Show Archive
Tuesday 18th January 2022.
January 18, 2022
Tuesday and it is the day that we link up with Feisty Foodie Sara up there in Canada’s snow. ” Yesterday we got 3 ft of snow…WOW! The kids were thrilled! Plus our first day back to school (after a week of online) was cancelled due to a snow day! Let’s start off with the recipe we missed last week, Spicy Thai Mango Salad. It’s the perfect combination of spicy and sweet! This combination of fruit and heat inspired me to think about a delicious Tacos al Pastor with a grilled Pineapple Salsa. A little bit of char goes a long way on the pork and the pineapple! And since we’re putting fruit on the grill…how about we try Grilled Bananas with Mexican Chocolate Sauce for dessert! For a cocktail, I thought I’d add one more fruit to the mix…a Passion Fruit Margarita! I think this healthy lunch pays a beautiful homage to the fruits available locally in Panama!
Spicy Thai Mango Salad
INGREDIENTS
3 yellow mango, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, julienne
¼ red onion, julienne
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ small jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced and seeds removed
¼ cup roasted peanuts (plus more for serving)
Lime wedge for garnish
⅓ cup creamy sesame dressing
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or white vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp tahini (or peanut butter)
- ½ tbsp white sesame seeds (plus some for garnish)
- Squeeze of lime
INSTRUCTIONS
Put sliced onions in a small bowl with ice and cold water. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. Shake dry.
Prepare the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or serving dish, combine mango, red pepper, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and roasted peanuts. Pour creamy sesame dressing on top of the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately with extra peanuts and sesame seeds on top and a lime wedge.
Make ahead instructions: To make this salad ahead of time, I would suggest doing all the prep and chopping the vegetables, make the dressing, and store in separate airtight containers. When ready to serve, pour the dressing on top and toss.
Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
Salsa:
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices fresh pineapple
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ jalapeño, finely diced
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
8 lime wedges
Instructions:
To prepare pork, preheat the grill to high heat. Mince chipotle chile. Combine chipotle and oil in a small bowl; rub evenly over pork. Combine oregano and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork, and let stand for 30-90 minutes. Coated your grill pan or BBQ with cooking spray and heat to med-high. Place the pork on the grill for 6 minutes on each side to get a nice sear, until a thermometer registers 145°. Remove pork from grill; let rest 5 minutes covered with foil. Cut into bite sized chunks; keep warm.
To prepare salsa, place pineapple on a grill pan or rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 5 minutes on each side. Coarsely chop pineapple, and place in a medium bowl. Add cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through jalapeño); toss to combine.
Warm the tortillas on the grill to get a Little char. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates, and divide pork evenly among tortillas. Top each taco with about 3 tablespoons salsa. Serve with lime wedges.
Grilled Bananas with Mexican Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
One 3.2-ounce barMexican chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 firm, ripe bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut into 4 pieces each
Vanilla ice cream, softened, for serving
Sweetened shredded coconut, for serving
Directions
In a medium saucepot on medium heat, melt the Mexican chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk constantly until the chocolate is fully melted, and take care not to burn the chocolate. Turn the heat off and reserve.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill, or a stovetop grill pan, over medium-high heat.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon until evenly incorporated. Toss the bananas with the sugar-cinnamon mixture until fully coated. Transfer to the grill, flat-side down. Grill until the bananas are browned and the sugar is caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the bananas to a serving platter. Drizzle with the Mexican chocolate sauce, sprinkle with some shredded coconut and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Passion Fruit Margaritas
Ingredients:
2 Passion fruit (or 2 oz of passion fruit nectar)
3 oz tequila (reposado)
1.5 oz Orange flavour liquer (Grand Marnier, Triple Sec)
3 tsp superfine sugar or simple syrup
Salt
Instructions:
Combine tequila, passion fruit nectar, orange-flavored liqueur, superfine sugar and a pinch of salt in a cocktail shaker. Shake well, then strain into 4 short glasses filled with crushed ice. Rub the rims with lime wedges, then add to the drink. Add some seeds on tip for garnish, if you like.
TIP: You could rim the glass with salt, even add a touch of cayenne pepper!