Hearts of Palm and Lupin beans Vegan Ecuadorian Ceviche

On the left this is picture of  Anita, The Chef at Scalesia lodge at Isabella Island at Galapagos, Ecuador.  As promised earlier, I am going to post my very first video recipe of Ceviche, which is very popular in Ecuador. We just came back from our wonderful trip to Ecuador, Galapagos island and Amazon Rain forest.  In Galapagos we stayed at this wonderful lodge Scalesia on Isabella Island.  The chef of Scalesia Lodge Anita  and our  Gate1 Tour guide Paul, Aguilar (who is very knowledgeable and made this trip so much fun for all of us) together  they did a live presentation of how to make Ceviche with shrimp and for vegetarian version with palm of heart and Lupin beans.  Anita did not speak English so Paul is translating as she is doing the  demonstration on how to put the Ceviche togethe. Ceviche  (Spanish pronunciation:  is a Latin American dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lime  or lemon. It is also spiced with aji, chili peppers  or other seasonings, and julienned red onions, salt, and cilantro are also added.

Because the dish is eaten raw and not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh and consumed immediately to minimize the risk of food poisoning^,  Ceviche is often eaten as an appetizer; if eaten as a main dish, it is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavors, such as sweet potato, lettuce, maize, avocado or cooking banana^.

The dish is popular in the Pacific coastal regions of western South  America The origin of ceviche is from the ancient Moche culture and Vicus culture,  which today corresponds to the modern day countries of Peru and Ecuador^.  The technique of macerating raw fish and meat in vinegar, citrus, and spices escabeche was brought to the Americas from Spain and is linked to the Muslim heritage in Spanish cuisine. However, archeological records suggest that something resembling ceviche may have been indigenous to western South America as early as 2,000 years ago. 

First I am going to talk about these Lupin beans.  These are very rich in protein (40% of protein) and very nutritious.  We had these beans there and they are pretty good and I was impressed with the amount of protein that handful of beans can provide you.  Needless to say we had these beans in Ecuador in soups, salads and of course vegetarian version of Civeche.

Lupinus mutabilis is a species of  lupin grown in the Andes  mainly for its edible bean. Vernacular names include tarwi (in Quechaa II  pronounced tarhui), chocho, altramuz, Andean lupin, South American lupin, Peruvian field lupin, and pearl lupin. Its nutrient-rich seeds are high in protein, as well as a good source for cooking oil. However, their bitter taste has made L. mutabilis relatively unknown outside the Andes, though modern technology makes it easier to remove the bitter alkaloids Like other species of lupin beans, it is expanding in use as a plant-based protein source. 

The origin of L. mutabilis has been identified in the Andean region of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. In this area, the greatest genetic variability in the world was found. The plant has been domesticated for more than 1500 years, mostly because of its high protein content.

The bone-white seed contains more than 40% protein and 20% fat and has been used as a food by Andean people since ancient times, especially in soups, stews, salads and by itself mixed with boiled maize.  Like other legumes, its protein is rich in the essential amino acid lysine. The distribution of essential fatty acids is about 28% linoleic acid (omega-6) and 2% linolenic acid (omega-3). It has a soft seed coat that makes for easy cooking. It may not have been more widely used because of its bitter taste, due to the alkaloid content. It contains unusually high amounts of sparteine, which make up nearly half of its alkaloid content. However, the alkaloids are water-soluble and can be removed by soaking the seeds for some days in water.  QAs are heat-stable toxins; cooking alone does not remove the alkaloids^. Like other species of lupin beans,  chocho beans are expanding in use as a plant-based protein source in the world marketplace^.

L. mutabilis contains 42% of protein and 18% fat in average. The high fat content has allowed commercial oil pressing. The protein digestibility and nutritional value are reportedly similar to those in soybeans. 

There are two kinds of Lupin beans:

• There’s a bitter variety that takes longer to prepare as it needs to be soaked for several days in water, and water needs to be changed every few hours or at least every day. Then the beans need to be cooked, and if they’re still bitter then they need to be soaked again in water.
• The other kind of lupin beans is sweet, these beans are not literally sweet but they’re not bitter either (the variety is just called sweet). They can be prepared quickly, by just soaking them in water for a few hours, then they’re cooked for 30 minutes or until they’re sort of soft and yellow in color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here is the recipe on the link below on google photos, I hope you can open it, as I as not able to post the videos on this post, I hope you have fun watching it.  Please let me know, and if you have any questions..

Enjoy !

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6UFXuq7Lf6Fky98c6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hn2wbBRLDX1chZXL8

My Sincere Thanks to  Anita  at Scalesia lodge at Isabella Island at Galapagos, Ecuador. and our  Gate1 Tour guide Paul, Aguilar for above video demonstration of recipe. 

