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

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!