Honey Lime Enchiladas

It is my philosophy that you can never have too many enchiladas recipes. This recipe is exceptional tasty, easy AND it freezes well, which is perfect for my current "cooking for one" status.

I use aluminum loaf pans and put two in each, which makes about ten individual servings (if you have a hefty appetite like me, and can easily eat two full enchiladas in one sitting). I also add a couple cans of beans (I've used white and kidney, but I think any kind would work) to make them a little more nutritious (fiber does a body good!).

The fact that I haven't gotten sick of them after eating this many (by myself), tells you just how good they are. Please. Make them.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

from The Sisters' Cafe

1.5 lbs cooked, shredded pork or chicken

Sauce:

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. lime juice

1 T. chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray pans with non-stick spray. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle-Orange Glaze

Another keeper from The Best 30-Minute Recipe. Pretty dang quick, easy, and delicious.

Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle-Orange Glaze

Try to find small pork tenderloins of equal size so that they will cook quickly and evenly If the tenderloins you find are larger than 1 pound, you will need to increase the roasting time accordingly. The glaze requires no cooking, but if you would like to warm the glaze, place it in a microwave-safe container, cover, and microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

2 pork tenderloins (1 pound each), trimmed

salt and ground black pepper

1 T. vegetable oil

Chipotle-Orange Glaze

1 c. orange marmalade

1 T. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1. Heat oven: Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Season and brown pork: Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 5 minutes total.
3. Roast pork: Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until thickest part of tenderloin register 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 18-20 minutes.
4. Prepare glaze: Process 1 cup orange marmalade and 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in blender (or food processor) until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. Rest pork before serving: Transfer tenderloins to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest until the thickets parts of tenderloins reach 150 degrees, about 5 minutes. Cut tenderloins crosswise into thin slices and serve with glaze. 

Green Chile Burros

Filled our freezer with these last week (Marilee style) so on the days I don't make Chris a lunch he can grab one of these and still have something half-way decent. He comes home telling me how for lunch he had a giant slice of somebody's birthday cake, or a couple candy bars or something, and it makes me ill. Just trying to give you options, dear.
Recipe from friend/chef Tatum.

Green Chile Burros

1 large can refried beans
about 2 cups leftover shredded pork or roast beef
1/2 C. salsa
1 C. green chile sauce
1/2 C. grated cheddar or jack cheese
tortillas

On stovetop or in crockpot, place beans, beef, salsa, sauce and cheese. Cook on med-low for a couple hours til warmed through. Place tortillas with some grated cheese under broiler for a few seconds. Fill with green chile mixture. If eating right away, add sour cream and guacamole before rolling tortilla up.

Really, I just wanted to make these so I could purchase a 7 pound can of beans from Costco. (Note, the flat of small cans of beans from Costco costs about $7, this 7 pounder cost $3.29. Great one!)

When making lots to freeze:

I didn't really do exact measurements when doing 24 burritos, just used lots more of everything. I used all 7 pounds of beans, 2 small pork roasts from Costco, 1 jar salsa, 1 large can green chile enchilada sauce, and 2 small blocks of cheese, shredded. It filled 24 large tortillas with some to spare. I just froze the extra (2 cups) in a separate ziploc for another time. Wrap finished tortillas in tin foil and freeze. When Chris leaves for work, he grabs one, leaves it out for the morning, and then by the time lunch comes around, it is defrosted enough to zap in the micro and eat. Hope you can follow the haphazard directions. :/

Shredded Pork Taquitos

I linked to this recipe from For the Love of Cooking, but wanted to post it here as well because they were sooooo good and I want to be able to reference it again. I made the pork the day before, so all I had to do Wednesday was assemble and bake. We felt like we were at a yummy Mexican restaurant.

Shredded Pork Taquitos

Shredded Pork:
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 lb pork roast
1 7 oz can of green chiles
5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 tsp. oregano
1 T. cumin powder
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
2 cups of chicken broth

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Season the entire pork roast to taste. Heat olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned pork roast and sear on all sides. Add the chicken broth, chopped garlic and green chiles. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 hours then turn roast over. Cook for an additional 2 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred the entire roast and mix meat with the juices then let simmer in the oven for 10-15 more minutes.

Additional ingredients:
10 corn tortillas
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 10 corn tortillas in damp paper towels for 1-2 minutes in the microwave to soften. Place a bit of cheese in the center of the tortilla then top with a bit of shredded pork and roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that's been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos, then spray each of them with cooking spray and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Kabobs and Pineapple Rice

I made these a couple of months ago for dinner, and we especially loved the rice. The fresh ginger is SO SO good in it. Last night we had our RS birthday luau for enrichment, and I made the rice for 70! It was a good compliment to the pulled pork, fresh fruit with strawberry cream dip, and homemade strawberry mango ice cream in waffle cups for dessert. I could go for that again right this minute.
Recipe from Everyday Food.

Kabobs with Pineapple Rice

Choose either metal or wooden skewers (four 12-inch or eight 6-inch) for these kebabs. Soak wooden ones in water for at least 15 minutes before grilling to keep them from burning.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for grates
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/3 cup honey
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained and coarsely chopped (juice reserved)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (from a peeled 1/2-inch piece)
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk honey and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice; season with salt and pepper. Alternately thread pork and bell peppers onto skewers; season with salt and pepper. Grill, brushing occasionally with honey mixture, until pork is cooked through and peppers begin to char, 10 to 15 minutes. To rice, add pineapple chunks, scallions, ginger, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and fluff with a fork. Serve kebabs with rice and lime wedges.

I need to start using ginger more. Under-Rated.