Celebrate National Taco Day (also known as every night in our kitchen) with this delicious barbecue pork taco recipe from our friends at GE. This recipe makes about eight tacos, so adjust as needed.

Barbecue Pork Taco Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 8 Asian steamed buns

For the seasoning:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For the coleslaw:

• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the barbecue sauce:

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (or more, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Season the pork tenderloin (on all sides) with the mixture of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Place the tenderloin on a metal tray, and fold the thin end of the tenderloin under itself to cook evenly with the rest of the tenderloin. Cook your pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
3. While the tenderloin is cooking, prepare your coleslaw by combining shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced green onion, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl, tossing well.
4. For the barbecue sauce, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Stir the mixture, microwave for 30 seconds, then stir again.
5. When the pork tenderloin is done cooking, allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the tenderloin (about 16 slices), place in a shallow bowl and coat well with the barbecue sauce.
6. To serve, heat the Asian steamed buns for 10 to 20 seconds. Split open the buns, spoon a couple slices of the barbecue sauce-coated pork tenderloin into each bun and garnish with  coleslaw to taste. Enjoy!

Taco Recipe Tips

Asian steamed buns can be found in the frozen section of an Asian market. Substitute with flour or corn tortillas if desired.

We admit to being a little bonkers about apples in Minnesota. In fact, the ever-popular Honeycrisp was developed in the fruit breeding program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. And the debut of First Kiss apples at the Minnesota State Fair this year gave us even more reason to celebrate the delicious fruit! So if the crisp in the Minnesota air has you picking apples at orchards and celebrating all things fall, try this easy homemade applesauce recipe from our friends at GE.

Easy Applesauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 pounds apples
• 1 cup water or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Optional: cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar

Instructions

1. Core and slice your apples and place in a large pot with the water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until the apples are soft.

2. Run the cooked apples through a food mill fitted with a medium disc. The food mill will puree the apples and strain out any seeds or skins left in the cooked apples. Hint: If you don’t have a food mill, you can peel your apples prior to cooking and puree them in a food processor.

3. Store your applesauce in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze for longer storage.

Note: If you use sweet apples (hey, Honeycrisp!), you can get a surprisingly sweet applesauce with no added ingredients. If you prefer a sweeter final product, add between 1/4 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar and any other preferred spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.) to the apples prior to cooking. Use approximately 1 teaspoon of spice per batch of applesauce, or to taste.

Whether crunchy and perfect for dunking or ooey gooey fresh from the oven, the chocolate chip cookie remains a classic dessert choice, making it the perfect option for celebrating World Chocolate Day. This worth-the-wait chocolate chip cookie recipe from GE is a batch made in heaven!  Let’s bake!

Worth-the-Wait Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces dark chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt (optional)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours. Again,it’s worth the wait!
5. Drop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon-sized balls (about the size of a golf ball) onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with a little bit of flaky sea salt if desired.
6. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350-degree oven, one sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Do you have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there? Share it with us at #cookwithwarners! Happy World Chocolate Day!

Summertime means days at the pool, road trips with the windows down and good old-fashioned barbecues. If you’re on sides duty for the cookout, spice up your potato salad with this recipe from KitchenAid. Not only is it healthier, but you’ll impress the guests by going homemade. Roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Pesto Potato Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium red onion, peeled
• 4 sticks celery, strings removed
• 1.6 pounds small waxy potatoes (such as small Coliban, Chats or Kipfler)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Dressing

• 1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes

Directions

1. Attach the work bowl to the food processor with the adjustable slicing blade. Slice the onion. Slice the celery. Remove the onion and celery, set aside.
2. Slice potatoes.
3. Place the potatoes into a medium sized saucepan, fill with enough cold water to just cover and season with the salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until just tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

For the pesto dressing

1. Add half of the arugula, then the Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon rind, juice and salt. Process until creamy yet slightly course in texture.
2. Roughly tear the remaining arugula into smaller pieces. Combine the potatoes, onion, celery and torn arugula. Pour over the dressing and gently toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Waxy potatoes have a better texture for salads, as they won’t fall apart in the dressing.
• Use basil or baby spinach in place of the arugula, or a combination of half and half is also delicious.

Featured image via KitchenAid

We want to know your best barbecue recipes! Share them with us by tagging us and #cookwithwarners!