Shrimp Pineapple Ceviche

Put it in the books—I did body weight-bearing leg exercises yesterday. I have quite the issue with committing myself to strength training but I cannot tell you how much I do want to get into it. I love the slightly sore feeling I get the day after a great workout.So don’t get me wrong because I know the importance of it and the great outcomes that comes from it, I just need to COMMIT. I am thinking about dipping my toes into the cross fit world…but we shall see.

After a 10 minute warm up run on the treadmill I completed this leg workout I found on Pinterest:

leg workout

I then did 5 minutes on the rowing machine followed by ab strengthening. Today marks the beginning of the 3rd week of the 30 Day Abs Challenge which means a new workout has been posted. Here is week 3:

30 day abs

A reminder that on the off days they encourage you to do at least a 1 minute plank. I am still loving this challenge. Am I seeing results? I think so…slowly but surely? 🙂

For lunch: mixed greens with baby bell peppers, and shredded chicken from dinner the night before. I didn’t get too creative with this one now that I look back at it!

chicken salad

 I also had an apple and a couple of dates.

In the afternoon I got absorbed in a book on the treadmill and couldn’t believe when I looked  at the time and I had been walking for an hour. I had to force myself to stop so I could get a couple of productive things done around the house!

For the past couple of weeks I have been attempting to plan out meals ahead of time in the hope that it will help me to stay creative during the week when I might otherwise be feeling like just tossing a salad together (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). This week our evenings at home are scarce, so I decided not to plan a week’s worth of meals, but one thing I had decided on for last night was CEVICHE!

I was first introduced to ceviche in Bogotá, Colombia in November when I was visiting my brother Jeff. According to Wikipedia, ceviche is usually made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices, and spiced with chili peppers. Additional seasonings, such as chopped onions, salt, and cilantro, may also be added but there are also other versions of this dish.

The ceviche I chose in Bogotá had shrimp, plantains, onions, and a creamy sauce. It was amazing. Sweet and salty.

ceviche

When we traveled to Atlanta later in November, I stumbled upon another gem of a ceviche full of shrimp, scallops, pineapple, cilantro and spices.

Shrimp Ceviche from Atlanta…

ceviche atlanta

 I have fallen in love with ceviche. It was time to recreate that dish from Atlanta.

I chopped red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, pineapple, and shrimp and tossed it together in a bowl with lime juice, salt and pepper, a dash of garlic powder, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a tiny bit of heat. I plated it up along with some romaine leaves and called it Shrimp Pineapple Ceviche!

shrimp ceviche

shrimp ceviche

It turned out SO well and it is so darn healthy too.

Shrimp Pineapple Ceviche
Print
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced finely
  • 1 Tbsp. red onion, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup pineapple, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked shrimp, chopped
  • juice of half a lime
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a dash of garlic powder
  • a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well. Serve cold by itself or with lettuce scoops or endive leaves.
This dinner comes together in about 10 minutes. Yes seriously 10 minutes. Give it a whirl and see if you like it!
I’m off to take on my day—-in the next 5 minutes I need to decide whether or not to get my yoga on or go for a run. I’m thinking since I slept wrong on my neck that a slower yoga session might be a good choice. Hmm…decisions decisions.
Have a great day my friends!
Continue Reading Shrimp Pineapple Ceviche

Colombian Vacation: Part II

Let the second and final half of our Colombian vacation recap prevail! In case you missed it, check out the first half of my journey to Bogotá, Colombia.

I’m starting off from where I left off in Part Uno which is Saturday evening, just before heading out to dinner.

Jeff and Ana were really hyping up our dinner/night out joint all day. They said it is the coolest place and when asked to compare it to something from back home, they couldn’t.

“It’s indescribable, you just have to see it, then you’ll get it.”

The destination was called Andres Carne de Res, which basically means it’s a steak house. We drove about a half hour out from Jeff’s place to get there. Upon arrival I knew that this place was going to be incredible.

After parking our car in the lot, we were walking towards the restaurant entrance and passed two small buildings; one being restrooms and the other a room with little cots set up in case people had a few too many mojitos and needed a little rest. Crazy right? But smart.

Next, after paying the cover charge to get into the restaurant and bar, we were given bright red hearts to wear as our entrance tickets. We made our way to the entrance and were led to our table. I took in all of the eclectic decorations and was immediately struck by the lively atmosphere. This place is indescribable. They’re right.

 

The pictures I have don’t even begin to capture the outgoing and energetic ambiance. The energy inside was contagious. They greeted us newbies with crowns and sashes and entertained us with a little song and dance.

We sipped on our mojitos, ate some fabulous appetizers, steak, and desserts while enjoying eachother’s company, but the highlight of the evening was definitely this…

The dance floor. EVERYBODY was dancing. This is what Latin America is known for. They can all move. Every single one of them. I was so impressed and loved shaking it to popular music from the region. I didn’t understand the lyrics but it didn’t matter. The way everyone would cheer at the beginning of their favorite songs let me know if it was going to be a really good one or not.

We danced our little legs off for a good three hours (don’t mind the creepy eyes from a couple of us in this photo) before getting a ride back home.

And I crashed. Andres was amazing.

Sunday

On Sunday we all got well acquainted with the couch. We did get up to go to the market to buy some local fruits, snacks, and chocolate to bring home to family and friends, but besides that, the day was pretty much a relaxing one.

I loved trying the different fruits from the region! The market was like heaven for me.

 

Eventually, we cleaned up and headed out for a late dinner on our last night.

I don’t recall the name of the restaurant, but it specialized in meat mostly: steaks, chicken, seafood, and the special of the day was lamb. I wasn’t feeling too adventurous that night, so I stuck with the chicken. It was in a red wine sauce and topped with fresh herbs. Pretty tasty!

Ana and Jeff surprised me with birthday presents considering they won’t be seeing me on my birthday which was SO sweet and completely unexpected. They gave me a super cute black purse and a scarf. I love them both. I wore the scarf the next day in Bogotá, which is the perfect segway…

Our last morning in Bogotá

We got so lucky with nice weather during our stay. Jeff couldn’t believe how nice it was while we were there. He said it was unseasonably warm and dry. It even hit 80°F one day! Typically it rains just about every day and the temperature hovers right around 65° F. The last morning was a rainy one, but it didn’t stop us from heading out.

We started our day the right way…with Colombian coffee (num) and then made our way to the mall for a brunch time lunch.

Jeff and Ana wanted us to try this burger joint that they enjoy. It was kind of funny to me ending our trip with an all-American meal, but I liked it. I was having a difficult time making a decision (weird) so I ordered a regular burger with tomato and lettuce on a whole grain tortilla.

It hit the spot. We hung out and chatted as I soaked up every last bit of Jeff that I could before he head to bring us to the airport for our departure back to Minnesota.

Our weekend in Bogotá flew by but was filled with so many wonderful memories, sights, FOOD, and friends. I am so happy that we finally made the journey out to visit Jeff to see where he lives, works, hangs out, and to meet his wonderful friends and beautiful girlfriend. Thank you for everything! I love you so much and can’t wait to see you again!

Te amo,

Your baby sister.

 

Continue Reading Colombian Vacation: Part II