Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema

Mamas really do know so much. During my check in call with my mama about how the Flat Belly Diet is going for her I asked if she knew how to speed up the ripening process for the avocado I just bought. "Put it in a brown paper bag overnight." Before starting this diet I wouldn't have even been able to do that considering the fact that I've never had reason to buy brown paper bags before.

I pulled out the brown paper bag (I have them for the Popcorn Drizzled with Chocolate.) and placed my bright green avocado in the bag before bed. I woke up this morning to a black skinned avocado that was slightly tender to the touch. Magic I tell you!

My sights have been set on making these tacos as long as that Chicken Pad Thai was. The reason I wanted to make these Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema was because when I was 13 years old my brother and his wife came to visit us. We decided to take a day trip and visit Multnomah Falls and then head to the Dalles for kite flying. After a couple hours of kite flying we decided it was time for lunch. My brother suggested a taco stand he knew of and I had my first ever tacos al pastor. The pork and pineapple were a memorable combination. I have not found a better place for that kind of taco since. I don't even recall the name of the place or where it was located exactly. What 10 years does to the memory! After filling our bellies on these tacos we finished the day out by touring the "Fruit Loop" and hitting up every produce stand we came across. I even had my first taste of blackberry soda. The bounty of produce and memories we walked away with that day was unforgettable.

When I was reading through the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook and came across the recipe I immediately bookmarked it. The flood of memories came back. I miss my brother and his wife terribly. Too many miles between us. They are quite a duo. Always a party when they are around. Cupcake and dance parties! You're sure to feel like you've had a great abdominal workout after a visit with them from all of the laughs. I love them both so very much!

These tacos are a tad bit time consuming to make. Took about 45 minutes to prepare but so worth it. The serving size of 3 tacos left me uncomfortably stuffed but in a good way. It was one of those meals you keep eating because the punishment tastes so good. I can't get over how filling the foods are on this diet. I'm about an hour away from my next meal time and not even hungry yet.

Pan searing the pork tenderloin kept the cooking lean and it also intensified the sweetness of the pineapple. The pork was flavored beautifully and the ground cumin really stood out. The avocado crema was cool and refreshing. Next time I would leave out the sour cream though. I want to be able to taste the avocado (one of my favorite foods and I like to really taste it) and I felt the sour cream took over. I try to like corn tortillas because I knew they are a better choice but I still can't really say I'm crazy over them. With that all said these tacos truly were outstanding and packed a flavor punch. They are crave worthy. I think when I reheat the leftovers I will bake the corn tortillas into chips instead and make these as nachos. After the diet though I will use flour tortillas for the tacos.

These are a must try!

Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema

Flat Belly Diet

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 oz pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced crosswise
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 corn tortillas (6" diameter), warmed according to package directions
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 2 tbsp fat free sour cream
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt

And Action:

To prepare the pork and pineapple: In a one-cup measuring cup mix the sugar, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, pepper, and salt. Mix half of the spices with the pork and toss with the oil. I did this in a ziploc bag. Mix the remaining spices with the pineapple. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Prepare the avocado crema while the pork sits. Mix the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil spray and heat over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pork and cook, turning a couple of times, for 8 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add the cilantro and toss to combine. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.

Add the pineapple to the pan and cook, turning a couple of times, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat.

Assemble the tacos by placing 3 tortillas on each plate. Divide the pork and pineapple between each tortilla. Top with the avocado crema. Roll 'em up and enjoy!

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

MUFA: Avocado

Calories: 420

Protein: 24 g

Carbohydrates: 50 g

Fat: 16 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Cholesterol: 56 mg

Sodium: 310 mg

Fiber: 9 g

6 days down, 26 to go!!!

We Have Our First Pretend Chef Giveaway!!!

   Gorton's and Ortega Giveaway

The fabulous people over at Gorton's and Ortega have offered me an opportunity to host a giveaway and help spread the spicy fish love. No, no, no. You don't have to use the products together but you do HAVE to try their products if you haven't already.

If you are looking for a way to put your creative kitchen cap on then I recommend you checking out their recipe challenge and entering yourself in for a chance to win any one of their prizes up for grabs.

