Squid with Garlic Chili Olive Oil

Despite the title, this wonderful tapas dish also has smoked bacon pan-fried to crispy nuggets of deliciousness, along with the chilies, garlic and squid. And please don’t forget the squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end. It elevates this dish to brilliant like a flood of hot sunshine on a sparkling white Majorcan beach.

Sunday Supper is getting the party started this week with tapas recipes. Delicious bites or snacks that are made especially for eating with drinks. And since, as I mentioned in my #CocktailDay post, this is my birthday week, I'm going to pretend that they are all for my own virtual party. Yay! Such fun!

When we were living in Paris, we took advantage of charter flights to head south and get away from the cold, damp winters that extended way too long into months we felt should have been quite rightfully spring. I’ve already written about Portugal here but one of our other favorite holidays was to the island of Majorca. To date this is our only venture into Spanish territory but I remember it so fondly, with its fresh seafood, white sandy beaches and clear, aquamarine waters that I knew immediately what I wanted to cook when the tapas theme was announced for Sunday Supper.

Majorcan traditional cooking uses mostly seafood and pork, so a dish of bacon and squid, with some garlic and chilies was perfect! I don’t mean to imply that this dish is authentic in any way or that I remember eating it there. I do want to say that it brought me back, in a way that only the clean smell of the sea in seafood and a good imagination can. I can almost feel the sand between my toes.

That little blondie is our elder daughter - Majorca, 1994

Ingredients
4 oz or 115g smoked slab bacon
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 or 2 small red hot chilies
Olive oil
1 lb or 450g whole fresh squid (I prefer baby squid, if I can get them.) Or about 9 oz or 260g already cleaned and sliced squid rings.
Sea salt flakes
Small handful fresh parsley leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked off
1/4 large lemon

Method
Slice your garlic thinly and split the red chilies in half lengthwise. Chop your parsley and fresh thyme. Set aside.

Chop your bacon into the small, slim chunks the French like to call lardons.

Pan-fry them with a good drizzle of olive oil over a low heat while you clean and slice the squid.

For those of you using squid rings, you can skip this next part. Move ahead to where we are making sure the bacon is golden and crispy.

To clean the squid, first grab hold of the part that has the tentacles and pull it out of the tube-y bit. (I tried to find the technical terms for you but I didn’t think they’d be helpful after all. Who would have known what the mantle is? Yeah, me either.)

You can discard the leggy body bits from the squid but I happen to like the look of the little tentacles once they are cooked. If you agree, cut that part off just below the eyes and discard the part with the eyes. The ink sac is in that part. If you happen to pierce it, just wash everything off with water and put to dry on a paper towel. The squid ink is harmless. In fact, a lot of cooks use it to color pasta or add it to sauces.

Run your finger around inside of the tube-y bit until you find the hard thing that feels and looks like plastic. Pull it out. It should be almost as long as your squid tube so if it breaks off short, fish around and get the rest of it out and discard.

See, that thing. Take it out and throw it away.

Go check on the bacon. It should be starting to render the fat and fry gently. Give it a stir.

If you do decide to keep the leggy bit, turn it over and pinch out the hard bit with the black spot in the center and discard it.

Go check on the bacon. Give it another stir and make sure it isn’t burning.

Now peel off all the colored stuff from the outside of the squid tubes. You can use your hands but the easiest way is to rub it off with dry paper towels and then discard them. Rinse your squid in clean water and put it on paper towels to dry.

Your squid is clean! Slice it into wide rings.

Direct your attention to the bacon and turn the heat up a little if it’s not golden and crispy yet.

When it is golden and crispy, add in the garlic and chilies.

Sauté briefly until the garlic starts to brown around the edges and then put all the squid in at once. Give it a good stir. The squid should turn white and start to curl up.

Now is the time to sprinkle with sea salt and then the parsley and thyme. Give the whole thing a good stir.

Add in another generous drizzle of olive oil. Flavored olive oil is the best for dipping bread in so don’t be shy!

Squeeze in the juice of your lemon, give the dish one more good stir, and serve with slices of a fresh crusty loaf of French baguette.

Enjoy!


Join our Sunday Supper host, Conni from Cosmopolitan Cornbread and travel with us to Spain or some other sunny clime for a festival of tapas.

