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.

Feijoada: A Brazilian National Dish

Feijoada is a type of Bean Stew original from Portugal that is also found in Angola, Brazil and other former Portuguese colonies. It can be made with different types of meat and beans. The name comes from feijão, Portuguese for "beans". In Brazil, the fusion of African and local cuisine, resulted in the famous Brazilian feijoada. An icon of Brazilian cuisine known internationally. Feijoada is the kind of comfort food that brings people together in Brazil. Feijoada lunches can be an all day event involving dancing and lots of fun conversations.

The traditional Brazilian feijoada is prepared with black beans and a variety of salted pork products, such as salted trimmings (ears, tail and feet), bacon and sausage. However, I am not a fan of fatty meats, so I created a slow cooker lean feijoada recipe. The result is an effortless dish that is also healthier and flavorsome.  

In Brazil, feijoada is often enjoyed with family and friends paired with various side dishes and caiprinhas cocktails or beer.  Some of these side dishes are collard greens, rice, peeled oranges and a pepper sauce.

This stew is easy to prepare and it is very economical. You can make a large amount of feijoada with a few low cost ingredients. 

 Brazilian Feijoada:

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups of chicken stock

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb of pork tenderloin OR pork loin

1 (8oz) skinless smoked sausage, sliced

¼ teaspoon of ground cumin

2 dried bay leaves

2 (15oz) cans of Black beans, not seasoned

1 slice of hickory smoked bacon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooked rice, for serving

Trim excessive fat from pork tenderloin and cut it into 1 inch pieces. Lightly season meat with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Layer the sausage and pork meat in a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle ground cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour beans and chicken stock over the top. Add the bay leaves and bacon.

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. If you like, remove and discard the bacon slice too. Leftovers can be refrigerated for one week.

Serves 8.

Collard Greens

Ingredients:

1 lb of fresh collard greens, thin sliced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic for about 3 minutes and stir in collard greens. Work in batches if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook it covered over medium low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

¼ cup of roasted peppers, chopped

_1/8 cup of jalapeno peppers (or any other hot pepper), chopped

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

_1/8 cup onion, chopped

1 ½ tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice

¾ cup of olive oil

1 dry bay leave

¼ teaspoon of paprika

Ground cayenne pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

In a bowl mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. Remove and discard the bay leave before serving.

Simple Chicken Mole

When I was pregnant with my first child a dear friend cooked chicken mole for us and it was delicious! He introduced me to the wonderful mole, this famous thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce. Traditional mole recipes call for more than 20 ingredients, including different types of pepper, nuts and a small amount of chocolate. This concoction is boiled for hours until it reduces to a thick, fragrant and unique sauce.

To make mole form scratch is time consuming, so I developed an easy chicken mole recipe inspired by our friend’s dish. It is a simple, economical and tasty recipe that you can serve even to guests. My husband and I love this dish and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

Simple Chicken Mole:

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb of chicken breast tenderloins, boneless and skinless
¼ cup of store-bought mole sauce
1/8 cup of fresh lime juice
2 ¼ cups of chicken stock or chicken stock
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked white rice, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking oil. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and lime juice. When oil is heated, add the seasoned chicken and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning it only once after 5 minutes.Add 2 tablespoon of chicken stock after 5 to 7 minutes to keep the meat from getting dry.

Transfer the chicken to prepared casserole dish. Set aside. Add mole to skillet and slowly add the remaining chicken stock (1 cup at the time). Cook it over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mole sauce is fully dissolved. Add cumin and let it simmer for about five minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in prepared casserole dish.

Bake it uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top it with chopped cilantro. Serve it hot with cooked rice. Garnish with jalapenos peppers, if desired.

Serves 4.


If you like your chicken mole with beans, here is another simple recipe:

Latin Style Pinto Beans:

Ingredients:
15oz (1 can) of pinto beans
1 dry bay leave
½ slice of uncooked bacon
½ cup of water
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt, to taste

In a sauce pan, cook the bacon over medium heat. Remove bacon from the pan. Add bay leave, garlic and pinto beans with the juice. Stir in water. Season with salt. Simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crumble bacon and return to the pan, if desired. Serve hot.


Note: You can find mole sauce in the Latin or Hispanic aisle of your grocery store.

Chicken potpie the Latin way!

Cold winter days call for tasty comfort food, but they need to be easy to prepare. On top of my list is “chicken potpie” because they please the entire family and they are simple to prepare. I like to give a Latin American twist to my flaky and buttery individual potpies. I have a recipe that is nothing like your grandmother’s chicken potpie:

Puffy Chicken Potpies

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1 teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon

1 pound of chicken breast, boneless and skinless

1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

½ cup of red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of chicken stock

½ cup of fresh carrots, chopped

_1/3 of green peas, thawed and drained

1 small can (8oz) of pure tomato sauce

½ can of hearts of palm, drained

1 ¼ cup of kennel corn, thawed and drained

¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.

Preheat the oven to 425⁰F. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the chicken. Cook chicken in medium heat for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and red onion and stir. Season chicken with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Stir and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, corn, green peas and carrots. Lower the heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the hearts of palm (about 1 inch thick). Add parsley and hearts of palm and gently toss to combine. Remove from heat and keep it warm.

In a lightly floured surface, unfold and roll puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Divide the chicken filling among four 8-ounce individual casseroles. Place a square of puff pastry on top of each casserole.

Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust and puffed and golden.