Tex-Mex

Spicy Diablo Shrimp Tacos with Simple Slaw and Feta

April 26, 2018 by Alyssa

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I thought we could all use a healthy & delicious taco recipe to pair with our margaritas and my Diablo Shrimp Tacos are just that! They’re spicy and fresh and are super easy to whip up for this festive holiday.

Seriously, friends, Diablo Shrimp Tacos have been on repeat in our household for the past few months. Yes, months, because they’re THAT delicious and SO easy to make. I’ve been meaning to post about them for a while but haven’t taken the time to photograph the meal until now.

The tacos star a homemade Diablo sauce which is a spicy, tomato-based sauce. The Diablo sauce is super easy to make. You simply rough chop a few veggies, sautée, then puree! In all, it takes about 20 minutes.

The Diablo sauce can also be made ahead of time and it will last for a couple weeks if refrigerated. <3M and I have been so obsessed with this homemade Diablo sauce that we’ve been subbing it in for our regular salsa. I top my eggs with it in the morning, use it as a dressing on kale salad, and mix it in to quinoa with beans for a spicy vegetarian meal. It’s really so versatile.

As for the tacos, you sauté the shrimp then finish them off by simmering the shrimp in the Diablo sauce. The tacos are then topped with sautéed veggies, salty feta cheese and a simple slaw made with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and cilantro. Snuggle everything into your .

Combined, the flavors are just plain addicting. These Diablo Shrimp Tacos are spicy, citrusy, and fresh. Throw in a margarita and a side of chips + guac and you have your self the perfect Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

Looking for other Cinco de Mayo inspiration? Check out my Asian Duck Confit Tacos, Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes, or Coconut Cake with Lime Curd.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Diablo Shrimp Tacos

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 6 tacos

Ingredients

For the slaw:
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
For the tacos:
1 red bell pepper sliced into thin strips
½ yellow onion sliced into thin strips
⅓ cup Diablo sauce, recipe below
30 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
6 tortilla of choice (corn or flour)
¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
Optional toppings:
sliced jalapenos
cilantro
sliced scallions
lime wedges
additional diablo sauce

Instructions

Make the slaw:
In a medium-sized bowl stir together the cabbage, vinegar, lime juice, and chopped cilantro
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Set aside while you prep the tacos
Make the tacos:
Spray a medium-sized skillet with olive oil and over medium heat, add the bell peppers and onion
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Cook until onions are golden and peppers begin to blister, stirring occasionally about 5-7 minutes
Once cooked, removed peppers and onions from pan and set aside
Wipe pan clean, return to heat and spray again with olive oil spray
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes
Once partly cooked, add the diablo sauce and a 2 tablespoons water
Stir to coat the shrimp and simmer 2-3 minutes until shrimp are cooked through*
To assemble:
Warm tortillas over a medium-high flame until they begin to brown slightly
Place 5 shrimp in each taco shell, adding a bit of the Diablo sauce from the pan
Top with slaw and feta cheese crumbles
Serve with additional toppings and extra diablo sauce on the side

Notes

* If you'd like a thinner sauce, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan until desired consistency is reached

5.0 from 4 reviews

Diablo Sauce

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 1 pint

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large cloves of garlic, roughly minced
½ serrano chile, stemmed and roughly diced
½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
juice of half a lemon

Instructions

Melt butter with the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat
Once melted, add garlic, serrano chile, and onions
Cook until onions have turned golden in color
Stir in chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, tomatoes and salt to taste
Bring everything to a boil then reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes
Transfer to a food processor and add lemon juice
Process until pureé is smooth
Store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

Texas Inspired Jalapeño Johnnycakes with Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce

February 22, 2017 by Alyssa

Edited February 26, 2017 with new photos and additional links.

