinner gets re-used later in the week in a different-tasting way. Like a roasted chicken on Monday that doubles for chicken soup on Thursday, or rice from a stir-fry that gets turned into pilaf the next day. Pulled pork has always been among my favorite Double Duty Dinner heroes. If pulled pork were my employee, it would get the Most Valuable Multitasker award. I would give it a $25 Amazon gift card and take it out for lunch…to a barbecue joint…just to watch the awkwardness unfold. Hidden cameras would be involved.
Anyway, pulled pork one of those versatile foods that seems to be just as comfortable in a pizza as on a sandwich–or in this case, on a tostada. This recipe calls for a few pre-made cups of it. I’ll leave it up to you what kind of pork to use, since there are a million pulled pork recipes out there and you quite possibly already have a favorite (or one you’d like to use for the other half of a Double-Duty Dinner). For ours, I seasoned a pork butt with brown sugar and a spice rub and let it simmer in the Crock Pot with some veggie broth for several hours. Still, I could see a barbecue-flavored version working just as well or even better, especially if you dig the taste of sweet, tomato-y barbecue sauce and creamy tomatillo dressing together. Now I think I need to make this again ASAP just to try that.
Pulled Pork Tostadas with Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
(Adapted from How Sweet Eats, dressing from The Girl Who Ate Everything)
Ingredients:
1 c. grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 c. cilantro
1/2 c. red onion, diced
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
4 flour tortillas
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 c. pulled pork, warmed
6 oz. Cotija cheese
2 c. lettuce, shredded
Creamy Tomatillo Lime Dressing
Directions:
1. Make pico de gallo: in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. To make tostada shells, heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (or two) with aluminum foil. Brush olive oil on both sides of tortillas and bake 5 minutes on one side, then flip and bake on the other side 2-3 minutes.
3. Assemble tostadas with shell, pulled pork, pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce, and tomatillo-lime dressing.
Zesty Greek Tilapia with Orzo
Earlier this week, our family returned from a little vacation (or, more aptly named, a “family trip”–hard to call it a vacation until the kids are a bit older) to the charming city of Avalon on Catalina Island. For four days we soaked up what the island has to offer, including a ferry ride from Long Beach,
trips to the beach,
a glass-bottom boat tour,
exploring around the historic Avalon Casino,
and climbing the steep staircases around the city to take in some beautiful views from above.
After returning from this trip, I feel unusually motivated to make positive changes in my life. It’s like a mini New Year’s Day. I suddenly want to clean my house from floor to ceiling, take a math placement test I’ve been putting off for my nutrition degree, and start a fundraising campaign to buy a new play structure for our church’s religious education center. (Calm the heck down, right?) And certainly after all the vacation eating–ice cream, margaritas, giant burritos, and a probably ill-advised stop at Carl’s Jr.–I’ve definitely felt the desire to get back to “normal” eating habits, i.e. healthy eating habits.
The first evening we were back, I decided we needed a mega-healthy dinner to counteract some of the vacation’s excesses. (Did I mention the two boxes of Girl Scout cookies that somehow stowed away in our snack bag for the drive?) Bring on the fiber! the vitamins! the omega-3 fatty acids! All those things not found in Girl Scout cookies and Carl’s Jr. onion rings! I’d been eyeing some recipes for Greek-style tilapia for awhile, but ended up winging it to create my own version that fit my craving for something healthy and flavorful.
Being from the Southwest, it’s probably hard-wired into my system to turn anything with diced tomatoes into a kind of salsa. I started off by combining tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and some other Mediterranean staples to make a Greek-style pico de gallo:
Spread over tilapia fillets, this zesty mixture complemented the fish’s mild flavor nicely. Served with orzo and accompanied by a green vegetable, it made a flavorful meal packed with nutrients that will be easy to whip up on a weeknight in the future. And yes, I promise there’s fish under there in the picture…I just happened to like the Greek salsa…a lot.
