WARNING: You will eat every last one of these tacos and you will not want to share! You will have to unbutton your pants and it's not going to be pretty. You have been warned.
The day I made these and shot these photos, I literally made a meal and a half out of this plate of seven wonton tacos. I didn't share them. I ate them all. They were so damn good!
But it's an appetizer for crying out loud, not a main dish! I should've stopped after 3 and definitely after 4. I was full. But noooo...there were 3 left getting soggy in their deliciously sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, sitting all alone on the platter without their friends. What's this very full, taco-loving girl to do? No, I didn't eat them right away. I resisted. I did.I resisted the temptation and walked into the other room to fold laundry or do some other never ending household chore, when I heard the faint cries from the appetizer plate. "Please eat me!"
No, I can't eat another bite! I argued. "Please eat me!" Really. I can't. I mustn't. My resolve began to weaken as I imagined drippy BBQ tears puddling around their crispy wonton shells... No, I really can't eat another... The weary sobs of 'please eat me' finally drew me back to the kitchen where I half expected to see a soggy hot mess and that's when I realized these little wonton tacos weren't fooling around. The lonely trio were perfectly lit with afternoon light coming through the kitchen window...all poised in beautiful deliciousness with that cool and crunchy cucumber relish..."Resistance is futile." They whispered. Damn it! I topped them with more relish and more BBQ sauce and I ate every last bite. :)
The End
Spicy Pork Wonton Tacos with Cucumber Relish
Makes 24(
I used pork for this recipe but you can substitute with beef or chicken.) Slow Cooker Pulled Pork1 lb. sirloin pork roast1/2 cup soy sauce, low sodium1/2 cup water1/2 cup brown sugar or honey2 T toasted sesame oil 3 T fresh ginger, grated3 cloves garlic, minced3 T Sriracha sauce (optional)
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and heat on high for 6 hours or until meat can be shredded. Remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Set aside.
Spicy BBQ Sauce 1/3 cup Heinz Jalapeno Ketchup (or regular ketchup)1-2 T Garlic Chili Sauce (to taste)2 T brown sugar 2 T low-sodium soy sauce1 T toasted sesame oil Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Heinz makes spicy ketchup varieties and I used their Jalapeno Ketchup for this spicy BBQ sauce but if you don't have it, substitute with regular ketchup. Cucumber Relish 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced2 T red bell pepper, finely minced3 T cilantro leaves2 T rice wine vinegar1/2 t sugar1/2 t saltred chili flakes (to taste)
Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt in small bowl and add cucumbers, red pepper and cilantro and let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
Wonton Taco Shells 24 round wonton wrappersCooking sprayPreheat oven to 350 degrees.Assemble cookie sheet with wire baking racks. (see photo) I got these racks at the Dollar Tree for $1.
Line your counter top with a large piece of parchment paper and spray the parchment paper generously with cooking spray. Place 9 wonton wrappers on sprayed parchment paper and then spray the tops of wrappers with cooking spray. Then, center each wrapper over the wire rack like shown. You will need to work in batches until you have 24 wonton taco shells. Bake for 8-9 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool.
Stuff each wonton shell with shredded pork and top generously with spicy BBQ sauce and the tangy cucumber relish. Devour! :)Aren't these gorgeous? They taste as amazing as they look!
Other recipes to try:Crab and Mango Wonton Cups Roasted Spicy Cauliflower Shrimp w/Chili Garlic Cream Sauce
These days, you see recipes for kale everywhere. You can't look at Pinterest without seeing kale, quinoa or chia in some new and delicious recipe. They are the trifecta of food popularity. I love quinoa and kale, there's a reason food becomes popular, because they are so yummy. Believe it or not, I haven't yet tried chia seeds. Not sure why I haven't. Maybe it's because I only see chia being added to yogurt and smoothies and stuff like that and I don't really eat yogurt or drink smoothies or protein drinks. Yucky. I guess you can say I'm still looking for a chia recipe that interests me. Anyway... I do love Kale, but I must admit I am not all that fond of kale when it is in salads all by itself. An entire salad of just Kale is practically inedible. It definitely needs to have another green to tone down the roughage factor. It's tough, hearty and floral tasting but I find it can end up tasting bitter if not mixed with the right salad toppings. I personally think Kale tastes best when paired with something sweet like fruit like in my Kale Salad with Strawberry Mango Salsa. I also think Kale is BEST when cooked. Saute, braise, roast into chips, and throw it into soups, all super yummy! If you like greens or fried cabbage this is the veggie for you. The idea of braising it with onions and topping it with a sweet and earthy balsamic butter sauce had been bouncing in my head for a while. I'd made it a few times as just a delicious side dish but I felt the heartiness of it needed to be its own meal. I decided to pair it with these yummy Salisbury meatballs and the dish was a home run. Enjoy!