These #TexFest inspired Jalapeño Johnnycakes are light and spicy corn-filled pancakes all cooled down with an Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce — a savory meal fit for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Have I mentioned lately that I love living in Texas? The food here is amazing — I’m constantly inspired by all the ingredients, local products, and Texan flavors that rarely made an appearance in meals while growing up in upstate New York.

Back home in New York, TexMex meant Old El Paso tacos made with ground beef and a packet of taco seasoning loaded into a white tortilla with cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, black olives and a dab of Tostitos Salsa! Sounds delicious, right? It really was delicious but that was pretty much the extent of my Texas & Mexican flavor experiences until I was 22 years old and moved to Austin.

Now that I’ve lived in Texas for about 4 years, I’m obsessed with all the Texas flavors like avocados, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, and specialty salsas! I’m also obsessed with the fact that I can find all these locally-sourced products at my neighborhood HEB and this month, HEB is highlighting local Texas products and producers with their #TexFest celebration from February 22nd – March 7th.

Looking for this cute Texas cutting board? Find it at HEB

Inspired by my love for TexMex flavors and HEB’s #TexFest, these Jalapeño Johnnycakes with Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce wrap all my favorite Texas ingredients plus a few local products like Dom’s Chop Salsa from Buda and a dab of Kelley’s Natural Honey from Chicota, into one amazing, TexFest inspired meal that’s fit for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

If you aren’t familiar with Johnnycakes, they’re cornmeal based flatbreads. Personally, I like to think of them as a cross between cornbread and a pancake, as they’re usually rather flat and round like a pancake, but a little fluffier with more texture, similar cornbread. I’ve loaded my Johnnycakes with spicy jalapeño, green onions, corn, and a dab of honey which brings out the sweetness in the corn, then cooked them until they’re golden brown in a skillet.

To compliment the heat of my Jalapeño Johnnycakes, they’re topped with a cool Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce that has just a hint of lime. When spooned over the top of the Jalapeño Johnnycake along with some of Dom’s Chop Salsa, which is made with grilled vegetables for an added smokey flavor, this Johnnycake becomes a loaded bite of #TexFest deliciousness.

These Jalapeño Johnnycakes were everything I imagined them to be when I took my first bite. They were slightly crisp on the outside but light and fluffy with speckled bits of corn and spicy hints of jalapeño inside.

Jalapeño Johnnycakes with HEB ingredients

Goregous blue plate via Cocinaware at HEB

The Johnnycakes were kicked up a notch with Dom’s smokey, grilled salsa and immediately cooled down again by the Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce. I silently did a little happy dance while eating these as I was in my own little Texas-flavored heaven!

<3M and I enjoyed the Jalapeño Johnnycakes for dinner one night then again the following day for breakfast. I can even see topping them with a runny egg, a side of bacon or fried chicken if you’re looking to make these into a heartier meal for lunch or dinner.

However you choose to eat them, I hope you enjoy this bite of Texas and swing by your neighborhood HEB for a few locally produced products!

This is recipe is a sponsored post, created by me on behalf of H-E-B. I was compensated for my time and ingredients but all options are my own.

4.8 from 14 reviews

TexFest Inspired Jalapeño Johnnycakes with Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

Serves: 12 johnnycakes

Ingredients

1½ cups flour
1½ cups yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp Kelley's Natural Honey
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups 2% or whole milk
2 large eggs
¼ cup melted butter
1 cup corn, cooked — either frozen or fresh
1 jalapeno finely diced*
2-5 green onions, minced, about ⅓ cup
⅓ cup sour cream
3 ounces avocado, about half of a large avocado
½ cup cilantro
1 small clove garlic
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup vegetable broth or water
½ tsp salt, more to taste
Pinch of pepper
Dom's Chop Salsa
additional scallions for serving, optional

