How to Make Ceviche

In this video, I’m teaching you to make ceviche. For those hot summer days when you don’t feel like turning on the oven — heck, you don’t even want to have to spend time in the kitchen. This recipe is so easy — you’ll be amazed!

I know if you try it, you’re going to become hooked on ceviche, just like I am. It’s a great way to get more seafood into your family.

Health Benefits of Ceviche

We all know we should be eating more seafood. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating fish just 1 or 2 times a week will decrease your chance of heart disease (America’s number one killer) by a whopping 36%!

And yet, so many of us are afraid to cook fish, or we don’t know where to buy it or prepare it.

Ceviche is so easy to make — you can use most any kind of fish — cod, sole, halibut, even salmon. These can all be found flash frozen at hte supermarket (just be sure to look for wild-caught). You can also incorporate shellfish which is more nutrient dense than fin fish — try adding shrimp, scallops, or even mussels or clams.

If you are on a fertility diet like I am, or if you’re pregnant or are nursing, you will want to make ceviche often. There is nothing healthier for your baby than seafood, and particularly shellfish. Studies have shown that pregnant women who eat a lot of seafood have smarter babies than moms who don’t.

Ceviche is also chock full of enzymes. It’s basically raw fish that has been marinated in citrus juice (lemon or lime). It is so delicious — and so good for you! Because ceviche is not cooked (the citrus juice lightly cooks it), it’s full of enzymes, which are the key to good health and longevity.

This recipe is paleo and low-carb, and GAPS and SCD legal. I hope you enjoy it!

The printed recipe follows.

Ceviche

Ingredients

Scallops, large, skinless fish fillets (I used cod), or a combination, wild-caught  — or you can use all fin fish if you don’t eat shellfish (1 pound)
Lime, organic (4)
Lemons, organic (4)
Red bell pepper, small (1)
Jalapeno chile pepper, small (1)
Cherry tomatoes (1 cup)
Honey (1 tsp)
Avocado (1)
Olive oil (1/4 cup)
Black pepper, freshly ground
Optional: Cilantro, chopped, scallions or onions, garlic, sea salt

Equipment

Rasp or fine cheese grater
Lemon reamer or fork
Rubber gloves

Directions

1. Cut up the fish into bite-sized pieces.
2. Rinse the limes and lemons. Using a rasp or fine cheese grater, remove the zest from one lime and place in a medium bowl.
3. Using a fork or reamer, squeeze the juice from the 4 limes and lemons into a bowl.
4. Remove the seeds from both the bell pepper and jalapeno pepper. Finely chop
and add to the bowl. You should use gloves when chopping the jalapeno pepper so you don’t burn your hands. (If you do burn yourself, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the best thing I’ve found to stop the pain.)
5. Gently stir in the seafood, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the seafood is firm, opaque, and appears cooked, 45-60 minutes.
6. After the seafood is done marinating, strain through a fine mesh strainer, and return to the bowl. Gently stir in the olive oil.
7. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to bowl.
8. Peel and remove the pit from the avocado. Dice and gently stir into the bowl.
9. Add 1/4 cup olive oil.
10. Add the honey.
11. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.