"Ceviche Recipe" By Cenia R.

Food! A subject my family and I know all too well. Over the years food has been a way that my family bonds and gets to know each other better. We all talk and joke around while either making these meals or sitting down and enjoying them. Some dishes that we bond over consist of authentic Mexican and Salvadorian dishes like Carne asada and Pupusas all the way to some classic american dishes like hamburgers and so much more! We love to try new food from different cultures all around the world. Ceviche has always been one of my favorite dishes to snack on and savor during our hot californian summers. It is a dish that is very refreshing and can cool you down from the hot weather. Ceviche reminds me of my childhood, from sitting outside and eating it after playing to also being one of the first dishes my dad taught me how to make. Ceviche is a peruvian dish known as fresh fish cooked in acidic fruit juices like limes. This dish eventually spread to Mexico and they took their own spin on the dish as well as many other countries and families. The reason why this dish is so special to me is because it allowed me to bond with my dad and make so many awesome childhood memories. Another reason is that saying that you helped cook a meal or did it all on your own makes you feel so proud of yourself, and it's honestly a different type of satisfaction that you feel if it turns out delicious. As a child I would always convince my dad to make this dish by saying I would do the worst part of it, which was peeling and cleaning the raw shrimp. But in the end it was well worth the suffering of having to peel and clean shrimp just to taste this delicious meal. Hopefully, you guys enjoy this recipe just as much as I do and eventually learn how to make it for yourself!

 

Ingredients:

 

❏  2 pounds Shrimp

 

❏  ½ pounds Imitation crab

 

❏  Cucumbers- 2 (or more depending on how much cucumber you would like in your dish personally i like adding more)

❏  Tomatoes- 2+

 

❏  White or purple onion- 1

 

❏  2 bunches of cilantro or less

 

❏  Limes- 10+ (depending on how much shrimp you cook and how lemony you would like it to taste I tend to add more as well)

❏  ½ a bottle of clamato/ tomato juice

❏  ⅓ cup of Ketchup (I promise it adds good flavoring)

 

❏  ½ tablespoon of Salt (and you can always add more to your liking)

 

❏  1 teaspoon of Pepper (add more to your liking)

 

(additional ingredients)

 

-          1 tablespoon of Tajin

 

-          2 or more tablespoons of some form of salsa negra/ valentina (it makes it spicier) Directions

-          You will need three bowls for the uncooked shrimp, chopped up veggies, and once the shrimp is cooked.

 

❏  Peel and clean all the shrimp and put into separate bowl

 

❏  Boil a pot of water

 

❏  While waiting for the water to boil, chop up all the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and cilantro and place into another bowl.

❏  Next you can crush/ squeeze the imitation crab into smaller pieces (this you don't have to cook) you will place this with the cooked shrimp

 

❏  Once water is boiling let the shrimp cook for about 1-2 minutes or until all of them are nice and pink

❏  You can also cook the shrimp overnight in the lime juice but my family prefers to cook it more thoroughly by boiling the shrimp.

 

❏  While waiting for the shrimp to cook squeeze out all the limes into the bowl with the imitation crab (after the shrimp has been cooked you will want to cool it down in ice water so that the dish stays cool and wont have to be refrigerated as long)

❏  and you will then place the shrimp as well in the lime juice Once that has soaked in the lime juice for a little bit then add all your chopped up cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro

 

❏  Once that's all mixed in, then add your clamato or tomato juice followed by the ketchup, spices and the hot sauces/ salsa.

 

❏  You can add more of each seasoning until it is to your liking

 

❏  Then wrap the bowl with seran wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes, so that everything can soak up the lime juice and different seasonings.

And boom! You have now made ceviche! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. I really appreciate it! I hope you and your family will get to enjoy this dish! Have fun cooking away.