Costa Rican Marlin and Tilapia Ceviche

Ceviche is a popular dish in Central and South America and is gaining popularity in The United States. It is certainly one of my favorite dishes. In a ceviche, cubes of fresh, raw fish are marinated in citrus juice, which denatures the surface proteins as cooking would. I designed my recipe based on my dad’s nostalgic description of the dish he had in Costa Rica. My ceviche has a subtle sweetness from a bit of sugar and a splash of gingerale, which balances the tart lime. Avacados and corn are classic pairings, but I also added juicy  costa rican pineapple, cherry tomatoes, and edamame.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Marlin and Tilapia, cubed
• Ripe Avocado, chopped
• Pineapple, diced
• Frozen Peas, thawed
• Cherry Tomatoes, halved
• Corn (frozen or fresh)
• Red Onion, diced
• Canned Chickpeas

Marinade:

• Lime Juice, be generous
• Ginger Ale, a splash
• Fresh Garlic, minced
• Jalopeño, minced
• Salt and Pepper, don’t skimp
• GOYA Cilantro Cooking Base
• Sugar, a hint

Directions:

1. Prepare marinade and pour over ingredients in a shallow dish. There needs to be enough liquid to almost cover the fish. Refrigerate covered for about 1 hour, carefully folding every 15 minutes. Serve alone or with tortilla chips.

Tips:

1. The fresher the fish, the safer and tastier the ceviche.
2. Be sure to use enough lime juice than you think or you’ll be eating sashimi, not ceviche
3. Cut your ceviche pieces all the same size.
4. Ripe avocados should be tender to the touch. Next, break off the stubby stem. If it’s green, it’s fresh.
5. Slice lengthwise all around the avocado and twist to open. Take a careful wack with the chef’s knife and twist to dislodge the pit.

 

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Edamame, Roasted Corn, and Avocado Salad

I don’t have a picture for this recipe, but it is simple and easy to imagine. We needed a side for “Taco Thursday”, so I made this healthy salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado  ♣
• 2 ears of corn
• 2 tomatoes
• shelled edamame (half bag) maybe 1 cup

Dressing: (optional additions include toasted cumin seeds and dried oregano)

• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• lemon zest
• some chopped scallions
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• handful of parsley
• I added a dash of a Southwestern seasoning (it had chipotle pepper, cumin, oregano, chili pepper, marjoram, garlic, onion)

1. Cut all around the avocado (from stem to base). Twist to display the pit. Lodge the knife in it and twist to dislodge. Peel the thick skin and chop the avocado into small pieces. Chop the tomatoes as well.

2. Parboil (partly cook by boiling) two ears of corn for about 3 minutes. I threw the edamame into the same pot for five minutes. Remove the kernels by standing the ear on the center of a bundt pan, allowing the kernels to fall into pan instead of all over the counter. Dry the kernels with a paper towel and add to a really hot pan (no oil)  to roast until brown and fragrant.

3. To make the dressing, mince the garlic and chop the scallions (I have a garden, so I used the tops of my onion plants). Whisk in all the dressing ingredients and fold into the salad. Salt and pepper the dressing as well. marinate for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

♣ Tip: You know your avocados are ripe when pressing yields a depression in the skin. You may also remove the stem; if you see green underneath, it is a tasty and ripe avocado.

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