Chris’ Taco Stand

There’s an unassuming truck parked outside of the Fox School of Business called Chris’ Taco Stand. Before you see it you’ll smell the grilled meat wafting from the tiny metal box that Chris stands in all day.  Chris cooks everything fresh and to order.  He makes his own salsas and sides and offers a nice selection of Mexican sodas and juices.  I’ve eaten here twice this summer, and plan to go back to sample the rest of his menu.

On my first visit, I tried the chicken taco.  Everything about this was fresh and tasty.  The soft corn tortillas barely contained the generous portions of fresh veggies and chicken.  I thought I’d miss cheese or sour cream, but I think it would have overwhelmed the ingredients.

On my next visit, I ordered the carne asada quesadilla and a Mexican apple cider soda called Sidral.

The quesadilla was bigger than my hand and bursting with skirt steak, cheese and veggies.  The cheese stayed gooey and warm the whole time I ate it and there was a piece of steak in every bite.  Dare I say this, but there was actually a bit too much meat for me in this quesadilla, and the chunks of steak a bit big.

This was delicious, but on a hot day it was a tad heavy, and the lighter taco would have been a better choice.

The Sidral was light and bursting with flavor, and it felt a bit naughty to drink out of a glass bottle on campus.

Chris assured me he’d be around all summer, a time when a lot of the trucks shut down until the students return in the fall.  I assured Chris I’d be back to sample everything from his menu.  And in my next post on Chris’ Taco Truck, I’m hoping to report on where his meat comes from, as I am trying hard to be a locavore.

Citrus Fruity Fish

Matt made some amazing shrimp tacos last month and we’ve been trying to recreate the recipe. This time shrimp was not on sale so we used tilapia and put it on a salad instead of in a soft taco shell. Either way is fresh, sweet, spicy, and delicious.

The ingredients:

3 small sweet peppers (orange, red, yellow), chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1 mango, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

juice from 2 limes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

red pepper flakes–as much as you want!

1 avocado, sliced

1 ear of corn, kernels cut off

1 tomatillo, chopped

lettuce or taco shells

 The fish gets mostly cooked by sitting in the lime juice, but sautee all of the ingredients except the avocado and corn on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until everything is warmed through.  You may need to drain out some liquid once or twice.

Doesn’t that look like art?  The colors will impress guests! 

As I said before, this can be served in many ways.  The healthiest option is on some greens, which is what we did this time, but it also tastes great in soft taco shells. I’m sure you creative cooks could think of much more to use this mixture with.

Just slice up the avocado and cut the corn off of the ear for last-minute toppings.  The creamy avocado and crunchy corn kernels make mouths happy.

Pair it up with a nice crisp Viognier and you’ve created a romantic and healthy summer dinner that’s fast and easy!  Cheap, too.  Total cost was around $12 total (not including the wine).