Honey-Jalapeno Vinaigrette

It's the last day off in between sessions, so I decided to use this time to make something delicious. I've been gorging on salads in the dining hall lately, because frequently, that's the only vegetable option there is. Only one hot line ever serves vegetables, and half the time it's corn, which is actually considered a starch. When I was still in school here, I absolutely despised the salad dressings, so I'm actually pretty shocked that it took me an entire month to get sick of it. But that time has come, so it's time to start bringing my own dressings.

I wanted to try a jalapeno vinaigrette, because Flying Saucer has one that I'm seriously obsessed with. I googled jalapeno vinaigrette, and based on the ingredients, I thought this one would be the best bet: honey jalapeno vinaigrette

Recipe Notes: I thought 1/3 cup of honey was entirely too much. I used about 2 tablespoons. I also added a little extra cilantro, probably another 1/2 tbsp or so. And I used bottled lime juice because I had some leftover from my melon pops.


Honey-jalapeno vinaigrette
Makes ¾ cup

1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
½ tablespoon chopped jalapeno
1 large clove garlic, quartered
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola

In a blender, process vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper. With blender running, slowly add honey, then oil until well blended.

Before I give ratings, here are some serving suggestions for Mexican inspired meals that I think would make great use of this recipe:
1. Side salad on taco night
2. With tortilla soup
3. "Fancier" taco salad: Mixed greens topped with thinly sliced lean steak (seasoned with fajita seasoning!), pico de gallo, corn, black beans, chopped onions
4. Use as a marinade for grilled chicken

Taste Rating: 7
Compared to the bottled, watered down salad dressings at the dining hall, this was like heaven. But I would definitely make some changes: more cilantro, more jalapeno! For a "spicy" dressing, this wasn't nearly spicy enough. But definitely a do-over, especially for a Mexican inspired meal.

Easy Rating: 8
I usually make my salad dressings in a little tupperware container and shake them up, so this was a little more work than usual. Not that it was hard or anything, just made some extra dishes. Also, I don't know if my blender blade is becoming dull or something, but the garlic would not break down. Next time, I'll use that pre-minced stuff that you get near the spices. Also, I'm going to find a way to invent a portable/dorm-friendly dishwasher.

Overall Rating: 7.5

Tacos de Bistec

My friends and I love to go to this little Mexican restaurant called La Gloria. They specialize in Mexican "street food," and serve everything from tacos to mortar and pestle dishes. Not to mention the best sangria you've ever tasted. Every time I go to La Gloria I get the same thing: Bistec Tacos. These have become super popular all over the place lately...you can even drive through Taco Cabana and ask for their "street tacos." I wanted to give this a try and see if I could make something as delicious as La Gloria can. I started googling recipes, and I found that they were all pretty much identical. These are beautifully simple and took me literally 10 minutes to make. The recipe I have below makes 2 tacos, since I cook for one most of the time. Just double, quadruple, or whatever you need to do to make more.

Ingredients:
2 Corn Tortillas (I like white corn)
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1/4 lb. flank or strip steak, sliced thin
S&P
1/4 sweet onion chopped
A couple sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped (***Do not substitute dried cilantro. It will taste naaasty.)
A couple of lime wedges
Your salsa of choice (I like chipotle)

Directions:
1. Heat the grapeseed oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.

2. Trim the extra fat off of the meat if you want to save calories. Sear the meat on both sides, about a minute or two each.

3. In the meantime, chop the onion and cilantro and slice the lime.

4. Cut the cooked meat into small squares or strips.

5. Heat the tortillas in the microwave between two damp paper towels until warm. Mine took about 30 seconds. Top the tortillas with the steak, onions, cilantro, salsa, and squeeze the lime wedges over them.

Taste Rating: 9.5
This almost tasted like La Gloria tacos. The fact that this recipe was pretty standard no matter where I looked leads me to believe that this is pretty much how they make theirs too. Either way, I loved it, and I will definitely be making these again!

Easy Rating: 9
All you need is a little chopping, searing, and slicing. That's it. This whole meal only took about 10 minutes to make. In fact, I cooked, ate, cleaned, and wrote this blog entry in under an hour. If you're pressed for time, this is a PERFECT recipe.

Overall Rating: 9.5
I may never spend money at La Gloria again, now that I know I can do this on my own. Actually, that's a lie. Nothing will ever beat their sangria...