Mexican

There are some recipes that are summer staples, this recipe is one of those in our household. Zesty citrus grilled pork tenderloin medallions paired with cheesy grilled stuffed peppers. Looks and sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

One of the reasons we primarily make this in the summer is because that is when peppers are in season, and you can usually find pretty large ones at the store. The bigger the better when it comes to this recipe! That way you can pack them full of all the cheesy goodness.

I absolutely love pork tenderloins. They are so lean and are actually a really great grilling meat. With this recipe, the meat is so flavorful and juicy, and takes on really great citrusy and smoky flavor as it plumps up on the grill.

There are so many things to love about this recipe. It is relatively easy, looks amazing, tastes amazing, and all the components of this dish are cooked outside, so you don’t have to deal with a hot oven during warm summer nights. What’s not to love?

TENDERLOIN INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 c fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 lb. pork tenderloin

STUFFED PEPPER INGREDIENTS
3/4 c queso fresco, crumbled
3/4 c jack cheese, shredded
1/2 c cilantro leaves, chopped
1 small tomato, diced
4 anaheim or hatch chile peppers, sliced open lengthwise, seeds removed

GARNISH

1 lime, cut into wedges
additional chopped cilantro

STEPS

Combine the apple cider vinegar, oregano, orange juice, olive oil, and garlic in a large resealable bag.
Add the tenderloin to the bag and marinade in the fridge for 2–12 hours.
In a medium bowl, mix together the queso, jack cheese, cilantro, and diced tomato.
Spoon the cheese mixture into each pepper half.
Preheat the grill to 400º.
Add the pork tenderloin to the grill and cook for 10–12 minutes.
Flip the tenderloin and cook for another 10–12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145º.
Remove the pork from the grill and allow it to rest.
While the tenderloin in resting, add the stuffed chiles to the grill and cook for 10–12 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted.
Slice the pork and serve with the grilled chiles and sliced lime and garnish with additional fresh chopped cilantro.

If you like this recipe, then I highly recommend you check out my recipes for The Most Awesome Pork Tenderloin Ever or Pork Tenderloin Sammies with Red Cabbage Coleslaw and Sriracha.

Dinners

Recipe—Ground Pork Tacos with Corn Salsa & Cilantro Lime Crema

April 8, 2020 Diva di Cucina

Okay, here we go, first recipe post of 2020! I feel like it should be something super extreme and mind blowing since you have all been waiting for so long but here we are in the middle of a pandemic and that just seems unrealistic. How are you all doing? Are you cooking at home more than ever? I know I am. I’m trying to use this as an opportunity to eat at home more and save some moolah.

These pork tacos were one of the first meals I made when we went into official “lock down” a couple of weeks ago. When all this really started I did an inventory of what we had in our box freezer and noticed we had TONS of ground pork so I wanted to do something different with that. Ground pork is just not a typical protein to cook with since it has such a different flavor compared to ground beef or ground turkey.

Not to go tooting my own horn or anything, buuuuuut these turned out so freaking good! There are so many great flavors wrapped up in the tortilla. You have the sweet corn salsa, the tangy cilantro lime crema, and then the savory pork cooked in a tomato sauce that has a nice little kick to it thanks to the jalapeño. Nothing too crazy heat wise, my ten-year-old chowed down on them. If you are looking to spice up your typical “Taco Tuesday” give these a try.

Hang in there folks! We are all in this together! Huge virtual hugs (and more recipes) coming your way! xoxox—Diva di Cucina

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CORN SALSA
1 tbsp olive oil
15.25 oz canned corn
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1/3 c cilantro, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CILANTRO LIME CREMA
1/3 c sour cream
2 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp water

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PORK
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/4 c red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
6 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp cumin
1/3 c water
salt and pepper

OTHER INGREDIENTS
tortillas (I loved these with white corn tortillas)
cotija cheese
cilantro, chopped

STEPS FOR CORN SALSA

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat and add the corn.
Cook the corn for about 5 minutes stirring every minute or so.
Transfer the corn to a medium sized bowl and add the remaining corn salsa ingredients.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir and set aside.

STEPS FOR THE CILANTRO LIME CREMA

In a small bowl, whisk together all the cilantro lime crema ingredients and set aside.

STEPS FOR THE PORK

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan the corn was cooked in and turn up to medium-high heat.
Add the pork to the skillet and break apart using a spatula.
Once the pork has started to brown, add in the jalapeño, red onion, and garlic.
Continue to cook until the pork is all brown and cooked through and the onion and peppers are tender.
Mix in the tomato paste, cumin, and water and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for another 2–3 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken up.

TACO ASSEMBLY

Warm up your tortillas and top each one with a scoop of the meat, a scoop of the corn salsa, a drizzle of the cream, some cotija cheese crumbles on top, and finish it off with a sprinkling of cilantro.