Cool Product Alert! My mom gave me this lightly dried parsley from Gourmet Garden and I used it in my meatballs and also to top the finished dish. I loved having this on hand because I don't always have fresh parsley in the fridge. This little tub has quite a bit in it and goes a long way. Convenient and pure genius! Salisbury Meatballs with Braised Kale and Balsamic Butter Sauce
Serves 4
Salisbury Meatballs 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef1/2 cup bread crumbs1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 t. garlic powder1 t. onion powder2 T Gourmet Garden Parsley, dried2 T Worcestershire sauce1 eggsalt and pepper to taste1-2 T canola oil for frying
In a large bowl mix all ingredients together and roll into medium sized meatballs. Add oil to a large skillet and over medium high heat, brown all sides until cooked through. Remove from skillet and cover with aluminum foil and set aside. Braised Kale and Onions2 large bunches kale, roughly chopped (~10 cups)1/2 large yellow onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced1-2 T olive oil 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth1/2 cup white wine1/2 cup water pepper In a large pot, add olive oil, onions and garlic and cook over high heat until translucent. About 5 minutes. Add chopped kale, chicken broth, wine and water and cover with a lid. Heat on high for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir kale. The kale should be wilted enough to be covered by the liquid at the bottom of the pot. Heat on medium heat, covered for about 15 minutes until Kale stems are nearly tender. Add about half of the balsamic butter to the greens and stir. Continue to heat uncovered for another 10-15 minutes to reduce liquid until the kale is cooked to desired tenderness. Salt and pepper to taste. Note: Taste the kale before adding salt because the chicken broth when reduced adds salt so take care not to add too much.
Balsamic Butter Sauce1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced to 3T1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)1/2 T brown sugarblack pepper
Add vinegar into a small saucepan. On medium heat, heat vinegar until reduced to about 3 T. Turn off heat and add sugar and pepper and stir. Add butter and set aside until butter is melted. Add about half of the balsamic butter to Braised Kale during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time and drizzle the remaining half over the Salisbury Meatballs before serving. Garnish with Parsley and enjoy!Other recipes to try:
This is one of those Thanksgiving side dishes that is so good that every time I have it, I want it to be a Main Dish. No reason for this scrumptious side to ride shotgun to the big bird. This easy casserole is a meal in itself. I took my mom's recipe for her Creamed Corn Casserole to main dish status by adding a little Andouille sausage and Creole seasoning and baked them in individual ramekins. I like the idea of getting my own cheesy, baked corn casserole. Because lets be honest, the best part of a casserole is the browned, crusty, cheesy top. Right? Serve these along side some fresh fruit to make a delicious and easy breakfast. Or serve with a big mixed green salad to make a delicious lunch or lite dinner. Hosting brunch over the holidays? No problem. Make a bunch of these in cupcakes liners for a delicious bite-sized corn cake. So versatile, so easy and so GOOD!
Creamed Corn Casserole
Serves 8
1-14oz. can of cream style corn1/2 cup corn meal1/4 cup butter, melted2 eggs, beaten1 cup sour cream1-5oz. can diced green chilies1 cup sharp cheddar, cubed1 t. creole seasoning (or 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper)
(Optional) 1/2 cup Andouille Sausage, small dice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients. (choose one below)Creamed Corn Casserole: (Serves 8)spray medium casserole dish with cooking spray and bake at 350 for one hour.
