Of all recipes I tasted in Costa Rica, this one delighted me the most. I used to love fresh fish ceviche but have stopped eating it because of sustainability and health concerns about eating fish. But this recipe brings all the cool citrus flavor and texture of the traditional ceviche I used to eat, with none of the health or environmental risks.
Hearts of palm are harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees, and Costa Ricans eat them cooked or in salads. Easy to enjoy and prepare, they are rich in immune boosters vitamin C and zinc. This ceviche is traditionally made with searingly hot habanero peppers, but you can substitute with sweet or mild peppers if you are spice averse.
1 cup hearts of palm, sliced into small rounds (use fresh, canned, or jarred)
1 small sweet onion (like Vidalia), quartered and sliced
2 small sweet red peppers, cut into 1⁄4-inch dice
1⁄4 small habanero pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 to 2 limes 1 teaspoon salt Pepper (optional)
Combine ingredients through cilantro in a bowl, drizzle with lime juice, and add salt; toss to combine.
Season with pepper, if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy alone or served with popcorn, plantain chips, or tortilla chips.
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
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