Lime Shrimp (or Tofu) "Ceviche" with Masala-Dusted Tortilla Chips

Happy Summer! I know -- we still have a few weeks astronomically-speaking but I just can't wait! And with temperatures in the 80s and Memorial Day behind us, I'll ignore the ever-present rain, slip on my sandals, open all the windows and start making summer meals!

Ceviche is, to me, a quintessential warm-weather dish -- barely-cooked light, refreshing fish or seafood mixed with refreshing vegetables and lime juice, what's not to love? And this was a perfect excuse to showcase those first heirloom tomatoes of the season. So why, you may ask, is this a "ceviche" and not just a ceviche? Well, although I have no problem eating raw fish, seafood and even beef in restaurants, I'm always a little nervous about making it myself. So I boiled my shrimp for not-quite two minutes before chilling them and marinating them with lime juice and other goodies.

For the Vegetarian, I used new (to us) tofu cutlets: organic tofu that's already been cooked so you just have to cut it up and either heat it up or eat it cold. Very convenient! 

The one note I'll make with this ceviche is to make sure you cut everything up as small as you can. That makes it easier to scoop up and eat with these homemade tortilla chips, see. Oh and do use fresh lime juice. I'm a big fan of convenience but, in this case, bottled lime juice just won't cut it. I guess that's two notes. Ah, well. Bon appetit!

Lime Shirmp (or Tofu) Ceviche

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (or firm tofu)
• 3/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small cucumber, finely diced
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 1 avocado, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Masala-Dusted Tortilla Chips

• 6 sprouted tortillas
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 6 teaspoons garam masala

First, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes, until they just turn pink. Drain and let cool, then chop them into pieces small enough to be scooped up with a tortilla chip. If using tofu, just cut up into small pieces and pat dry.

In a large bowl, coming lime juice and red onion. Stir in shrimp or tofu. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

After an hour, stir in cucumber, tomato, avocado and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips (homemade are best).

For Masala-Dusted Tortilla Chips:

Preheat oven to 350. Lay a tortilla on a cutting board. Brush one side with olive oil. Top with another tortilla and brush it with olive oil as well. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Cut into 8 equal pieces. (Since they're all stacked one on top of the other, this becomes really easy as you can cut them all at once.)

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil it. Place tortilla pieces on it in a single layer, oiled side up. You may need as many as 3 baking sheets or to cook these in batches.

Sprinkle with salt and garam masala. Bake for 10 minutes, until crispy. Enjoy!

Links:

• Tequila Shrimp Ceviche from We Are Not Martha
• Chipotle Chicken Salad from KUTV.com
• Tofu Ceviche Tacos from TonieGirl
• Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from The Way the Cookie Crumbles
• Tofu Ceviche Tacos from Epicurious Community Table

Fennel, Celeriac, Parsley and Red Onion Salad

I'm spoiled. I live in New York City, surrounded by wonderful supermarkets (I have three to choose from everyday, not to mention the two that I choose not to frequent because there are better options) and one to two Greenmarkets within walking distance as well as countless others a short subway ride away. I can get fresh vegetables (in and out of season) and, while I try to eat seasonally to keep costs down and quality up, I don't fret about it too much if one of us has a hankering for eggplant or tomatoes in the middle of February.

As for how this affects my cooking, unless we're having company over, I try not to buy too many ingredients for any one meal (another side of keeping costs and waste down). So I take for granted that I'll have flavorful ingredients that don't need much to make them vibrant and tasty.

But this salad brought all these facts starkly into relief. A simple winter salad, it's a delightful mix of fennel, celeriac and parsley, all tied together with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing and sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds. Sounds perfect, no? Well, it was good but neither my celeriac nor my fennel was anywhere near as flavorful as it should have been. So, while it was tasty, it wasn't fantastic. As the vegetarian put it, "The flavors are all good but they're so quiet!"

So why, you might ask, am I even sharing this with you? Because it is good. And it's a winter salad (which is exceedingly rare. And, if you make it with exceptionally fresh ingredients (like from a garden if you're lucky enough to have one), it will be phenomenal.

I'm entering this in Raw Foods Thursday on Gluten-Free Cat. Join us!

Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad
adapted from the Washington Post

• 2 tablespoons raw (preferably sprouted), unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 bulb celeriac, peeled and cut into long thin strips
• 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• leaves from 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 1 avocado, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 6 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl, toss together celeriac, fennel, onion and parsley. Add oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve, sprinkling each portion with pumpkin seeds and avocado. Bon appetit!

Additions? If you want to add some protein, a can of tuna is a delicious addition. This also works nicely on a sandwich with some sliced turkey.

Drink? A glass of Riesling.

Links:

• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad from Washington Post
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley & Red Onion Salad from My Haus
• Fennel, Celeriac, Parsley and More from Delicious Dialogues
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley & Red Onion Salad with Lemon & Olive Oil from Svelte Gourmand
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad from ZipList.com