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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Fried Calamari with Sautéed Garlic Sesame Spinach


I love fried calamari. I often order it as an appetizer at pretty much any restaurant I go to. It's a common dish usually served with a sauce like marinara or tzatziki. Today, I decided to make some at home. 


This is actually the first time I've made fried calamari. I've made grilled squid before at home but never fried calamari. I always thought it was too much work and I dislike frying things because it makes such a mess. Well today I was feeling ambitious! I had some squid tubes on hand and decided to make a low carb, gluten-free version. 

To my surprise, it was actually pretty easy! They tasted so delicious, I just served them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. For a side, we had an abundance of spinach in the fridge so I decided to pair it with my favourite easy side dish, Sautéed Garlic Sesame Spinach. 

FRIED CALAMARI

Ingredients:

4 large squid tubes, cleaned
4 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups of coconut oil for frying
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

Heat coconut oil in a medium, deep sauce pan on high until 365°F is reached. 

Slice squid tubes into 1/2 of an inch thick rings. 

Combine coconut flour, 1/2 tsp of seasoning salt and black pepper. 

Dredge squid rings into coconut flour until well coated. 

Fry in oil for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and transfer onto frying basket or sieve to drain excess oil.

Season with remaining seasoning salt. Serve hot with lemon wedges. 

SAUTÉED GARLIC SESAME SPINACH

Ingredients:

1 lb of fresh spinach, washed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a wok or large deep skillet, sauté until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat & drain excess water. Set aside.

Heat olive oil on high. Add garlic & sesame oil until garlic is golden brown. Turn off heat.

Add spinach and season with salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. 

Serve warm.


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