• Agave Truffles from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Artichoke Heart and Manchego Spread from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Bacon Wrapped Calamari from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Balsamic Raspberries with Mascarpone Cream from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Black-Eyed Pea Cowboy Caviar from Shockingly Delicious
• Blueberry and Lemon Yogurt Quesada from In The Kitchen With KP
• Bruschetta Topping from What Smells So Good?
• Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Bites from The Foodie Army Wife
• Cheesy, Tortellini Tapas & Spicy Bacon Ranch Dip from Daily Dish Recipes
• Chorizo Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon from I Run For Wine
• Chorizo Manchego Toast Tapas from Family Foodie
• Chorizo with Spicy Sweet Potato Tapas from Soni’s Food
• Clams in Green Sauce (Almejas en Salsa Verde) from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Croquetas de Pollo from Cookin’ Mimi
• Gambas al Ajillo from Manu’s Menu
• Gambas al Ajillo y Clementina (Shrimp with Garlic and Clementines) from FoodieTots
• Giardiniera Salad from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Goan Beef Croquettes from Masala Herb
• Herb and Citrus Marinated Olives from Magnolia Days
• Herb Roasted Almonds from Curious Cuisiniere
• Krab filled Avocado Tapas from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Low-Carb Salmon Croquettes from Yours And Mine Are Ours
• Manchego-Stuffed Spanish Meatballs from The Weekend Gourmet
• Mushroom Chevre Crostini from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Patatas A La Riojana (Rioja-Style Potato & Chorizo Stew) from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Patatas Bravas from Supper for a Steal
• Pear, Brie, and Honey Crostini from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Pocky Cake Pops from NinjaBaking.com
• Polenta Crostini Bites with Caramelized Mushrooms: Cicchetti – A Venetian Tapas Traditionfrom La Bella Vita Cucina
• Roast Onions with Blue Cheese and Pine Nuts from Healthy. Delicious.
• Roasted Bone Marrow with Citrus Salad from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Roasted Tomato-Basil Flatbread from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquetas with Smoked Pimenton Aioli from My Other City By The Bay
• Shrimp and Chorizo Tapas from The Texan New Yorker
• Smoky Paprika Peppers from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Squid with Garlic Chili Olive Oil from Food Lust People Love
• Stuffed Green Queen Olives with Garlic Infused Olive Oil from MarocMama
• Tomato Bread from girlichef
• Tortilla Española from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Tortillas De Papa y Atun (Tuna and Potatoes Tortilla) from Basic N Delicious
• Tortillita de Camarones from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

When you are eating tapas, you need a glass of wine: Best Wines To Pair With Tapas from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.

Pin Squid with Bacon and Garlic Chili Olive Oil!

And for those of you who scrolled all the way to the bottom, I reward you with two more Majorca holiday photos. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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Butternut Squash Tian with Herb Topping

Roasted butternut squash and garlicky kale mixed with cheese and eggs are topped with herby breadcrumbs and baked for a great vegetarian main course or side dish I'm calling Butternut Squash Tian.

I am always on the lookout for vegetarian recipes that make a great side but are also hearty enough to be eaten as a main dish. This recipe, adapted from Faith Durand’s post on TheKitchn can do both quite admirably. I decided to pretty it up from the usual casserole by baking it in a spring-form pan and serving it in slices. And before a load of angry French folk wielding Opinels arrive to object to my use of the word “tian,” (Bienvenue!) may I just say that I had never heard of the word before I saved the recipe almost a year ago, despite living for three years in France.

After a little research, I do now understand that the tian itself is the vessel AND the vegetable gratin that is cooked in it, so my pan choice probably means that this no longer qualifies as a tian. What can I say? It’s still delicious! And pretty! How many casseroles can say that?

This week on Sunday Supper, we are celebrating the arrival of Fall with comforting dishes using seasonal ingredients. Butternut squash is one of my favorites. And so is kale. Make sure you scroll to the bottom of this recipe to see all the other seasonal dishes on offer.

Ingredients

For the tian:

About 4lb or 1.9kg whole butternut squash

Olive oil for roasting

1/2 cup or 100g short-grain or arborio rice

1 3/4 oz or 50g freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese

7 oz or 200g smoked cheese

2 large cloves garlic

5-6 large stems curly kale

3 large eggs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the herb topping:

1 cup or 80g dried bread crumbs

1 big handful flat leaf parsley, leaves only

Leaves from 3 to 4 sprigs of thyme and/or rosemary (I used some of each.)

1 3/4 oz or 50g freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and prepare your eventual baking pan or casserole dish by greasing it liberally. If you have an actual earthenware tian , more power to you! (My spring-form pan was 8 in or 20cm in diameter and about 3 in or 7 1/2cm deep.)

Peel the butternut squash, scrape the seeds out, and cut it into chunks.

Pile the squash up in a large roasting pan (not the one you’ve already prepared for baking the finished dish!) and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Toss the squash around a little so that it is well coated with the oil and then spread the chunks out into one layer. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt.

Roast for about one hour in your hot oven or until the butternut squash is fork tender and the edges have gone golden. You'll want to stir it around about half way through.

While the squash is roasting, boil your rice in salted water with a drizzle of olive oil, just as you would pasta. Keep a close eye on it. Since Arborio rice has such a high starch content, it tends to want to boil up and over. When the rice is just cooked - test a grain or two occasionally – drain the water out and set the rice aside to cool.

Grate all of your cheeses and make sure to divide the Grana Padano pile in half, some for the tian, some for the herb topping.

Meanwhile, remove the stems from your kale and chop it into small bits.

Mince your garlic then sauté it in a little olive oil being careful not to let it color. Add in the chopped kale and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cook, covered, until the kale is completely wilted. Set aside to cool.

