WHEN YOU’RE FEELING frazzled after a hectic week of work, family life, social obligations and interactions – both online and offline – seeking out the energy to cook for yourself can feel like an impossible task. It’s at these energy-low times when simple recipes really show their value to the harried home cook.

Ceviche is a dear friend and powerful ally to the overworked and overwhelmed. This seafood dish is a staple of Latin America and is typically made from fresh raw fish cured in lemon or lime juice and spiced with chilli.

Around the world, ceviche can be made with white fish such as halibut or sea bass, or shellfish such as clams and shrimp. For Irish cooks, hake is a great choice while the overpowering cod should be avoided at all ceviche costs. If you can get it, tuna steak is divine when cured with citrus juice though it requires less contact with the lemon or lime, and can become tough if over-cured.

Hake ceviche will keep for a day in the fridge, though the cooking process will continue as long as the hake sits in the citrus juice. If you’re not into flour tortillas, try this mix on toast or added to greens for a salad.

Aoife McElwain Aoife McElwain

10 Minute Ceviche Tacos
Serves 2 (easily doubled)

Ceviche

• 250g hake, skin removed
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Avocado Mash

• 1 ripe avocado
• Juice of 1 lime
• Half a teaspoon of smoked paprika
• Salt
• Pepper

Tomato Salsa

• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 2 radishes
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped

To serve

• Tortilla wraps
• Hot sauce
• Sour cream
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Aoife McElwain Aoife McElwain

Method
1. Use a very sharp knife to dice your hake into cubes. If you’re finding it hard to slice, you can use kitchen scissors instead. Place the fish into a bowl and add the juice of the lemon and lime. Add the chopped chilli, salt and pepper, and fresh coriander. Mix and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Make the guacamole by slicing in half and removing the stone. Spoon the avocado into a bowl. Add the lime juice and smoked paprika, and use a fork to mash it until you reach your preferred guacamole texture. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves and then quarters. Scoop into a bowl. Finely slice the radish and add to the tomatoes. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime, season with salt and pepper, and add a sprinkling of fresh coriander.

4. Heat your tortilla wraps in the oven. Serve the ceviche on the warmed tortillas with your avocado mash and tomato salsa. Top with a dollop of sour cream, a dash of your favourite hot sauce and a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.

Aoife McElwain Aoife McElwain

Side Recipe: Coriander Buttered Corn

• 2 fresh corn on the cob
• 1 heaped spoonful of butter
• Teaspoon of chilli flakes
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Method
1. Boil, grill or BBQ your corn on the cob according to the packet instructions.

2. Place the butter and chilli flakes in a small saucepan over a low heat until the butter is melted.

3. Serve the hot corn on the cob with the melted butter, and a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.

More: Brunch at home without the hassle: 2 delicious crowd-pleasing recipes to get you started>