If you have hard time opening this here is a similar recipe I found on line you can follow it with following adaptation with as-trick signs in front of it.  Following recipe is courtesy of Vegetarian ceviche de chochos https://www.laylita.com/recipes/vegetarian-ceviche-de-chochos/

Vegetarian ceviche de chochos

Ceviche de chochos is a vegetarian ceviche made with chocho beans (lupini beans), onions, tomatoes, cilantro, limes, oranges and tomato sauce. It is served with maiz tostado, chifles or plantain chips, avocados and hot sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked and cured chochos or lupini beans 
  
• 1 red onion thinly sliced (julienned)
  
• 2-3 tomatoes thinly sliced
• Juice of 2 oranges 
• * One can of heart of palm sliced with its brine*
• * 2  cups of  Sliced mushrooms of your choice, slightly sauteed but not overcooked*
  
• Juice of one or two large limes
• *Chopped Jalapenos to taste*
  
• 1 small bunch of cilantro finely chopped (wild cilantro as per Anita and Paul's video)
• * Peanut sauce * to taste
  
• * Hot sauce * to tastes
  
• 1 tbs of light olive oil you can use regular olive oil  
  
• ¼ – ½ cup of tomato sauce or ketchup adjust according to your preference
• Salt to taste
• * Black Pepper *  to taset
  

Garnishes:

• Roasted corn or   corn nuts
• Chifles or plantain chips
• Avocado
• Aji or hot sauce
• * You can add chopped raw or ripe mango as toppings too*
  

Instructions

• Place the sliced red onions in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt (about 1 tablespoon) and cover with warm water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes, then drain the water and rinse well with cold water. This will help remove the bitterness from the onions.
• Combine the washed red onions, tomato slices, chochos, Heart of palm, Mushrooms,  tomato sauce or ketchup, chopped cilantro, Jalapeno peppers,  lime juice, orange juice, peanut sauce olive oil and salt and pepper to taste
  
• Let the chocho ceviche marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator before serving.
• Serve cold with  corn nuts, green plantain chips, avocado /Mango and hot sauce.
   
  Hint: Lupin beans are available in Jars in Italian or middle eastern store. If  you buy dry Lupin beans,  there are tons of instructions on line how to cook them safely, basically you need to soak them overnight and then pressure cook them like any another beans. 
  

Credits: 

Again My Sincere Thanks to  Anita  at Scalesia lodge at Isabella Island at Galapagos, Ecuador. and our  Gate1 Tour guide Paul, Aguilar for above video demonstration of recipe.

Above recipe adapted from Vegetarian ceviche de chochos https://www.laylita.com/recipes/vegetarian-ceviche-de-chochos/

Picture of Ceviche courtsey of http://wildgreensandsardines.com/2020/03/lupini-bean-ceviche-recipe.html 

Picture of soaked Lupin beans courtesy of https://littlesunnykitchen.com/lupini-beans/

Information source of Lupin beans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_mutabilis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License

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Stuffed Poblano Peppers with quinoa/portabello/corn and beans with Smoked Gouda or Cheddar

The poblano is a mild  chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ancho ("wide"). Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in chiles rellenos pablanos. While poblanos tend to have a mild flavor, occasionally and unpredictably they can have significant heat. Different peppers from the same plant have been reported to vary substantially in heat intensity. The ripened red poblano is significantly hotter and more flavorful than the less ripe, green poblano.

Preparation methods include: dried, stuffed, in mole  sauces, or coated in whipped egg (capeado) and fried. It is particularly popular during the Mexican independence festivities as part of a dish called chiles en nagada, which incorporates green, white, and red ingredients corresponding to the colors of the Mexican. This may be considered one of Mexico's most symbolic dishes by its nationals. It is also usually used in the widely found dish chile relleno. Poblanos are popular in the United States and can be found in grocery stores in the states bordering Mexico and in urban areas.

After being roasted and peeled (which improves the texture by removing the waxy skin), poblano peppers are preserved by either canning or freezing. Storing them in airtight containers keeps them for several months. When dried, the poblano becomes a broad, flat, heart-shaped pod called a chile ancho (literally "wide chile" or "broad chile"). These dried ancho chiles are often ground into a powder used as flavoring in various dishes. "Poblano" is also the word for an inhabitant of Puebla, and mole poblano refers to the spicy chocolate chili sauce originating in Puebla.

