Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus)

Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus)

🐙 Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus) 🐙

This octopus ceviche recipe offers a delightful combination of textures, flavors, and colors with the citrusy brightness of the dressing complementing the tender ocean-y octopus and the freshness of the vegetables.

Cooked Octopus Tentacles (Pulpo Cocido) by Nuchar is a refrigerated product available at Costco and Amazon. The octopus is from the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean, a product of Spain. It has already been cleaned and tentacles have been separated from the head. Pulpo Cocido is already cooked and ready to eat. It is excellent sliced thin and served cold as in this ceviche, and also as in this Nobu-Style carpaccio dish.

Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus)

Receta de Ceviche de Pulpo

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Porchetta Roast and Sandwich

Porchetta Roast and Sandwich

Porchetta Roast and Sandwich

Exactly fourteen years ago, I hosted a Porchetta Party at my home where we crafted a lovely porchetta roast and other porchetta dishes entirely from scratch. However, this time around, things are a bit different. I’m opting for convenience by cooking a pre-made roast from Costco. While it’s a simpler approach, the results are still delicious.

Porchetta stands as an Italian culinary masterpiece. It involves a dexterous process of hand-rolling and tying a free-range heritage pork loin and belly. This delectable creation is stuffed with a blend of spices, garlic, and lemon zest. Seasoned with a mix of salt, lemon juice, and white wine, the porchetta is then roasted to perfection.

Porchetta Roast and Sandwich

With its succulent savory interior and crave-worthy crackly skin exterior, Porchetta Roast makes an impressive and photogenic centerpiece. Leftover roast can be transformed into equally spectacular Sandwiches.

Porchetta Roast and Sandwich

Porchetta Roast and Sandwich Recipes

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Two Vegetarian Hominy Soups

Hominy Soup

Two Vegetarian Hominy Soups

Pozole Verde
and
Velvety Hominy Soup

Vegetarian pozole verde offers a delightful departure from the traditional Mexican hominy stew typically featuring pork or chicken. This meatless rendition successfully preserves the lively flavors and comforting warmth that characterize classic pozole.

The heart of this dish lies in its rich green broth, which is made by roasting fresh tomatillos, green chiles, onion, and garlic. This roasted blend is then pureed with cilantro, oregano, and cumin resulting in a zesty and herbaceous base that forms the backbone of the vegetarian pozole verde.

Hominy contributes a pleasing corn-infused chewiness to the stew, while meaty avocado chunks replace the role of traditional meat. Lots of various toppings add flavors, textures, and colors.

The beauty of preparing a big pot of vegetarian pozole verde is the possibility of leftover soup and toppings, providing the chance to reimagine them into a completely new rendition which retains the essence of the original flavor profile but evolves into a unique soup with a creamy and velvety texture.

Hominy Soup

Two Hominy Soup Recipes

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Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

It isn’t the prettiest soup, but it sure is unique and flavorful and perfect for a cold weather meal. With plenty of sauerkraut left over from my Reuben Latkes, this Sauerkraut Soup was on the menu!

Sauerkraut soup, also known as kapuśniak in Polish, is a traditional Eastern European dish that features fermented cabbage as a key ingredient.

Kapuśniak typically contains a variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and potatoes. These vegetables add sweetness and depth to the soup. Instead of potatoes, this version features plump large lima beans. A good source of protein and fiber – large lima beans have a creamy texture, and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor.

Smoked sausage or kielbasa are often added to sauerkraut soup too, but this one is intentionally meatless. It’s a great comfort food, and many variations of the recipe exist, allowing for personal preferences and regional differences.

Dill is popular in Polish cuisine – bright and grassy, herbaceous and aromatic, fresh dill enhances the overall sensory experience of soup. And here, a generous dollop of sour cream balances out the sauerkraut. Homemade artisan bread with butter is the perfect accompaniment for dunking in the savory sour broth.

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup Recipe

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Lavish Latkes

Lavish Latkes

💙 Lavish Latkes 💙

Two Ways:
Caviar, Crème Fraîche, Chives
Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, Grated Radish

My deli-style Reuben Latkes were a big hit earlier in the week, but for the grand finale, we’re serving Lavish Latkes. Crème fraîche has a luxurious, velvety texture that balances the crispy fried savory latkes with a smooth and rich mouthfeel and a mild tangy flavor. Generous individual servings of caviar and smoked salmon add to the extravagance. Chives and grated radish add color, texture, and a tasteful finishing flourish.

Hanukkah Table

The last night of Hanukkah is special because all eight candles on the menorah are lit, creating a beautiful display of light. It is a time for reflection on the significance of the holiday, the importance of religious freedom, and the enduring spirit of hope and resilience. 💙

Lavish Latkes

Note: Caviar harvested from sturgeon is not kosher according to Jewish dietary law, fish must have scales and fins to be considered so. Sturgeon do not have scales. Whitefish, bowfin, and salmon roe, as well as vegan caviar, are excellent kosher alternatives to sturgeon caviar.

Lavish Latkes Recipe

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