Cheesy Chorizo and Black Bean Taquitos

Hello, friends! I'm on a roll this week with posts--I think it's a combination of being in the cooking mood more often than usual, and having more daylight within which to take food photos (the irony here being that the sun disappeared as the taquitos came out of the oven...*sigh*) Anyway--I'm playing with a new (to my kitchen) ingredient today: Chorizo!

Chorizo is a spicy Mexican pork sausage that goes well with...well, nearly everything! It's great in breakfast tacos, and absolutely MADE to pair with sweet potatoes in a sweet and savory hash. I've been singing its praises from afar--until today.  Today, I got up close and personal- and I'm so glad I did!

Shredded Pork Sliders with Fresh Mango Slaw

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a recent kitchen victory! Let me tell you the background story. In the past, I've attempted to make pork carnitas in my slow cooker, with ZERO success. Ugh. When I've tried, I always follow the directions EXACTLY, and it would smell so wonderful after eight hours in the crock pot. I'd rush into the kitchen and grab my forks, ready to shred some tender, juicy pork, and.....it was never what the recipe promised. Though always tasty, it would be chewy and sometimes tough...always disappointing.

 I have no idea what went wrong each time--whether I didn't get the right cut of meat, whether I didn't trim enough fat or didn't add enough liquid for the meat to soak up...in any case, my pork attempts always left me with dashed hopes and feeling like a kitchen failure, ha! I took it really personally, but I learned something new each time.

Spinach & Pomegranate Stuffed Pork Chops with Smashed Red Potatoes

Hello, friends! How's everything? I hope you're well and having a wonderful week. It's nice to be writing again so soon :) You know, I love this time of the year--and I love all of the fun the seasonal produce available--it means new ingredients for me to experiment with; namely, pomegranate! I had never worked with one before today, so it was fun learning how to cut and de-seed it. (<--Is that a word?)

Pulled Pork Tacos with Fresh Cherry Salsa

I love pulled pork! Done right, the meat is moist, flavorful, and absolutely delicious--and it's so versatile! It goes with everything. I had some leftover from a cookout this weekend, and found this recipe for pulled pork tacos with cherry salsa.