Enjoy!

Salads, Side Dishes

Recipe—Mexican Street Corn Salad

September 20, 2018September 20, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Recipe—Mexican Street Corn Salad

I made this salad last month for a final end of summer hoorah BBQ and let me just tell you, it was delish! The olive oil mixed with vinegar and lime juice creates a zesty vinaigrette dressing and just pairs so nicely with the sweetness of the corn and the saltiness of the quest fresco and then don’t forget the smoky flavor from the paprika. It hits all those flavor points your mouth desires.

This recipe goes great with grilled meats or any Mexican dish. Tacos, enchiladas, you name it. It is cheap, easy, and so quick to make. Like really quick. This recipe literally took me 5 minutes from start to finish.

Note: You can make this with fresh corn on the cob or canned. It is great both ways. If you are using fresh corn you will need about 6-8 cobs of corn. Cook them as you normally would, whether that be on the grill or in a pot of water. Then allow the cobs to cool completely and cut the kernels off the cob and prepare the salad as directed.

INGREDIENTS

3 (15.25 oz) cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c green onions, chopped
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 c queso fresco, crumbled
paprika

STEPS

Place the corn kernels, tomatoes, and green onions into a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.
Pour the dressing over the corn and stir to coat.
Top with the queso fresco and a sprinkling of paprika.

Snacks, Sweet Treats

Recipe—Churro Chex Mix

April 27, 2018April 18, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and I have the perfect and fun sweet treat for you! This is a festive twist on the original Chex Muddy Buddies. The first time I made this was for a Cinco de Mayo party my son was attending and we were put on dessert duty. I instantly thought of churros but that was going to be way too much work for 20+ kids.

While nothing can replace the deliciousness of a freshly fried churro this snack mix certainly helps to satisfy that craving. The cereal maintains a nice crunchiness and then you have this delicious and creamy coating and a nice dusting of sugar and cinnamon. I will warn you though, it can be highly addictive! Perfect for your snacking pleasure.

INGREDIENTS
9 c corn Chex
1 (10 oz) bag Hershey’s cinnamon chips
1/2 c butter
1 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 c sugar

STEPS

Place the Chex cereal in large mixing bowl.
In a Ziploc bag, combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cinnamon chips and butter at 50% power for one minute and stir.
Continue to heat at 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring in between each, until the mixture is all melted and smooth.
Drizzle the melted cinnamon chip mixture over the cereal and stir to coat.
Add the powdered sugar mixture and stir to coat.
Lastly, stir in the sugar until all the cereal is well coated.
Cover a large baking sheet or cutting board with wax paper and spread out all the coated cereal to cool.

Adapted from Sunny Days with My Loves.

Dinners

Recipe—Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

April 11, 2018April 10, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Summer is coming… but the warm weather is already here! Time to fire up the grill!

I love when I can find recipes that are almost all done on the grill so I can keep the kitchen cool during hot months. I may also love recipes like this because it means I do the easy prep work and then the hubby does all the hard work out in the heat at the grill while I stay cool inside with a margarita. It’s all about team work, right? 😉

Okay, onto the dish. Each of these components is delicious on it’s own but when brought together you get some amazing tacos! You have the grilled chili lime chicken which is so tender and has so much flavor, a little zest from the lime paired up with all those delicious seasonings and a tad of heat. Then you have this delicious chunky salsa made up of a sweet caramelized pineapple with a nice smoky flavor from the grilled red pepper and jalapeño. And is if that isn’t enough, (yes, it gets better!) then you add this refreshing avocado crema. Just give me a bag of tortilla chips and I will go to town on that sauce!

Another thing I love about this recipe is how pretty it is! Look at all those amazing colors! I truly love everything about this recipe! I hope you will too.

Chunky Pineapple Salsa

Note: If you want to cut down on the amount of preparation at dinner time, you can marinade the chicken for as long as 24 hours in advance and the crema can be made up to four hours in advance. Having a chunk of the leg work done in advance makes this a perfect recipe to make for dinner guests. All you have to do is grill the chicken, pineapple, and peppers, and warm up some tortillas.

