Delicious Sea Scallop Ceviche

Little too muggy out there? I think so.

Even though I get to come home and cool off in some nice strong A/C, sometimes I don't feel like cooking. Maybe I'm feeling lazy, or just need a refreshing meal that goes with an ice cold beer.

Ceviche is one of my favorite summer foods. You "cook" the fish in citrus juice by just letting it sit together. I've never made it at home before a few weeks ago. I started with a recipe from the New York Times which has turned out excellent twice now. I tried it with monkfish, which I found tough, but it's exceptional with scallops.

Tender, juicy scallops with tomatoes and herbs

Sea scallops become tender, juicy, meaty bites of cold refreshing citrus tang. Also, there's little chance of bacteria with scallops, as opposed to fish - which you would want to be exceptionally fresh. Good scallops are much easier to find, and much more manageable to slice. This is one of my favorite easy meals this summer!

Next time you're craving ceviche, try making it at home using this solid-tried-and-true recipe for scallops. To be honest, I skipped all the peppers, and used shallots instead of onions to make it slightly milder for my stomach, and it was still excellent. Make sure you only marinate it 30 minutes, tops, assembling the components only when you know you'll eat in half an hour. Don't worry, I've served it to a few people and no one got sick. It's safe, because the lime juice kills any bacteria.

Desert Pepper Roasted Tomato Chipotle Corn Salsa is delicious, and you feel like you're actually eating your veggies.

Chips & Salsa are no-fuss companions to ceviche. Try plantain chips, also, they're even better.

Pair ceviche with chips & salsa for a super easy, lazy meal (also great for a party). Both go nicely with something cold and fizzy, like a beer or dry sparkling wine.

If you're feeling like you might be able to muster the energy to chop some more herbs, blend something and possibly boil some pasta - this ceviche goes nicely alongside simple pesto-pasta. That's another one of my favorite summer recipes, and still very little cooking involved.