Slow Cooked Pork Tacos and Roasted Salsa Verde

Click here to print the recipe:

I'm tired of cooking. I'm tired of eating.

I'm tired of holiday season!

There! I said it!

I don't like December. Holiday season always puts me in foul mood every year, without fail.

The pressure of keeping up with holiday spirit is killing me. 

Like my normal daily life isn't hectic enough, the universe dictated that I need to make time to do tons of shopping, wrap about 50,000 present and wait in line for an hour at the post office to mail them out (I know, I boxed and pre-stamped, but my house sits on a hill with very steep driveway, the postman would not come up and pick up my boxes. And my 'lovely' local post office would not allow me to drop off the pre-stamped boxes. They need to be brought to the counter! Ha!).

Top it all with secret Santas, remembering to give tips to the service guys, holiday baking, and some freakishly fast depleting money in my bank account. I'm done, man! January can't possible come soon enough for me.

I mean, can't we just be nice to people all year long? Give gifts, cooking, baking, get together anytime we want? Why do we have to cram everything in one lousy month, trying to get things done before the deadline? 

I just want things back to normal.

But for my family, especially my offsprings who clearly enjoy the season just like any child would, I grin and bear it. Just like any good person, I keep my coffee (sometimes vodka) induced sanity in place. At the end of the day, who am I to ruin their happiest and most exhilarating season of the year?

Forget the fact that I can't stand the sight of eggnog in my fridge anymore, or the smell of pumpkin cinnamon ginger whatever spice that filled my house, I promise I'll be good and in my best behavior.

Just give me whatever non-Christmas related food for dinner. Something simple, utterly comforting, but ultimately delicious. 

And if you're kind enough, please include some heavy alcoholic beverage with it. 

Cheers! Salute! Gānbēi

Slow Cooked Pork Taco
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork shoulder/butt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Ancho chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2-3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
• 20 6-inch soft corn tortillas
• Salsa verde (recipe below)
• Lime wedges and hot sauce to serve (optional)

Directions:

• Rinse pork and pat dry with paper towel. Combine olive oil, chili powder, garlic, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix to blend. Rub the spice mix all over the pork until completely covered.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the pork over, and brown the other side. Remove pork from the skillet and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook pork in low setting for 6-8 hours. When the pork is done and tender, shred the meat using 2 forks.
• To serve, place corn tortilla in a hot pan over medium heat, flip over to heat the other side. Place  a teaspoon of chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and a heaping spoonful of shredded pork in the center of tortilla. Top with salsa verde. Serve with lime wedge and hot sauce, if desired.

Roasted Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tomatillos (about 5 large), husks removed and washed
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 Jalapeños, stems removed
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 cup pack cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Move the oven rack to the top position, turn on the oven to broil. Place tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic and onion in a oven-safe dish. Broil in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and nicely charred. Move and rotate the vegetables if necessary, to ensure that they're cooked evenly. Remove from the oven and let sit to cool down.
• Transfer tomatillos, garlic, onion, and peppers to a food processor. Add chicken stock, lime juice, and cilantro into the mix. Pulse 4-5 time until salsa turn smooth. Season with salt.

Hot Italian Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper, and Tomato Sauce

Click here to print the recipe

The Indonesian in me does not like skiing. 

We like warm weather. We do not like wearing big heavy bulky clothing. We like things (and ourselves) to move at a slower pace. And we certainly do not like to crash land on our behind going downhill at 40 mph on a slippery slope. 

And to do it all when you're 'not as young as you used to be' certainly makes the whole experience a lot more excruciating.

Last week, the whole family decided that a ski trip was called for.

And while we as a family, had so much fun, I (whose skiing skills are nothing to write home about) suffered most pain and bruises from all of the falling and tumbling.

So here I am, a few days after the fact, sore muscles and bruised ego still linger, trying to get back to my regular schedule.

Kids are back to school, and family still needs to be fed. It's time to whip up one of my 'quick, easy but delicious' meals.

The sauce is absolutely wonderful mixed with cooked pasta and grated parmesan cheese. Double or triple the recipe to make a big batch, store in an airtight container and freeze up to one month for later use.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large sweet red peppers
• 4 links Italian sausages, casing removed
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Half the red peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds from the cavities. Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil, place the peppers on the baking sheet facing up. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. Flip over the peppers and continue roasting for another 15 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and nicely charred. Remove from the oven and cool down.
• Place the roasted peppers in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
• In a heavy pot, heat the remaining of olive oil over medium heat. Add loose sausage and cook until golden brown, breaking them up with the spatula. Add minced garlic and chili flakes, mix and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.
• Add canned tomatoes, red pepper puree, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with lid, and continue cooking for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.