Shrimp Ceviche with Char-grilled Avocado, Red Peppers, and Corn…

So, I’m guessing from the traffic on my Enchilada Cupcake post, a few thousand Enchilada Cupcakes were served on Cinco de Mayo.  You might be asking yourself if I made the cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo as well…Nope.   Although I am not Mexican or Latino at all, I love Latino and Mexican food as much as I love Cajun, Italian, and Lebanese cuisine.  Heck, who am I kidding…I just love food in general.  I also try to celebrate holidays such as Cinco de Mayo by embracing and creating as much of the cultural cuisine as I can stuff into a day {and into my belly }.  As you can see, I’ve been in a Mexican state of mind lately…first the Mexican Chocolate Pancakes, then Huevos Rancheros, and Mexican Chocolate Sheath Cupcakes for dessert!

Sooooo, what did I make for dinner??  I made a fresh and tangy Shrimp Ceviche…but I didn’t stop there, oh no!!

We fired up the grill for the first time this Spring, a little later than I usually do, and I char-grilled some delicious veggies to throw into my ceviche.  There are no words to describe how good this is, luckily I took a couple of pictures before the monkeys ate it all!!

Shrimp Ceviche with Char-grilled Avocado, Red-Peppers, and Corn:

 Ceviche:

• 1 pound large, fresh shrimp
• 3 large limes, juiced
• 1 large orange, juiced
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1 TBL extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1-2 dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Mix all the ingredients in a large ceramic bowl and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or until shrimp has been ‘cooked’ by the acids in the fruit juice.

Preparing your veggies for the grill…

• Wash your veggies…
• Cut the red peppers (2 large) and avocados (2 large) in half, removing all the seeds.
• Coat the meat of the avocado, the pepper halves, and the ears of corn (3 whole) with fresh squeezed lime juice.
• Brush extra virgin olive oil over the veggies.
• Sea salt, to taste.

Set your grill on a medium flame, around 300°.  Place the ears of corn on the grill and close the lid.  After 7-10 minutes, turn the ears of corn and then place your peppers and avocado on the grill, meat side down.  Cook for another 7 or so minutes and gently remove.  Allow the veggies to cool; then dice the peppers, spoon out and gently chop the avocado, and cut the corn kernels off of the cob.   Toss these sumptuous veggies into the ceviche and stir gently to combine.  Most of the avocado will melt into the fruit juices creating a silky sauce and giving everything a slightly nutty flavor that complements the tang of the ceviche perfectly!

This ceviche is light, fresh, healthy, and filling…I ought to know, the monkeys ate so much of it that Chad and I only got 1 little helping each!!  I ate an extra Mexican Chocolate Sheath Cupcake after they monkeys went to bed…just to even things out.