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For Cinco de Mayo: Ken Oringer's taco plate!

(CBS News) What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with Ken Oringer's ultimate taco plate?

The acclaimed celebrity chef shared recipes on THE Dish, on "CBS This Morning: Saturday," and dished about his love of authentic Mexican cuisine.

It's featured at the popular La Verdad Taqueria, one of seven Boston-area restaurants Ken owns.

Ken has won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northeast. The Culinary Institute of America wasn't too far off when voting him "most likely to succeed" when he graduated. Ken has also faced off on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" - and won.

All "CBS This Morning: Saturday" recipes
Blog: "What's Cooking"
Special section: Food and Wine

RECIPES

Carne Asada Tacos

  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 lb skirt steak
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 can of cola
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro

Mix garlic, half of the onion, cola, soda and oil and pour into a zip lock bag with the steak to marinade (at least one hour and preferably overnight). Heat a grill pan until smoking. Dry off the steak with paper towels and grill until desired finish. Let rest for 4 minutes and slice. Heat tortillas on a grill until warm. Top with sliced steak, salsa verde, chopped cilantro and diced onion.

Salsa Verde

  • 2 unripe tomatoes
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • Half jalapeno seeded
  • 2 limes juiced
  • Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Chorizo and Potato Taco

  • Corn tortillas
  • 8 oz fresh Mexican chorizo, crumbled (not Spanish dried)
  • 4 oz sauteed diced onion
  • 4 oz potato, chopped into cubes and blanched in salted water
  • Red onion, chopped as garnish
  • Cilantro as garnish

Start browning the chorizo with the onions and potatoes, and continue to stir and fold as it gets crunchy and caramelized. Serve with salsa verde, red onion dice and fresh cilantro.

Fried Avocado Tacos

  • 2 avocados, quarter lengthwise
  • Flour
  • Egg
  • Breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup, tomato salsa (diced tomatoes, onion, salt and chopped jalapeno)
  • 1 cup of ranch dressing
  • 1 cup of chipotle mayonnaise (1 cup mayonnaise and 1 tbsp chipotle adobo puree)
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • One half lime
  • Cilantro
  • 1/2 cup queso cotija

Dredge avocado in seasoned flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and fry in 350 degree oil. Layer avocado in tortilla and top with chipotle mayo, ranch dressing, salsa, cabbage, cilantro, queso and a squeeze of lime.

Pickled carrot, onion and jalapeno with Mexican oregano

  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced on a biased
  • 1 onion peeled and sliced
  • 3 jalapenos sliced
  • 4 cups white wine vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 4 tbsp Mexican oregano

Bring liquid to a boil. Add veg until just al dente and pour into a container set in ice water (to cool quickly). Let sit until ready to serve, and can be done up to a week in advance.

For more of Ken's recipes, go to Page 2.

Guacamole with Pomegranate Seeds

  • 4 avocados
  • 8 cloves of roasted garlic
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, small dice
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Pound all ingredients together and top with one cup of pomegranate seeds.

Black Bean & Quinoa Salad

  • 12 ounces dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
  • Salt
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, minced
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large saucepan, cover the beans with cold water and bring to a boil. Cover and let stand off the heat for 1 hour. Drain the beans. Return them to the pot and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat until tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes; season generously with salt during the last 10 minutes. Drain and let cool. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer the quinoa over low heat until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Spread the quinoa on a plate and let cool. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice and chipotle. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking until blended. Add the black beans, quinoa, scallions, red onion, yellow pepper and cilantro. Season with salt, toss to combine and serve.

Spicy Grilled Corn

  • 4 ears corn, husked
  • 8 Tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 cup cotija or parmesan cheese, grated fine or crumbled
  • 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges

Prepare hot grill or grill pan. Grill corn, rolling until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove corn from grill and brush on mayo. Roll in cheese and dust with cayenne. Serve with lime wedges.

Churros

  • 1 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1/2 lb butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/8 cup of salt
  • 1/8 cup sugar

Add butter and water to a large pot over medium heat until boiling and add flour, salt, sugar, stirring vigorously to make a batter. Remove from heat and slowly add the eggs, folding them in (be cautious not to overmix). Pipe from a pastry bag into 350 degree oil (each churro should be about 3-4 inches long) and and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Coat in cinnamon and sugar while hot and top with your favorite chocolate sauce.

Hibiscus Margarita

  • 3 oz tequila blanco
  • 2 oz hibiscus syrup
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 1 oz agave nectar

Serve on the rocks with a garnish of hibiscus flower and lime wedge.

To make the hibiscus syrup:

  • 8 oz dried hibiscus
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 32 oz of water

Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Let infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Strain, reserving hibiscus flowers as garnish.

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