Steamed Octopus, American Pistachios Pesto and Puntarelle Chicory
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
320 g. cleaned octopus chunks
240 g. puntarelle - chicory
80 g. shelled American pistachios, finely chopped
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
80 g. datterini cherry tomatoes cut into cubes
Grated rind of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Instructions
For the preparation of the pistachio pesto:
in a bowl combine the pistachios finely chopped, the cherry tomatoes into small cubes, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon peel. Whisk slightly so as to obtain a thick sauce.
Cook the octopus in water (starting with cold water) for about an hour or anyway until it will be very tender.
During the octopus cooking clean the chicory, cut into thin slices and leave them for 30 minutes in ice water so that they can curl slightly.
Let the octopus cool. Cut it into pieces of about one centimeter, dress them with very little salt.
Just add salt also on chicory, arrange it in the dish with octopus chunks and then season with pistachios pesto.
About 220 kcal per person
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Nutritional comment of Dr. Nicola Sorrentino, Head of Columbus Clinic Diet
This dish, low in calories but rich in taste and beneficial properties, is indicated for those who want to lose weight. Chicory counts only 10 kcal x 100 grams, the octopus 57 kcal. With a bitter but pleasant taste, chicory also contains vitamins and salts, as well as antioxidants such as flavonoids and inulin, a powerful probiotic. The octopus, certainly among the fish products with fewer calories, is low in fat and rich in connective tissue with satiating effect. To complete the salutary effect of the dish, the extra virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest. Pistachios could not miss to strengthen the antioxidant properties.