Citrus Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado
And a hello from Bend, Oregon!
Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes in your inbox every Tuesday, and paid subscribers receive even more every Friday! You can also try a week for free!
CATCH UP!
Hello from Bend, Oregon! I’m just a tad bit sunburnt and covered in mosquito bites, but I am a happy girl basking in nature. I’ve been here with two ladies you might know (the legends known as Justine Snacks and Liz Moody) and our partners, and it has been a wonderful time hiking, tubing, and eating breakfast burritos.
Being an “influencer” is an interesting job, because you’re seemingly connected to hundreds of thousands of people, but you don’t really have coworkers, and you go through very unique emotions when it comes to putting yourself out there and having your career be so tied to your personal life. I’ve talked about these nuances before, and it’s obviously something on my mind often, so it’s really nice to be able to hang out with people who understand the ins and outs and to be able to chat about what it means to be in this space. It’s the closest I get to having coworkers, and the fact that they’re also just cool people makes it all the more enjoyable.
One important announcement: Starting this week, the paid version of the newsletter is going to be going out on Fridays now instead of Thursday! Regular newsletter will still go out on Tuesdays.
RECIPE!
As a lover of fresh fish and sunshine, ceviche speaks to me. I’ve had a lot of ceviche in my day, but I’ve actually never made it at home. I had to change that, obviously, especially after our honeymoon in Baja California, where we had an abundance of the dish.
Ceviche originated in South America in what is now modern-day Peru, but many Latin American countries have their own variations, including Mexico, El Savlador, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and more! The dish consists of fresh fish marinated in citrus, usually lime or lemon, which essentially “cooks” — but actually cures — the fish using the acidity of the juices. Other spices, seasonings, and vegetables are mixed into the fish, with different countries featuring different combinations of ingredients. Fish commonly used include many types of white fish, shrimp, octopus, and squid.
The tricky thing about ceviche is that the fish is essentially consumed raw. While the lime juice does “cook” the fish in the sense that it denatures the protein, it doesn’t kill any potential bacteria or parasitic worms, which means you need to be working with very fresh fish, and the fish should be consumed immediately after marinating. Alternatively, you can do what I did, and slightly cook the fish (in this case shrimp) ahead of time to make sure you’re killing anything icky that could be lurking.
I know this isn’t the most traditional way of eating ceviche, but I wasn’t sure how fresh my shrimp was that I bought, so I blanched the shrimp just slightly for 1 minute, and then marinated it afterward. It still tasted delicious and fresh, and I was able to rest a little easier when consuming it! If you buy sushi grade fish, you should be good to go!
Citrus Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 avocados, diced
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1-1 1/2 cups lime juice
Juice of 1 navel orange
Pinch of salt
1. Make sure your shrimp is peeled and deveined, and then cut through the shrimp lengthwise, and then chop into halves or fourths crosswise (basically chop the shrimp up into smaller pieces).
2. If you’re blanching your shrimp like I did, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute, and then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let cool, and then add to a large bowl.
3. Add the avocado, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Cover the shrimp with lime juice and orange juice and add a pinch of salt, and mix together. Refrigerate for an hour, and then serve with plantain chips.
THINGS I’M LOVING
Useful Product: As I mentioned earlier, I am unfortunately covered in mosquito bites, but Liz introduced me to this useful little gadget called Bite Away that helps denature the protein in the bites that cause itchiness. I will warn, it does burn a little bit, but it really does work! And you eventually grow to like it because it causes such relief?? Idk… as someone who is plagued by hungry mosquitoes often, I am sold! Anything that actually helps, I’m buying.
Makeup: If I could only choose to use one makeup product for the rest of my life, it would absolutely be mascara, and I like to have as long and thick-looking eyelashes as possible. I’ve used the same mascara my entire life (shoutout L’Oréal Voluminous), until I recently made the switch to the Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara. I am obsessed with their whole brand, but the mascara is next level. I love the double sided wand, and my eyelashes have never, ever felt longer. It’s a little on the pricier side for sure, but it does last awhile!
DISCOUNT CODES
Here are all the active discount codes I have this week!
Our Place: Click the link and get 20% most items, including the Always Pan!
Fable: Code KALEMEMAYBE10 for 10% off ceramic dish ware! I love their white speckled bowls and plates.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!
Last week, paid subscribers received “Easy Summer Lunches to Prep and Bring to Work.” I focused on salads (everything from pasta salads to green salads to grain and bean salads), sandwiches, and bowls that can be easily made ahead of time and keep well in the fridge and during transport.
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