Chipotle Pork Tacos

I think I may have given up on the "cookbook project". I just don't have the time or energy to mess with it. Instead, I have been trying to use as much of my pantry and freezer items as possible, and plan our meals around that. Our food budget is getting a little ridiculous, especially since the babies are on table food now. Constantly trying new recipes-for the purpose of just trying new recipes-gets costly. Also, it seems my children inhale fruit. Seriously, I go through so much fresh produce it's crazy! I guess I shouldn't complain that my family loves fresh fruit and veggies, but for a family of five it is not cheap. Anyway, I decided to fit in new recipes where it seems prudent, and the cookbook project was just too taxing. It was a good idea while it lasted, though.

Anyway, I got the new issue of Cooking Light magazine in the mail and spied these tacos right away. I didn't have pork tenderloin, but I did have some cooked, shredded pork shoulder that I had squirreled away in my freezer. I marinated the pre-cooked pork, and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. We love our tacos, so this was a satisfying dinner that my whole family appreciated.

Chipotle Pork Tacos
From: Cooking Light, April 2011 issue, Lisa Bell

Ingredients:
1 1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:
1. Place pork tenderloin between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Remove plastic wrap. Cut pork into thin strips. Combine pork, lime rind, and next 6 ingredients (through salt).

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until tender. Place shallots in a large bowl. Add oil to pan. Add pork; sauté for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Add pork to shallots.

3. Warm tortillas according to the package directions. Spoon 1/3 cup pork mixture onto each tortilla, and top each tortilla with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream and cilantro. Fold in half.

Nutritional Information:
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)
Calories:299
Fat:9.3g (sat 2.8g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:27.3g
Carbohydrate:27.4g
Fiber:2.6g
Cholesterol:80mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:253mg
Calcium:61mg



The Result:
These were really yummy. They reminded me of Mexican street tacos; very authentic in flavor. This is something I would definitely make again, especially since these tacos were so satisfying.