My Cooking Attempts: Vegan Ceviche

I am not vegan or vegetarian, however, during the week I try to limit my meat intake. A while back I was in search of a fun, healthy, and light summer meal when I came across a recipe for vegan ceviche in Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin (Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's personal chef). I love ceviche! My viejito (what I called my grandfather) would make the best red snapper ceviche, but honestly I don't have the time to marinate the fish in lemon juice. Martin's recipe promised to leave me satisfied with hearts of palm so I thought I'd give it a try. Now it is my go-to summer recipe!

Notes
Hearts of palm are literally the heart, or inner core, of a palm tree. They are supper yummy! They have a bit of tartness to them, which makes them perfect for ceviche. And for those of you who don't know what ceviche is, it's a seafood dish of raw fish "cooked" in lemon or lime juice.

Recipe
Ceviche
2- 14 ounce jars hearts of palm, cut in half lengthwise, then cut again crosswise into 1/4" strips
Juice of two limes (about 2 ounces)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 medium red onion, diced small
8 firm plum tomatoes, centers removed, cut into medium dice
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1 firm avocado, halved, pitted, removed from skin and diced medium
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chipotle cream (recipe below)
10 corn tortillas sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and backed at 450 degree for 10 minutes, or ten store-bought tostadas
1 jar picked jalapenos

Chipotle Cream Recipe
One 7 ounce can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
Kosher Salt

In a small bowl, mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of the thick red liquid sauce in the can of chipotles with the vegan mayo. Season with salt. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Changes

• I skipped the tostadas. Instead I placed the ceviche in a bowl, topped with avocado, and saltines on the side. I didn't want to buy a whole pack of tostadas and end up with stale, funky leftovers. However, it is just as yummy on tostadas, for those of you who choose to use them.
• I skip the chipotle mayo. I've tried vegan mayo and that stuff is NASTY! Plus what's the point of eating healthy if I eat super processed stuff like mayo? Instead I add a dollop of sour cream *do a dollop of Daisy is currently playing in my head* on top of the ceviche (since I serve it in a bowl instead of the tostada). You can also sub the vegan mayo with sour cream in the Chipotle Cream recipe. It adds quite a kick to the sour cream. Note that in my mind sour cream is healthier then vegan mayo. I can't explain it, it just makes sense to me!
• I bought pre-sliced hearts of palm because they were actually a little cheaper and every penny counts! I've sliced them before and it's no big deal. You can slice them as the recipe instructs or you can cut them into rounds, which I find easier and more aesthetically pleasing. As they say on Food Network: "You eat with your eyes first." 0_0
• I add lime zest to the ceviche. Long ago I learned that the best way to add lemon, lime, or orange flavor to anything is to grate a little rind into the recipe. It makes a big difference.
• I used a yellow onion instead of the red onion. The first time I tried this recipe I used red onion and it bled into the rest of the ingredients. It was weird to eat ceviche with red lemon juice!
• Instead of pickled jalapeno I top the ceviche with a little Sriracha. I think those of you who have been following my blog may have noted a Sriracha trend by now. What can I say? When we like something we stick with it!

Clearly I've made a lot of changes to this recipe. But that's what we do right? We make it our own. Here's how it all comes together:

I opened my cans of hearts of palm, drained them and placed them in a bowl. This is what they look like:

I then grated in a little lime zest, squeezed in the juice of two limes, and added the seasonings. I forgot to take a pic of the garlic salt, sorry!

Mix, cover, and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I chopped my veggies: cilantro, onion and tomato.

Note the paper towel with the cilantro. My abuela always taught me to rinse, dry, and wrap the cilantro in a paper towel when storing it for future use. It will stay fresher longer.

Then it's as simple as mixing the veggies with the marinated hearts of palm.

Spoon the ceviche into a bowl, top with fresh avocado, and a dollop of sour cream *yup the song is still playing in my head * with a side of crackers. David added a little Sriracha to round it off. I would recommend some lemonade (spiked if you prefer) or a beer to go with this. It's a must try!

If you decide to use tostada: Spread a thin coating of the chipotle cream on each tostada and top with a few tablespoons of ceviche. Garnish with avocado and jalapeno.

I hope you love it as much as we do!