Carnitas

One of my friends invited us over for lunch last Sunday and what we had blew my mind. Carnitas. The flavor combo that was going on in that taco was mind blowing. I think I had 4 of them...maybe 5. Okay 6 but don't judge. I liked them so much I made them yesterday for dinner. My friend was sweet enough to tell me exactly what she did and what to do. So here it is folks. If you want to wake up your taste buds and have a party in your mouth, you will make these!

Carnitas

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, sliced into rings
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
1.5 to 2 lbs of pork cut into 2 in cubes(any kind of pork will do, but I used a boneless pork loin)
1 1/2  cups orange juice, you can squeeze your own oranges, or just use some from the carton
Juice from 1-2 limes
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot and add onions and garlic. Let them cook for a few minutes until slightly browned. Add cubed meat, orange juice, lime juice, salt and cumin. Stir it around in the pot for a minute and then cover the meat almost completely with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low heat and simmer for 2 hours.

After 2 hours the meat should be tender and easy to shred. Take the meat out of the pot and let the liquid in the pan reduce on medium high heat for 30-40 minutes. Once reduced it should be sauce like. Remove from the pot and set aside. Wipe out the pot. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and let it heat for a minute or two to get really hot. Add the shredded meat back to the pot and let the meat get nice and browned, about 5-7 mintues. Add the reserved sauce back to the meat and stir to combine.

Serve meat hot in corn or flour tortillas with limes, guacamole, pico de gallo, black beans, rice and cilantro.

**This is not my picture, I found it online. My tacos did not look this pretty, but they could have, I just threw mine together too quickly and inhaled them. 

Brownie Pie

Brownies. Chocolaty, fudgy amazingness. I LOVE brownies. They are probably my all time favorite dessert. EVER. I would probably choose a brownie over any other kind of dessert. I started making this about 6 years ago. It's my go to recipe when we are having friends over and It's a winner every single time.

Brownie Pie

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Grease and flour a 9 inch pie pan. Preheat the oven to 350. 

Melt the butter and 2 cups of the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Set aside to cool. 


In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Fold the flour mixture into the batter until just combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is puffed. The inside will still be very soft. Cool to room temperature before cutting into slices. (If the top cracks, don't worry, it's normal!) 

Topping:

 Melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream in the microwave and drizzle on the pie. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave and drizzle over the pie. YUM! I like to eat this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!

The story behind the name....and my first recipe!

Dancin' in the Kitchen.While I was trying to find a name for this blog I kept thinking about when my husband Ryan and I used to dance in the kitchen when we were first married. It was pretty darn romantic. We'd be waiting for our super fancy dinner to finish cooking *cough, boxed mac and cheese* Frank Sinatra's "Come fly With Me" would be playing in the background. It was a lot of fun. Now any time we try to do any type of dancing, Lily our 3 year old is trying to cut in. Although I miss the days of us being in the kitchen and cooking together, I love that the kitchen has become my domain. It's where I can get creative and try new things. I usually find a recipe I like and then turn it into a recipe I love. I never follow a recipe exactly; I always make little changes and add things here and there. I like to make a recipe my own. I'll be posting a lot of recipes on this blog that I've found in food magazines, cookbooks, online and from our family with my own twist.

The first recipe I’m going to share is my all time favorite soup recipe. Guys, this stuff is so good. Like unbelievably good. Like, I make this once a week in the winter time good. So because it’s still frigid and snowing here, I’m still making soup. Make this, you’ll love it and you won’t want to stop eating it.

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

4 slices of bacon

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken stock

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 large red potatoes, diced,  or any kind will do…

1 cup half and half

16 oz frozen corn

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups chicken, diced or shredded

1bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, parsley

In a large soup pot, sauté the bacon until crispy. Leave 4 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. Discard the rest. Drain the bacon on a paper towel, and set aside.

Add the onions and bell pepper to the pan and sauté on medium heat. About 3 minutes or until the bell pepper is tender and the onions are translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I usually end up using about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Don't under salt!) Add the jalapeno and garlic, sauté for about 1 minute more.

Whisk in the flour until combined. Cook for a minute or two until it turns a light golden color. Whisk in the chicken stock and potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the half and half, corn, chicken, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Garnish with reserved chopped bacon and optional toppings. Enjoy!