Shrimp & Squid Ceviche

This dish is popular in Central and South America, but it reminds me so much of the spicy yam pla muk (squid salad) of Thailand and kinilaw (raw fish salad) of the Philippines. The original recipe is called Shrimp Ceviche.

I followed it EXCEPT I used nine medium size shrimps and seven squid, while using half of the other ingredients. I would have doubled the amount of shrimps as well, the dressing is so goooood!

Since I didn’t have jalapenos or green peppers I substituted with a teaspoon each of Chula garlic chili sauce and tabasco sauce, enough to make my mouth tingle.

I put all ingredients except the shrimp, squid, and avocado in a margarine container so I could mix them easily with the lid on

I washed the frozen shrimp and squid by pouring hot water from the tap three times, then soaked it in boiled water for 1-2 minutes. I don’t like them overcooked.

 

The avocados are small, and I would have easily used the whole fruit because they really neutralized the tartness of lime and lemon sauce. In hindsight, I should have also kept the remaining sauce for tomorrow to save myself the trouble of mincing more onions, garlic, celery, and cilantro.

 

Thai Shrimp & Squid Salad with Glass Noodles

Yam Pla Muk is one of my favorite Thai seafood dishes, and I was so thrilled to find frozen squid at our favorite Asian grocery store, along with the glass noodles. I used the same recipe for the basic Thai Shrimp Salad, but also added cucumber, and celery. Make it as spicy hot as you can handle with Thai chilis or tabasco sauce.  If it’s available, mangoes will really complete this dish.

 

Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls

These were often served as appetizers, but they are rather filling. So I have started making three of these more often for a low-calorie carb and protein lunch with sweet chili sauce.

 

 

Thai Shrimp & Herb Salad

If you don’t fancy the tedious work of making Vietnamese spring rolls, here’s a similar dish sans the cumbersome rice wrapper: Thai Shrimp and Herb Salad. You will need most of the same ingredients such as glass noodles (a.k.a. vermicelli, mung bean, cellophane, bean thread noodles), medium or large shrimps, cilantro, and basil. I have been using this recipe for years, and it tasted best with grilled shrimps.

This recipe was published by Jill Dupleix thru Reader’s Digest, but it’s not there anymore – so I’m glad I kept a hard copy. Be sure to look up “Jill Dupleix recipe” as she has many interesting recipes published in different sites.

RECIPE

• 200g bean thread noodles
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered (or regular tomatoes)
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• 3 small red shallots, finely sliced
• 8 cooked prawns, peeled (medium prawns or large shrimps)
• Handful of fresh mint, cilantro, basil
• 2 tbsp. peanuts, chopped
• 1 lime quartered

DRESSING

• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sugar

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

I love fresh spring rolls and I would rather have these made for me at a restaurant, because I’m so clumsy with the wrapping. But my friends and I had a great time when I prepared its ingredients for a DIY appetizer before dinner in Lagos. Just prepare the cooked shrimps, glass noodles, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, cilantro, basil, and wrapper. The first time we did this I followed the recipe strictly. But the wrapper I found here in Spokane are bigger, 8-inches, so I just fold these in half first in lukewarm or room temperature water. If it was any warmer the wrapper gets soft too fast and difficult to lay flat on a plate. The 6-inch wrapper is better. I also found out that bottled sweet chili sauce and Knorr or Maggi seasoning, or even plain soy sauce will do just fine and save me the effort. We just put the sauces over the shrimps before wrapping the roll. Thawed frozen shrimp can be boiled in a minute, but simply omit it for a vegetarian version. Anything more than two can be a meal in itself, and no longer just appetizer.

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vietnamese-fresh-spring-rolls/