Easy Tuna Ceviche in Avocado Cups

Although I'm still working on some of my Halloween recipes and decorating ideas, I'm switching gears from Halloween to cool summer salads and easy to prepare meals. We're smack dab in the middle of summer and the heat is relentless and I find myself in the kitchen only momentarily after being out and about with the kids all day. I have little energy or desire to cook. I'm sure I am not alone. I've been serving up the usual summer fare, burgers and chicken and dogs...last night, I made turkey tacos. Easy and unimaginative, but it gets the family fed. Anyway, this summer has been busy and now we are in the midst of some home repairs that will leave us in disarray for about a week which also doesn't lend to wanting to cook either. So, I was desperate to find recipes that were easy and yummy and I remembered an old recipe from my dear friend Suzette. She brought this dish years ago to a party and it was not only delicious but a wonderful idea using canned tuna. Try it and I promise you'll never want a tuna sandwich again!  Happy Summer!

Easy Tuna Ceviche in Avocado Cups

Serves 8 (slightly adapted recipe from Suzette Pedrin)

2 cans Albacore Tuna in water, drained
2 cans Light Tuna in water, drained
1-2 Serrano peppers, finely diced
1 bunch green onions
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
5-6 limes, juice & zest of two limes
1 t. garlic powder 
salt and lemon pepper (to taste)
8 small avocados, halved
16 tostada shells

Refrigerate the tuna with lime juice for one hour. Drain leaving some lime juice behind. Add veggies and seasonings and mix. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Add more lime as needed before serving.  Cut avocados in half and fill each half with tuna ceviche. 

To serve, use a spoon to scoop out the avocado and smash on tostada shells, top with Tapatio or Cholula hot sauce. Enjoy! 

 Other recipes to try:

Kale Salad with Strawberry Mango Salsa

Grilled Halibut Tacos

Easy Crab and Corn Pasta Salad

Hot weather makes a good excuse for easy dinners and quick cool salads. Who wants to spend too much time in the kitchen when it's so nice to cook and eat outside. Throw some burgers or chicken on the grill and make a salad and you're done. But sometimes I want more than a green salad. I want pasta salad and this recipe is delicious. I found this one from Wine and Glue on Pinterest. I made it and loved it and thought it would be even better by adding fresh white corn. The sweetness of the crab and the white corn are perfect together and the dressing is amazing. I may have to make this dressing just to have on hand for my green salads. It may seem like a lot of dressing for the size of this salad, but it's not. The pasta absorbs a lot of the dressing while it sits in the refrigerator, so before serving add extra dressing and give it a good stir. Throw some chicken or ribs on the grill and you've got dinner!

Easy Crab and Corn Pasta Salad

Serves 6 (Slightly adapted recipe from Wine and Glue)

8 oz. small shell pasta, cooked
1 package imitation crab, chopped
1 cup of white corn kernels
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
small bunch of green onions, chopped
1/4 t celery seeds
1/4 t lemon pepper
kosher salt (to taste)

Dressing
1 1/2 cup yogurt, plain nonfat
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Italian dressing (I used Olive Garden Italian)
2 T Old Bay Seasoning 
1 T yellow mustard
1 T soy sauce

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Refrigerate until cooled completely. Prepare dressing and refrigerate. Prepare vegetables and add to the cool pasta and mix well. Add lemon pepper and celery seeds.

Add about half of the dressing and mix well. Chill in the fridge for a  minimum of 2 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Taste the pasta and add salt as needed. 
Note: The pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so add more dressing and stir before serving. Enjoy!

I like to keep imitation crab meat in my freezer. It's vacuum sealed and quick to thaw which makes for easy appetizers, a quick crab cake dinner, or a nice addition to green salads. Here are a few recipes to try.

Easy Crab Cakes

Crab and Mango Won Ton Cups

Easy Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

I strike up the most interesting conversations with total strangers pretty much every time I leave my house. Whether it's at the grocery store, pumping gas, while on a walk, taking the trash out, or at a dog park. I feel like I meet these random strangers at the most perfect time in my life as I wrestle with my own life struggle or insecurity. I gain so much from these seemingly innocent chance encounters. Today, I took my dog to the dog park and walked in with an older man in a wheelchair.  We are new to the dog park but, I noticed him from the day before. He was clearly a local as he greeted most of the dogs by name and dog parents with a warm hello.
He was very open and talkative as our two dogs ran off to spend an hour at doggie Disneyland. He told me all about his life without asking. He was on the job as a Firefighter en route to an emergency when he and his partner were hit by a drunk driver. His partner died on impact and he survived. And survived he did. In the hour I spent with him, he highlighted the most life changing, most important details of his life. He told me about his wife and her strength and her never give up attitude. How after he got home from the hospital and had to re-adjust to his new reality of being in a wheelchair. His wife told him to clean the bathroom and kitchen floors as she left to run an errand with a neighbor. The neighbor was shocked and said, "How can you tell him to do that? He's in a wheelchair." His wife said, "He crawls on the ground better than I do. He can clean the floors." As he recollected about his wife, his affection was obvious and I could tell that he gained strength from her. He was tough as nails honest and hardworking. He talked about his 4 boys and how immensely proud he was of all of them. He talked about his own father and how he instilled the honor of hard work and perseverance.  He was a proud, tough and happy man and I am lucky to have met him. He was a strong reminder for me to be proud of my life and embrace the challenges and regret nothing. He also made me miss my dad. My dad used to remind me of who I was when I'd lose myself or when I was feeling low. But today, I found a small vestige of my father in a complete stranger in that when we parted ways, I felt better after spending some time with him.
 

Here is an quick and easy lite lunch that a snap to make with some imitation crab and poached white fish fillets. These are versatile in that you can also serve these as a crab burger with a bun and all the fixins. Add green tomatoes and coleslaw and more remoulade sauce...Yummy!  
I added tons of small diced veggies (of course) but feel free to finely mince them if you like a less rustic Crab Cake.

Easy Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Makes 8

1 package imitation crab, chopped
2 small cod fillets, poached and chopped
1/4 cup celery, small dice
1/4 cup red pepper, small dice
3 T parsley, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 t garlic powder
2 T Dijon mustard
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 t Old Bay Seasoning

flour and pepper mixture for dredging (to taste)
canola oil for frying

Easy Remoulade Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T Creole seasoning

Combine all ingredients for the crab cakes and add more bread crumbs as  needed to form crab cake patties. Dredge patties in flour/pepper mixture. Pan fry patties until browned and heated through. Drain on a paper towels. Serve with Remoulade Sauce, mixed greens and peppered radishes and lemon. 

Other recipes to try:

Blackened Shrimp Poboy Lettuce Wraps

Creole Beef Grillades

Creamed Corn Casserole