Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Why was Thyme Savours Created?

Starting to write about my passion for cooking is a long time in the making. It is a result of being fortunate enough to have several generations of home cooking enthusiasts from my family that have passed down delicious recipes from generation to generation. Cooking has always been an integral part of my family and my hope is that this blog will allow heritage recipes to continue to be enjoyed for years to come.


As I mentioned, cooking is always been a way of life in our family but I got side-tracked along the way and pursued other professional goals rather than following my heart and do what I love--cook. It is important to know where you come from to understand where you are supposed to go in life. There were several signs that were given to me along the way but until now I mainly ignored them. I did what was expected of me: I went to college and earned a degree, was successful in my chosen profession, had a family and each day I repeated the process of life. Then in 2008, the housing crisis caused me to rethink my choices and I slowly began walking away from the mortgage profession. I was incredibly fortunate to have the career I did, but the mortgage business never truly made me happy. Cooking is what makes me happy and with our relocation to the East Coast, now is the time to pursue my passion and hence the creation of this blog. I hope to inspire you in the kitchen to enjoy these dishes and pass them along so they are not lost to future generations.


The first recipe I want to share was created for my son Mason. He inspires me each and every day and is developing quite a palate. He can taste cumin, paprika and the tiniest hint of blue cheese and he just turned 11! Mason loves tacos so here is one of my versions of tacos. Enjoy!


Smoked Pork Tacos with Fresh Cilantro and Lime

Makes 12 Tacos

Ingredients
1. Vegetable Spray
2. 12 Corn /Flour Tortillas (I prefer the flour)
3. 3 TBSP Olive Oil
4. 2 Lbs. Ground Pork
5. 1 Red Bell Pepper (small dice)
7. 1 Yellow Pepper (small dice)
8. ½ cup Red Onion (small dice)
9. 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
10. 1 -2 TBSP Lime Juice (freshly squeeze)I tend towards more lime, I like the citrus taste
12. 1 Cup Cotija Cheese (crumbled)
13. Sour Cream
14. 1-2 tsp smoked paprika (I tend towards more, I like the smoke taste)
15. Salt and Pepper to Taste
16. 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro (Remove Stems, leaves should remain whole
17. 2 Cups Fresh Purple Cabbage (Shredded)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 250 Degrees
2. Spray an oven proof pan with vegetable spray
3. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable spray
4. In large sauté pan, brown the ground pork. Once browned, transfer to oven proof pan and place in oven to keep at temperature.
5. In large sauté pan, coat bottom with olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Add a couple dashes of kosher salt and saute until translucent. Add red and yellow pepper. Cook until peppers are softened.
6. Remove pork from oven and add to the pepper, onion and garlic mixture.
7. Add smoked paprika, salt and pepper (to taste)
8. Place mixture back in oven proof pan and continue to keep temperature in oven
9. If using corn tortillas, in small sauté pan, coat bottom with olive oil, allow temperature to rise, crisp tortillas. Place tortillas in 250 Degree Oven to keep warm
10. If using flour tortillas, place in microwave with layers of moistened paper towels between each tortilla and heat until warm.
11. Remove pork from oven and transfer back to sauté pan, add lime and fold into mixture on low heat (approximately 2 minutes).
12. Place remaining ingredients sour cream, cotija cheese, cilantro and cabbage in serving vessels for guests to build their own tacos.
13. Assemble tacos and enjoy!


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