Carnitas.  The best way to prepare this perfect style of pork is right here.  I worship carnitas.  I always have and always will.  Carnitas means “little meats” but there is nothing little about the flavor.  I use the pork shoulder which has a nice amount of marbled fat in it.  The fat is part of the secret…. it flavors the pork in the roasting portion of this recipe.  Mmmm.  I used my new Martha Stewart Cast Iron Dutch Oven to complete this heavenly delight and I only have high regards for the results. Carnitas may seem like an elaborate dish to pull off but all you need is a little bit of love and some patience.  The outcome is worth the time it took to slow cook this tender, moist, succulent crunchy meal.

Ingredients for carnitas:

5 – lbs of pork shoulder

meat seasoning (1 teaspoon of each: salt, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper)

1/4 – cup vegetable oil

1/2 – onion

9 – garlic cloves

1 – dried pasilla chile

1 – tablespoon oregano

1 – teaspoon salt

2 – cans coca-cola

1 – cup whole milk

4 – cups chicken broth

extra salt to taste for roasting

Cut pork shoulder into 3 inch chunks. Remove some of the extra fat on the outside.

Then season meat generously with meat seasoning. Set to the side.

In a 8 quart dutch oven over a medium flame add vegetable oil and allow to heat for 3 minutes. Then take a portion of the meat and fry on each side just to brown 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from dutch oven and set browned meat to the side. Repeat till all meat is browned.

Once all meat is browned add it all back into dutch oven and add in onion, garlic cloves, pasilla chile, oregano, salt, and coca-cola.

Next add in the milk.

and last add in chicken broth.

Bring the flame up to high and bring to a boil. Once broth is boiling cover with a lid and lower flame to low. Simmer for 3 hours.

After 3 hours the meat will have shrunk and there will be a little fat at the top of ther mixture. Mine looks like this.

Preheat your oven for 450 degrees fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with a aluminum foil or a baking mat and remove all pieces of pork with a slotted spoon from liquid. Allow pork to sit on baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Then break up the pieces of meat with a fork or your hands. The meat will be extremely tender and practically fall apart on it’s own.

Stick it in the oven for 10 minutes and it will get slightly crunchy on top. The fat in the meat will melt and it will fry in it’s own fat. Remove from oven and place in a bowl or on a platter.

Squeeze lime over top and eat in tacos, burritos, tamales or tortas. Carnitas are simply the best.

 Photos by: Mando Lopez and Nicole Presley

Avocados from Mexico sent me to NYC for the BlogHer12 conference.  It was a wonderful experience talking to people about what comes to mind when they hear the words “Avocados from Mexico” and “Abuelita.”  I had such a rip roaring time meeting bloggers I’ve known from the internet and meeting up with friends I only get to see every so often.  Connecting with my peers in person instead of a screen, hearing what they have to say first hand.  I learned.  I danced.  I ate and I socialized…. Isn’t that what conferences are all about?

The New York summer weather had me sweating up a storm, it was hotter than Hades. The humid hot air made me crave my Abuelita Yadira’s fresh Shrimp Ceviche.  She always made sure to chop up plenty of avocados into the tangy cool meal and if I was lucky, she would serve me in the avocado shells with a side of tostadas. The minute I got back to LA I had to make a batch of what comes to mind when I hear the words “Avocados from Mexico” and “Abuelita.”

Ingredients for Shrimp Ceviche:

1/2 – cup of lime juice

2 1/2 – cups of lemon juice

2 – pounds raw shrimp (deveined, peeled, and minced)

2 – cups minced tomatoes

1 – cup thinly sliced red onion

1 – cup minced cucumber

1/2 – cup green onion (chopped)

1/2 – cup cilantro leaves

1/2 – cup minced jalapeno

2 1/2 – cups Avocado chunks

salt and pepper to taste

2 – tablespoons Tapatio

1/2 – tablespoon garlic powder

pinch of oregano

In a large bowl juice lime and lemons. Then mince shrimp to 1/4 of an inch pieces. Add shrimp to lime, lemon juice, then cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

In the meantime chop and mince the rest of the ingredients.

Then pour it into the shrimp lime lemon mixture.

Give it a good mix, and serve in a avocado shell or a bowl. I enjoy eating mine with a tostada and an extra squeeze of lime.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Avocados from Mexico and Latina Bloggers Connect. The recipe is mine and my Abuelita’s and the opinions are my own!  Yes, and without a doubt #ILoveAvocados #AmoLosAguacates

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley and Mando Lopez

In an ideal world, everyone would eat Lamb.  It would be the first meat of choice that people grabbed for.  We tend to to be repeat buyers stuck in the beef and chicken section of the market…. If only we explored our options.  I’m a HUGE CRAZY LAMB LOVER and am always surprised by the people around me who don’t eat lamb so much or have never tasted it at all.  These words send me into action, I immediately jump on my soap box and tell them how much they are missing out on, and to be ready to become fanatical.  I can’t help it, I utterly enjoy turning people on to deliciousness.

