Jalapeno Crema. And Tacos.

Jalapeno Crema. And Tacos.

Near the warehouse that I worked at for the last four years is a Mexican restaurant that we TRPians eat at regularly. It's a big enough restaurant, roomier than the small mom and pop restaurants that don't always have vacant tables.  And they serve beer. Which might be the real reason some of us particularly enjoy eating there. ; ) But they also have a salsa bar, where you can pick and choose your favorite salsas and condiments. They are all good, but one on particular is oddly addictive to me. Maybe it's the odd bright green color, or the fact that it looks like a creamy avocado sauce but is really a fiery hot jalapeno chili sauce.  I DO warn unsuspecting potential tasters, even though sometimes I think they should get to explore it on their own. ; )

In any case, it was time for me to try it on my own. I picked up jalapenos at the market, and then decided I had to have something to go with the salsa, so I also picked up a slightly green plantain. And ground beef, because tacos sounded like the perfect background for the salsa.  I mixed Maseca to make tortillas from scratch, and chopped vegetables while those fried on my trusty comal.  The salsa is simple; just jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and sour cream or crema, processed until smooth. The flavor is incredibly bright, and isn't like the restaurant salsa at all, but in a good way. I browned ground beef, and mixed in from scratch taco seasoning (also better than it's prepackaged standard.) At the last minute, I threw sliced plantain in the fryer for chips, and plated a salad while they browned. I did well at multi-tasking, dinner was much quicker than I thought it would be, and now I have time to watch a movie! yay!!!!

Ground beef tacos with from scratch seasoning on homemade tortillas; topped with diced onion and tomato, and jalapeno crema. Served with plantain chips and more jalapeno crema for dipping, and a side salad of red leaf lettuce topped with Thousand Island dressing. Happy.

Jalapeno Crema

2 Jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves Garlic
Juice from one lime
Sea Salt
1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro stemmed
not quite 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
crema or sour cream, optional, about 2 tablespoons

In a food processor or blender, add jalapenos, garlic, lime juice, and a healthy pinch of sea salt.  Pulse until contents are pulverized and liquid, scraping down sides as necessary.

Add cilantro and process, then drizzle in olive oil with machine running to emulsify the salsa. Add crema or sour cream until salsa has the right color and flavor.

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