Sunday, January 2, 2011

Calamari Salad

I found this dish created by Giada on http://www.foodnetwork.com/.  It is definitely a great dish to make and bring to a big function... but it made a ton more than I had expected!!


I started by preheating the oven to 450.  I peeled and de-tailed my shrimp, laid it on a glass pan, drizzled it with olive oil, salt, pepper and spices, and baked for 10 minutes.  Its honestly the best way in the world to make shrimp... just make sure you buy the gray ones :P

I was a little nervous to cook Calamari because I had never attempted it before... I always left it up to my mother.  I boiled a pot of water and threw in the Calamari, whole, without cutting it.  I boiled it for 10 minutes and took it out, then proceeded to slice it into rings.  I mixed the cut calamari with the whole shrimp and added about 3 cups of arugula and 1 can of Cannelli Beans.  While the oven was still on, I cut up eggplant and zucchini into tiny squares and roasted them the same way I made the shrimp, but for about 30 minutes.

I cooked 1 cup of Orzo pasta and also mixed it.  I also cut up some fresh parsley and 2 small tomatoes and threw them in for color.  After everything was mixed together in a huge mixing bowl, I made the dressing which consisted of lemon juice, olive oil, Apple Cider Vinegar and Balsamic.  I don't really measure those, I just take a 1-cup measuring up, pour a lot of apple cider vinegar in it, almost fill the rest of the cup with olive oil, and top it off with Balsamic.  Then I just pour over the salad and mix. 

It seems like a lot of work, but it is actually a simple dish that surprises a lot of people... the people who like seafood will thoroughly enjoy this dish!!

1 cup orzo pasta
1/2 lb calamari, unchopped
1/2 lb shrimp,gray!
2 zucchini, chopped into tiny squares
1/2 eggplant, chopped into tiny squares
2 tomatoes, chopped
 1 15 oz Cannelli Beans
3 cups Arugula
basil leaves
parsley
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Apple cider Vinegar

1 comment:

  1. Mrs. V, your dish looks fabulous! I've never made calamari before but I just love it and order it out all the time. Thank you so much for linking up to Cookbook Sundays and I hope to see you next month. Have a great week!

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