Light Lemon and Garlic Calamari

So, I’m about to tell you about something I don’t really talk about.

Serious stuff.

No jokes.

Soul bearing honesty. If you are not into that, go ahead and skip down a bit to the recipe. It is a really good one and you shouldn’t let my sad babbling ruin that.

I have a wonderful, beautiful, blessed life. A life that in my mind is so awesome, that there is pretty much nothing I should feel bad about. Ever.

With that being sad, I am human. And part of being human is being imperfect. So even though my life is really awesome, that doesn’t mean I’m always happy.

Just so you know, I’m only sharing this information with you in the off chance that perhaps one of you out there is feeling the same way and this might help both of us out.

Basically, I am a perfectionist.

It is not as much about how I perform in life, but how others perceive me in life. Over the years, I seem to have developed this need to have EVERYONE like me. Apparently, in my mind I have to be a one-woman comedy show, therapist’s office, business enterprise and personal chef to everyone at every time.

And last night I had a break down. A full-blown crying to my mother in my bathrobe while I have a towel on my head, meltdown.

Women, I’m sure you just related. Men, you just thought of me as a crazy lady from a romantic comedy.

After my meltdown I had a really great moment where I felt relieved for sharing my feelings. I realized that if I can’t turn this around myself in a couple of months, I need to get help. And there is nothing wrong with that. For you, or for me.

There is nothing wrong with doing whatever you can to be a better, happier you.

So while I try and figure it out, I’m going to do my best to fill my life with all the things that make me happy.

Cooking is a big one.

So here is a little something I cooked up while trying to figure things out.

You will need…

1 ½ lb calamari (only tubes, no tentacles) sliced into ½ inch rings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon, juiced and zested plus 1 extra lemon cut into wedges for garnish

2 roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups arugula

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the tomatoes, arugula and vinegar in a medium bowl. Toss together well and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over high heat until the butter has melted.

Add in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Then, add in the calamari rings. Season with salt and pepper and add in the lemon zest, oregano and juice.

Toss the calamari with the seasonings and cook until the calamari is opaque and cooked through.

You want the calamari to be lightly browned and cook through but not too rubbery.

As soon as the calamari is cooked through, serve over a bed of the tomatoes and arugula.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Light Lemon and Garlic Calamari

1 ½ lb calamari (only tubes, no tentacles) sliced into ½ inch rings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon, juiced and zested plus 1 extra lemon cut into wedges for garnish

2 roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups arugula

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the tomatoes, arugula and vinegar in a medium bowl. Toss together well and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over high heat until the butter has melted.

Add in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Then, add in the calamari rings. Season with salt and pepper and add in the lemon zest, oregano and juice.

Toss the calamari with the seasonings and cook until the calamari is opaque and cooked through.

You want the calamari to be lightly browned and cook through but not too rubbery.

As soon as the calamari is cooked through, serve over a bed of the tomatoes and arugula.

Serve hot with lemon wedges. 

Grilled Calamari Shrimp and Arugula Salad

With just forty-nine days till Maui, I’ve been working really hard in the gym and doing my best to eat healthy.

I’ve been using a calorie counting phone application and going to the local high school to run the track and the stadium stairs.

We have even been biking instead of driving everywhere possible.

And I’m seeing really positive results.

But how am I supposed to stay on the wagon with burgers around that look like this!?

Honestly, every diet deserves cheat days and you will never meet your goals by depriving you.

Although, after eating that bad boy I feel like I need something light, healthy and non-artery clogging.

You will need…

8 ounces arugula

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup white wine vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ crusty baguette sliced into ¼ inch thick slices

3 cups cool balsamic grilled shrimp and calamari

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

While the grill is heating, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper in a small bowl or mason jar. Combine or shake well until it is completely combined.

Toss the arugula and tomatoes with the vinaigrette and place it on a platter.

Top the arugula and tomatoes with the Parmesan and the seafood.

Place the bread on the grill and grill it for about 10 seconds aside. 

Just until it has good toasty grill makes.

Toss the salad and serve with warm crusty bread.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Grilled Calamari Shrimp and Arugula Salad

8 ounces arugula

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup white wine vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ crusty baguette sliced into ¼ inch thick slices

3 cups cool balsamic grilled shrimp and calamari

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

While the grill is heating, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper in a small bowl or mason jar. Combine or shake well until it is completely combined.

Toss the arugula and tomatoes with the vinaigrette and place it on a platter.

Top the arugula and tomatoes with the Parmesan and the seafood.

Place the bread on the grill and grill it for about 10 seconds aside. Just until it has good toasty grill makes.

Toss the salad and serve with warm crusty bread. 

Balsamic Grilled Shrimp and Calamari

It hasn’t happened that often, but every once in a while I actually encounter an ingredient or dish I am scared to make.

They are usually more exotic ingredients or challenging dishes that people on Top Chef get kicked off for.

Like risotto and calamari.

And every time I finally tackle one of these big and scary tasks, I do a mental head slap that I waited so long to try it.

Just like the first day I started cooking.

It is just a meal. The worse thing that can happen is that it’s bad. And most the time it’s AWESOME.

Just like this marinated and grilled shrimp and calamari. Amazingly delicious and EASY.

You will need…

½ pound shrimp, pealed and deveined

½ pound calamari, cut into rings

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Start by combining the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic and pepper in a bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake until the marinade is completely combined.

Combine the shrimp and calamari in a medium bowl or dish and drizzle it with the marinade.

Toss the seafood well and set it to the side to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat your grill to a medium high heat.

After the seafood has marinated, you have 2 options.

You can either use soaked wooden skewers (so they don’t catch on fire) to cook the seafood or you can use a special grilling pan. I opted for the grill pan, but I kind of wish I had opted for the skewers.

Place either your skewers or your grilling pan over a hot part of the grill and cook until the shrimp is pink and the calamari is opaque. 

About 3 minutes a side.

Serve hot with some crusty bread.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Balsamic Grilled Shrimp and Calamari

½ pound shrimp, pealed and deveined

½ pound calamari, cut into rings

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Start by combining the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic and pepper in a bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake until the marinade is completely combined.

Combine the shrimp and calamari in a medium bowl or dish and drizzle it with the marinade.

Toss the seafood well and set it to the side to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat your grill to a medium high heat.

After the seafood has marinated, you have 2 options.

You can either use soaked wooden skewers (so they don’t catch on fire) to cook the seafood or you can use a special grilling pan.

Place either your skewers or your grilling pan over a hot part of the grill and cook until the shrimp is pink and the calamari is opaque. About 3 minutes a side.

Serve hot with some crusty bread.