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl whisk the two eggs, Lonestar Honey, and milk together. Pour the milk, honey & eggs into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined using a wooden spoon. Add in the melted butter until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the corn, scallions, and jalapeños.
Set the mixture aside for 10-15 minutes before cooking, which will allow the baking powder to activate. In the meantime, make the Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce.
In a food processor, add the sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and garlic. Pulse 5-6 times until the cilantro is coarsely chopped. Add the lime juice, vegetable broth, and salt and pepper. Process on high until smooth. Taste and add more salt if desired. If you’d like a thinner sauce, mix it again with an additional 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable broth until your desired consistency is reached.
Pre-heat the oven to 250* and place a large baking sheet on the center rack, you’ll use this to keep the johnnycakes warm while the others cook.
To cook the johnnycakes, place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat*. Once warm, pour a ¼ cup of batter into the middle and spread it evenly into a large circle, much like a pancake. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until small bubbles become visible on top of the johnnycake. Flip the johnnycake, cooking another 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Place the johnnycake in the oven to keep warm while you finish the remaining johnnycakes using the same cooking method.
To serve, stack 2-3 warm johnnycakes on a plate, top with the Avocado & Cilantro Cream Sauce, salsa, and more scallions if desired.
Leftover johnnycakes can be frozen then thawed and reheated in the oven as needed at 350* for 5-7 minutes.

Notes

* Use only half of a jalapeno if you'd prefer less spice
** If you do not have a non-stick skillet, melt a bit of butter in the pan prior to cooking the Johnnycakes

Belle Vie Farm | Farmer’s Market Asian Duck Confit Tacos with

January 25, 2017 by Alyssa

Asian Duck Confit Tacos highlight the duck’s savory, rich flavor in a light yet tangy sauce accented with crunchy cucumbers, scallions, and fresh cilantro!

Have you ever accidentally made something delicious? As in, you set off on your dinner journey and by the end you just happened to create something so extraordinarily delicious, that you become giddy with delight and can’t help but pat yourself on the back at your creative genius?

Because that’s exactly what happened to me with these Asian Duck Confit Tacos.

Last weekend, I was feeling rather uninspired in the kitchen. So I grabbed my puppy girl Stella and headed to Austin’s downtown farmer’s market, looking to for a menu muse. Now, winter isn’t actually the prime of farmer’s market shopping — there’s lots of greens, some citrus, root vegetables and squash. All of which left me feeling kind of ‘meh’ in terms of finding a menu muse.

But, as puppy girl and I were walking by one stand at the market, Stella made a sharp left turn and skimmed her nose along the side of a table that had out a spread of pâté for sampling. Looking up, I noticed the vendor was Belle Vie Farm — the vendor that came recommended by fellow Austin bloggers as a great source for local duck!

Oh puppy girl, Stella, you have splendid taste!

Skimming Belle Vie’s offerings, I noticed they had Duck Leg Confit and I instantly knew that this duck was coming home with me for Saturday night dinner. Making our way through the rest of the market, Stella and I grabbed a fresh bag of organic arugula, some scallions and treated ourselves to Buddha Brew’s Seasonal Beet Carrot kombucha!

Skipping back to the car, my mind started tossing around all the wonderful ways to use my farmer’s market finds! After much deliberation and a bit of input from <3M, it was decided this duck would be best served simply to highlight its savory, rich flavor with a bit of sweet, salt and tang — thus, Asian Duck Confit Tacos were born.

Since the Duck Confit is fully cooked, this meal is rich in flavor but easy in execution, the whole thing came together in less than 20 minutes. The duck leg is complimented by a simple, homemade Asian sauce topped with crunchy, crisp cucumbers, a sprinkling of scallions and a touch of cilantro.

The combination is savory and filling while somehow remaining light. Served up next to an arugula salad the tacos are complimented by the arugula’s own peppery spice, more cucumbers and scallions, and a generous topping of salty feta cheese all tossed in a light olive oil and lemon balsamic vinaigrette.

These Asian Duck Confit Tacos turned an ordinary, uninspired Saturday into a special, at-home date night for <3M & I — it was meal we raved about for days and can’t wait to make again.

