The Collective Series: Hearts of Palm Ceviche w/ Guest Chef Noeli

Looking to enjoy the flavors of ceviche, but wish it could be plant-friendly? Today, on the blog I’m introducing Guest Chef Noeli and her delicious recipe for Hearts of Palm Ceviche. The recipe is super simple and full of bright and fresh flavors. The ceviche can be eaten on it’s own, or turned into taco night with the addition of black beans and avocado. Learn more about Noeli and get her amazing recipe below! 

This post is the first to launch The Collective Series! 

The Collective Series is an opportunity to feature other chefs and content creators as a way to connect through a common passion – healthy and delicious food. I’ve always wanted to create something bigger than myself by providing a platform from which others can benefit from. I thrive on community over competition and am fueled by the idea of a team, rather than a one woman show. We all have so much to learn from one another, and are better, stronger together. I am so excited to introduce this new corner of the blog to you! 

To kick off this new series, I am honored to introduce you to Chef Noeli who has been a part of the FitLiving Eats team by helping with cooking classes and private chef clients. Noeli is never without a smile and positive attitude, and is beyond talented in the kitchen. 

Noeli is a chef and culinary creative who is passionate about empowering others through food that makes you feel good. Her goal is to inspire a love for cooking by sharing delicious and easy recipes in a positive way. She is a private chef in the Orlando area, and founder of Consciously Coastal, a blog and Instagram platform where she shares nourishing recipes that use whole, vibrant foods. Noeli is a graduate of le cordon Blue, after which she worked in several well-respected restaurants, including Prato and The Sanctum. Since then, she has catered several wellness retreats, and most recently partnered with Lululemon. 

CP: Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your background in the culinary and wellness space? 

N: I have always felt deeply connected to food because of how celebrated it is in my family/culture. After my first year of college, I decided to transfer to culinary school and further fell in love with cooking and creation in the kitchen. From there, I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with food, as well as how I wanted to use food, not only as a comfort but as a healing tool. I owe a lot of my knowledge in wellness to that growth period, and working with Hannah Aylward Nutrition and FitLiving Eats. 

CP: What is your approach to cooking? 

N: I have always prioritized flavor. Balancing flavor with nutrition came later in my life, but in a way, I’m glad it did. I feel my foundation in flavor gives me the ability to make simple, nourishing ingredients taste as good as they make you feel.  

CP: What gets you most excited in the kitchen?

N: Probably eating? Haha But honestly, I get so excited over the thought of just sharing food with others and seeing their joy over the flavors in a dish I whipped up. I also get pretty jazzed over matte Ceramic bowls and plates. 

CP: What is the first recipe you ever created? 

N: Oh gosh, I have been cooking ever since I could see over the kitchen counter, so I can’t remember the true first thing. I remember these epic “club sandwiches” I used to make for me and my sister when we were home alone. They were inspired by this beach resort we used to visit in the summer as kids. Something about ordering a stacked sandwich cut into triangles made me feel very adult. 

CP: What is your favorite recipe you ever created? 

N: I’ve always been so bad at picking ONE thing. Favorite band, favorite movie, my taste in just about everything is so all over the place, it’s hard for me to narrow it down to one. But a staple that I love that usually only comes out around the holidays is mashed potatoes. They are a favorite for anyone who’s had them. 

CP: Tell me about your most horrific kitchen fail… 

N: Well, there was the time I ruined a pretty costly pasta filling when I worked at a well-known, local Italian restaurant by adding one too many measurements of bread crumbs. The time I made a huge amount of vegetable stock a bit too oily while working at a plant-based restaurant. And probably once every other week (or more), something happens when I cook dinner for my partner and me on a day where I know I am too tired to cook and should ask for help instead of soldiering on. I really admire Samin Nosrat’s take on failure in the kitchen. It’s normal, it’s okay, and it’s beneficial to our growth as chefs, even though in the moment I don’t always feel that way.

CP: If you could only enjoy one food for the next 30 days, what would it be? 

N: My inability to choose one thing is really being exercised in these questions, haha! If it’s something that makes my body feel good when I eat it, probably salads. They are so versatile and leave me feeling full, but energized every time. I love greek salads, tropical fruit salads, or a good breakfast salad. In regards to something that makes my soul feel good? Tacos. Always tacos. Anything involving tortillas really. 

CP: What was the inspiration behind this recipe? 

N: I was born in Puerto Rico. Being from the Caribbean, seafood is HUGE. I also have a deep love for Mexican and Peruvian cuisine, and they each have their own beautiful variations of ceviche. The bright flavors of this dish paired with some seared tortillas or crisp tortilla chips transport my taste buds back home to a tropical paradise. I knew I had to make a plant-based version of this. Like I said earlier, anything involving tortillas is a win in my book. 

Hearts of Palm Ceviche w/ Guest Chef Noeli

• Author: FitLiving Eats by Carly Paige

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 15-ounce can hearts of palm, drained
• ¼ red onion, finely diced 
• ¼ red pepper, finely diced 
• 1 roma tomato, finely diced 
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced 
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 
• 2 limes, juiced 
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• Salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine.
2. Serve with tortilla chips or turn it into a taco by serving on a seared tortilla with black beans and avocado slices. 

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Keywords: collective series, guest chef, noeli, ceviche, hearts of palm ceviche, salsa, seafood, vegan appetizer, vegan ceviche

To get more of Noeli’s delicious recipes, visit her blog at consciouslycoastal.com and follow her on Instagram @consciouslycoastal.