CHILI LIME CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice

PINEAPPLE SALSA INGREDIENTS
20 oz can pineapple slices
1/2 red onion, sliced
red bell pepper, deseeded and quartered
jalapeno, deseeded and halved
olive oil
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

AVOCADO CREMA INGREDIENTS
1 avocado
1/2 c sour cream
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder

OTHER INGREDIENTS
tortillas
pepperjack cheese, shredded
lime, cut into wedges

STEPS

Place the chicken breasts in a large Pyrex dish.
Whisk together all the additional chili lime chicken ingredients in a small bowl and slather all over both sides of the chicken breasts.
Cover the Pyrex with plastic wrap and set aside to marinade for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, begin preparing items for the salsa. Skewer the red onions and then drizzle them, the bell pepper, and jalapeño with olive oil and set aside with the pineapple.
Preheat your grill to 375–425º.
Grill the chicken for 8–10 minutes on one side and then flip.
Add the pineapple and peppers to the grill and cook for 4–5 minutes before flipping and then continue to grill them for another 4–5 minutes.
Continue to cook the chicken until a thermometer reads 160º when inserted into the thickest part of the meat, the pineapple until it is nicely caramelized, and the veggies until they have some nice grill marks.
Transfer everything from the grill to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
While all the grilled items are resting get started on the avocado cream. Add all the crema ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth and well blended, set aside.
Chop up the pineapple, onion, and peppers and place them in a bowl.
Add the cilantro, lime juice, ginger, cumin, salt, and pepper to the bowl and stir.
Chop up the chicken and set aside.
Everything is finally ready! Time to assemble the tacos!
Heat up your tortillas and top each one with meat, cheese, pineapple salsa, and avocado crema.
Devour!

Recipe adapted from Carlsbad Cravings.

Appetizers

Recipe—Spicy Black Bean Dip

July 10, 2015February 1, 2018 Diva di Cucina

I might as well take on the title as Queen of Appetizers. It’s just what I do. I personally just love appetizers and finger foods and no party is complete without a nice spread. When it comes to throwing a party a good dip is a must on the appetizer menu. There is no need to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen to come up with something everyone will love. This recipe literally takes five minutes to make and is so easy! You spend more time measuring out the seasonings than anything else. Just toss it all in the blender and voila! You have a delicious bean dip ready to serve!

The flavors in this dip are amazing. It might look sort of blah but then you take one bite and zap, bing, bang! Flavor explosions happening right in your mouth! You have a nice kick from the jalapeños, a little zest from the lime and lots of other great flavors from all the seasonings. The first time I made this I was (no joke) licking it off the rubber spatula. This is great at room temperature, warm, or even right out of the fridge. Talk about diverse! Next time you are throwing or attending a party make this recipe. You will have lots of people asking for the recipe. No need to tell them it took less than five minutes to make. That can be our little secret.

INGREDIENTS
2 large cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño, deseeded, deveined, and chopped
1/2 c fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
water

GARNISHES
cotija cheese, crumbled
a couple of slices of fresh jalapeño

STEPS

Place all of the main ingredients except the water into the blender or food processor and blend until well mixed.
Add 4 tablespoons of water and continue blending until nice and smooth. If necessary, continue adding water 2 tablespoons at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Transfer to a bowl and garnish with some crumbled cotija cheese and slices of fresh jalapeños.
Enjoy with some tortilla chips now or place in fridge until ready to serve.

Salads

Recipe—Fiesta Salad

July 1, 2015January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

When most people think of salads they think of a big pile of greens topped with a handful of other veggies and dressing. Well this is not your ordinary salad. It consists of avocados, tomato, cilantro, and a sweet onion all tossed in a lime olive oil dressing. No lettuce here! I always make this with my Rio Grande Spice Rub New York Steaks and Cornbread Muffins. Seriously amazing! I also love this recipe with a nice piece of grilled fish. This simple salad is made up of fresh summer ingredients and is so light, and refreshing. Perfect for those nights you want a quick and easy side dish but just don’t want to fire up the oven.

Note: Since avocados can become mushy and brown quickly, wait to add the avocadoes until right before serving.

INGREDIENTS
2 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half OR 2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
kosher salt to taste
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c lime juice
2 avocados, chopped (see note above)

STEPS

In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, salt, olive oil, and lime juice. Toss to combine.
Add the avocado last and gently stir it in.

Dinners

Recipe—Creamy Tomatillo Chicken

June 8, 2015January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Tomatillos are one of those things that I am just figuring out what to do with. I remember as a kid peeling the husks off them all summer long since my mom grew them in her garden but all I remember her really making was her tomatillo salsa.

Every once in awhile I end up with a small bag of them from a friend or our produce delivery. Never enough to actually make a whole batch of salsa with. But now I can say I have two recipes that use tomatillos. One is my green chicken chili, which I promise to post soon, and the other is this incredible Creamy Tomatillo Chicken recipe.

If you can prepare the sauce the night before it is perfect for a busy workday. Just come home, take the marinated chicken out of the bag, and bake. After marinating for that long you are sure to get a super juicy and flavorful chicken breast. The ranch gives it a nice refreshing quality while the cilantro and lime give it a little zip! While I served this with rice which was awesome, I really want to try the chicken chopped up over some greens with corn, black beans, and some red bell pepper. The sauce would make for an amazing dressing over a little southwest salad!