Zesty Greek Tilapia with Orzo
A Love Letter to Food Original
Ingredients:
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 2.25 oz. can sliced olives, drained
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
scant 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
black pepper to taste
5 medium tilapia fillets (about 15 oz.)
8 oz. oz. orzo pasta
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes, olives, feta, green onion, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, and salt. Season with pepper.
3. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking pan with cooking spray and place tilapia fillets evenly in the pan. Spread the tomato mixture on top of the fish to cover.
4. Bake about 15 minutes or until the tilapia flakes easily with a fork.
5. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to package directions. Serve tilapia over orzo.
Serves 3-4.
7-Layer Mexican Tortilla Pie
If there’s one visual trick that makes me want to eat a food, it would have to be layering. I don’t care if it’s a dip, a cake, or a sardine-ketchup pudding, if it has layers, it needs to get in mah belly. There’s something so showy and almost whimsical about a stratum of food on top of food, like a circus pyramid or an awesome architectural feat. So when I was browsing Allrecipes.com recently and found that not only is there a Mexican entree I have yet to eat, but that it also has LAYERS, I knew it had won a spot on our weekly meal plan.
While it may not be a traditional Mexican dish, this 7-layer tortilla pie is certainly a fun way to use Mexican flavors. Cheesy, gooey, and salsa-y, with not too much spice, this was a hit even with my kids. And with its two types of beans (black and pinto), corn, and fresh tomatoes, I think you may actually reach your RDA of fiber in one meal by eating it. So check that off your bucket list.
The other great thing about this recipe is that, with relatively inexpensive ingredients, one pie feeds a small army. When friends of ours came for dinner the other night, we fed both of our families (4 adults and 6 kids) with just one of these. Hooray for fiber and yummy Mexican flavors and layers–LAYERS FOR EVERYONE!!!!
7-Layer Mexican Tortilla Pie
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. salsa
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 c. frozen roasted corn, thawed
1/2 c. tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
3/4 tsp. taco seasoning (see here for how to make your own)
7 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
diced tomatoes and cilantro for garnish, if desired
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap tortillas in foil and bake 8-10 minutes. Leave tortillas in foil until you are ready to assemble the pie.
2. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans. Add 3/4 c. salsa and garlic cloves and stir to combine.
3. In another bowl, combine black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes, cilantro, taco seasoning, and remaining 1/4 c. salsa.
4. Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or a pie plate). Spread 3/4 c. of the pinto bean mixture over tortilla to within 1/2 an inch of the edge. Sprinkle with 1/4 c.. shredded cheddar. Place another tortilla on top and spread with 2/3 c. black bean mixture, topping with 1/4 c. shredded cheddar. Repeat these layers two more times. Cover with remaining tortilla, spread with remaining pinto bean mixture, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with cilantro and diced tomatoes, if desired.
5. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. Slice into wedges.
Serves 6 generously.
Spicy Pan-Fried Noodles with Tofu
It’s rare that one dinner gets made twice in two weeks at our house–or even twice in a month. I’m too fond of variety (and of trying new recipes) for that to happen very often. But every once in awhile a dinner recipe comes along that makes me want to make it EVERY. DAY. Like these spicy pan-fried noodles with tofu:
I gave these a try a couple of weeks ago on a Friday when our family was gathered around the TV for our semi-monthly Family Movie Night. It’s kind of a shame I was in the kitchen cooking during part of the movie, because it was Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the Second Dimension. I may have mentioned before that Phineas and Ferb is, in my opinion, the greatest kids’ show of all time. I’ve actually thought about getting on Twitter just so I could stalk follow Dan Povenmire, one of the show’s creators. Anyway, since I made this delicious meal to the sounds of the movie in the background, I now associate the tantalizing blend of lime, brown sugar, and Sriracha with the voice of Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz (AKA the best character in the best kids’ show of all time).
Fast forward two weeks to our next Family Movie Night. I had been craving these noodles so much since the Phineas and Ferb movie night, I decided to bend my usual rules and make them again. Now I’m going to associate their taste with a combination of Dr. Doofenschmirtz and Judy Garland’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow, because this time around we watched The Wizard of Oz. So that’s a weird mental picture.
