Nothing says you’re ready for summer quite like Scallop Ceviche & Avocado-Cucumber Gazpacho – am I right!? No but seriously, the second the weather stays consistently warm – I crave these two dishes. They pair so nicely together and have really become my new favourite summer meal, so I thought I’d share them both in one place so you can enjoy them together as much as I have!
Truth be told, giving up raw fish while pregnant has been the hardest out of any of the cutbacks and that’s why when I had a lightbulb moment of how to make this scallop ceviche safe for me and baby – I was OVER THE MOON! Typical ceviche is “cooked” in lime juice and salt and that really does take it from translucent to opaque – but whether or not that kills the bacteria was another story – and I just wasn’t going to risk it. So to make this safe for me and baby, I simply added a quick poach to the scallops to cook them through prior to adding them to my typical lime mixture. And let me tell you, it turned out just as incredible – so much so that I’ll always make it this way going forward! Although I always use fresh scallops, since I only use beautiful East Coast scallops and that’s a long way to travel – I figure why not add a quick poach just to be safe!
Now, this leads me to the Avocado-Cucumber Gazpacho… a true summer delight! This version is so light and so luscious because instead of using bread as the thickening agent, we’re using creamy Avocados from Mexico that make this so silky smooth – good luck only having one cup. Both of these dishes are served ice cold so they really do hit the spot when you’re looking for that light and fresh meal on a hot summer day. If making together, I suggest starting with the Avocado-Cucumber Gazpacho so that it can chill for as long as possible!
Recipe for Avocado-Cucumber Gazpacho:
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 Avocado From Mexico, pitted, peeled and diced
- 8 seedless mini cucumbers smacked and diced. *Does this do anything? Maybe. Does it feel great to do? Absolutely.
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 a shallot, diced
- 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Juice from ½ a lemon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 full fat sour cream
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Preparation:
- Pit, peel, and dice avocado. Smack cucumbers until just broken and roughly chop.
- Place all the ingredients (except garnish) in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the consistency, add additional water (1/4 cup at time) if you want it thinner.
- Chill for a minimum 1 hour or until ready to serve. (To chill fast, place a container of it into an ice bath).
- Top with edible flowers and cilantro & enjoy!
Recipe for Scallop Ceviche:
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 8 large scallops, muscle removed
- 1 baby cucumber, diced
- 1/2 a jalapeno, diced
- 1/2 a red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- Juice from 4 limes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 an Avocado From Mexico, diced
- Garnishes: Sliced radish, corn nuts, cilantro
Preparation:
- In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, jalapeno, red pepper, cilantro, and shallot. Mix and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, salt and sugar and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, drop in the scallops and poach for 1-2 minutes until opaque and cooked through. Remove them from the boiling water and them place into an ice bath immediately. Once cool to the touch, dice scallops then add to the vegetable mixture.
- Pour the lime juice mixture into the scallop mixture and mix until well combined. In a larger bowl, place a few cubes of ice and fill halfway with water. Place the ceviche bowl into the ice bowl to get ice cold. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and arrange into chilled serving dishes, such as scallop shells. Top with the diced avocado and garnish with sliced radish, corn nuts and cilantro. Enjoy immediately alongside chilled Avocado-Cucumber Gazpacho!
CHEZ CHANELLE 