Crispy and Tender Octopus, Spicy Arugula, Red Pepper Romesco

Growing up I had a love hate relationship with octopus. As a kid I fancied myself an adventurous eater, I thought ordering octopus was a step in the right direction. Unfortunately my initial experiences with octopus did not turn out so well... it would be either too tough, or too mushy. Then I tasted a perfectly cooked piece of octopus and I needed to perfect this ingredient, soft, moist, crunchy. The key is to prepare the octopus in a flavorful broth, cooking it low and slow allows the flavor to infuse into the meat. Then you must sear the octopus in a bit of oil, butter and herbs, developing a delicious and aromatic crust. This recipe includes the rich preparation of octopus juxtaposed with crunchy jicama, spicy arugula and a velvety puree of well seasoned roasted vegetables and Marcona almonds. 

I hope you truly enjoy this recipe. I encourage you to try it, it will be well worth it. And as always, have fun when you are cooking and make the recipe yours. Follow your senses, follow your nose and tongue... it is far better than any recipe you will ever read. 

Ingredients

Braised Octopus
Octopus - 2 each cleaned 
Tomato - 1 each cut in half
Lemon - 1 each cut in half
Onion - 1 each sliced
Thyme - 3 sprigs
Bay Leaf - 1 each
Star Anise - 1 each
Juniper Berries - 2 each
White Wine - 3 cups
Seafood Stock - 3 cups

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/4 cup (to crisp after braise)
Butter - 1 tbsp
Rosemary and Thyme - 1 sprig each

Romesco Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper - 3 whole peppers with seeds and skin removed
English Cucumber - 1/2 peeled
Tomato - 1/2 cup diced
Marcona Almonds - 1/4 cup soaked
Shallot - 1/2 sliced
Smoked Paprika - 2 tsp
Olive Oil - about 1/3 cup
Sherry Vinegar - 2 tbsp (to taste) 
Lemon - 1 squeeze (to taste)
Honey - to taste (about 1 tbsp)
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Arugula, Jicama and Cucumber Garnish
Jicama - 1 cup small dice
Cucumber - 1 cup small dice
Arugula - 1 handful 
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Shallot - 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1/2 juiced
 

Method

Octopus - In a medium sized stock pot sweat the tomato, onion and lemon. When the vegetables become aromatic add the herbs, spices and both tomato and white wine.  Bring to a boil, turn down and add the octopus. Cover and place in the oven at 350 for 90 min. or until the octopus becomes very tender. Remove from the pot and let cool. 

To crisp, heat a pan over medium high heat and add olive oil, place seasoned octopus in the pan and cook for about 90 seconds on each side, or until it is golden and crispy. After the first side is cooked add some thyme to the pan for additional aroma. 

Romesco Sauce - roast the red pepper over an open flame, place in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap to let them steam. When they are cooled off a bit, peel the pepper and separate from the seeds. Do not wash them! That will get rid of all of the flavor. In a blender put the pepper, cucumber, shallot, almonds and a bit of vinegar. Blend on high. When smooth begin to drizzle the olive oil in. If it is too thick add a bit of water. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and sherry vinegar. Pass through a chinois (sieve) and then fold in the chopped herbs. 

Garnish - dice the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and toss in shallot, olive oil and lemon juice. 

To Plate -  Place the garnish of jicama and cucumber on the bottom of the plate. Randomly place the octopus tentacles around the plate. Pour the Romesco Sauce around the octopus and serve.  

Cumin and Turmeric Roasted Carrots

 

Often overlooked, the carrot posses a magical ability to tantalize ones taste buds. The secret to a good roasted carrot is to really roast it. Roast it hard. A carrot that is lightly cooked is good, but a carrot that is charred, and dances along the line of burnt is amazing. I have found that dusting the carrots in a mixture of cumin and turmeric adds to the richness and depth of the roasted carrot. A beautiful yogurt dressing with herbs and lemon off set the richness and provide a bright and acidic counterpart that rounds out the dish. Follow your senses in the kitchen, but I will say that if you think the carrot is ready, leave it a little longer... scary I know, but it will be worth it. 

Serves 8

Ingredients

Organic Carrots (variety of colors) - 2 bunches unpeeled
Turmeric - 2 tbsp
Cumin (seeds toasted then ground) - 2 tbsp
Salt and Pepper - To taste
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup

Dressing

Greek Yogurt (Fage) - 1 1/2 cup
Lemon - 1 1/2 juiced
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
Basil - 1 tbsp chopped
Mint - 1 tbsp chopped
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Pomegranate to garnish

Method

Start preheating the oven to 375 F. Begin to wash and peel the carrots. Take the stems off. 

Lay the carrots on a sheet tray and sprinkle with cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and mix with your hands, getting a nice coating of seasoning over each carrot. Lay them on the sheet tray evenly spaced. Place in the oven for 15 min. Check the carrot and if dark brown on the bottom turn over. Cook for an additional 10 min and then remove from the oven. 