Individual Creamed Corn Casseroles with Sausage: (Makes 6)Spray ramekins with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.Cupcake-size Creamed Corn Cakes: (Makes 24) Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners and spray bottom of liners with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Other recipes to try:Parmesan Creamed Onions Tortilla Dressing Thanksgiving Lasagna
This year I decided to focus my decorating in the heart of my home, the dining room. Each holiday season, I see beautifully set tables in magazines and all over Pinterest with expensive dishes and glassware and I dream of being able to set tables that gorgeous. But sadly, buying new dishes and glasses for each season is too much of an investment for this stay-at-home mom. Solution...Find a way to do it on a budget. And that I did. I spent all summer, scouring thrift shops and dollar stores to try and find the best pieces for my Halloween and Thanksgiving tables. I found inexpensive dishes and glassware that set the basics for my table and then added some of my old Fall decorations to really make these tables pop. Hope you enjoy them and find some inspiration.Halloween Decorating
HALLOWEEN TABLEThis tablescape was almost entirely from the 99cents Only Store (My friend, Gina calls it "The 99"), Dollar Tree and AMVETS Thrift Stores for only about $65. This is proof that you can design an elegant and festive table for very little money!Here's the breakdown of my Halloween Table. The six silver chargers, six dinner plates, and six green wine glasses cost me $18 from The 99. The small cream colored salad plates I got on clearance at Target for $1.30 each. The table cover is a canvas drop cloth from Home Depot, left over from another project(Free). The green satin remnant runner covering the drop cloth is from the Thrift Store and cost me about $1.50. The most expensive item was the silverware (I just had to have them!) from Cost Plus World Market. I bought them with a coupon. They cost me about $25 for 4 sets. If you look carefully, I had to take strategic pictures and crop my pics because there were only 4 sets of silverware at a table set for six. I moved a fork here and a knife there when I had to squeeze in the look of another silverware setting. 
I try to make a new wreath each year and this year I found inspiration from a pin from Pinterest. This is my version of this creepy and elegant Halloween wreath made with feather boas, creepy cloth and light up skulls from The 99 and The Dollar Tree.
Fall Decorating
I wanted muted colors of brown, green and white for my Thanksgiving table this year. The flower arrangement below was made up of grab bag flowers from Michael's that cost $2. Basically, I bought a bag of silk flowers, sight unseen, for two bucks and it was a jackpot of perfect fall flowers! It contained a green sunflower, a dahlia, and a hydrangea. Along with 5 huge sunflowers which I used in the door hanging photos at the end of this blog. I filled in around these with the Eucalytus stems from Tuesday Morning, The light green lantern flowers from The 99, and the brown berry clusters from The Dollar Tree. I think it turned out really pretty! Don't you? THANKSGIVING TABLEThis table starts with my old cream tablecloth and an amazing Pottery Barn Jute table runner that I picked up from the Thrift Store along with these 4 embroidered leaf napkins for $5 total. All 5 items for $5. A total steal! Again, I had to be creative with my shots and edits to use the 4 napkins at a table set for 6. Mostly I just shot it two different ways (see below) Most of the place setting pieces were from "The 99". The dark brown chargers, tan dinner plates, small acorn and pumpkin appetizer plates, the bubble glass stemless wine glasses and the green votive candle holders were all from The 99 for $26. The wine glasses being 2 for a $1. The taller wine glasses and the silverware are my everyday stuff. I got the small leaf table scatter from The Dollar Tree.Total Cost of Thanksgiving Table: less than $40. In this picture below, the two leaf serving dishes to the left were also from The 99. I bought each of them a few years ago. I used to use the large leaf plate at a soap dish in my bathroom for fall. :) Instead of making a wreath for my front door, this year, I decided to hang a bucket of fall flowers and foliage. The sunflowers were from my Michael's grab bag and the rest of the flowers were re-purposed from prior years. I used bright oranges, yellows and browns on the outside to go with my porch full of pumpkins. :)I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
More Fall Decorating Ideas:Halloween Decorating and EntertainingHalloween Decorating 2014Fall Decorating Fall Decorating 2014