So if you’re in the need of some inspiration and a menu muse, grab yourself a bit of duck confit and whip up these Asian Duck Confit Tacos to reinvigorate your cooking spirit!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Asian Duck Confit Tacos with Simple Arugula Salad

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

Asian Duck Confit Tacos highlight the duck's savory, rich flavor in a light yet tangy sauce accented with crunchy cucumbers, scallions, and fresh cilantro!

Serves: 4 tacos

Ingredients

FOR THE TACOS
1 duck leg confit
1 scallion
1 English cucumber
2 tablespoon cilantro
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoon grated ginger
4 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons vegetable broth
2 tablespoons hoisoin sauce
½-1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
4 corn tortilla shells
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Olive oil spray
FOR THE SALAD
4 cups arugula
1 teaspoon garlic olive oil*
1 tablespoon lemon white balsamic vinegar*
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon grated garlic
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep the duck confit by removing the meat from the bone and set aside.
Prepare the taco toppings by slicing the scallion and cucumber into thin rounds and roughly chopping the cilantro, set aside until serving.
Make the sauce by spritzing a medium sized sauce pan with olive oil spray and warm over medium heat.
Sauté 1 clove of garlic and 2 teaspoons of grated ginger for 2 minutes.
Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce and ½-1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice. Mix until combined and the sauce just begins to bubble. Add in the prepared duck meat and turn the stove to low to warm duck meat. Once warm, leave the pan on the burner but turn it off.
Assemble tacos by warming taco shells in a small skillet until lightly browned in some spots. Divide the duck meat between the 4 taco shells, topping with any additional sauce. Layer on prepared cucumbers, scallions and a bit of cilantro. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
To assemble the salad, place the arugula in a large bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, and grated garlic.
Drizzle atop the arugula and toss to distribute. Salt and pepper to taste.
Before serving, top with crumbled feta.

Notes

*If you don't have garlic olive oil or lemon white balsamic, simply add a bit more garlic and a squeeze of half a lemon to the salad.

Chimichurri Sauce – Fresh flavors for Summer

June 8, 2016 by Alyssa

Chimichurri Sauce is a flavorful, fresh sauce with a bit tang and a hint of spice. Although it’s traditionally served as a condiment to grilled meat, in my kitchen, it’s the star of the meal!

When things start to heat up in Austin, I can’t help but crave herby-spicy, Mexican food. But since it’s a bit unrealistic for me to eat tacos every day (though I definitely could), I try to incorporate similar flavors into my meals in other ways, like with Chimichurri Sauce.

When this craving hits, I tend to make Chimichurri sauce on the regular, as it reminds me a lot of those Mexican flavors I crave during the warmer months. In general, no matter the time of year, I tend to keep fresh, herby sauces on hand to use as quick meal inspiration, like my healthier homemade pesto but Chimichurri is definitely my summertime go-to.

Although Chimichurri sauce is green, made with fresh herbs, and has oil as a base, you may think it’s similar to Pesto. But let’s be clear, Chimichurri is definitely not the South American equivalent to Pesto.

Pesto = Pasta

Chimichurri = Meat

I love Chimichurri Sauce because it’s so flavorful, fresh, a bit tangy and has a hint of spice. And of course, it’s quick to make, dirties only a single bowl, and lasts for days in the refrigerator.

Now, when most people think of Chimichurri, they think of steak. And rightfully so. When you’re crusin’ the menu, you’ll most often find the word steak listed next to Chimichurri. That’s because Chimichurri originated in Argentina as a green sauce served as a condiment with grilled meat.

Except in my kitchen.

In my kitchen, Chimichurri sauce is so much more than a steak topper or condiment. I’ve found it works well as a marinade for shrimp, fish or chicken. It mixes into quinoa or rice for a flavorful side dish. It even works well basted on skewered vegetables before grilling.