Mix the yogurt, lemon, olive oil, basil, mint, salt and pepper, spoon over the carrots before serving. 

Cioppino - A San Francisco Fisherman Stew

 

Cioppino - A San Francisco Fisherman Stew

Close your eyes. Now picture yourself on the docks of San Francisco in 1880. Children in top hats perched on carriages trot by. The fresh air whips across the bay reminding you that your city never gets too hot. The fisherman are unloading their catch of the day. An old man with weathered hands carries a large pot down the docks, yelling, 'chip in, chip in!' The pot sings as clams, crab, and fish rhythmically strike the edges. The man places the soon to be stew over an open fire at the end of the dock. As the fire crackles he adds some wine, onion and tomato from just across the bridge and lets the catch simmer. The aroma thickens and wafts over the salty boats. The deckhands begin to look up at the man. Gratefully, they migrate to the source for  a taste of the stew. It was here that Cioppino was born. Truly a perfect for a cold San Francisco day. 

Serves 8

Collage By Inas Al-Soqi

Ingredients

White Onion - 2 each sliced
Fennel - 1 each sliced
Saffron - 1 pinch
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
Canned Tomato - 1 1/2 quart (6 cups)
White Wine - 1/2 bottle
Fish Stock - 1 1/2 quart 
Thyme - 3 sprigs

Mussels - 1 lb
Manila Clams - 1 1/2 lb
Squid - 1/2 lb
Sea Scallop - 1/2 lb
Jumbo Shrimp - 1/2 lb

Dill for garnish.

Method

Start off by slicing the onion and fennel. In a pot over medium heat add the vegetables to oil, sprinkle with a bit of salt  and saffron, cover, and let sweat stirring occasionally until they vegetables begin to fall apart and become sweet. 

Add the tomato,  and wine. Let wine reduce. Add the fish stock and simmer for 20 min.

As everything is simmering, prepare the seafood by washing the shell fish and removing the beard from the mussel. A fun way to prepare the squid is to lightly score the bodies at an angle and slice them into thin strips. They will curl into beautiful little flowers. Lay the shrimp, scallop and squid on a tray and season each side with salt and pepper. 

Now blend the soup, either in a vita prep or with a hand stick blender. Return to medium/low heat and season with salt and pepper. 

When you are ready to serve, add the mussels and clams to the broth, after 3 min add the shrimp followed by the calamari and then the scallops. Taste the broth again and season if necessary.

When the clams and mussels fully open in the broth the soup should be ready. Sever in a large bowl, garnish with fresh dill and enjoy! 

Brighten Your Day With This Bold Bali Salad

Rain pounded my Williamsburg apartment window. The weather was bleak, the concrete jungle of Brooklyn made it worse. Resting my eyes, the colors of Bali illuminated the back of my eye lids. I then became hungry...I was hungry for color, for flavor, and the freshness found only after a heavy rain. I decided to brave the storm and venture to the Union Square Greenmarket.

This time of year provides us with beautiful vegetables. This salad uses the spring season's bounty to create a satisfying and colorful salad that will transplant you to the beaches of South East Asia. 

Shaved Seasonal Vegetables with Mango and Tamarind Lime Dressing

Ingredients

Multi Colored Carrots - 1 each
Candy Cane Beets - 1 each
Watermelon Radish - 1 each
Daikon Radish - 1 each
Mango - 1 each

Garnish
Scallion - 1 each
Walnuts - 1 small handful 

Dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Lime Juice - 1/2 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Tamarind Dressing
Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 tbsp
Lime Juice - 1/2 tbsp
Coconut Sugar - 1 tbsp
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Method

As always, you must wash and peel the produce. Once we have taken care of the fun part, we get to shave these beautiful vegetables on a mandolin. The goal is to shave them as thin as possible and then submerge them in ice water so they curl into beautiful and unique shapes. This will add visual texture and wonderful mouth feel to the dish. Next, crush up the walnuts and slice the green part of the scallion thinly on a bias. Once your vegetables are shaved and soaking and the garnish is ready we can begin to make the dressing. 

To make the tamarind dressing I suggest that you throw all of the ingredients into a small mason jar and shake! Simple. 

*Note - sometimes you can only find a block of tamarind. To prepare this, you must break the block apart and soak it in 1 3/4 c. water for 20 min. Once it is soft, get your hands in there and mix away. You will notice that there are a bunch of shells - after it is well mixed, simply pass the paste through a strainer and store. 

The Finish - Dry off all of vegetables and place them in a mixing bowl. We want to season the vegetables but not cover them with the brown tamarind dressing...so simply dress them and the sliced mango with olive oil, salt, pepper and lime juice. Mix it up with your hand and give it a taste. The veg should taste great as is. 

