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Grilled Calamari Salad

July 10, 2011 Menu No Comments

If you’re a fan of calamari, and if you like to experiment on the grill, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try. It’s very simple and quick to prepare, and looks really impressive when plated on a bed of fresh spring mix salad. I guarantee that when you serve this to your friends, you’ll come off like a rock star.

You’ll use about 30-40 1″ thick calamari rings for this dish, which comes out to about 8-10 calamari tubes thinly sliced. You can also use pre-sliced calamari rings, which can often be found in the frozen seafood section of your grocery store. I usually only use the body of the calamari for this dish, but you can also use the tentacles if you like.

 

 

 

GRILLED CALAMARI SALAD

Ingredients
30-40 1″ clamari rings (which is about 8-10 calamari bodies sliced)
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 tspn kosher salt
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tspn fresh chopped basil
1 tspn fresh chopped mint
*optional – 1/2 tspn peperoncino flakes for a little spice
spring mix salad

Directions
Place dried calamari rings and chopped peppers into a bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour half of the liquid mix over the calamari, reserving the remaining mixed liquid. Toss calamari and peppers to coat, let marinate for about a half an hour. In the meantime, fire up your grill and get it nice and hot (you want to cook this at about 400º). After the calamari and peppers are done marinating, you’ll want to pour them into a grill tray or grill wok, placed over direct heat. The calamari and peppers will sizzle when first added to the grill. Mix everything up well and then close the lid, checking and mixing every few minutes. You’ll want to grill for about 15-20 minutes, until the calamari are tender and golden brown. Carefully remove one piece of calamari and taste for desired texture. When done to your likeness, carefully remove the entire mixture from the grill. Spread the grilled mixture over a bed of spring mix salad, drizzle with the remaining dressing. Sprinkle with a little fresh grated parmesan cheese and some fresh black pepper.

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The Mamma Meets the Cucina: The Feast of the Seven Fishes

From the Mamma…

Christmas Eve’s Feast of the Seven Fishes or “La Vigilia” comes from a long standing Catholic tradition of avoiding meat on the vigil of (vigil = the night before) the Feast Day of Christmas. Tilapia is a favorite meatless dish in our house, which is why I chose to highlight it for this blog post. Now, our family might not have ALL seven dishes include fish, but we will throw on some shrimp fra diavolo, even if it is served sans capellini as an appetizer. But the tilapia and the pasta dish are a staple for us on Christmas Eve. It’s yummy enough to impress the crowds of friends and family, but easy enough to handle as we quickly end the game of Scopa and rush to Midnight Mass! So give these a try – even if it’s not for La Vigilia – they make a great accompaniment to each other.

PARMESAN CRUSTED TILAPIA
This recipe is one of easy, healthy , and tasty all at the same time. Even kids are huge fans – whaddaya know?! A kid-pleasing fish dish without the word “stick” in the title!

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
4-6 tilapia loins

Coat the tilapia in the melted butter. Mix all dry ingredients. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Coat the tilapia i the bread crumb mixture. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve immediately with a side of GEMELLI PASTA!!

CHRISTMAS EVE GEMELLI
This dish is so simple, yet full of flavor. The red and green of the tomatoes and the arugula make a great addition to the Christmas tablescape.

1 lb. Gemelli pasta
1 can crushed tomatoes
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
e.v.o.o.
1 bag arugula
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper

Add 2-3 tbsps of e.v.o.o. to a large, deep skillet. Saute the garlic until light caramel in color. Add the arugula and cook until slightly wilted. (NOTE: you could use spinach here if you do not like arugula. The idea is to get the green color and an added distinct flavor) Remove and set aside. Add the crushed tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt & black pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Boil the gemelli till al dente. Just before draining, add the arugula back in. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve immediately.

From the Cucina…  

My family has been celebrating Christmas Eve with the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes for as long as I could remember, and of course many years before that. For years, our meal would consist of most of the traditional dishes, such as baccala soup, smelts and shrimp. Non-fish dishes, such as spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and oil) and chicken cutlets would also be served for those not-so-much into seafood. Over the past few years, my cousins, my brother and sister-in-law, and myself have been stepping up to help relieve our aunts and Grandmother from the heavy kitchen duties, while at the same time trying to update the menu a bit with some more modern dishes such as seared scallops and crab cakes. However we still make sure to keep some of the traditional staples in the rotation.

This year I am very proud and honored to be taking over one of the crown jewels of the table, stuffed calamari. Now chances are that many of you are only familiar with the more popular Italian eatery appetizer, fried calamari. Unlike the fried rings, stuffed calamari is actually using the whole calamari tube, stuffed with a breadcrumb and cheese filling, and cooked slowly in a pot of red sauce (I don’t use the word gravy here because there is no meat involved). When cooked, they resemble a stuffed shell, and they are tender enough to cut without a knife!

If you have never tried stuffed calamari, I encourage you to do so. Whether you serve it along with pasta or on its own, I guarantee you it will make for a special part of your meal, especially if you are planning to celebrate a traditional Italian Christmas Eve.