In fact, my favorite way to use Chimichurri sauce is as a dressing on top of a homemade Taco Salad or drizzled over my Mole Chicken Tacos. Since tacos and Chimichurri are both from the Southern hemisphere and share similar ingredients across cuisines, I find that the flavors blend nicely together. That burst of fresh flavor really sets off the rest of the ingredients in both dishes and adds a bit of herby-deliciousness to every bite.

The fact that Chimichurri is made with fresh, in-season ingredients also makes it prime for the summer season. So, whether you choose to fire up the grill and serve this Chimichurri sauce in its traditional manner as an accompaniment to grilled meat or give it a modern twist as a salad dressing, flavor enhancer to rice, or try it as a salsa, you’ll be pleased to add this sauce to your summer menu!

Chimichurri Sauce

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Chimichurri Sauce is a flavorful, fresh sauce with a bit tang and a hint of spice. Although it's traditionally served as a condiment to grilled meat, in my kitchen, it's the star of the meal!

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup packed, fresh parsley, stems removed
½ cup packed, fresh cilantro, stems removed
2 tablespoons, fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 small garlic gloves
¼ cup roughly chopped yellow or white onion
¼ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions

In a food processor, pulse together the parsley, cilantro, oregano, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Once roughly combined, pour in the red wine vinegar and lemon juice.
Turn the food processor to low and stream in the olive oil until fully incorporated.
Store chimichurri in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos

May 3, 2016 by Alyssa

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, these Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos cook all day so you can enjoy a delish Mexican meal while kicking back with a margarita.

With these Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos, I’ve simplified the traditional, mole-making process while preserving all the mole flavor. These tacos also come together quickly in the morning then cook all day long in your slow-cooker so when dinner time rolls around, all you have to do is shred the chicken and add your favorite toppings.

This Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Taco recipe is definitely a go-to when I want an easy, flavorful yet healthy meal on a busy weekday. This recipe also results in a large portion and the leftovers freeze well. I often plan to make the chicken for dinner then freeze any extras in smaller portions, so I can enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal when life becomes a little too busy.

I especially love the Mole Chicken because the chicken itself is so versatile — <3M and I not only enjoy the chicken as a taco but also in quesadillas, added into Mexican-inspired quinoa or rice bowls, and atop salads a la Chipotle Salad-style. Any way you serve it, this Mole Chicken is spectacularly delicious.

If you aren’t familiar with mole sauce, it’s often referred to when speaking of a dark red or brown sauce typically served over meat. In the rest of the world, the word mole can simply be translated to mean sauce and can come in any color – brown, green, red, or even yellow.

The mole I know and love is the dark red sauce and is traditionally tomato-based with chili peppers and cocoa. I find mole sauce to be warming with a slight undertone of spice from the peppers. It has a great depth of flavor in part due to the cocoa and the heat of charred the peppers.

Traditionally, mole sauce takes time to make which allows flavor to develop. In most recipes, it begins by first roasting and grinding the peppers into a fine paste then simmering this paste with water or broth for hours which requires constant oversight and stirring to ensure it doesn’t brown. Although my Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Taco recipe does take time, it does not require constant attention as the flavor develops during the cooking process within your crockpot — it’s definitely a recipe made for those who would rather eat great food without slaving over the stove for hours on end.

To bring out the depth of flavor similar to a mole sauce that was stirred and cooked on the stovetop all day, I start with a few base Mexican ingredients and spices — tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, cumin, chili powder and coriander. To help add a bit of warmth there’s cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and peanut butter. (Now, I’m not sure if the traditional mole recipe has peanut butter but I wouldn’t make mine without it! I truly think peanut butter adds this roasted nutty flavor to the sauce that brings it to the next level!) To help balance some of the spice from the adobo sauce and chipotle peppers, there’s a handful of raisins and a bit of sugar added, which also helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes.

