Pulpo Guisado (Stewed Octopus + Cilantro Quinoa + Mango Slaw)

I've pretty much always been an "adventurous" eater.  Even as a kid, I loved ordering the "weird" menu items: oysters, octopus, frog legs, lamb. Getting octopus in Greek Town after church on a Sunday was a highlight for me.  In the Greek hole-in-the-wall tavernas, octopus is served either stewed in a red tomato sauce and served over rice -OR- marinated in a deliciously tangy oregano, olive oil, lemon marinade and served cold as an appetizer or the way I learned to love it:  over a big Greek salad.   I haven't had much of it in recent years, unless I go to Greek Town, or go to a sushi place and order octopus sashimi, which is a little rubbery and bland for my liking.

On the last evening of our most recent trip to Costa Rica, I got to experience it in a completely new way.   Browsing the menu of KOKi Beach, Matt & I both landed on "Pulpo":  octopus stewed in white wine, ginger & garlic, served with potato puree and sauteed veggies.   Consider both of us SOLD.  The stew came in a good sized bowl on an over-sized plate with the accoutrements. The sauce was a buttery rich brown with a ginger warmth.   Next to the bowl was a healthy amount of pureed golden potatoes decorated with yucca chips and tender steamed carrots & zucchini.  The main difference of this octopus to all of the other times?  Texture; it was *actually* tender.  Our awesome bartender/waiter listed off the ingredients that he knew of and I scribbled them in a mental note.

The other day at Honey Bee, while grabbing some staples, the octopus appeared for only $3.99/lb!

Serendipitous.  I already had all of the ingredients in my cart, except the white wine.   So here's my first attempt at recreating this gorgeous dish at home:

NOTE:  this is not a quick dish.

Prep caramelize time: 30-40 minutes
Cook time:  approx. 2 hours

Equipment for the octopus: 

Meat mallet
Salt
Crushed ice
Gallon-sized ziplock bag





Ingredients:

1 small (1 - 2 lb) octopus, cleaned (beak & eyes removed)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 large cloves garlic (about 2 tbsp) minced
Fresh ginger (about 2 tbsp) minced
1/2 bottle white wine; I used Pinot Grigio
1/2 stick butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste.

Directions: 

First and foremost, dice that onion up.  Heat a pan to medium with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil.  Caramelize the onion.  This should take a good 30 minutes.   Stir frequently. While you're doing this, listening to some good jams and drinking a glass of vino is most acceptable.  Prep your ginger & garlic.   You have plenty of time to prep your octopus now.

Rinse octopus.  Inspect it because it's pretty cool looking. Cut the tentacles off and into thirds.  Chop up the "head" into bite sized pieces.  Now, put the pieces with about a teaspoon of sea salt and a cup of crushed ice into the gallon ziplock.  Close and put into a larger grocery bag.  Beat the whole thing with a meat mallet.   Tenderize the heck of out it.  Without this step, your octopus might turn out pretty rubbery. Important note to pass along:  it is advised to wear gloves when handling an octopus because some people get a skin reaction.  Since I didn't have any available, and don't have any known food allergies, I took my chances and ended up ok - rash free.  Once you have it all prepped, let it drain in a colander.  

When your onions are an even golden brown, add in the minced ginger and garlic.  Stir them in for 1-2  minutes or until fragrant.   Dump in the 1/2 bottle of wine and remaining 3 T butter.  Turn up the heat to bring it to a low boil.  Add in the octopus.  Bring down to a good simmer (bubbling but not boiling) and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so.   Now, uncover and let it go another hour, or until the sauce thickens up and reduces down to your liking and octopus is tender.   My sauce did break a bit at the end.  Next time I think I will add in a bit of flour and the butter to make a rue before adding the wine next time.

Instead of the potato puree, I whipped up a bit of quinoa pilaf and that did nicely to soak up the octopus and gravy.  For the pilaf, sautee onions in butter, cook them with quinoa according to package directions and add in a few tablespoons of fresh cilantro at the end.  In substitute of the veggies at KOKi Beach, I freshened things up with a red cabbage-mango-cilantro-citrus-jalapeno slaw tossed with honey, lemon, salt and evoo.

My version turned out with a fantastic texture and flavor and I will be making it again.  For reference, here is KOKi's delicious presentation with the potato & veg medley. Please excuse the bad cell phone shot:



Octopus-lovers, I certainly urge you to try this one at home or at KOKi Beach...and please share your outcome if you do!

Ceviche!

 

Ceviche (Left), served with Gallo Pinto and Ensalata Mixto 

Hola from Costa Rica! Its a drizzley evening here in the jungle, and a good time to recap ceviche while it is fresh in my mind.