Take these Chipotle Grape Lamb Skewers for example….. My fiance’s mom is an older Mexican woman who has never cooked with Lamb.  Why?  She’s scared of it?  Not experimental?  Not really exposed to lamb dishes?  Who knows.  It could be any of these reasons.  I recently made these Lamb skewers and offer her some.  What do you think happened?  She went NUTS COOCOO bananas over them.  Asking a trillion questions about the preparation and what I used in the marinade.  I guarantee you she went out and bought some Lamb that night to make her own skewers.  My job was done here.

Ingredients for Chipotle Grape Lamb Skewers:

3 – pounds of Cedar Springs Butterflied Leg of Lamb (Chopped into 1 1/2 inch cubes)

3 – tablespoons of basil olive oil

2 – lemons (juiced)

1 – onion sliced

1 1/2 – tablespoons of chipotle powder

1 1/2 – cups pinot grigio

2 – cups Melissa’s Produce Muscato Green Grapes (smashed)

4 – garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)

2 – teaspoons of salt

15 to 20 bar-b-que skewers

Start by cutting your lamb into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in a bowl.

In a another bowl add grapes and smash put to pop grapes. Place to the side.

Now add all ingredients to Lamb chunks, and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge overnight.

1 hour before you are ready to grill…. soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes.

Then remove lamb from fridge and skewer 4 chunks of meat per skewer. Once all skewers are prepared….Toss them on the grill.

Grill on each side for 4 to 5 minutes….. Heaven!

 Do you want to grill some Lamb?

This giveaway is now closed!

Rules for the giveaway:

Leave a comment below letting me know how you like to eat lamb or if you have never tried it, tell me why.

Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook!

Follow Presley’s Pantry on Twitter!

Tweet:  I just entered to WIN a butterflied leg of lamb @PresleysPantry !  Wanna win one? Enter here! http://wp.me/p1mJLS-1or

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them.

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.  Contest ends August 17th, 2012 at 11:59 PM, PST and one winner  will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

Congrats to Liz Serna…. she is the winner. 

Disclosure: I was provided with Lamb by Cedar Springs to aid this recipe and giveaway to a reader. Melissa’s Produce also provided me with grapes. The combo of these two were heavenly.

Photos by Mando Lopez

I’ve found myself across the border town of Mexicali many times in the last 10 years visiting family and friends. There are hundreds of things that I love and celebrate about Mexico especially the food and drink. I relish all the authentic flavors and preparations of some of my favorite dishes when in the Capital of Baja California. Doesn’t matter if it’s winter spring summer or fall, I run around trying to eat all the specialties of Mexicali. Now if you have ever visited in the summer months then you know that it is hot enough to fry an egg on the hood of your car and that the heat is relentless. People stay indoors all day blasting the ac and the second night falls the city comes alive. A summer night in Mexicali wouldn’t be complete without a Chabela. The refreshing drink is the perfect antidote to the scorching heat. It sets the atmosphere and you hope there will be a light breeze accompanying the Chabela adding some relief.  My primo Amp-Dog introduced me to this recipe and it will always remind me of the flavors of an electric evening in Mexico.

Ingredients for Chabela Summer Masterpiece: 

Chalice Glass

5 Ice cubes

Is there a dish that your Grandma use to make you when you were little?  Something special that your Momma has learned from her Mom and will now pass it down to you?  For me it’s Avocado Tacos.  The simplicity of these tacos is the beauty of it.  You can taste the creamy-ness of the avocado, the tang of the cheese and the tasty salsa all wrapped in a crispy corn tortilla shell…. and that’s all you need.

Avocados from Mexico is sending me to Blogher in New York City in less then a week to find out what other bloggers think when they hear the words Avocados and Abuelita (Grandma) together?  What a fun trip.  I can’t wait to hear what people have to say.  In the meantime I will savor what comes to mind when I hear the words Avocados and Abuelita together ….. Avocado Tacos with a Red Salsa!

 All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for Avocado Tacos:

10 – corn tortillas

2 – ripe Avocados from Mexico (sliced 1 inch thick)

1 – round of jalapeno queso quesadilla (sliced 1/2 inch thick)

toothpicks

1 – cup vegetable oil

Ingredients for simple red salsa:

water

4 – tomatoes

7 – chile de arbol

3 – garlic cloves

1 – tablespoon salt

Let’s start with the simple red salsa.  Fill a medium pot halfway with water and place over a medium high flame. Bring to a boil and add tomatoes and chile de arbol. Boil for 30 minutes. Remove from flame. With a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes and chile de arbol (remove stem from chiles) and place in a blender. Add 1 cup of the water the chiles boiled in to blender as well. Then add garlic and salt. Cover and blend till smooth. Pour into a bowl and set to the side until tacos are ready. This portion can be made the day before if desired.

Taco time! Over an open flame heat corn tortillas till warm and pliable. Remove from flame and stuff with a piece of Avocado and cheese. Fold in half and close with a toothpick. Repeat until done with all tortillas.