Although it might be a lengthy ingredient list, my recipe begins simply enough, with a food processor and pureeing all the ingredients. Once everything is combined, I place the chicken breasts in the crockpot, cover them with the mole sauce and let it all cook on low for 6-8 hours. After cooking for so long on low heat, the chicken will be ready to simply fall apart when it comes time to eat. Just before serving, I shred the chicken with a pair of metal tongs or two forks, add the meat and a bit of sauce to a toasted taco shell and top them off!

My favorite way to enjoy Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos is very simply. I serve mine on a toasted corn taco shell topped with a few slices of ripe avocado, a sprinkle of cotija cheese, and a couple thin slices of red onion. Since the mole sauce itself has so much flavor, these tacos don’t need much more. They themselves are the star of the show and the perfect accompaniment to a Cinco de Mayo margarita, a side of roasted corn, refried black beans or my Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 5 mins

Serves: 6 cups

Ingredients

1 large onion, roughly chopped
½ cup golden raisins
3 cloves garlic, peels removed & roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle chile)
3 heaping tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ - 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
For serving: corn tortillas, cotija cheese, avocaod, and red onions

Instructions

Place all the ingredients with the exception of the chicken breasts in a food processor.
Pureer the ingredients until a thick, rich sauce is formed.
Place the whole chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker and pour the sauce from the food processor on top, covering the chicken completely.
Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
Once cooked, turn off the crockpot and with the chicken still in your slow cooker, use a pair of metal tongs or two forks to shred the chicken, stirring it into the extra sauce.
As you shred and combine the chicken and sauce, you'll notice the chicken begins to soak up any additional sauce in the crockpot.
To serve, place shredded chicken and sauce on top of a tortilla and top with avocado, cheese, and a bit of onion.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Tacos - Pinterest

Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes

April 6, 2016 by Alyssa

I recently stumbled upon my all-time favorite restaurant dish – El Alma’s Ancho Glazed Sweet Potatoes. This recipe for Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes is my copycat recipe that’s sure to curb any El Alma craving!

El Alma is located on Barton Springs in the heart of downtown Austin but it’s truly a hidden gem amongst all the other Barton Springs attractions.

Besides their Ancho Glazed Sweet Potatoes, there are a few others reasons why I love El Alama.

Their food is fresh, flavorful, authentic and never greasy, cheesy or heavy. It’s apparent that El Alma cooks with only the freshest of ingredients — their salsas are made daily, the ceviche is perfectly balanced and their tacos are simple, pure and delicious. It’s definitely modern Mexican cuisine that you can feel good about eating.

El Alma also has the best rooftop patio in Austin. The view is absolutely gorgeous and spans the entire southern view of downtown Austin’s cityscape. On a warm afternoon, there’s a slight breeze on the patio that makes it enjoyable, relaxing and never too hot. It’s a place where I could sit and sip their Jack Sangria all summer long.

Their side, Ancho Glazed Sweet Potatoes, is also why I love El Alma. It is by far my favorite dish on the menu. I love these potatoes so much in fact, that I order a plate just for myself each visit and absolutely refuse to share. Though, I do warn my dinner guests that if they don’t order a plate of their own, they’ll be profusely envious and greatly regret their own meal choices for the rest of the evening. With that sell, they usually oblige and order up a plate as well!

I love El Alma’s potatoes because (well, the obvious reason is because they’re sweet potatoes, and who doesn’t love sweet potatoes) but also because they have slightly caramelized bits to them that are made sticky-sweet with El Alma’s ancho chile glaze. The glaze is a mix of spice and sweet and when cooked on the potatoes, it becomes almost the same thickness and color as a decadent balsamic glaze.

The potatoes themselves are a bit crunchy on the inside but a perfectly roasted soft on the inside. These sweet potatoes literally bring an umami of flavor to the plate — sweet, salty, spicy, tender, and caramelly delicious!

They are so good that I’ve also gotten a handful of friends obsessed with them which is why I challenged myself to remake a similar dish at home.

