Tilapia Ceviche

Today was another 100+ degree day in south Texas. When I was planning my dinner, I couldn't bring myself to use a stove or oven and make my apartment (and myself) even hotter. Cold ceviche sounded perfect. I actually only tried it for the first time a week ago, and I decided that I've really been missing out. I picked this particular recipe (one of Emeril's. Here's the original recipe) because it didn't use tomato and cucumber (two things I'm not a fan of, but if you like them, they would be great additions to this!).

Recipe Notes: This is my modified version of his recipe. I used more veggies and different fish, but otherwise I followed it pretty closely.

Tilapia Ceviche:

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. fresh tilapia
2 tbsp red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp orange (or yellow) bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp serrano pepper, finely diced
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice from 3 fresh limes
Juice from 1 fresh orange
2 tbsp pineapple juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt


Cut the fish into 1/4-inch dice. Place in a glass dish with the lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, peppers, onions, and garlic, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Drain about half of the juice. Add the cilantro, olive oil, and salt. Fold gently to mix.

Comments: This was SUPER easy to make. It's another great "before you go to work" recipe that will be ready to go when you get home. I just ate it with a fork, but you can also put it on baked tortilla chips. This was the perfect "cool and refreshing" meal! I would have to be in the mood for it, but it was definitely a do-over :-)

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