I don't like the chile relleno that they serve in typical Mexican restaurant because it is overloaded with egg batter cover. I like to had it once in a Mexican in downtown which had corn and black beans filling, it was not bad,  little bland for my taste so I decided to my own version of these stuffed peppers.  You can roast the peppers ahead of time and can make the filling ahead of time and then when you are ready to serve them just stuff them and bake them in oven.

For cheese you can use any shredded cheese like Gouda, smoked Gouda,  white or  yellow cheddar, pepper jack, or blend of Mexican cheese.  Sane goes for sauce to serve you can serve with salsa, or taco sauce or avocado salsa, and or guac and or sour cream. Basically you can not go wrong with it. The longest time is for to roast the peppers and make the filling.  Here is how I made them.

Ingredients: 

• 8 Poblano peppers
• 1 can of black beans drained
  
• 1 can of corn kernel drained  (you can use frozen corn)
• 1/2 cup quinoa (you will end up with 1 cup of cooked quinoa)
  
• 1 cup  of water to cook quinoa
• salt to taste to cook quinoa
  
• 1 8 oz pack of baby portobello mushroom chopped
  

• 1 green pepper and 1 jalapeno chopped
  
• Finely chopped tomatoes, I used fresh diced tomatoes for pica de Gallo ( 8 oz tub)
  
• 1 yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 red onion finely chopped divided in half
  
• 5-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  
• 1 table spoon of Taco seasoning or to taste
  
• 1  table spoon of Ancho chile seasoning if you have it, if not no worries
• 1 table spoon of ground cumin
  

• 3 tablespoon of oil
  
• 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
• cooking oil spray 
• 1 small bunch of cilantro or to taste finely chopped
• Lime juice from 1/2 fresh lime
• 1/4 cup of chunky salsa
  
• 1 8 oz pack of shredded  Gouda cheese
• 1 8 oz pack of cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• Taco sauce or avocado salsa
• Guac and sour cream if desired for toppings
  

Method: 

• First thing to do is roast the poblano peppers.
• You can do it on open flame or in broiler in oven.
• Flame roasting peppers is the fastest method.
• Just place the pepper on open flame holding it with a tong and  flip it every min and let the skin char and blacken.
• Remove it from flame and let it cool enough to handle. Repeat the process for all peppers.
  

• You can place them  in  plastic bag and seal it and let the steam loosen the skin.
• If you are using the broil method which is what I did, preheat oven to broil.
  
• Place the poblano on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and spray each poblano peppers with cooking oil on all sides. 
•  Broil on high for 10-15 min or until the skin puffs up and chars and loosens from pepper flesh.
  

• Flip them half way through the process to get both sides.
• Once they are done you place them in plastic bag and seal it and let the steam loosen the skin.
• I just left them on aluminum foil and let them cool and peeled the skin off as they cooled.
• You can use either method.

• Once the skin is removed, you can cut he pepper in half and remove the seeds carefully. 
• Set them aside.
  

Filling:

• Rinse 1/2 cup of quinoa.
  
• Place rinsed  quinoa in sauce pan, add 1 cup  of water and little salt. (to taste)
  
• Cook it  uncovered on medium-high  heat until all the water is absorbed.
• Remove it from heat and cover it and let it stand for 5 min.
• Remove the lid and fluff it up with fork.
  

• You can drizzle little olive oil before fluffing the quinoa with fork so it does not become mushy. I used the minced garlic that comes with olive oil for extra flavor, but plain olive oil drizzle would do.
• Set aside.
  

• Now to prepare the filling you can take 3 tables spoon of oil in wok on medium high heat.
• When oil is hot add cumin seeds, when these crackle, add chopped one yellow onion and half chopped red onion and chopped mushrooms.
• Saute until golden light brown, add  chopped peppers and salt to taste saute for additional few minutes then add quinoa. 
• Toss well and add chopped tomatoes, drained corn and black beans.
  

• Add all the dry spices, lime juice, chunky salsa and salt if needed.
• Mix gently until everything is well incorporated.
• Turn the heat off
  
• Add chopped cilantro and half of chopped red onion.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Take a baking dish and spray with cooking oil spray.
  

• Spoon the filling and stuff each pepper half with stuffing and  cheese.
• Sprinkle extra cheese and put the baking dish in oven. 
• You can drizzle taco sauce or avocado salsa on peppers before baking. 
  
• Bake uncovered for 10-15 min or until cheese is melted.
  

• Serve hot with desired topping of guac and sour cream or just drizzle with salsa.
• If you have additional filling left you can even top each pepper with additional filling. 
• Any which way you serve it, you can not go wrong with it.
  

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So,  I gave you a basic recipe, you can play with the fillings as desired  and Enjoy !!

Information source on Poblano pepper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poblano
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License

Recipe and  Photographs by Surekha.

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