I created this recipe based off of the flavors and texture of El Alma’s Ancho Roasted Sweet Potatoes but made a few changes based on the availability of ingredients. Instead of Ancho Chiles, I subbed in Chipotle Chiles in Adobo sauce and used a mix of honey and brown sugar to create the caramel glaze that coats the potatoes once roasted.

Although these potatoes have a bit of sugar in them, they’re baked with only a bit of oil drizzled on before roasting. The glaze is also quick to come together and the overall dirty dishes are minimal.

As delicious as they are, these potatoes do take a little bit of time and tending to during the roasting process in order to get the caramelly-broiled bits just right, but nothing a short happy hour on your patio can’t handle.

<3M and I enjoyed these one night as a simple, healthy side to grilled salmon (chicken for him…) and for us, it was a wonderful, well-balanced meal! I’ve also indulged in these potatoes, re-heated at breakfast, with a side of scrambled eggs for a healthy balance of protein and carbs.

If you can’t make it to El Alma to enjoy the real thing, then I guarantee my Chipotle Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoe recipe will fit the bill when your craving calls!

Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

65 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 whole chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle chiles)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ cup vegetable broth (or water)
2 tablespoons honey
3 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350*
Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with olive oil spray.
To make the glaze, place all ingredients except for the sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon of salt, honey and olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend for 30-60 seconds.
Once blended, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, pressing the garlic bits and chipotle pepper seeds until all liquid is strained through, discarding the remnants of the strainer.
Whisk the honey into the strained liquid and set aside.
Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges a half inch wide and 4-6 inches long, depending on the length of your sweet potatoes.
Place your sweet potato wedges in a large bowl and gently coat with the honey chipotle glaze.
Using tongs spread the sweet potatoes out evenly on the prepared baking sheet.*
Drizzle the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil then cover the sweet potatoes with another sheet of foil and roast them in the 350* oven for 45 minutes, gently tossing at the 30-minute mark.
After 45 minutes, uncover the potatoes and drizzle or baste with the remaining chipotle glaze.
Increase the oven temperature to 425* and bake the potatoes for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered.
Once the additional 15 minutes are up, turn the oven broiler to high and broil the sweet potatoes on the top rack for 5 minutes, stirring half way through until golden, caramelized bits begin to appear.
Remove immediately from the oven, sprinkle with a half teaspoon of salt and serve.

Notes

Here, you should be careful not to take any extra glaze with you as adding too much liquid to the baking sheet will results in steamed sweet potatoes rather that roasted. The remaining glaze will be used at the end of the cooking period to base the potatoes

Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes - Pinterest

One Pot 30-Minutes Huevos Rancheros

March 8, 2016 by Alyssa

Until moving to Texas, I had never heard of Huevos Rancheros, which means ranch-style-eggs…or at least some translation similar to that. But after living in Austin, I saw it on menus everywhere. Every restaurant has their own version of Huevos Rancheros but they all contain eggs, some style of beans, and tortillas. This meal is typically found on a breakfast or brunch menu but in our house, we eat it for dinner.

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Fish Tacos with Spicy Chipotle Slaw

February 9, 2014 by Alyssa

Living in Austin, I no longer have to endure extreme cold weather. Anything below 30 is considered extreme here, and we Austinites begin to curse Mother Nature if it lasts too long. Sadly, this year, it’s lasted too long and this past month has been brutal with ice and below 30 temps. But even when Mother Nature’s cruel, she does treat us on the occasion with a warm, sunny weekend – giving us a little short burst of sunshine to remind us how wonderful the hot, Austin summers can be.

Today was one of those days when Mother Nature gave Austin a little dose of warmth. It’s these days that I want to keep forever. I want to soak up every last bit of it and reminisce about the hot July & August to come. The best way to bring summer back for the evening is by indulging in a summer classic – tacos. Living in Austin, I eat a lot of tacos but fish tacos are by far my favorite.

And on a hot Austin evening, nothing taste better than fish tacos.

