Ingredients:
1 large red onion
2-1/2 to 3 cups pulp free orange juice
4 - 6 lemons
1 to 1-1/2 cups low sugar ketchup
2 cans of hearts of palm
*( or 16 oz cooked and peeled shrimp for non vegan version)
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/8 tsp garlic
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp tabasco sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
popcorn or maiz tostado (maiz chulpi aka cancha)
Put some water on to boil, then start by slicing the onion as thin as you can. Once sliced, place the onions in a colander in your sink, and pour the boiling water over them to dilute the strong flavor. Once rinsed well, squeeze the lemons over the onions (about 2-1/2 lemons) until the onions turn a pink color. Put the onions aside.
Add orange juice, ketchup, and juice of the remaining lemons to a large bowl (preferably plastic or glass and not metal). Add the salt, pepper, garlic, tabasco, and cilantro to the juice mixture, then add the onions. Drain and rinse the hearts of palm and cut them into bite-size pieces. At this point, it is best to refrigerate the ceviche overnight to let everything marinate. However, because this is the vegan version, it's safe to eat right away.
When you're ready to serve the ceviche, pop the popcorn or toast your maiz in a pan with oil over high heat. Serve the ceviche cold, topped with whatever type of corn you've prepared, and garnish with cilantro!
*The traditional recipe for this cold appetizer is from my bisabuela (great grandma), and this version is Ecuadorian. Abuela's original recipe uses shrimp, and you would substitute the shrimp for hearts of palm. To prepare the shrimp, boil the shrimp until pink, remove the tails, then add it to the soup at the same time you would add the hearts of palm BUT refrigerate overnight before serving!
NOTE the proportions are quite flexible, and that is on purpose! These are more of a guideline than absolute . Trust your tastebuds and alter them until it tastes tangy and right to you. Finally, you can also substitute flat orange soda for the orange juice in a pinch.
This dish sneaks in OJ, putting some vitamin C and nutrients into your diet. Additionally, the heart of palm is great for reducing blood pressure and is said to counterbalance some of the sodium in your diet. Onions also contain vitamin C and other essential nutrients like potassium and have been said to help improve immunity.