Ceviche!!! From Ecuador

Do you have fresh tomatoes yet?  If so, I have an amazing recipe to share with you.  I sincerely hope you will give it a try, because you have probably never tasted anything like it. Honestly!  It is called ceviche (pronounced sah-veech'-ay with the spanish v sound that is really almost a "b"), and it is super Yum!

If you have heard of ceviche before you are probably thinking of a dish made of raw fresh fish, lots of lime juice, onion, and chilies.  The lime juice actually "cooks" the fish in a way that the texture of the fish becomes firm like cooked fish, but this process does not kill any bacteria that might be in the fish.  I've heard it's good, but I've never tried it.

This recipe, however, is from Ecuador and is made with cooked shrimp, orange and lemon juices, onion, and cilantro.  It's a pretty unusual combination, but one I've come to crave because it is so fresh and tastes so divine.  It's also quick and easy to prepare; I know you're going to love it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Cooked Shrimp - fresh is best, but bagged is great

1 Medium Red Onion, julienned

3 Medium/Large Tomatoes

3 Cups Fresh Orange Juice without pulp - again, freshly 

     squeezed is best, but fresh in the carton is fine

     - in Ecuador they use blood oranges

1 Cup Lemon Juice (4-5 lemons) - only freshly squeezed

3 Tbs. Ketchup

1 1/2-2 Tbs. Chopped Cilantro

2 tsp. Light Olive Oil

Salt to taste.

Slice the onion into thin julienne strips and place in a bowl of cool water with 2 Tbs. of salt.  Let them rest in the water for 10 minutes, then rinse.  This will give the onions less bite and better flavor.

Dice the tomatoes into small squares.  

In a large bowl mix the onion, tomatoes, orange and lemon juices, ketchup, cilantro, and olive oil.  Taste and season with salt, perhaps about 1 teaspoon.  Add the thawed or cooled shrimp, and stir.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.  It is beautiful!

This is enough for about 4 people and is usually served with popped corn, tostado (which is like corn nuts) and perhaps some sliced avocado.  A wonderful cool, fresh, light meal for summer.

Here are a couple pictures of my visit to Ecuador:

The beauty of this country surrounds you everywhere (the water really is that blue due to minerals from a volcano)

The people are its greatest treasure

Cotopaxi - one of the highest active volcanoes in the world

Attempting to climb Cotopaxi

Standing on the Equator

So, what are your thoughts on ceviche?  Think you'll try this dish?  Let me know.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie