Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Asparagus Tacos

I love this time of year when seasonal veggies begin to pop up at road side stands and in local grocery stores.  I was recently given some fresh picked asparagus and, when I couldn't figure out what to do with it, I decided to take inventory of my fridge and pantry.  I try to peruse my refrigerator often to to make sure I haven't forgotten any of my fresh veggies so they don't go to waste.  It's amazing how fast fruits and veggies go bad and how easy it is to forget them at the bottom of a refrigerator drawer.

After taking thorough inventory I decided to make asparagus and pork tacos.  Now this may sound a little weird but the inspiration came from leftover pork loin I had in the fridge that was just begging to be used. We used corn tortillas and spiced them up a bit by lining them with refried beans mixed with salsa on one side and a southwest dip I had made on the other before loading them up with the filling.

It was a simple little recipe that turned out to be delicious!  What's great about it is that you can swap out both the leftover meat and veggies with anything you want or have sitting in your fridge.  My husband and I enjoyed this "picnic style" on our front lawn under the setting sun with the birds chirping all around.  We had a corona with lime with dinner and some freshly cut up strawberries and kiwis for dessert, which were also things that I found that needed to be eaten.

Here is the recipe for the basic dish.  Whether you eat this at the dinner table, on the porch, or picnic style, I hope you thoroughly enjoy the unique flavors of this simple meal.

Asparagus Pork Tacos


Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1Tbs olive oil
1 med garlic clove minced
1 med onion diced
1 bunch of fresh asparagus (cut into about 1 1/2 inch bits)
1 lb of cooked pork loin sliced in thin strips (fajita style)
1 10oz can Rotel "Mexican Lime & Cilantro" (diced tomatoes with lime juice & cliantro
1-2 Tbs taco sauce
1 Tbs cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Corn or flour tortillas
Shredded cheese
1 lime cut into wedges

1. Melt butter in a large skillet along with the olive oil over med-high heat.  Add minced garlic and diced onion and let cook 1-2 minutes or until softened.  Next add the asparagus to the pan and sauté until tender.

2. Stir in strips of pork, can of Rotel, , taco sauce, cumin, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.   Let simmer until the water in the Rotel has boiled down and the flavors are all combined; about 8 minutes.

3. Serve in corn or flour taco shells with a little cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime on top.  You can also add some of the usual taco fixings, such as tomato, sour cream, guacamole, etc.