Warm Grilled Calamari & Prawn Salad

OPA!

I'm going to Greece soon and I although I won't be posting much (if at all), I'll be taking notes, trying new dishes and photographing every morsel for everyone.

I have some ideas to try but I've patiently waited for my time in Greece. I'll be using seasonal Greek produce and I'll be on the lookout for new dishes and I'll surely ask a taverna owner for any "must have" recipes.

In the meantime, let your self daydream...you're in Santorini, just finished exploring some of the island and you've made a rest-stop at a small fisherman's port. There's you and a smattering of other tourists, fishermen and all under the roof of one taverva.

There's no menu. You have to rely on international sign language or rely on your limited Greek and the owner's limited "Een-gleese".

Some communication is exchanged and you hope for the best. You want the best, you've got the best, freshest, "just caught from the sea" calamari.

This entry will count as my Weekend Herb Blogging contribution for this week. The round-up is hosted by the founder, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. I encourage you to take the time to read her blog thoroughly. I know, there's a lot of info there but by all means, bookmark the blog and you'll surely learn something from this foodblog hub!

On the subject of Santorini, capers can be found growing in corners of buildings and out of rocks and cliffs. Capers come from a shrub and are native to the Mediterranean region.

In Greek popular medicine, an herbal tea made of the caper root is said to aid against rheumatism.

Manual labor is required to gather capers, for the buds must be picked each morning just as they reach the proper size. After the buds are picked, they are usually sun-dried, then pickled in a vinegar brine.

Kali Orexi!

Warm Grilled Calamari Salad

Dressing

1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 Tbsp of water
2 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
salt to taste

Salad

1 lb of squid, tentacles and tubes (cleaned) & Prawns
hand-torn romaine lettuce
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, roasted, cleaned and sliced
sun-dried black olives
1 heaping Tbsp of capers

1. Using a jar, mix all of the dressing ingredients and reserve.
2. Arrange your salad. Today, I'm using local cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onions, yellow peppers, black sun-dried olives and Greek capers.
3. Follow my easy steps to clean and grill calamari here.
4. When the seafood is done, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of dried oregano.
5. Toss your salad and then top with the seafood and serve warm.
   

Marinated Top Sirloin

I've been spoiled this summer, eating rib eye steaks that I found on sale but my stash of steak is dwindling and I needed to replenish my cache of carcass.

I found top sirloin to be on sale this past weekend and as always, I buy a little to test the tenderness & flavour of the meat. This cut is underated as it's very flavourful, inexpensive and more forgiving to grill than a flank steak.

I tried this steak with a basic steak seasoning and I also marinated it...both versions were juicy and easy to chew. Treat this cut like a flank steak, grill it to no more than medium doneness, cut it into slices against the grain and for a quick marinade, leave it to absorb your flavours of choice in a zip-lock bag for an hour in room temperature. As always....seconds are encouraged!

Marinated Top Sirloin

1 tsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp wasabi paste
salt & pepper to taste

1. Add the ginger, Worcestershire, olive oil, garlic and wasabi in a large zip-lock bag. Mix well and add your steak. Squish the marinate well to coat the steak well. Marinate for 1 hour in room temperature or in the fridge if grilling much later.
2. Season your steak with salt & pepper or your favourite steak seasoning. Grill on high heat for 3 minutes a side.
   

Arakas Latheros (Peas)

During grocery shopping last weekend I noticed alot more produce being offered from local producers and this is a good thing. You see, in Canada we're blessed/cursed to have such an abundant supply and array of produce come to us. I wish I could eat locally grown produce all year 'round but alas, Canada (in particular southern Ontario) remains to have a climate where snow usually appears in late November and we don't see our first green grass until the snow melts in mid-March.

Eat your locally grown produce while you can. I found Ontario fresh peas and I was not going to have another tin or a package of frozen peas again...that's what December's are for...it's July dammit and I'm eating local!

Arakas Latheros

5oo gr. fresh peas
4 scallions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 ripe tomatoes, grated into a puree
About 1 cup water
3 Tbsp dill, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

1. Shell, wash and drain peas. Chop white part of the scallions into small pieces and the green part into large pieces.
   
2. Heat oil and butter in a pot. Add the scallions and cook until soft but not browned. Add the peas and cook very lightly. Add the tomatoes, dill, salt, and pepper. Add enough water to half cover the peas. Cover the pot. Cook over medium heat until only the oil remains and the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 min.). Add the fresh chopped mint, stir in and serve warm.
   

Courgette Carbonarra

I recently caught an episode of Jamie Oliver's Jamie At Home and he featured recipes using courgettes or zucchini.

What struck me about this dish is that the taste matched it's marvelous presentation. Local zucchini are in season and using green and yellow zucchini will brighten the look of this dish.

I also found that thyme and zucchini complement each other very well. Use fresh thyme for this dish and it's also an herb that grows quite easily indoors if you have a harsh winter like here in Canada.

I'm offering this dish as my entry for this edition of Weekend Herb Blogging hosted byAnna's Cool Finds.

Here are some "did you knows" about thyme:

• The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage.
• The essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is made up of 20-55%Thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, is the main active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash.
  

Courgette Carbonarra

2 cups of penne rigate
1/2 onion diced
2 courgettes (1 green, 1 yellow), quartered, seeds removed then cut on a bias to mimic the shape of penne
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced & cut on a bias to mimic a penne shape
lots of fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 slices of bacon, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
some pasta water

1. Get a large pot of boiling water started. Add salt and boil your penne for 10-12 minutes.
2. In a large fry pan, add your bacon and some water and render the fat from the bacon. Eventually the water will evaporate and the bacon will cook off the fat and brown nicely. Reserve the bacon and take out excess bacon fat, leaving 2 Tbsp in the pan.
3. Add your chopped onion, zucchini, peppers and black pepper. Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes for the veggies to soften. Add your thyme, garlic and wine and simmer until the wine has reduced. Turn off heat and reserve.
4. In a bowl, whisk your egg yolks, cream and Parmesan. Reserve.
5. When your pasta is ready, save some of the pasta liquid. Drain your pasta and add it to the pan. Pour your egg/cream mixture over your veggies. Add some pasta water and toss the pasta to coat well. The residual heat of the pasta should cook your egg/cream mixture without turning it into scrambled egg.