MONDAY

Pork Tacos  |  Sweet Peach Salsa  |  Roasted Cumin~Lime Carrots

Today was Monday…really Monday.  School may have officially started last week but today was the first Monday of the new school year, kicking off the first whole week of school.  The first few days of catching up with old friends, meeting new teachers, getting lockers…basically, “moving in”…is over and now it is time to get down to business.  Five days of school, five evenings of full-on homework {Maddie’s first AP Composition exam is Thursday!}, five days of football practice and riding on top of school and homework…this reality was palpable around the breakfast table this morning.  These days, where football and riding finish around 6:00pm and Michael’s ferry gets in from the City at 6:50pm, require a strategic plan which, for me, means dinners that are simple and can be ready in a flash so kids can get on to doing homework.   How many days until Thanksgiving break?

I had two meetings this afternoon which I knew would take me right up to 6:00pm sports practice pickup before getting Michael at the ferry, so anything I could do in advance was going to make dinner so much easier. While grilling the steaks for our Sunday dinner I also grilled two pork tenderloins to be used this evening.

I didn’t cook them thoroughly as I knew that I would be cutting up the meat and adding to a frying pan this evening so we could enjoy warm tacos.  When the tenderloins were completely cooled I wrapped them separately in foil and placed in the refrigerator overnight.  When I came home this evening, all I had to do was cut up the pork into small cubes and then add to a hot skillet with some olive oil.  I tossed in some of the homemade taco seasoning which I had made last week for this dish and the filling for our tacos was finished in less than 10 minutes…

Pork Tacos

• 2 small pork tenderloins, pre-cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons {or more} Homemade Taco Seasoning {click here for recipe}
• 10 warm flour or corn tortillas

1. Add olive oil to a large, heavy skillet and heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking.  Place the pork into the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add taco seasoning and stir until the seasoning full coats all of the meat.
2. Serve immediately on tortillas and top with Sweet Peach Salsa {recipe follows} or your favorite taco toppings.

 

This Sweet Peach Salsa is a wonderful summer condiment, requires no cooking and can be made in advance.  In fact, the overall taste is better if the salsa has an hour or two to sit before serving.  The unlikely combination of two summer fruits, peaches and tomatoes, works well combining considerable sweetness to the heat of a red chile and the bite of cilantro and lime…

Sweet Peach Salsa  {adapted from Ripe, A Cook in the Orchard, by Nigel Slater}

• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 small red chile, finely chopped
• 3 peaches, pitted and finely chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice with the olive oil and a 1or 2 grinds of black pepper.  Pour the dressing over the salsa and gently toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate.  Allow salsa to come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Finally, our vegetable this evening is one I often overlook during the summer, my eye distracted with the greens of summer…peas, beans, loose lettuces, herbs.  Try and use fresh baby carrots, with their greens still attached, as they have a natural sweetness not found in their larger, bagged relatives.  You can save the greens and add them to other salads but I usually just give the stems to our bunny as I find them a bit to bitter for my taste.  Carrots and cumin are a traditional match but the addition of lime adds a refreshing burst of flavor, perfect for a warm summer evening.  Click here for the full recipe at Family Style Food which I followed, exactly.