Fresh Tuna Ceviche (Real Food, Paleo, Whole30)

Is it hot where you live? Too hot to cook? So hot, you want to stay in your air-conditioned bedroom all day? Or is it just me?

I may have mentioned it before, but summers in Vegas are hot. And hot weather is just not my favorite thing to deal with. Neither is a hot kitchen. But having a family that eats three meals a day, meals made with real food - sometimes a hot kitchen feels inevitable.

I picked up some fresh tuna steaks last weekend with the vague lunch idea of grilled tuna over salad. And then it happened. I was hit with a sudden craving for ceviche. If you are not familiar with ceviche, it is a very popular seafood dish in Latin America, usually made with very fresh and very raw fish or shrimp (but usually served with cooked seafood in a restaurant) and it is one of my favorite foods.

I consider my dad to be the king of ceviche. A few years back, on a quick trip to Baja California with him, he bought a whole fish from a fisherman and took it back to our rental. He cleaned the fish himself, chopped it up and made a ceviche my kids still talk about. He is a king, I tell you!

My absolute favorite version is made with raw shrimp but since I can no longer enjoy my favorite dish due to an allergy, I decided to recreate this with those beautiful tuna steaks. And my entire family loved this.

We piled this salad on plates and my kids ate it with gluten-free rice crackers. A crisp tostada is more traditional and tasty, too.

Be sure to use the freshest seafood you can find. And the quality of the tomatoes makes a huge difference - do not use underripe tomatoes or those that have been refrigerated. I think, if you swing that way, some diced avocado would go nicely here.

I kept the spiciness to a minimum this time but normally I would add several more diced peppers - feel free to boost the spice by adding more,

Fresh Tuna Ceviche

2 lbs fresh tuna steaks
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced (plus more, as needed)
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon avocado oil
3 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more as needed
1 avocado, pitted and diced (optional)

Using a sharp knife, dice the tuna steaks into small to medium cubes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the tuna and stir well. Taste and adjust with additional salt, if needed. Serve immediately, with crackers or a tostada.

Refrigerate leftovers immediately and use within a day.

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