Who better to recall eating shrimp tacos four days in a row than Mr. Sideline Chef himself? If you don't remember let me help jog your memory: Chipotle Spiced Shrimp and Mango Tacos, Sauteed Onion and Poblano Shrimp Tacos, SOUTHWESTERN-STYLE SHRIMP TACOS (I'm sorry for shouting this one at you. It just has me all excited with just how delicious it was. Try it tonight... better yet... hold off for when you win the prize, if you do, and make them when your coupons come in.), and last but certainly not least, Salsa Verde Shrimp Tacos and Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos.

With Gorton's products readily accessible in the frozen food section of your local grocer there is never a need to have a last minute panic of, "What's for dinner?" ever again. Ortega on the other hand, you might have to do some detective work to find out where to buy so you don't end up pulling a Pretend Chef move and have yourself burning daylight and gas. No matter how or when you try these products one thing is certain, you can be confident that what you set in front of your family will be great quality and even better tasting than a meal from a drive thru!

If the thought of winning free products has tickled your fancy then look below to see how you can enter to win my giveaway.

Gorton's and Ortega Giveaway

*5 Lucky Winners (Chosen randomly.) will each win (1) full-value Gorton's seafood coupon and (1) full-value Ortega coupon.*

Entries open on November 4th, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. (CST) and close on November 12th, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. (CST)

For an automatic entry (1) all you have to do is: Leave a comment on this page below telling me what products your family enjoys from Gorton's and/or Ortega and if you win what products are you wanting to try. Please make sure your email address is included in the comment. If you do not leave an email address I will have no way of contacting you unless you are or become a Follower. Thank you!

But wait, there's more ways to earn more entries (each bulleted point earns you 1 extra):

• Follow my blog or already have been following... For those following me already, that was pretty easy wasn't it?
• Sign up for Gorton's newsletter.
• Try an Ortega recipe and post a photo on your blog with a "shout out" link to my blog.
• Become friends on Facebook with either Gorton's and/or Ortega.
• Subscribe to my blog by email notifications.
• Post about my giveaway on your blog with a direct link to my blog.

In the comments section below answer the automatic entry question and if you completed any of the above bulleted points make sure to post a new comment for each telling me which one you accomplished. Best of luck! Make sure to check back on Friday morning (November 12th, 2010 at 9 a.m. CST) to see who the 5 lucky winners are.

If you are one of the 5 lucky winners please be ready to supply me with your mailing address so I can notify Gorton's/Ortega of your win and have them send you your prize!

Disclaimer: Nothing fishy here. The thoughts posted above are entirely my own and I have not been told what to blog about. Please note this giveaway is available to residents of the United States of America and Canada. Sorry to all of my international followers, especially this fantastic blogger.

Salsa Verde Shrimp Tacos and Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

With Wednesday's prize winning recipe, Southwestern-Style Shrimp Tacos, for the Gorton's/Ortega recipe challenge the taco creations made yesterday were just okay. Although tasty and a good flavor combo, they lacked that flavor explosion in every bite.

The Salsa Verde Shrimp Tacos were yellow corn taco shells layered with the popcorn shrimp, black beans, avocado, (which I thought that alone would make these stellar, I was wrong.) green onions, red bell pepper, salsa verde, and cilantro sprinkled on top. The salsa verde made the tacos and I was thankful to have had extra avocado slices leftover to get excited about. Yes. I stood over the cutting board with salt shaker in hand and they didn't have a fighting chance. Devoured. Savored.

Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos I thought would be a good concept. A yellow corn taco shell topped with popcorn shrimp, tomato, green onions, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, a squeeze of lime and sprinkled with cilantro. Just not what I expected. Not enough heat maybe? Too toned down from the sour cream? However. I believe the bar was set too high.

I still submitted my recipes and maxed out my five entries. I think these tacos knew they didn't stand a chance against the Southwestern-Style Shrimp Tacos because my cheapo point and shoot camera couldn't even capture a decent photo. Maybe my lack of enthusiasm over this recipe had something to do with the taste. Not a question. Maybe I put the fate of the tacos in the hands of 2 two year olds and they weren't as well received as the day prior. Once again not a question. All facts.