STUFFED CALAMARI
Makes 8-10 pieces

1 lb. calamari tubes, cleaned (you can purchase cleaned calamari tubes in the freezer section of your grocery store)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Olive oil (enough to add to mixture until proper consistency)
* you can also chop the unused calamari tentacles and place them in the stuffing mixture for extra texture and flavor. Uncooked shrimp will also work well

Sauce Ingredients
1 29oz can tomato sauce, plus 1 can water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large pot, sauté garlic in heated olive oil. Add tomato sauce and sauce seasonings. Add water until desired consistency. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the temperature to simmer.

Mix stuffing ingredients, add oil and mix with hands until you get a nice, meatball-like consistency. Using a spoon, loosely stuff each calamari tube. You don’t want to pack the tubes, because the stuffing will expand and the calamari will shrink when cooked. Secure the open ends of the tubes with a toothpick. Add the tubes to the sauce, cook on a medium-low simmer for 2 hours. You’re looking for a string cheese consistency when you slice into the calamari. Serve and enjoy!

– We would like to wish all of our readers a happy and peaceful holiday and the warmest wishes for the New Year. Buon Natale!
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Calamari e Piselli (Sauteed Calamari and Peas)

September 12, 2009 Entrees, Menu, Pasta 1 Comment

I recently picked up a frozen bag of calamari (squid) pieces at the supermarket. I
wanted to try something other than fried calamari, so I went with an old
world-style, rustic dish. Gotta say that I was very impressed with the end
results. We first served it over some penne, but I decided to have a second
helping on it’s own with a nice, thick slice of Italian bread. Works great
either way! Would also make a nice option if you celebrate the Seven Fish
Christmas Eve Dinner.

Calamari e Piselli (Sauteed Calamari and Peas)

Calamari pieces, fresh or frozen* (I used about 1/2 pound of rings and tentacles from a 2-1/2 pound frozen bag)
2 tblspn Olive oil
1 Garlic clove; crushed
1 small Onion; diced
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon fresh Basil, chopped
splash of red wine
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tspn crushed red pepper (optional for some heat)
1 cup frozen peas

*Note – if you are using frozen calamari, be sure to defrost it first. Running it under water in a colander for a few minutes works well

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Sautee the garlic and onion in the oil
until soft and translucent. Add the calamari pieces and sautee until
slightly brown and tender. The sauteed calamari will create it’s own juice
that blends well with the tomato sauce. Add the tomato sauce, basil, splash
of red wine, crushed red pepper,salt & pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add
the peas and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve as a
sauce over pasta or as a stand-alone stew.

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Stuffed Calamari

December 9, 2008 Entrees, Menu 1 Comment

I was in a coffee shop not long ago and overheard a conversation between two men. One was saying how proud he was of his seven year old son who loves eating the calamari rings from his local pizza shop. The other guy said “wow, that’s terrific that he enjoys eating calamari at such a young age.” I thought to myself, “Yeah, that’s great. Your son enjoys eating deep fried rubber bands. Congratulations, pal.”

I think it’s wonderful that a youngster would enjoy calamari. I’ve been eating it since I was probably around the age of four. However, I was not eating those cute little bite-size portions that have become a standard on most menus. No sir. What I was introduced to has become, to this day, one of my all-time favorite dishes which is served at my all-time favorite meal. I’m talking about Stuffed Calamari. And in just a few short weeks, I will once again be able to enjoy this delectable dish.

Every Christmas Eve, we gather together with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles and Grandmother to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Since more of us are contributing to the dinner these days, we’re probably up to about 11 or 12 fishes. New dishes, such as coconut shrimp, talapia and king crab legs appear every year. But we still carry quite a few of the traditional dishes as well (smelts, whiting, bacala, and of course stuffed calamari). Now, if you never had stuffed calamari, it’s quite different from the standard fried ringlets. It’s the entire calamari tube, probably about the size of an manicotti tube, filled with a bread stuffing, and served in a red sauce. Think stuffed shells, but much more complex in taste and texture.

I have nothing against fried calamari, as long as it’s properly prepared. In fact, it’s a dish that my wife and I enjoy tremendously. Most of our favorite restaurants are ranked on the tenderness and tastiness of their fried calamari alone! But there is not a dish in the world that I would trade for my holiday stuffed calamari.

While I do not have my family’s exact recipe (as my Aunt Marie is not yet willing to give up the calamri duties), below is a recipe that I found online a few years back that is very close, and is quite delicious. And if you’re ever in the area of Collingswood, NJ, pay a visit to Nunzio’s and enjoy an order of their Calamari Dorati.

Stuffed Calamari

• 2 pounds of calamari tubes (cleaned)
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes (28 oz. Cans)
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 can (28 oz.) of water (use the crushed tomatoes can to measure)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of grated cheese of your choice
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of accent

Stuffing Ingredients
• 1/2 loaf of bread
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 1/4 cup of grated cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil (enough to moisten mixture)
• 1 clove of fresh garlic
Optional Ingredients
• 1 egg
• Clams, lobster, shrimp or fish of your choice chopped can be added to the stuffing

Preparation
In a large pot, sauté garlic in heated oil. Add crushed tomatoes and season these tomatoes with all the other ingredients (excluding the stuffing ingredients). Add water a little at a time till the sauce thickens to your liking. Wash calamari tubes thoroughly and drain well. Take the stuffing ingredients and mix well until it is of a nice consistency. Stuff each tube halfway full. Use toothpicks at the opening of each filled tube. Add these tubes to the tomato sauce and cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Serves 4-6.

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