Shrimp and Fish Ceviche

My sister’s post about ceviche inspired me to learn more about this flavorsome and healthy dish. I tried for the first time in Mexico. As she said, it is considered a national dish in Peru but many countries in Latin America have their version of this mouth-watering food. It has been one of South America's best-kept secret for centuries, but ceviche is becoming a popular appetizer and it is gaining popularity in North America.

There is a theory that ceviche was created during the ancient Inca civilization in which people used to eat a salted and marinated fish dish. The Spanish contributed the Mediterranean custom of using lemons and onions.

Many Latin American countries have their own version of ceviche (or seviche). In Peru, it is served with slices of cold sweet potatoes or corn-on-the-cob. In Ecuador, it is often served in a large bowl with the guests helping themselves. In Panama, ceviche is accompanied by little pastry shells called “canastitas”. In Mexico, it is usually served with toasted tortillas.

Ceviche is a seafood dish cooked with acidic juices (lemon or lime juice) instead of heat.

It can be eaten as a first course or main dish, depending on what is served with it. I have restaurant quality ceviche recipe for you that anyone can make at home:

Ceviche:

Ingredients:

2 lb of fresh tilapia or sea bass (or other firm white fish), skinless and boneless

_1/3 cup of fresh lime juice

½ cup of lemon juice

¼ cup of tomato juice

¼ cup of kennel corn (optional)

¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup of red onions, finely chopped

½ cup of cilantro, chopped

10 oz of medium cooked shrimp, thawed and divined (tail off)

Salt, to taste

Cut fish fillets into ½ inch cubes. In a ceramic or glass casserole pan, place the fish, tomato juice, salt, cayenne pepper, lemon and lime juice. Gently mix ingredients to combine. All the fish needs to be covered with lemon and lime juices. Refrigerate for about 3 hours covered. Stir fish to ensure it is cooking evenly.

Stir in the remaining ingredients with the exception of the cilantro. Refrigerate for another 6 hours or overnight.

You know the fish is cooked when it has turned from translucent and pinkish to completely opaque and white.

Stir in corn and cilantro before serving. Serve it with corn chips, lime wedges and avocado slices on the side.

Healthy and Delicious South American Food

I would like to share with you my sister’s fun dinning experience that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil but it took her back to her visits to Ecuador and to the healthy ceviche.

“There are a lot of charming restaurants in Leblon, a wealthy neighborhood by the sea in Rio de Janeiro, where the rich & famous people live. I have recently been to the restaurant“Quadrucci” with friends and we started with appetizers, as we were not very hungry, and they were great. 

One of my friends had a fantastic grilled seafood platter served with a delicate salsa. Everybody else ordered salads. Mine had asparagus and little slices of salmon with a ginger, soy sauce and lots of lettuce. It was very nice! 

I saw they had also ceviche on the menu, and I was very tempted to try it. But there is a “cevicheria” in São Paulo, where I live, that I want to go, so I decided to live it for São Paulo. “Ceviche” is a Peruvian dish. It is basically marinated seafood or fish in a very rich lemon sauce (which “cooks” the fish). It’s absolutely delicious! I tried it when I visited Ecuador. Last year a friend of mine from Peru prepared it at her home and I almost asked for more! I think everybody can make it at home. You just need fresh seafood and/or fish, lemon, onions and salt.”

By Carla Aranha

A Great Game Day Snack: Fish Bites!

The Super Bowl is coming up and I need to come up with snacks that the adults and the kids will like. If you are in those same shoes, I have a winner for you: homemade fish sticks. They are easy to make and it is not your usual Game Day Snack.



Catfish Bites:

Ingredients
1 pound of catfish fillet
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
3 eggs
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoon of onion powder
2 cups of Panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons of salt
Pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil

In a large bowls, beat the eggs with the paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper - just until combined. Cut the fish fillets into bite size pieces and add to the egg mixture. Toss gently with a rubber spatula until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate. It can be refrigerated overnight for flavor infusion.

Heat the vegetable oil in large sauce pan. Meanwhile, remove the fish cubes from the egg mixture, drain and dredge in Panko (Japonese style bread crumbs). When oil is hot (350F), fry the fish for 3 to 5 minutes, turning it only once. Work in batches, if necessary. Drain fried fish with paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve hot with lemon wedges and the Yogurt Dipping Sauce (recipe follows).


Yogurt sauce:

Ingredients

2 cups of plain yogurt
2 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoon of dried dill
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt, to taste


Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and test the seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. It can be refrigerated for 2 weeks.

The Cheesiest the Better!

I am a cheese lover so it doesn’t surprise me it has been consumed since Ancient times. Nobody knows for sure when and where cheese was invented but it could have been more 7000 years ago. It is even mentioned in the early pages of the Bible. Presently, there are thousands different types of cheese and I wish I could try them all!

What could be more satisfying and fortifying than cheese? Could it be the best food in the world? I think it is delicious and I may not be the only one. The “Reblochon” cheese was invented secretly by tenant framers that didn’t want to share all of their great cheese with their lords. It used to be made with a second milking not declared to the land owners. Who can blame them? The most recent statistics show that many Americans share the same passion for cheese. The consumption of cheese in the U.S. has almost double since 1982.  If you are one of these cheese lovers, I have a recipe for you that I hope you will like:

Baked Salmon with Cream Cheese Sauce:

Ingredients:

12 ounce salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1 Tbsp. of olive oil

¼ cup of lemon juice

½ cup of milk

1 cup of reduced fat cream cheese

2 tea spoons of dill

1 tea spoon of onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet and season fillets with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Cover it with foil. Bake salmon covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover it and bake it until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

While salmon bakes, add milk and cream to cheese to a heavy sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Stir in dill and onion powder. Season it with salt and pepper if you like.

Serve salmon topped with cream cheese sauce.

Enjoy it!