I decided to try a couple of new recipes for the 4th, since I had Friday off and had time to shop. A new Wegmans just opened not too far from us, and I learned my lesson about shopping at a new grocery store the day before a holiday! But I got everything we needed for a good meal yesterday! I decided to make Coke-braised carnitas, which I’d tried once before and enjoyed, as well as this watermelon pico de gallo, everybody’s favorite guacamole, black beans, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream pie. In the sake of time, I cheated a little bit on the pie by buying a pre-made graham cracker crust – but the rest was from scratch.
The overall verdict on the meal was good – however, the watermelon pico was a little sweeter than we would generally like (especially with the sweetness of the coke-braised meat) so it was better as a side salad than on top of the tacos. Next time will add a little more sriracha so it’s a bit spicier, but I love the sweet/spicy flavor of the meat, especially with some queso fresco and a corn tortilla heated on the stove. We saved the pie for after fireworks, and it was delicious right out of the freezer with the warm strawberry topping. I’m going to enjoy the leftovers – until the pre-vacation diet begins on Thursday!
Happy Fourth of July!
Bored and Hungry: Recipe trial and error 