I'm 2 for 5 in this recipe challenge for a success rating with the family. While I am not confident with 4 of the 5 recipes a valuable lesson was learned; I gave it my best shot, I got creative, and realized I'm still a recipe follower and will leave the trial and errors to the professionals.

Southwestern-Style Shrimp Tacos

While I am a fan of Gorton's popcorn shrimp I can't lie... I was not looking forward to having another batch of it after Tuesday's day of tacos. My hesitation all changed when my stomach was growling bad enough and I was pulling all of the ingredients out for my third recipe for the challenge.

After the popcorn shrimp baked I placed the Ortega flour tortilla in the oven to warm up. Without thinking I left it in the oven for 3 minutes and it crisped up. Sure, the challenge says "fish taco" but this was still on a vehicle of sorts and still was stuffed piled high with deliciousness. No I couldn't fold it like a taco. Okay. So it's a tostada. Rules are meant to be broken.

With the end result as flavorful as it was I'm sure a little rule breaking won't hurt anyone. These tacos tostadas were given the seal of approval by 2 two year olds who sat at the table for an hour and fifteen minutes eating two servings each. The only sounds coming out of these very talkative little guys were a "yummy" after every bite. This is a feat of it's own. I had one toddler eat it as is and my son had to have his disassembled and each element stand on it's own.  

Southwestern-Style Shrimp Tacos (or tostadas) are little blankets of heaven. A crispy flour tortilla layered with crisp romaine lettuce, nutty corn, green onions, silky black beans, refreshing tomato, more crunch from blue corn tortilla chips, creamy avocado slices, and a tangy sour cream drizzle. The sour cream was mixed with lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, maple syrup, hot sauce, and cilantro. 

The first bite til the last was a flavor explosion. Lunch time hasn't tasted this good since before having a toddler. Thankfully now I can add these tacos in the lunch rotational and have a lunch worth looking forward to.

I quite possibly believe these could be a winning recipe. Even if Gorton's and Ortega don't agree my family sure does. Strike that. Mr. Sideline Chef still thinks day one's recipe of Chipotle Spiced Shrimp and Mango tacos were better.  His taste buds just need to be taken in for a tune up obviously. He ate day one's tacos with any of the toppings and just had the tossed shrimp in his tortilla with the romaine lettuce. No sense of adventure.

Give these a try and put a flavorful spin on your tacos!

Sauteed Onion and Poblano Pepper Shrimp Tacos

With wanting to complete this recipe challenge I knew I would most likely get burnt out on popcorn shrimp and tacos by the end of the week. I woke up this morning with my stomach turning at the thought of having to make another batch of popcorn shrimp. We went through a box of Gorton's popcorn shrimp yesterday. My toddler's excitement over a new food item to try coupled with my lack of planning had me popping batch after batch of these little suckers in the oven. The seafood scent was just enough to turn my stomach by the end of the night. Not because of the product itself. I guess I could actually blame it on the popcorn shrimp. The problem is: they are so darn good out of the oven that I couldn't keep my hands off of them and stuffed myself. You know that feeling when you eat too much and just the very sight or talk of food makes you want to vomit? Yea. I was there.

By the time lunch rolled around my stomach was growling and I knew I still had 4 tacos to complete. I only intended on making two more of my recipe ideas today. Upon pulling out all of the ingredients from their designated living areas I was getting more excited to make my tacos.

Starting to get their sizzle on.

First up was my take on a Southwestern-Style Shrimp Taco (recipe to come tomorrow) which was hands down the most incredible mix of flavors and textures I've ever thought to put on a flour tortilla. My second creation was a yellow corn shell topped with sauteed onions and poblano peppers in a little bit of olive oil and garlic. The popcorn shrimp were layered on next and then I squeezed the end product with lime and sprinkled it with cilantro. Poblano peppers being a more mild pepper still gave this a nice bit of heat and the sizzle of the onions and peppers transformed my love of fajitas to taco form. A tasty taco but not as good as the Southwestern-Style Shrimp Taco which from the mouths of 2 two year olds were "yummy" and having repeated it after every bite. Is it tomorrow yet? Bet you wish it was for this recipe. I think I might have come up with a prize winner!