Now, gently lay the salad in a line across a chilled plate. Drizzle some tamarind dressing over the top and sprinkle some crushed walnuts for texture. To top it all off add the little slices of scallion. 

Serve to someone you love! 

Veganize This: Greening Up Your Sushi Rolls

In High School I fell in love with cooking, which led me to working at a local sushi restaurant right next to University of Colorado at Boulder; arguably filled with the most beautiful women in the country.  My journey began in the back...making rice and mixing wasabi. But over the next year I worked my way up through the kitchen and to the sushi bar. Yes, the sushi bar meant I could chat up all the beautiful girls I could handle. 

It was on one rare occasion when a particularly gorgeous girl sat in front of me. Being the uniquely independent Boulderite she was (and I'm sure still is), she made a special request. Vegan sushi...no rice...just veg. Now at this point my wheels started turning. I questioned how I would impress the new love of my life. I could no longer pull out my special dishes of Hamachi (yellow tail tuna) and Ponzu (a citrus soy). So I got creative and this is what I made. 

Ingredients 
Serves 4

Vegetable Roll
Toasted Nori Sheet - 4 
Broccoli Sprouts - 4 small handfuls (one per sheet)
Alfalfa Sprouts - 4 small handfuls (one per sheet)
Red Beet - 8 battons (2 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch cuts)
Jicama - 8 battons (2 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch cuts)
Red Bell Pepper - 8 battons (2 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch cuts)
Cucumber - 8 battons (2 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch cuts)
Avocado - 8 thin slices, about half an avocado
Carrot - 8 battons (2 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch cuts)
Cilantro - spring
Basil - 8 leaves

Sauce
Ponzu -1/4 cup
Ginger - 1/2 inch nob 
Honey - 2 tsp

Method

For the roll  - First we must prepare all of our vegetables. I suggest that you cut them into small 'battons' (just shy of 2 1/2' x 1/4'' x 1/4'''). This will allow the texture of each vegetable to be recognized independently. Remember, we are going to roll this, so as long as the pieces are long and skinny, we are good to go! Lay your product out on a plate and hold on the side. Now it is time to roll...

On a dry surface, lay out the sheet of nori with the textured side facing up. If you are a vet, you can cut it in half and save some product. This will also make the roll a bit less chewy...otherwise you can lay the whole thing out. Next, evenly distribute the sprouts onto the sheet leaving a 1 inch space at the top. Place a few pieces of the basil and cilantro on the sprouts and then place a piece of each of the vegetables into the center of the nori. Ready...set...roll!  Give the exposed nori a little brush of water so it will stick to the other side. 

See, that was easy! Now for the challenging part: cutting. You want to cut the roll in half. Then we want to move those pieces next to each other and make three even cuts through the two halves. This will give us 8 beautiful pieces.

For the sauce -  Peel and microplane (grate) the ginger into the ponzu. Whisk in the honey and serve! 

Dreaming Of Bondi Beach And Avocado Toast

There is nothing more Aussie than avocado toast...when I went to Australia a few months back the avocado toast craze was in full swing. Lucky for me, two of my favorite things in this world are a perfect avocado...and a crispy piece of gluten free toast. If I want to make anyone smile - this is what I make for them.

When I stopped eating gluten, the thought of never eating grilled bread again made me quite sad. Until I found some amazing GF breads. My favorite? 'Udi's' - a good old Colorado based company with awesome 'millet, chia - gluten free bread'. 

I tend to make this when I am craving a satisfying, healthy and light midmorning, afternoon, night or late night snack... really whenever. Get creative with it, I happened to pick up some beautiful watercress at the Union Square Green Market - so I decided to make a nice salad this time.  

The Ingredients

Gluten Free - Bread (Udi's Chia Millett) - 1 slice
Organic Avocado - 1 each
Cherry Tomato - 3 each 
Lemon - 1/2 each
Watercress - small handful 
Local Honey - 2 tsp
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp
Chili Honey (take 1/4 tsp of honey and pinch of red pepper and mix)
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Apple Cider Vinegar - 1/2 tsp 
Salt and Pepper - to taste
 

Method

Avocado - First take your avocado, scoop it into a mixing bowl and mash it up a bit with the back of your fork. Next, season it with 2 tsp of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Avocados can take a lot of salt so don't be too shy. Slice the cherry tomato in half length ways and gently fold it into the avocados. 

Toast - simply take the toast and grill it or toast it... which every you desire...

Watercress - drizzle a teaspoon of oil, honey, apple cider vinegar and some salt and pepper over the watercress. Gently coat the leaves, using only your hands to mix. 

The Finish - Take your perfectly grilled piece of bread, and scoop a nice hunk of avocado on to it. . . top it with the watercress salad and drizzle with chili honey.

Serve to your self of your favorite crush. It will make them smile - guaranteed.