Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

I’m sure you know by now, but my Husband is nutso for cilantro.  Can’t get enough of the stuff.  So, when I saw this recipe on Joelen’s blog I knew I had to add it to our weekly menu.  It came together very quickly and was quite tasty.

I think next time I’ll cook the chicken halfway, add the pesto, and continue cooking on warm…just to try and cook out some of the super-harsh raw garlic flavor.  Otherwise, these were awesome!

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces
1t. Garlic powder
1t. Ground cumin (my addition – I just love cumin)
1/2C. Cilantro lime pesto (recipe follows)
Flour or corn tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste
Taco garnishes (salsa, sour cream, avocado, peppers, onions cheese, etc)

DIRECTIONS
Season chicken with salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder.  In a lightly oiled skillet, saute chicken over medium high heat and cooked through. Toss cooked, seasoned chicken with the pesto. Fill tortillas with chicken and top with preferred garnishes.

Cilantro Lime Pesto

INGREDIENTS
1C. Fresh cilantro leaves (do not include stems)
2 1/2T. Extra virgin olive oil
2T. Sliced, toasted almonds
3T. Chopped, fresh garlic
1 1/2t. Lime juice
1/2C. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2t. Salt
1/4C. Chicken broth

DIRECTIONS
Using a blender, mix together the cilantro, olive oil, almonds, garlic, lime juice, asiago, salt and chicken broth on low speed for 2 minutes.

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Cilantro Lime Steak

My husband loves cilantro.  Probably more than any person should.  So, when I saw this recipe on Recipezaar I knew I had to make it.  The steaks were delicious and would make excellent fajitas!  We’ll definitely be making this again.

INGREDIENTS:
2-4 Steaks (whatever cut of meat you like is fine.  Our butcher had some good looking rib eyes…so that’s what we picked)
3T. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
3T. Water
1T. Fresh Cilantro Leaves, chopped
1 Small Jalapeno Pepper, chopped and seeded
2 Garlic Cloves, pressed
1/4t. Ground Cumin

Directions:
Combine lime juice, cilantro, water, jalapeño pepper, garlic and cumin and pour into a large zip-top plastic bag.

Add steaks, seal and shake bag to coat meat.

Let marinate in refrigerator 1-2 hours,shaking bag every now and then.

Grill steaks over medium heat until cooked to your liking, turning once.

Serve and enjoy.

–

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Oh, these are delicious!”

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Pork Shoulder Pernil with Cilantro-Citrus Adobo

Tyler Florence is one of my favorite Food Network chefs.  I’ve never made a recipe of his that I didn’t like.  Here’s another one to add to the list.  This pork recipe is fabulous!  Crispy skin, super tender meat and great flavor.  Definitely not a weeknight meal, but excellent for a weekend or a special family gathering.  YUM!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Boneless Pork Shoulder (about 4 pounds), skin on
4 Garlic Cloves, smashed
1 Handful Fresh Oregano
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro (plus chopped cilantro, for garnish)
1t Ground Cumin
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 Limes, juiced, plus wedges for serving
2 Oranges, juiced
1C  Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:
Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert, and using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with small slits.

Prepare the adobo: In a food processor, add the garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Add lime juice and orange juice.  Drizzle in olive oil and pulse until you have a nice puree.

Rub the marinade all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture – this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Roast the pork for 3 hours, uncovered, until the skin is crispy-brown.

Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing, covered lightly with aluminum foil.

Drizzle with lime juice and garnish with cilantro.

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Guacamole

This is Hubs’ favorite snack – with tortilla chips, of course. I leave out the tomatoes and double the garlic. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS
4 Avocados
1 Lime, juiced
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 small White Onion, finely diced
1 Jalapeño Pepper, finely diced
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS
Remove meat from Avocados, discarding pits and skin. (To safely remove pit, hold avocado firmly in your hand and hit the pit with your sharp knife. The pit will stick to the knife and expose the meat. To remove pit from knife, take two fingers and slide them down the blade, toward the pit, and pinch off the pit. It should come off easily). Add lime juice immediately, so the avocados don’t brown.

Add onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic and S&P. Mash with fork or potato masher. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

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Cod with Corn and Cilantro Lime Butter

This recipe is one of our new favorites – I found it on the Pillsbury Bake Off site! It’s light, fresh and makes fabulous fish tacos! Tonight we decided to serve it over white rice.

INGREDIENTS

1T Milk
1 Egg
1/4C All Purpose Flour
1/2C Seasoned Bread Crumbs (Panko is great too!)
4 (6-oz.) Cod fillets (or any firm white fish)
4T Butter or Margarine
2T Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 1/2T Fresh Lime Juice
1/4C Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 bag Frozen Corn (canned is ok too)

DIRECTIONS
Ready three small bowls. In the first, place flour (seasoned with S&P). In the second, combine milk and egg; beat well. In the third, the bread crumbs. Coat fish with flour; dip in egg mixture. Coat with bread crumbs and set aside.

In large skillet, combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add cod; cook 6 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness of your fliets) or until golden brown and fish flakes easily with fork, turning once. Remove fish from skillet; cover to keep warm.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lime juice, garlic and cilantro to same skillet; stir to scrape up any brown bits from bottom. Add corn; cook 5 to 7 minutes (canned corn takes about 3 mintues) or until thoroughly heated. Serve corn mixture over cod.

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