Ceviche - Seafood "Cooked" in Lime Juice Makes For a Tasty and Healthful Dish

Mmm, I love ceviche. It will always remind me of Costa Rica and my never-ending quest for more ceviche and guacamole. And of course my lovely friends that I made in Costa Rica, some of which also share this ceviche obsession. However, many people do not like ceviche.

So beware if you are going to try this and don't know if you are a ceviche lover or not. If you know you are then this is a simple recipe that will remind you of wherever you traveled to have first tasted ceviche. Feel free to use any seafood you desire, however "cooking" times may vary. I enjoy a combo of shrimp and firm white fish, but other items like scallops will also work.

If you are not a ceviche lover or you are unsure, maybe you should take a trip to Central or South America and try it there first. Or if you are lucky enough to live in a region where a local restaurant actually serves ceviche try it there. It will be cheaper to try it in the restaurant then to buy all the ingredients.

Tips: The smaller the fish/seafood is cut up the faster the lime juice will "cook" the fish. Also, if you are unsure if your fish/seafood is "cooked" through cut it in half and you will be able to tell, the uncooked part will still look transparent. But "cooked" fish/seafood will be white all the way through.

Ingredients:
- 1-2 lbs. firm white fish/shrimp/scallops/ cut into small pieces 1/4 inch or so
- Juice of 6 limes, please do not use bottled juice, fresh only
- 1/4 red onion, chopped finely (you can use more of less to taste, this is a conservative amount)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely
- 1/2 cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 1 avocado, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- Salt and pepper

Pour lime juice over fish/seafood pieces, cover and let sit in refrigerator overnight. This process may not take this long depending on type of fish/seafood you are using. It has been my experience that shrimp take a long time, fish is faster.

When seafood is "cooked" through drain, reserving juice. Add onion, pepper, jalapeno, cucumber and avocado to fish/seafood. Combine gently. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours to let flavors blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips, adding back some lime juice of you like a juicy ceviche. Hot sauce can also compliment this dish.

So see a pic of the finished product check out my blog at: http://homemomcooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/ceviche.html.