pork carnitas taco + mango chili salsa

 

who is ready for cinco de mayo?!? i will take just about any excuse i can think of to make homemade tacos, but i think cinco de mayo is as good as it gets! if you are throwing a party you can go all out & set up a taco bar with various meats & toppings like mango salsa, tomato salsa, black beans, fresh guacamole, sour cream, crushed chips & different flavoured harvest snaps for extra flavour kicks. justin & i LOVE making all sorts of tacos at home, from a beer can chicken taco on the grill to a slow cooked pulled pork there isn't a taco i don't like. when we lived in the city there wasn't a week that went by where we didn't go out for tacos or burritos. today's taco is inspired by one of my favourite harvest snap flavours; black bean mango chile lime! they are a a little spicy & a little sweet thanks to the ripe mangos. i cook my pork in a staub braiser but if you have a slow cooker, just throw all the ingredients in before you leave for work & you will come home to the most delicious dinner. happy early cinco de mayo! don't forget the margaritas;)

ingredients

for the tacos

  • 8 corn tortilla shells
  • 1 batch of pulled pork tenderloin (see recipe below)
  • 1 batch of mango chili salsa (see recipe below)
  • 1 cup black bean mango chile lime harvest snaps, crushed
  • lime, for garnishing
  • cilantro, for garnishing

for the pulled pork

  • 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (one loin)
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 cup of chicken stock
  • 1 cup of cola, root beer, or beer (i've done them all)
  • 1 cup of scratch made or store bought barebecue sauce

for the mango chili salsa

  • 2 cups fresh mango, diced
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced & zested
  • salt & pepper, to taste

directions

for the tacos

  • warm the tortilla shells up by heating them in a hot frying pan.
  • add desired amount of pulled pork, mango chili salsa & crushed harvest snaps.
  • garnish with fresh cilantro & a slice of lime.

for the pulled pork tenderloin

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in a small bowl mix together the dry rub: oregano, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper. rub generously over the pork tenderloin.
  • place in a braiser (or slow cooker) and add in garlic, onion, chicken stock & cola.
  • cook covered in the oven for 3-4 hours, or until the meat begins to pull apart.
  • remove meat from braiser, shred & toss in your favourite barbecue sauce.

for the mango chili salsa

  • in a large bowl toss together mango, red pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, salt & pepper.
  • let rest covered in the fridge to allow the flavours to mend.

this post was created in partnership with harvest snaps! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. xo

strawberry peach sangria

 

okay but seriously, how perfect was this weekends weather for a pitcher of sangria? we had the best weekend in the sun. we set up a few things out doors which included building our new BBQ! the gas line gets installed this week & then everything i cook will be made on the grill. i can't wait for may so we can say goodbye to april showers. i think this sangria is the PERFECT beverage to compliment any type of outdoor bbq. it is light, refreshing, full of fruit & made with zevia's strawberry zero calorie soda. this allows for no added sugar because it is made with stevia, a natural zero calorie sweetener. the strawberry soda adds an extra punch of strawberry flavour to the strawberry & peach sangria. i just love fruit in wine as it soaks up all the flavour into each bite. my grandpa always added fresh peaches from the backyard peach tree to his homemade red wine. so cheers to the last week of april, we are almost into those sunny months! next month i will be sharing a recipe for red wine sangria, stay tuned:)

ingredients

  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups strawberries, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups peaches, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups ice, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup peach schnapps
  • 3 cups white wine
  • 2 cups strawberry zevia soda

directions

  • in a large clear pitcher add the lemon, strawberries, peaches & ice.
  • pour in the peach schnapps, white wine & strawberry zevia. stir to combine.
  • serve immediately over fresh ice & garnish with a slice of lemon.

salted honey ice cream (no churn)

 

who is ready for ice cream season?!?! bonus points when it is a no churn, one bowl, salted honey ice cream! seriously, this recipe is so easy. i am sure you are all familiar with what i call magic ice cream. a recipe that involves very minimal ingredients & steps. you simply just whip heavy cream, fold it into condensed milk, add your favourite flavours or mix ins, freeze it & within hours you have ready to eat ice cream. this technically means if you make it right.. NOW, you will have ice cream ready for dessert tonight.

this post also features some goodies from the online shop uncommon goods! they carry a variety of unique gifts & kitchen + bar tools made by different small makers. they carry quite a few of my favourite artist in the shop like beehive handmade & peg and awl. the basis of the shop is to incorporate functional yet creative (uncommon) goods. designs that serve a purpose, solve a problem or are just simply beautiful. both the soap stone ice cream scoop & the hot and cold ice cream bowls can be found in the shop! it is the most unique ice cream scoop i have ever seen. i love the double ice cream bowls too that help keep the ice cream extra cold & your hands warm. while i made my own salted honey for this recipe by mixing in raw honey & sea salt uncommon goods carries the bees knees salted honey product too! hand made in brooklyn by bushwick kitchen, a condiment company i love (don't get me started on the siracha). so if you are in the market for some unique gifts this spring/summer, check out the beautifully curated shop & the recipe for my no churn ice cream below!

ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whipping cream

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl add the condensed milk, honey, sea salt & vanilla. whisk until combined.
  • in a separate bowl add the whipping cream & beat until stiff peaks are formed.
  • add one cup of the whipping cream into the condensed milk mixture & gently fold in.
  • fold in the remaining whipped cream & pour into a freezer safe loaf pan or container.
  • drizzle with additional honey & sprinkle with sea salt.
  • freeze for a minimum of 4 hours & voila! ready to eat ice cream.