Regardless, I stand by my fortnight-long craving for these spicy noodles and tofu. They are absolutely restaurant quality, like something you’d get at Pei Wei (and then order every time you go there from here to eternity, like I do with their honey-seared chicken). For little ones or picky palates, the spice level can be adjusted by scaling back the Sriracha. I also realized after making this twice that it happens to be vegan. So there’s that, too, if that floats your boat. Or if it doesn’t, forget I said it and enjoy this meal for the spicy-sweet deliciousness it is!
Spicy Pan-Fried Noodles with Tofu
(Adapted from Fine Cooking)
Ingredients:
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. Sriracha, adjustable to taste
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil, divided
14 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed as dry as possible and sliced into 3/4 inch cubes
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 1/2 inch long matchsticks
1/4 c. shallot, minced
16 oz. cooked Udon noodles*
2-3 c. green cabbage, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, Sriracha, minced garlic, and 2 Tbsp. water. Set aside.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tofu, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until golden brown on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Off the heat, add another 1 Tbsp. oil to the pan. Return to heat and add sliced carrots, cooking and stirring occasionally 3-5 minutes or until tender and browned in spots. Transfer to bowl with the tofu.
4. Off the heat, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the pan. Add shallot and return to heat, sauté about 1 minute, then add cooked noodles. Saute 2-3 minutes until noodles have browned in spots. Stir the sauce and carefully add it to the pan. Toss well to coat and cook and stir until the sauce reduces to a sticky glaze, about 2 minutes.
5. Return tofu and carrots to the pan. Add sliced cabbage and toss until heated through.
Serves 4.
*To make preparation faster and easier, consider using microwavable steam-pack noodles such as these:
Microwave while carrots are cooking in the skillet–voila! Instant cooked noodles!
Zucchini Cheddar Fritters
Tomorrow marks the halfway point of my summer school chemistry class, which I (perhaps foolishly) figured I could “knock out” over the summer and put behind me as I progress in my nutrition degree. Whoa, did I have another thing coming. As it turns out, “Fundamental Chemistry” is no hippety-hop down the primrose path of the periodic table. The last four weeks have been a brain-bending blur of memorizing chemical nomenclature, struggling to recall math principals I haven’t used since high school, and spending my mornings doing things like decompose potassium chlorate. Gradually my comprehension has caught up with the material and I finally feel like I get most of what we’re doing……for now.
In the meantime–and when you’re in an intensive 8-week chemistry class, there’s not a whole lot of meantime–at least cooking serves as a stress reliever. And it’s especially a boost when what I’m cooking takes wholesome ingredients and turns them into something delicious. Which is its own kind of chemistry, right? Making these zucchini cheddar fritters the other night was a simple pleasure that went a long way toward shaking off some of the stress of summer school. Their soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture, plus the yin-yang balance of sharp cheddar with mellow zucchini is is one of those food gestalts that is more than the sum of its parts. My only concern is whether to call them fritters or pancakes. Or pitters or francakes.
Well, it’s been a nice little break–now back to molecular mass and stoichoimetry! Maybe someday I’ll be able to share about the chemistry of cooking. After all, that’s the best kind.
Zucchini Cheddar Fritters
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. grated onion
1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
Additional vegetable oil for pan-frying
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add 2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil and mix with a fork. Texture should be slightly lumpy.
2. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, onion, and cheddar. Stir in eggs, paprika, garlic powder, and flour mixture until evenly distributed. Season with salt and a few grinds fresh-cracked pepper.
3. Heat additional vegetable oil (about 2 tsp.) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, scoop batter by 1/4 cups into skillet, smoothing the tops to flatten to about 3/4 inch height. Cook 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook 3-4 minutes on the other side. Repeat with any remaining batter, using additional vegetable oil if necessary.
Serve with ketchup, sour cream, or any other dipping sauces you enjoy!
Serves 4-5.