Aguachile verdes

When my now-husband and I were dating, we took a trip to Mexico. We thought we might want to get married there. So we made a plan to visit three different areas that might be great spots to tie the knot. The first town we hit was Sayulita in Jalisco, near Puerto Vallarta. We loved that beach town back then. It didn't quite make it on the wedding location roster (and neither did the other two towns), however, we loved that beach town so much! So much so that we brought all three of our kids there as babies. During that first visit, we found a charming little spot on the beach to have an afternoon snack after surf lessons. It was then that we discovered the amazing flavor of aguachile verdes. We didn't know what hit us! Now, each time we go to Mexico we have to order it at least once or twice just to soak up the limey goodness.

This is an exquisite version of aguachile, which is a spicy shrimp ceviche from Sinaloa. You can serve it with fresh tostadas or tortilla chips. I found this online at wearecocina.com, a collective of Latin American Chefs and business owners sharing a love of food and recipes. This recipe is from Chef Ted Montoya. Let the shrimp marinate and cook in the acidity for about 2 hours.

Ingredients:

2 Cucumbers
1 lb. Shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 Cucumbers
2 Serrano chiles or jalepenos (jalepenos are slightly milder)
1 small White Onion
1 cup Lime Juice,
1⁄4 cup Distilled Vinegar
2 tsp. Salt
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 Cucumber, sliced
1 bunch Cilantro, picked
Olive Oil
1/2 Avocado, for garnish

Preparation:

Rough chop all but half of 1.5 cucumbers, serrano chilies and 3/4 onion. The remaining bits will be used to later. Place in blender. Add lime juice, vinegar and salt, then blend on high for 2-3 minutes until liquid is formed. Strain, saving the liquid and discard solids left behind.

Butterfly cleaned shrimp and place in a bowl. Gently pour liquid over shrimp and stir evenly. Then chill the shrimp and allow them to marinate for at least 2 hours. The shrimp is ready to serve once it has become white and firmed up.

Slice the rest of the half cucumber and 1/4 onion thinly and mix into cooked shrimp.

Serve in a bowl with the liquid.

Garnish with avocado slices and cilantro leaves. Drizzle with olive oil.