Easy dinner recipes: Refreshing ceviches for gluten-free Wednesday

Looking for something summery? Something both simple and cool? It doesn’t get much easier than ceviche. Gather your ingredients and give the fish time to marinate -- the meal is ready when the finished fish is tossed with an assortment of colorful flavorings. Yup, that simple.

For a halibut ceviche, firm, buttery cubes of halibut are marinated in fresh lemon juice. Before serving, the fish is tossed with a colorful blend of diced tomato, onion, cilantro and cucumber, with serrano chile added for a touch of heat. Because the fish takes several hours to marinate, prepare dinner in the morning so it’s ready to go when you get home.

For a scallop ceviche, tender scallops are tossed with lime juice. Bright, refreshing and oh so simple, this dish takes just minutes to prepare and only half an hour to marinate.

RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less

Or perhaps you’d like to try the shrimp ceviche from Sweet Butter in Sherman Oaks? Plump tiger shrimp are tossed with chopped onion, tomato and spicy habanero peppers, the flavors brightened with fresh lemon juice and a medley of spices. Hungry yet?

You can find all three recipes below.

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at [email protected].

JAVIER’S CEVICHE DE PESCADO

15 minutes, plus several hours marinating time. Serves 4

1 pound fresh Alaskan halibut, skin and bones removed

Juice from 3 to 4 lemons

1 small tomato

1/2 white onion

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 serrano chile

1/2 cucumber

Salt

Sliced avocado, for garnish

1. Cut the halibut into roughly 1-inch cubes. Toss with the lemon juice in a glass or non-reactive bowl and refrigerate, tossing every half-hour or so to distribute the lemon juice evenly to “cook” the halibut. The halibut is ready when the pieces are firm and opaque throughout, about 6 hours.

2. When the halibut is almost finished marinating, finely chop the tomato, onion, cilantro, chile and cucumber. Toss with the halibut when it is ready and season with 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Garnish each serving with sliced avocado.

EACH SERVING

Calories 166

Protein 22 grams

Carbohydrates 8 grams

Fiber 3 grams

Fat 5 grams

Saturated fat 1 gram

Cholesterol 56 mg

Sugar 3 grams

Sodium 664 mg

BAJA BABY SCALLOPS CEVICHE

Total time: About 1 hour

Servings: 4

Note: Adapted from Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort

1 pound, 5 ounces cleaned bay scallops

3/4 cup lime juice (from about 8 limes)

1/3 cup minced red onion

1/3 cup seeded and diced tomato

1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber

1 seeded and diced jalapeño, or to taste

Scant 1 cup diced cilantro, from about 1 bunch

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium bowl, marinate the scallops in the lime juice for 30 minutes, covered and refrigerated, tossing every 10 minutes.

2. Strain and save the lime juice. Stir in the onion, tomato, cucumber, jalapeño and cilantro. Stir in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, and add back lime juice to taste as desired. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 238 calories; 26 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 49 mg. cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 244 mg. sodium.

SWEET BUTTER’S SHRIMP CEVICHE

Total time: 20 minutes, plus marinating time for the shrimp

Servings: Makes a generous quart of ceviche.

Note: Adapted from Sweet Butter in Sherman Oaks.

1 pound black tiger shrimp, tail-on

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

2 to 3 tomatoes

1/2 to 1 habanero pepper, stemmed and seeded

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Sea salt, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn a light pink, about 1 minute. Drain immediately and place in an ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process.

2. Peel and coarsely chop the shrimp and place in a medium bowl. Toss the shrimp with the lemon juice and set aside for about 1 hour to marinate.

3. While the shrimp is marinating, chop the onion, cilantro, tomatoes and habanero pepper, and place in a large bowl.

4. After the shrimp has marinated (it should be whitish-pink and firm throughout), drain the shrimp, reserving the liquid. Add the shrimp to the large bowl. Stir in the cumin, pepper, oregano and garlic powder, and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt. Taste, and add back a little of the strained lemon juice to brighten the flavors, and season again, if desired, to taste.

Each of 6 servings: 93 calories; 14 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 1 gram fat; 0 saturated fat; 121 mg cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 636 mg sodium.

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