Bay Scallop Ceviche

I made this ceviche one day on vacation before heading out to the beach.  It needs 3-5 hours to marinate, so it was ready for my afternoon snack when I got off the beach.  Perfect!

• 1/2 pound bay scallops (or sea scallops if you have those)
• 1/2 red pepper, diced small
• 1/2 red onion, diced small
• 2-3 limes
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado, diced
• Tortilla Chips

Combine scallops, red pepper, and red onion in a bowl.  Add the juice of both limes, and give it all a good stir.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let marinate in fridge for 3-5 hours.  (Marinating it any longer can cause  the scallops to “over-marinate” and break down the protein too much and cause it to get rubbery).  Add cilantro and avocado and taste to see if any more salt and pepper is needed.  Serve with tortilla chips.

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Gazpacho, Version #2

Fresh vegetables, summertime, yada, yada, yada, it’s all I talk about, I know. And I know I just did gazpacho, but seriously how can I possibly get sick of it this time of year? But I think that everyone is on the same page as me with this!

Gazpacho with Cilantro and Avocado Cream

Gazpacho with Avocado Cream

• 8 tomatillos, halved
• 5 medium sized tomatoes, rough chopped, set in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes
• 2 green peppers, rough chopped
• 3 jalapenos (remove seeds and ribs if you prefer less spice), chopped
• 1 small red onion, rough chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeds scraped out, rough chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, stems picked out
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Avocado Cream, recipe below

In a large bowl, combine tomatillos, tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos, onion, garlic, and cucumber. Mix all up so evenly distributed.  Add half of veggie mixture to food processor.  Process until somewhat smooth and frothy. Add 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of lime juice, 1/2 of vinegar, and half of olive oil.  Season.  Transfer to serving bowl, and put all remaining ingredients (except Avocado Cream) into processor and process until smooth-ish and frothy. Combine with other gazpacho.  Chill at least 20 minutes.  Serve in bowls with a big dollop of avocado cream and a few sprigs of cilantro.

Avocado Cream

• 1 avocado, removed from skin, pit removed
• 2 heaping tablespoons sour cream
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro in food processor.  Slowly pour in olive oil. Season with just a bit of salt and pepper.

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos!

I had been itching to make these flank steak tacos ever since buying some roasted jalapenos at a farmer’s market a few weekends ago.  I had just been waiting for a half-way nice day out to fire up the grill.  We ended up marinating the steak for about 5 hours and we were happy with the results, but I think it would have been even better if it had gotten to marinate over night.  I go back and forth on if I prefer corn or flour tortillas, and usually just end up with whatever strikes my fancy at the time – this day it was corn.  For the guacamole, I usually add tomatoes, onions, and cilantro to it, but I decided to go simpler this time.  I wanted the flavor of the avocado to add to the overall flavor of the dish, but not overwhelm it – I wanted the meat and jalapenos to be more of the star.  I  guess really it’s more of just an avocado spread rather than actual guacamole.  I’ll have to do a recipe for my normal guacamole soon.  Also, I normally would have added cilantro somewhere to this dish as I’m a big fan of it, but I did not have any on hand.  For the side of beans, I just sautéed some onions and green and red bell peppers and then added a can of black beans, some orange juice, and a little ancho chili powder.