Today I had a craving for one of my old favorites, shrimp ceviche. This is a dish that is traditionally made with raw shrimp, which are cooked in the acidity of the citrus juices. I’ve done it this way in the past, and it’s great. You can actually see the shrimp cooking through the color change they undergo. If the idea of cooking shrimp via chemical reaction (without heat) bothers you, you can always boil the little buggers for 60 seconds before adding them. I wouldn’t do any longer though, or you’ll end up with overcooked shrimp after adding them, since they’ll continue to cook in the citric acid. In any event, I keep a bag of frozen, cooked 100-150/# shrimp in my freezer for just this kind of thing, and try to keep a bag of Nonni’s Panetini from Costco in my pantry. I once had an open bag for over a year that was still crispy and delicious, so it’s something good to have around, even if the bag looks too big for your immediate use.
Today’s recipe went something like this:
- 1/8 c lemon juice
- 1/8 c lime juice
- 1/8 c olive oil
- 1/4 c white vinegar
- 1/2 c water
- A few spashes of Cholula hot sauce
- 1 large cucumber, cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 1/2 white onion, cut into 1/4″ pieces
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 6 smallish tomatillos, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 3 smallish tomatoes, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- about 30 shrimp, cut into 1/2″ pieces
All measurements are approximate, as I didn’t measure a thing. I also bought some kind of peppers that were green, thin, kind of dry when chopped, and that the guy scanned as green beans. They have a fair amount of kick; if I did it again I might only add 3 or 4 of them. Recipes I’ve found call for serrano peppers, but I’ve never seen them in the store when I need them, so I just go with whatever looks interesting.
Another note: some recipes call for red onions instead of white. I can’t remember if I’ve ever tried that one out before.
Finally, I would have added an avocado cut into small chunks if the ones I had bought were ripe.
Mix all this up in a large storage container, snap the lid on, and put in the fridge. It’s good immediately, great after an hour or 3, and incredible after a night in the fridge. This makes quite a bit, so I’m planning on having it for lunch for the week as well as a snack here and there. It’s *gotta* be good for you in some regard, with it consisting of something like 90% fresh veggies.
knitterings and things 