Chipotle Spiced Shrimp and Mango Tacos

While enjoying a cup of coffee and going through my ritual morning computer routine on Monday I came across a recipe challenge on Hungry Girl's website. In the past when a recipe challenge was presented in front of me I tucked my tail between my legs like a dog and hid for cover. Like I stated before, I am a recipe follower, not an innovator. Creativity in the kitchen leaves me panic stricken. Well not this time I said with my chest pointed out and head held high. That's a lie. I wish I was that brave. I clicked on the recipe challenge and read through all of the criteria and rules. I'm gonna do this damn it.

That afternoon I searched the Internet for fish taco recipes for inspiration. Reading over some of the flavor combinations had my hands sweating and my heart racing. "Would radish really pair well with mango?" I had to find out. The rules stated that I could submit up to 5 recipes and must include a photo of my taco with each of the company's products, Gorton's and Ortega, in frame. I came up with my 5 that I wanted to try to create and just wing it. Yes. Wing. It.



Never before tried product. Why buy fresh ever again?



This "recipe" I created doesn't have exact amounts. Hell! It's tacos. You just throw a little of this on and a little of that.

I dragged poor Mr. Sideline Chef to the grocery store late in the evening because I just had to start on the challenge... right this instance! I spent the entire day coming up with my plan of attack. Progress had to be made. We spent a good half hour in the produce department alone and then came to the frozen food section where the Gorton's fish products were. I knew I wanted to do shrimp tacos. I debated over their classic grilled or popcorn shrimp. In the end price won and popcorn shrimp it was. 5 boxes. My math was hazy last night. I was making 2 tacos of each recipe to try and each box serves 4. I only needed three boxes. Give me a break. A couple weeks of popcorn shrimp for every meal isn't going to hurt anyone.

The real problem came when it was time to put the Ortega products in the shopping cart. Our Neighborhood Walmart Market doesn't stock their products. Damn them to hell. I'm boycotting. Major toddler temper tantrum in aisle 3. "Hunny, you don't understand. I HAVE to have Ortega!"

Mr. Sideline Chef drove us and the already purchased groceries home. He was granted the rest of the night off to dedicate to catching up on his missed episodes of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. I jumped online to find out where to buy Ortega's products in our location. Two stores came up, both of which are nearby, Krogers and Randalls. I grabbed the keys from him and jumped in the car heading to the nearest store. What the hell Randalls? Ortega says they stock their products there. No time for a tantrum in this store. You are being boycotted though.

A sigh of relief was made when Krogers had their products. I was tired and drained from the wild goose chase all in the name of this challenge that I wasn't going to let the anxiety take over. I grabbed a Grande Dinner Kit with Soft and Hard Shells and called it a night. Did I take the time to find the Ortega black beans? Oh hell no! My eyes were heavy and if I had to scan any more aisles to find a certain brand I was going to scream. Store brand black beans at $0.64 it was.

Once home I decided I too would take the rest of my night off. With after running all over town to find the last of my ingredients the rest of my night already meant I was late for bed. Tomorrow is as good as any to start the recipe challenge.

While not a breakfast taco I couldn't contain myself and started on these first thing in the morning. I can't lose another night of sleep going over the execution in my head. I'm dreaming of fish tacos and waking up with a growling belly. Quiet you! Soon enough!



Go on... play nice with one another.

The Gorton's popcorn shrimp baked in the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Around the 6 minute mark the aroma took me back to Seattle sitting near the pier at Alki Beach and sharing a meal of fried shrimp and fries with my dad. While the shrimp were doing their crispy business in the oven I prepared my dressing and chopped my veggies.


"I know pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Fish Taco. You may now make shrimp tacos."

The end result went a little something to this effect: On an Ortega yellow corn shell I layered romaine lettuce, mango, tomato, radish, and added the Gorton's shrimp that were tossed in a cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, olive oil, and chipotle dressing. The crunch of the yellow corn shell, the spicy kick from the chipotle, and the sweetness from the mango had some major flavor play happenin'. All of the flavors meld together and create a zippy touch to what could have ended up becoming just another Taco Tuesday.