Simple Salmon Ceviche with Avocado

Salmon Ceviche!

Given the absurd amount of limes I have as a result of a recent costco trip, I decided to make some ceviche with the Kirkland branded atlantic salmon filets. They come individually pre packaged, and while I'd normally prefer fresh salmon, these taste quite good and are suited for Ceviche. I have tried to make this dish with other types of frozen fish and it has not turned out as well. 

What is Ceviche? 

Ceviche is a delicious seafood dish indiginous to coastal South America. Though the dish is most famously associated with Peruvian cuisine, variations are found all across Latin America. In essence, instead of cooking fish or seafood with heat, the acidity of lemons or limes (I prefer the latter) denatures proteins in the fish, which produces an effect similar to "cooking" it.

The Goods:

Every man needs his tools.

10 Limes

2 Cayenne Chili Peppers (or 1 Thai Chili, which is what I tend to use)

1 Ripe Avocado

2 Salmon Center Cut Salmon Filets

1 Onion (Yellow or Red)

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Chili Powder

3 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Cup Cilantro

Salt and Pepper

First off, be aware that you will need lots of limes. I've found squeezing limes/lemons to be quite tedious, so I bought this at the local grocery (not at Costco). Lemon Squeezer. Helps you squeeze those limes like a boss. 

Lemon/Lime Squeezer

The Salmon

1. Thaw the Salmon slowly in the fridge, the night before. DO NOT DEFROST IN MICROWAVE. This is one instance where defrosting in the microwave will certainly not work, as texture is very important to the dish and nuking the filet will make the outside chewy. 
2. Cut into about 1/4 inch thick slices. 

The Rest

1. Squeeze all 10 limes into a large bowl. 
2. Slice the onion very thinly, add into the lime juice.
3. Crush the garlic, mince finely, and add it in. 
4. Chop the cilantro roughly, slice the peppers open lengthwise and add both. 
5. Add in the cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste.
6. Add in the sliced salmon, cover, and put the mixture into the fridge for 20 minutes
7. Drool. 
8. Serve, Eat, die happy.

Szechuan Style Chili Cumin Lamb Rack

Chili Cumin Lamb Rack!

The actual Szechuan recipe typically consists of small strips of stir-fried lamb. While in this case the lamb is typically very well done, I really love a nice rare rack of lamb, so I figured I'd try to combine the recipes. It turned out delicious, so enjoy!

The Goods:

2 lb Frenched Rack of Lamb

1/2 Cup Rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Cup Whole dried chili peppers

1 Tbsp whole cumin

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1 Inch of cut Ginger 

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Yellow Onion
1 Stalk 

1/2 Cube Beef Boullion or 1/2 cup beef stock.

The Lamb

1. Turn the lamb over so the ribs are curving up toward you.
2. Slide a short knife under the connective tissue adjoining the ribs, pull it off. This helps makes the whole thing easier to eat. 
3. Turn back over, trim off most of the fat on the front, leaving a thin layer for flavor. 
4. Rub the whole thing with a pinch of Kosher salt. 

The Marinade

As Joseph Merrick said, "The marinade is the measure of the man." Particularly for tougher or gamey meats like lamb, I like to marinate it all beforehand. I also love using bouillon in place of salt, as it helps heighten the UMAMI. 

1. Mince the garlic, onion, and green onion. 
2. Lightly toast the whole cumin until they smell great. 
3. Cut the ginger into thin slices. Eat one of the slices if you need to freshen your breath for the ladies. 
4. Mix the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ground cumin, chili powder, garlic, onions, green onions, and ginger.
5. Put the lamb into a large ziploc bag and add in the marinade. Let it stand overnight.

The Cooking

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put the whole lamb into a small baking pan and place in oven.
3. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, turning once, or until the internal temperature has reached 130 degrees (which is medium rare).
4. Set the oven to broil, Place meat in the broiler fatty side up for about 2 minutes, watch carefully to avoid burning. (Alternatively you can sear the meat)
5. Remove from oven. LET IT COOL for about 5 minutes. This is very important, if you try to eat it without cooling not only will it burn you, but you'll lose alot of the juices from the meat.
6. I repeat, the above step is crucial!
7. Cut in between the ribs, serve. Enjoy.

Chicken Tacos with Southwest Cream Sauce

I love simple food, and these tacos certainly are an easy and quick way to make a second meal from my leftover Rotisserie Chicken that I get at Costco ($4.99). Hope you guys enjoy my tacos!

The Goods:

2 Limes

2 Cups Leftover Chicken, Diced (Try to mix up some white and dark meat!)

Shredded Romaine Lettuce Heart

1 Yellow Onion

2 stalks fresh Cilantro

2 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Cup Sour Cream 

1 Cup Chicken Stock (I usually just use Bouillon to make it)

Powdered Cumin

Powdered Cayenne Chili

Pam

2 Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

The Chicken

1. Dice into small cubes or pull apart with forks. 
2. Heat up the chicken in a pot. Salt and pepper to taste
3. That's about it. Duh. 

The SAUCE:

1. Halve the onion and set one of the halves aside. Using a Magic Bullet/Blender/Food processor, blend half of the onion, 1 clove of garlic, the sour cream, 1 tsp Cumin, and 1 tsp Chili powder. Squeeze the juice of half a lime in the mixture and blend until fine.
2. Bring the chicken stock to boil and add in the above mixture. Keep at a slow simmer until the sauce is thickened. 
3. Set aside in a warm area (I often let things just sit in the Microwave to conserve heat due to the limited space in my kitchen), or leave on the back burner on a very low heat, occasionally stirring.

The Sort of Pico

1. Mince the other half of the onion and finely mince 1 clove of garlic
2. Squeeze in the other half of the lime
3. Add in some chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper. Next.

The Gestalt 

1. Warm up the tortillas.
2. Put a handful of chicken on them.
3. Shred some lettuce and put it on.
4. Cover in The SAUCE. 
5. Put a wedge of a lime on the side if you're trying to impress the ladies. 
6. Eat. Impress the ladies. Done.