Ceviche is a seafood dish found all over Latin America with countless variations. Peruvians add corn, sometimes its super spicy, other times rather plain. I have had ceviche with everything from scallops to octopus to snapper to shrimp, etc. and all sorts of combinations of seafood. What makes ceviche unique is that the fish is "cooked" using acid, rather than heat like in traditional cooking. Basically, the raw seafood marinates for 4 or so hours in lemon, lime or lemon juice and salt, mixed with some onions and other vegetables.  If you like sushi, you'll love ceviche. Not only is it deliciously tart, spicy & flavorful, this is loaded with nutrients, omgega-3, protein, and plenty of minerals and vitamins from the raw veggies.

Today, on a bike trip to the farm market here in Puerto Viejo, we picked out some fantastic locally caught marlin. Cant beat fish from the ocean across the road! Marlin is a firm, fatty fish which in my opinion, makes a great choice for sashimi or ceviche.  Then we stopped to buy some fruit from a man selling on the side of the road.  We got pina (pineapple), pipas (coconuts) and cacao (chocolate in it's raw fruit form).  Limons, found in Central America, have green rind and look like an ugly lime. The inside is a surprisingly bright orange. They are delicious, tasting like a combination of lemon, lime and orange. So lovely!  

So with the inspiration of fresh and local in my mind...ceviche! Thankfully I have my super sharp knives packed in the International Mobile Kitchen. ;)

Angela's Marlin Ceviche
Dinner portion for 2, appetizer for 4

3/4 to 1 lb Marlin (or your choice of fresh seafood)
2 limons (or 1 lime & 1 lemon), juiced
4 T finely diced red onion
1/2 c diced tomatoes
3 T fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 c diced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 scotch or habanero pepper, minced
1/2 ripe avocado, diced

Cut seafood into bite sized chunks. Juice the citrus and pour over fish. Add salt, habenero. I add a small drizzle of olive oil too. Stir and cover. Refrigerate, stirring every hour. After 2 hours, add tomato, red pepper and onion. Cover and give it another 2-3 hours, stirring hourly.

When ready to serve, gently mix in the diced avocado and cilantro. Taste and add more salt if you like. Serve cold on a bed of lettuce. Bonus points for serving in a martini glass; very fancy and pretty! That's it...enjoy. warning, this is highly addictive. :)

Pura Vida!

Food Renegade!

The International Mobile Kitchen

Cooking & traveling are two great loves of my life; for me it's only natural they go hand-in-hand. Basically, my goal is both to experience & recreate local cuisine...kind of like Anthony Bourdain...except without a camera crew, free food, tour guides...  ;)   A really important item on my packing check list besides our The International Mobile Office is the International Mobile Kitchen.  "Why?", you ask. "Don't you want to relax while on vacation?"  I should mention that when we travel, we're pretty unconventional. We usually don't have too much of a plan or a schedule, we'll be gone from 10 days to a month, look for hostels or houses to rent with a kitchen.  When travelling for 3 weeks, it starts to make sense to think about cooking some meals not only to save money, but to stay grounded.  It's lovely to stock the fridge and eat local ingredients. 

For our upcoming trip to Costa Rica, we'll be taking a "quicker" venture back to a gorgeous Caribbean nook that we first visited in 2010 and staying on the same property as last time.   It's a rustic yet polished wooden cabina; private, tucked in the jungle and a two minute walk to the beach.  Best thing about the houses is their spacious kitchens with counter-to-ceiling windows that open right into the rain forest.  {Smile.}

Sometimes we we don't know where we'll stay yet, or the condition of the kitchen.  It's really nice to be able to have my own kitchen equipment.  I learned my lesson staying in hostels and rentals with completely dull knives and unsanitary looking cutting boards.  Basically, the only things to be counted on are a pot, a pan, silverware & plates.  I definitely have more of an idea of what to pack this time, since we know exactly what our kitchen will come with.  I skipped on a few items (like a french press) because this particular kitchen is well-equipped.  Here's what's coming to Costa Rica and why: 

Knife roll 

Chef's Knife

Slicing knife

Small curved knife

Kitchen Scissors 

Wooden spoon 

Vegetable peeler

Cork & bottle opener (obvious) ;)

Sponge

Kitchen Towel

Dish cloth

Potholder

Salt

Pepper

Hot Sauce

Olive Oil

Vinegar

Cumin

Beans (1 c black)

Rice (2 c brown)

Flexible cutting mats

I chose the knives for a variety of sizes & purposes, from slicing a mango to de-boning a fish or hacking up a chicken.  Scissors have a multitude of purposes; including cutting tortillas to make chips!  The spoon and other tools have obvious purposes.  Many times, rental kitchens don't include a towel or sponges to do the dishes, so we've found it's key to bring our own.  The cutting boards found in rental kitchens are usually thick plastic with way too many well-worn crevices which are breeding ground for bacteria.  I'd rather bring these cheapies! 