Pour vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium high flame and allow to get hot.  Then add tacos and fry on each side for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp.

Then remove tacos from oil and let drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Remove toothpicks. Dress your tacos with red salsa, and eat one of the most incredible tacos of all time.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Avocados from Mexico . The recipe and opinions are completely my own!  Yes, and without a doubt #ILoveAvocados #AmoLosAguacates

Eating fruit at it’s peak in the season is the best gift Mother Nature provides.  This luxury of sweetness can only be found in a piece of fruit at the height of it’s ripe/maturity.  Right now the spotlight is shining brightly on Cherries! Whole Foods Markets are celebrating their 3rd Annual Cherry Fest by bringing the best cherries to their stores for us customers to sink our teeth into. When this type of opportunity is conveniently placed at your fingertips you take it and run.  I bought several bags, around 6 pounds worth.  I thought “I can eat them all by myself or I could be a friend and invite some pals over for a Cherry Social.”  I decided to do the latter.  We enjoyed some in their natural glory and with the other I created a few dishes to serve at my gathering of friends.  The Cherry Menu:  Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding, Chicken Cherry Salad Sandwiches and Cherry Watermelon Sangria!

Run over to Whole Foods Market, grab a few bags of cherries in their peak season sweetness and make these recipes.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

For the Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding, I bought all the ingredients at Whole Foods Market.  WFM makes my all-time favorite store bought cookie sold in their amazing bulk section, Amaretti Cookie.  I love the flavor sooooo much I incorporated it into the bread pudding thinking Cherry and Amaretto work wonderfully together and boy was I right. Hee-hee!  I also used their chocolate pound cake and Greenlee’s Best Cinnamon Bread (also sold in store).  This Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding was made in a pyrex dish then spooned into cupcake holders to serve individually.  Topped with a fresh cherry.  Enjoy.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding:

1o – Amaretti cookies (crushed)

5 – cups chocolate pound cake (cut into 1 inch cubes)

5 – cups Greenlee’s Best Cinnamon Bread (cut into 1 inch cubes)

2 – cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 – cup sliced almonds

2 – cups fresh cherries (pitted and cut into 4 pieces)

1 1/4 – cups sugar

4 – eggs

1 – teaspoon cinnamon

1 – teaspoon almond extract

1 – teaspoon vanilla

3 – cups half and half

1 – cup whole milk

5 – tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and brought back to room temperature) plus a little extra to butter your dish.

 All photos taken by Nicole Presley

Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.

Crush Amaretti cookies and cut pound cake and cinnamon bread into cubes.  Combine all in a big mixing bowl.

Next add in chocolate chips and sliced almonds.  Mix well.  Set to the side.

Wash cherries and pitt them all.  Then slice each cherry into 4 pieces.  Set to the side.

Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish, now take 6 cups of  bread cubes and place in baking dish, arrange neatly to make your first layer.  Then add all cherry slices.

Place remaining bread cubes mixture on top of cherries and press down to compact dish. Set to the side.

With a electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together on high for 4 minutes.  Next add cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla, half and half, milk and butter.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Carefully ladle egg/half and half mixture over prepared bread cubes.

Once egg/half and half mixture is poured in, gently  press down on bread cubes with both hands to make sure they are soaked in egg/half and half mixture.

Now in a large baking dish or roasting pan (15 x 10 inches) fill 1 inch deep with hot water to create a water bath, then place the 9 x 13 inch prepared bread pudding dish in the middle of the 15 x 10 water bath (you want the bath to go halfway up the side of the 9 x 13 inch dish) and place in oven for 1 hour.

As soon as the bread pudding is ready, remove from water bath and and let it cool for 1 hour.

Spoon bread pudding into cupcake holders for individual servings.  Top with a cherry and sprinkle with Amaretti cookie crumbs if you have any left. 🙂  Place in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Scroll down for the Chicken Cherry Salad Sandwiches!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂

I’m a big fan of sweet fruit paired with poultry, and love a good salad sandwich.  Bringing cherries and chicken together for a yummy sammie is the best thing you can do in these hot summer months when the kitchen is the last place you want to be.  I used some left over chicken, fresh cherries, red onion and nuts.  Pair this little number with a rindless parrano cheese or cheddar cheese and serve on a multi grain bread.

Ingredients for Chicken Cherry Salad:

2 – cups chicken pieces

1 – cup Whole Foods Market cherries

1/2 – cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 – cup pecans (coarsely chopped)

2 – tablespoons dijon mustard

1/3 – cup mayo

salt and pepper to taste

2 – tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

choice of bread and cheese

Mix chicken, cherries, red onion, and pecans in a bowl until combined.

Then add mustard, mayo, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and mix again.

Then spread it on bread and add cheese and or avocado…. whatever you like.  Even enjoy it on crackers or chips.

Scroll down for Cherry Watermelon Sangria!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