I make a peach-bourbon shrub that’s one of my favorite cocktails: it’s tart and sweet and summery in the best way. The thing about shrubs is that they’re endlessly riffable, so why not replace the bourbon with tequila and the peaches with pineapple? It turns out they’re a winning combination too. Make this drink in the late spring and summer, when pineapples are in season.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped into medium pieces
3 tablespoons white vinegar
6 ounces blanco tequila
2 ounces lemon juice, preferably Meyer
Bring sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan and add pineapple pieces to pan. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 30 minutes. Strain syrup into a bowl (reserve a few pieces of the pineapple for using as a garnish); stir in vinegar. Cover and chill shrub.
Set out 4 ice-filled cocktail glasses. For each cocktail, shake 2 ounces shrub, 1 1/2 ounces tequila, and half an ounce of lemon juice in an ice-filled cocktail shaker until frosty. Strain into glasses and top with reserved pineapple.
This salad is so easy that it hardly qualifies as a recipe, but the combination of creamy hearts of palm and acidic dressing is a perfect pairing. To be honest, I could eat hearts of palm straight out of the can, but avocados make everything taste even better.
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can hearts of palm, rinsed, drained, and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tomatoes, diced
2 slightly firm avocados, peeled and diced
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar or lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the hearts of palm, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro and gently mix until the vegetables are coated. Serve immediately.
Behold, the ultimate appetizer for a crowd. These nachos are one of my favorite appetizers to serve — think a giant platter of crunchy chips loaded with juicy seared steak, shredded cheese, avocado, beans, and a trifecta of salsa, lime, and sour cream to top it all off. Let’s bfr; who doesn’t love nachos?
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound steak (I use sirloin, ribeye, or flank)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 lime, juiced
1 16-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups tortilla chips
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 16-ounce tub pico de gallo salsa
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 450F degrees and prep baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt in a small bowl, then rub mixture into steak. Heat a cast iron skillet with oil until hot, then sear steak on both sides until done, flipping once. Remove from heat and top with lime juice, then leave to rest, about 10 minutes. Dice or shred steak into bite-size pieces.
Spread tortilla chips in a layer on the baking sheet, then top with beans, steak, and cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbling and beans and steak are heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to serving platter. Top with pico de gallo, sour cream, and salsa. Serve immediately.
Everyone needs a solid breakfast burrito recipe. This one has it all: hearty black beans, creamy avocado, savory turkey chorizo, and a generous dollop of salsa to cut through it all.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
4 ounces fresh turkey or chicken chorizo
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion, plus more for serving
1 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
2 teaspoons finely chopped unseeded jalapeno, plus thin jalapeno slices, for serving
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus cilantro leaves, for serving
Salt
Pepper
6 eggs
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 avocado, cut into 8 wedges
Tomatillo salsa
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add chorizo; cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until fat has rendered, about 2 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until chorizo is cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, jalapeño, and cilantro; remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a bowl; season with salt and black pepper to taste. Wipe skillet clean.
2. Whisk together eggs and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until combined. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add eggs; cook, gently stirring with a rubber spatula, until just scrambled, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer eggs to a bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.
3. Off heat, sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese in a 7-inch circle in skillet. Heat over medium until cheese is sizzling and almost completely melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Heat skillet to medium-high and place 1 tortilla in skillet. Carefully sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on tortilla. Once cheese begins to melt (about 1 minute, spread tortilla with one-fourth each of chorizo mixture, eggs, and avocado. Slide onto a plate. Let cool 1 minute; roll up burrito, leaving ends open. Wipe skillet clean. Repeat 3 times with remaining tortillas, and fillings. Cut burritos in half; serve with onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and salsa.
These tacos aren’t by any means authentic but they are without a doubt delicious. I use ground turkey and a generous serving of fresh herbs to create a “chorizo” of sorts (let’s be honest, I’m being really liberal with the definition of chorizo here). Combined with fried potatoes (uh, who doesn’t love fried potatoes?) and a smattering of onions and cilantro, these tacos hit the spot.
Ingredients:
For the chorizo:
1 medium serrano chile
1 large poblano chile
2 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 cups cilantro
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground turkey
For the tacos:
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 medium russet potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup diced onion, rinsed in cold water
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
18 corn tortillas, warmed
Lime wedges, for serving
1. Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium. Add chiles and garlic cloves, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and softened, about 4 minutes for serrano, 8 minutes for poblano, and about 12 minutes for the garlic. Transfer the chiles to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 15 minutes. Stem, peel, and seed poblano. Stem and peel serrano. Set chiles aside. Let garlic cool, and peel cloves. Add coriander seeds and cumin seeds to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Finely grind seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
2. Combine chiles, garlic, ground spices, cilantro, vinegar, oregano, and salt in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the turkey with the puree and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add potatoes in a single layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate, and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Do not wipe out skillet. Return skillet to heat over medium-high and add chorizo, stirring often, until crumbled and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 1 minute.
5. Assemble tacos: Top each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons chorizo, 1 tablespoon potatoes, and 1 teaspoon onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