As far as the provisions, salt & pepper are obvious choices.  Olive oil is used for sauteeing and dressings; the vinegar is for salads and marinades.  I'm bringing cumin (leftover from our last trip to Guatemala) because so many Latin American dishes call for in.  The rice & beans are to make Gallo Pinto, Costa Rica's signature side of beans & rice, sauteed with veggies.   It would be super easy to procure the food items there, as there is a store about a block away.  Problem is, they don't necessarily in such compact containers and at the price of  "free". By at least starting with the basics, we can just shop at roadside stands and farm markets, knowing there are already some staples from home.  In fact, I recently located an organic produce delivery service that we'll get to try out!  So excited. 

"But isn't that a lot of STUFF to bring?"  Well, not really.  I'd say it weighs about 8 lbs total.  In fact, for a 10 day trip for two, we have managed to fit our mobile kitchen along with clothing, shoes & toiletries into ONE backpack.  Pretty impressive, eh?

It feels so much "cozier" to me when I have my own kitchen items and can cook freely with local stuff: fish, plantains, coconut, veggies, avocado, beans & rice. :)   Pieces of my own kitchen + My Squeezebox + the jungle, beach + my love = priceless.   Pura Vida!

P.S. Don't forget to pack snacks for the plane and in your room!

Food Renegade Fight Back Fridays

SuperFood Travel Mix

The worst thing about travel for me is the uncertainty of good, sound nutrition!  My body is so used to eating well on a regular basis, that eating junk for even a day has me thrown "off".  Besides, airport food is expensive and you're hard pressed to find anything healthy.  Before a trip, I make sure to pack some snacks in my carry-on to get me through the trip.  The trail mix above is super healthy, vegan & nutrient-dense.  It goes hand & hand with my mobile kitchen for our next journey... back to Costa Rica!

1 c cacao nibs
1 c salted organic peanuts
1 c dried cranberries or cherries
1 c raw hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 c raw pepitas

Mix well! Portion out into baggies for the plane, car, bus or just to have on hand in your purse or gym bag.

Nutrition per serving:
295 calories
21 g carbs
21 g fat
7 g protein

Cheesy Gallo Pinto Stuffed Peppers {Vegetarian}

Gallo Pinto is a Costa Rican staple translating directly as "Spotted Rooster". It's basically a spiced up version of black beans & rice. I make a big batch of this every week or two and it can be easily reheated as a side dish or mixed with greens as a salad option for the rest of the week!

For a hearty vegetarian entree, I've stuffed it into organic red bell peppers along with some grated cheddar cheese.

Gallo Pinto

Ingredients:

2c cooked white or brown rice (1 cup dry)
1.5 c cooked black beans (or use a 15oz can)
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
1/2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 handful cilantro optional
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
Sea Salt
Olive Oil

Directions:
In a large sautee pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and sautee onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add cooked beans and rice. Add spices and sea salt to taste and lastly, chopped cilantro. Sautee for a minute or two, until combined and hot.

Sometimes I add carrots (here) and/or jalapenos for added flavor & nutrition

Cheesy Pinto Gallo Stuffed Peppers (makes 2)

Ingredients:

2 large bell peppers of your choice
2 cups gallo pinto
1 large handful (about 1 oz) grated cheddar cheese and a little more for topping
Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare peppers by cutting the tops off and gutting them. In a mixing bowl, mix cheese with gallo pinto. Stuff each pepper and add a bit more cheese on top. Replace tops of peppers. Pour a tiny bit of olive oil onto your hands and rub on the outsides of the peppers (and the stems...this helps prevent burning). Bake for 30-35 minutes, until peppers are soft. When I'm only making 2 or 3, they fit really nicely into a loaf pan and aren't able to tip over and spill!

Super yummy and about 250 calories per stuffed pepper!

Banana-Avocado Smoothie

Learned this one in an Argentinian Bakery in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  I saw it on the menu and had to have it.  It's a perfectly tropical, nourishing breakfast.  YUM.

1 ripe avocado
1 ripe banana
1 - 1 1/2 c milk (regular, soy, rice, coconut - I'm sure they all work well)
1 tbsp honey**
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 c ice
(Optional) 1 handful of washed, prepped greens (spinach, kale, chard collards, etc.)

**NOTE:  Use real honey.  This is an old post, before I found that most of the store-bought honey (especially in cute little bears) is  NOT real honey, but a concoction based on corn syrup.  I now buy honey from a farm market or at least make sure it is a local source of real honey.

Blend & enjoy!

Nutrition:

Calories: 345
Fat: 20g
Carb: 39g
Protein: 8g