Tonights dinner "Pipirrana de pulpo" is a great summer salad dish from Spain. It is served in many tapas style bars. Yes I know all of you are saying "Octopus"?? Octopus is 139 calories for 3 cooked ounces!! Its packed with 25 grams of protein per serving as well. Octopus is eaten all over the world. The key to good octopus is the parboil before its eaten or used in other recipes. I like to use frozen over fresh for any octopus other than baby. Freezing helps to tenderize the flesh. I also buy them fully cleaned. I like to choose 1 to 2 pound ones as well. Simply rinse it off. Bring water to a low boil. Add 2 cloves garlic, salt, halved small onion, 2 bay leaves and just a small amount of vinegar. Now hold the octopus by the head and dip it 2 to 3 times before dropping it into the water. This causes the tentacles curl (better presentation). Cover and cook 40 min to 1 hour. Drain, chill then cut it to suit whatever dish.
The only change to make this dish healthy for my 5/1 diet is 1tsp olive oil instead of 1/4th cup
"Pipirrana de pulpo"
1 cooked octopus (cut into bite sizes pieces)
5 grape tomatoes (cut in half)
1 cup cucumber (diced)
1/2 green pepper (diced)
1 clove garlic (fine chop)
4 seeded green olives
1/2 small onion (diced I used Scallions)
1 tablespoon fine chopped parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff)
salt
pepper
vinegar (just a slash)
Mix it all together in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least a hour but overnight is fine too.
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