Nothing screams summer to me quite like Mexican food (and margaritas). Something about it being 8,000 degrees outside makes me want to cool off with spicy food. I don't know. Riddle me that. One of my favorite dishes used to be when my mom would make Spencer's carnitas. Spencer has since closed his amazing restaurant in Mexico, so her version is all we have left of the delicious, sweet, tender goodness. But, since I don't eat meat anymore, I have to drool from afar. Well, no longer my friends. I have made a vegan version!! Plus this version doesn't have any artificial ingredients. If you saw my recipe for jackfruit pulled "pork," this is similar.
P.S. You can get jackfruit at the Asian supermarket.
I felt that it needed a fresh little topping so I made a roasted corn and avocado relish. I hesitate to call it guacamole because a) I didn't mash the avocado, b) I hate tomatoes in my guacamole so I didn't want to contradict myself, and c) if it's not my mom's guac, well, it's not really guac at all. So I created a different name.
So here are my recipes. I hope you like them and you forgive me for being MIA, and you come back to me and my tasty treats.
Jackfruit Carnitas
2 cans young jackfruit in water (I used the ones in brine last time and they were too vinegary or something, so this came out much better)
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup maple syrup (the second time I made these, I used a little less maple and substituted with a little apricot preserves, you know, just because)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne (cut back if you're crazy and don't like spicy)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Put it on your cutting board and chop it up into smaller pieces. It will shred when you cook it, but sometimes the middle pieces can be a bit finicky, so I do this as a precaution. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion and sauté for a minute or so. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir it up so you cover all the jackfruit with the spices and the syrup. This will also help break up the jackfruit. After about 20 minutes, all the syrup and liquid will be absorbed. Keep cooking on high for another 10 minutes or so, stirring halfway through. This will get a little char on the jackfruit that's indicative of tasty carnitas. And that's it! Super easy.
Roasted Corn and Avocado Relish
1 ripe avocado
1 cup corn (I just used frozen)
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (I used grape tomatoes and just halved them)
1/2 jalepeno (adjust to your spice preferences)
juice of 1 lemon
1 green onion
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Heat the oil in a pan, over high heat. Throw the corn in there and get it a little toasty for about 10 minutes, stirring every once in awhile. You should start to see brown or black spots, meaning it's getting yummier. Dice the avocado and toss that in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, including the corn. Mix very gently so you don't mash the avocado. Top your carnitas with this, or eat with a spoon. Whatever you please.
I made a little burrito with a whole wheat tortilla, some black beans warmed in the same pot as my carnitas, and the two dishes above. Yummy!!!
Enjoy with a margarita or two ;)
I promise to be better about posting from now on. Tell me you still love me??
