Chorizo Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa and Sweet Potato Mash

Last night I made some crazy good tacos and I just have to share the recipe with you guys. Now for those who aren't familiar with chorizo you need to get on that and what better time then right now. It's usually made from ground pork (that I bought because I don't have a meat grinder ) and contains all different kind of dried spices that make this into some killer meat. Chorizo has so many applications it would be hard to name them all. I have used this in chili, omelettes, gravy, stuffed peppers and even stuffing. So you can basically add this stuff to anything that you want to spice up. The best part about this chorizo is that it doesn't totally overwhelm all the other flavors of your dish. I mean you will know it's there but it won't be the only think that you taste.

I served this with roasted tomato salsa but in all actuality it's more like roasted vegetable salsa. You don't have to make your own if you don't want to and you don't even have to roast them before you make them if you don't want to either. Just chop them up all fine and mix in a bowl. Also if you don't like the heat you can cut back on the chilies and peppers in the chorizo, salsa and sweet potatoes. Let me know if you have any questions and I hope you like it.

Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 5 serrano chilies, minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons cider vinegar
- flour tortillas
- shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 avocados sliced
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- sour cream
- roasted tomato salsa (recipe follows)
- sweet potato mash (recipe follows)

The Process
1. In a large bowl add the pork, salt, chili powder, garlic, oregano, chilies, cumin, pepper, sugar and vinegar then using your hands mix well until all the ingredients are mixed in. Then place in a resealable plastic bag and put in the fridge and let marinade for 1 - 2 days (preferable 2).
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add your chorizo and cook for 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. Make sure to break up the meat the best you can using a spatula.
3. To serve, add some chorizo to a tortilla with some cheddar, avocado slices, salsa and lettuce to a warmed tortilla. Then serve with a scoop of the sweet potatoes and a dollop of sour cream.
4. Enjoy!


** Roasted Tomato Salad **
Ingredients
- 10 roma tomatoes, cored then halfed
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 3 jalapeños, stem removed
- 1 green onion, root removed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (optional)

The Process
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Places the tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and green onions to a rimmed baking sheet then roast in the oven until the tomatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Place roasted veggies in a blender and puree until smooth then add to a bowl.
2. Add the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro and rice vinegar to the puree and stir well. Place in fridge until ready to use.
3. Enjoy!


** Sweet Potato Mash **
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The Process
1. Add the coconut milk, garlic, pepper flakes, sugar, salt and sweet potatoes to a medium sauce pan over low heat and cook for 45 minutes, covered or until the potatoes are soft stirring occasionally. Using a potato masher mash the potatoes up then stir in the cilantro and pepper.
2. Enjoy!