The only problem is, most fish tacos are fried, smothered with a creamy slaw and served with a side of lard-infested refried beans & white rice colored orange from paprika. Most tacos are then washed down with a heaping glass of frozen margarita. Some how, this meal in concept seems so healthy because it’s fish, and fish is healthy, right? Wrong. It’s only healthy if you cook it properly and because fish tacos are fried and smother in creamy slaw this “healthy” fish taco just became a huge fat and calorie bomb.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Fried fish and mayo-based coleslaw aren’t required for flavorful, crunchy fish tacos. I have yet to find a classic fish taco here in Austin that meets my health standards. There’s plenty of salmon or ceviche or tuna tacos but these aren’t the traditional fish tacos I’m looking for. Unable to find that classic, healthier fish taco, I created my own, healthified fish taco at home.

My fish tacos use blackened seasoning for a smoky, spicy flavor and are paired with fresh ingredients like cilantro, lime, & jalapeño. I top them with a zesty chipotle slaw made with greek yogurt in place of mayo and a dollop of avocado crema!
Combined, these ingredients give the tacos a hit of fresh flavor, a ton of crunchy texture, and a touch of spice. Served on corn tortillas and rounded out with more slaw and a smokey, Mexican street corn salad on the side for added veggie power (future recipe, to come), this meal is perfect on a hot Austin night [or for that rare winter evening when Mother Nature teases us with hopes of summer].

Before reading the recipes, I have to say, it seems like a lot of components for one dinner but the truth is, with Mexican food, a lot of the same ingredients are carried over from one dish to another. For timing’s sake – it’s best to prep all ingredients first [cilantro, jalapeño, lime, red onion & garlic] then begin making each of the components – beginning with the corn salad & coleslaw as these need at least 30 minutes to sit for their flavors to truly develop.Trust me, if you do the prep work ahead of time, assembling the meal afterwards really is a breeze – and well worth the effort! These tacos can also be made with chicken if you aren’t a fish fanatic! Below’s the recipe I use when making the tacos for <3M [chicken] and I [fish]. There’s always plenty of leftovers the next day too, which go great atop a salad or stuffed again into some more corn tortillas.

Fish Tacos with Chiptole Slaw & Avocado Crema

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Serves: 4 tacos

Ingredients

1 bag traditional coleslaw mix
½ cup plain, greek yogurt (I use 0%)
juice of half a lime
1 large clove of garlic, pressed
2 chipotle chiles packed in adobe sauce, finely diced OR 1½ tablespoons chipotle-adobe salsa
¼ cup diced, red onion
¼ jalapeño, deseeded & finely diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
1 small avocado
2 tablespoons plain, greek yogurt (I use 0%)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, pressed
2 mahi-mahi fillets
3-4 teaspoons blackened seasoning
4 corn tortillas (6-inch)
½ tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

First make the slaw.
In a large bowl, whisk together greek yogurt, lime juice, chipotles, and garlic.
Add in cabbage mix, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro.
Stir to combine and salt to taste.
Let the marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to serving so flavors fully develop.
Next, make the avocado crema.
In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the back of a spoon until creamy. [A cocktail muddler also works well].
Mix yogurt and lime juice with mashed avocado then stir in remaining ingredients.
Salt to taste.
Now, start on the fish for the tacos
Do the same for the mahi-mahi (about ½ teaspoon per side, per fillet, no needed for pound out the fish though!).
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken & fish in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side.
Once cooked, remove from pan and using two forks, shred the fish into pieces.
Now, assemble the tacos by slightly warming the tortillas on a dry frying pan or in a microwave with a damp cloth [to keep the tortillas from drying out].
Place the shredded fish in center of the warm tortillas, top with chipotle slaw and a spoonful of avocado cream.
Serve with additional slaw on the side

Notes

The slaw may seem a tad dry prior to refrigerating but the salt allows moisture from the cabbage to be drawn out and a creamier texture will develop before serving.