INGREDIENTS
1 c mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
2 1/2 tsp garlic
1 c cilantro leaves
4 tomatillos, husked and chopped
1 tsp lime juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

GARNISHES (Optional)
Lime wedges
Extra cilantro leaves

STEPS

Add into a blender the mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch dressing mix, garlic, cilantro, tomatillos, and lime juice.
Blend until well combined and transfer about half of the mix to a one-gallon Ziploc Bag.
Add the chicken to the bag and seal tightly.
Store the chicken in the fridge and marinade anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.
Transfer the remaining marinade in a small bowl, cover, and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
When ready to begin cooking preheat the oven to 375º and transfer the chicken breasts to a baking dish.
Dispose of the leftover marinade.
Bake the chicken for 20–25 minutes or until cooked completely through.
Transfer the cooked chicken to the plate and poor the additional sauce over the top.
Garnish with a lime wedge and some fresh cilantro leaves.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Creme de la Crumb.

Appetizers, Sauces

Recipe—Black Bean and Corn Salsa

May 20, 2015January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Summer is approaching and that means its BBQ and party season! Whoop whoop! We seem to attend and host so many great BBQs and parties throughout the summer and I am always jumping at the chance to make something that will really wow people. However, I don’t always have the time to throw together a fancy smancy dish. This black bean and corn salsa has been a go to recipe of mine for years now and people always love it! It is completely different and super easy to make.

I pretty much keep all the canned ingredients in my pantry year round because you never know what will come up and when you may suddenly need an appetizer to bring. And a huge plus is it makes a lot, so I always leave a little extra at home to keep for myself for later on. I’m greedy like that. And if I haven’t already convinced you to try it, another plus is it stays good for at least a week in the fridge.

This salsa goes great just served with some chips but I have also found it is amazing in a baked potato, in a quesadilla, stuffed in an omelet, or even along side some grilled chicken or steak. Seriously, super versatile. Okay, now I am getting hungry and need a reason to go make some of this. Fiesta anyone?

I hope you enjoy this awesome recipe as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 oz) cans of Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies
1 (14 oz) can of Mexicorn (Mexican style corn)
1 (16 oz) can black beans
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
1 c diced sweet onion
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and peppers to taste

STEPS

Add all ingredients in a large bowl and stir.
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. (Yes, it is seriously that easy.)

Dinners

Recipe—Tangy Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Cream

May 1, 2015January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

I am a sucker for tacos! I love tacos. Doesn’t matter what you fill them with, it is all good in my book. If there is meat and some sort of fresh produce in the tortilla you really can’t go wrong.

These are some of my favorite tacos during the summer because they are relatively easy to make and they are so light and refreshing! The tangy citrus slaw goes great with the spicy chipotle cream. I have made these when having company over for dinner and served them with my cilantro lime rice and some black beans for an awesome dinner. Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner so be sure to mark this recipe and give them a try. And for the ultimate meal, don’t forget the mango margaritas!

Note: The shrimp can be cooked in a skillet or over the grille. It is personal preference. If you decide to grille just skewer the shrimp on a kabob and cook for 3–5 minutes at 400º.

SHRIMP INGREDIENTS
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 c tequila (I prefer white)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 lb shrimps, peeled and deveined

COLESLAW INGREDIENTS
1/4 c lime juice
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 c red cabbage, chopped
salt and pepper

CHIPOTLE CREAM INGREDIENTS
1 c sour cream
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

ADDITIONAL ITEMS
10–12 corn tortillas (I am a huge fan of white corn)
Avocado
Cilantro

STEPS

Place the shrimp in a large bowl whisk together the kosher salt, honey, lime juice, tequila, garlic, cumin, chili and powder.
Once the marinade is well mixed add the shrimp and toss to coat.
Place the bowl of shrimp in the fridge to marinade for 30 minutes.
While the shrimp is marinating prepare the coleslaw by whisking together the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, and mustard.
Add the red cabbage to the dressing and mix until well coasted.
Season the coleslaw with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the coleslaw in the fridge.
While you are waiting on the shrimp to finish marinating prepare the chipotle cream sauce by placing the sour cream and chipotle peppers into a blender and blend until you have a nice creamy sauce with no chunks. (If you like your food more on the spicy side taste the sauce and add more peppers accordingly.)
After the shrimp is done marinating, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp and all the marinade from the bowl to the hot skillet and cook for 3–5 minutes stirring occasionally until all the shrimp are opaque all the way through and are pink/orange in color.
Warm the corn tortillas either one by one in hot skillet or all at once in the microwave.
To assemble the tacos place a scoop of the coleslaw and 3–5 shrimp (depends on size) in each tortilla.
Top each taco with some of the diced avocado.
Finish off each taco by drizzling some of the chipotle cream over the top and topping of with a little of the fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy! Tacos up!