This two parter makes a great meal for a special occasion. If you like octopus, then you are going to love the way it tastes grilled and paired with this amazing salad! Looking for something that will impress your dinner guests, this is so easy, yet it sounds so impressive - and will taste incredible!

For the Tepary Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 12 oz - cooked Tepary Beans
• 3 oz - red onion, diced small
• 3 oz - capers
• 3 oz - nopalitos, grilled and diced small
• 4 oz - heirloom tomatoes, large dice
• 2 oz - roughly chopped cilantro
• 1 oz - fresh lemon juice
• 3 oz - virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Toss the tepary beans, red onion, capers, nopalitos, heirloom tomatoes and cilantro.Dress with lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

For the Octopus

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lb - Fresh Octopus, cleaned
• 1 Cup - olive oil
• 2 oz - lemon juice
• 1 oz - red wine vinegar
• 1 TSBSP - crushed garlic

Directions:

To clean octopus, cut tentacles away from head below the beak. Cut away and discard the beak, then turn the body inside out. Remove ink sac and internal organs. Rinse and drain well turn the body right site out. Place octopus in boiling salted water about 45 minutes-1 hour for 1-1/2# octopus. Check for tenderness by inserting a sharp knife into the thickest part of the meat, where the tentacles join the body. The knife should yield easily, like a cooked potato. Remove and cool the octopus and cut it into the tentacles with some body attached. Tossed in the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and garlic. Grill over high heat so the octopus becomes a little crunch on the outside but tender on the inside. Slice, the octopus. Re-toss in some of it’s marinade and serve over the tepary bean salad.

Serves 4

Recipe from: http://www.janos.com

Try this salsa over green corn tamales, cheese enchiladas, or with calabacitas (zucchini or summer squash cooked with chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and lime juice). Of course, it’s also wonderful with chips.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked tepary beans
• 1 small jar (6-ounce) nopalitos
• 1 can (10-ounce) corn, drained, or about 2 ears of fresh corn cut from the cob
• 5 medium, ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-6 fresh chilepequíns or chiletepíns, finely minced (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon blended chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• Juice of 3 small limes (or 1 large lemon)
• Pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together well and refrigerate for an hour or so (to let the flavors marry) or serve immediately with hot corn tortillas or chips.

Recipe from: http://www.tasteoftx.com

photo credit: Luke Wisley

Papago Tepary Bean Soup is a nice, healthy soup for a cold winter day.  Like all soups, you can modify this recipe on the fly, which means this is really lot’s of recipes in one!

Ingredients:

• 2 c  Tepary beans, soaked
• 1 ts Mixed oregano and cumin
• 1 Clove garlic, diced
• 1 md Onion, chopped
• 6 c  Water
• 1 c  Diced celery
• 3 c  Tomatoes w/juice
• 2 Carrots, sliced
• 4 Slices bacon, diced*

Directions:

Drain soaked beans and bring to boil in big pot.  When tender, fry bacon until limp.  Remove bacon; add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute. Add bacon, tomatoes and juice and the remaining spices.  Cook 10 minutes and  add beans.  Cook another hour until beans are mealy-tender. Optional: Dried red chile pepper may be stirred into pot during the last 10 minutes. Serve with flour tortillas or fresh frybread.

Serves 6.

*Vegetarians - can leave bacon out

Recipe from: Papa
photo credit: Simon Aughton