To make your breadcrumb topping, add all of the dry ingredients to your food processor and process until it is completely uniform.

Add in the two tablespoons of olive oil and process again. Depending on the type of baking dish you use, you may have leftover topping. Store this in a bag in the freezer. It can be used for topping baked fish, much like in this delicious Bill Granger recipe .

When the squash is roasted, remove it from the oven and turn the oven down to 350°F or 180°C. Mash the squash with a potato masher and set it aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk your eggs and then add in the butternut squash. Mix well.

Now add in the rest all of your tian ingredients: The wilted, garlicky kale, the cooked rice, all of the smoked cheese and the other half of the Grana Padano cheese that wasn’t used in the topping. Give the whole lot a good couple of grinds of fresh black pepper and then mix well.

Spoon the mixture into your prepared baking pan and smooth it out.

Top liberally with the herby breadcrumbs. As mentioned before, you can bake this in a larger casserole, in which case, you’ll probably use all of the breadcrumbs. For my smaller, deeper pan, I ended up using just about half. Pat the herb topping down so it doesn’t fall off later when serving.

Bake for one-hour, covering the top with foil part way through if the breadcrumb topping is getting too browned. Check that it is cooked through by putting a knife in and leaving it there for about 30 seconds. The knife should be very hot to the touch when it is removed. If you are using a shallower casserole dish, this may not take the full hour.

To remove from the spring-form pan, allow the tian to cool for a few minutes and then run a knife around the sides before releasing the catch.

Run a knife under the tian to loosen it from the base.

Slide to a serving plate, cut into slices and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to our Sunday Supper host this week, Soni from Soni's Food. We got news just yesterday that her family has suffered a major loss with the unexpected passing of her father. If you are so inclined, please keep them in your prayers.

Amazing Breakfasts, Brunches, and Breads

• Apple Spice Muffinsfrom Pixie Dust Kitchen
• Apple Spice Waffles from Treats and Trinkets
• Cinnamon Apple Crepes from Juanita’s Cocina
• Maple Apple Bread from The Foodie Army Wife
• Mini Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Mini Pumpkin Pancake Kebobs from The Urban Mrs.
• Pumpkin Ale Pretzel Buns from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts from Daily Dish Recipes
• Skinny Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Donuts with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze from The Messy Baker

Outstanding Soups, Starters and Sides

• Bacon, Corn and Shrimp Chowder from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Butternut Squash Tian with Herb Topping from Food Lust People Love
• Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup from Alida’s Kitchen
• Farro Date Salad with Mango and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
• Parmesan Polenta from That Skinny Chick can Bake
• Pumpkin Tomato Sauce with Andouille Sausage from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Comforting Main Dishes

• Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries from Momma’s Meals
• Bacon Spinach Pasta from Magnolia Days
• Butternut Squash and Lentil Pot Pie from Curious Cuisiniere
• Chicken, Spinach, and Gnocchi Soup from Cookin’ Mimi
• Chili from Casa De Crews
• Creole Shrimp & Cheddar Basil Grits Cake from The Roxx Box
• Mini Meatball and Goat Cheese Risotto from MarocMama
• Mushroom and Sorrel Lasagne from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Onion Tart {Zwiebelkuchen} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Penne with Spicy Pumpkin and Sausage Sauce from Webicurean
• Roasted Fig & Pancetta Pasta Carbonara from Nik Snacks
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Neighborfood
• Spicy Korean Monkfish Stew (Agu Jjim) from kimchi MOM
• Stuffed Meatballs in Tomato Alfredo Sauce from Family Foodie
• Vegan Mushroom Pie from Killer Bunnies Inc
• White Pizza with Kale and Meatballs from The Hand That Rocks the Ladle

Decadent Desserts:

• {Gluten-Free} Pumpkin Swirl Pecan Crumb Cake from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Apple Cider Five Spice Caramels from girlichef
• Apple Fig and Pomegranate Crisp from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• Buttery Bourbon Ice Cream from NinjaBaking
• Camotes Enmielados (Mexican Candied Yams/Sweet Potatoes) from La Cocina de Leslie
• Caramel Apple Sugar Cookie Pizza from Chocolate Moosey
• Caramel Apples from Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Pumpkin Swiss Roll Cake from Big Bear’s Wife
• Funnel Cakes from The Texan New Yorker
• Hot Apple Pizza from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Italian Apple Torta from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Maple Syrup Pumpkin Bars from What Smells So Good?
• Pear Almond Graham Cracker Tart from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Walnut Crumble from Gotta Get Baked
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies from In The Kitchen With KP
• Pumpkin Marshmallows from Home Cooking Memories
• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars from Table for Seven
• Savory & Sweet Coconut Cream Salted Caramel Apples from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Walnut-Stuffed Baked Apples from Foxes Loves Lemons

Tasty Drinks:

• Pumpkin Juice – Harry Potter Style from The Dinner-Mom
• The Best Wines for Fall Foods from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Pin this Butternut Squash Tian! 

Garlicky Collard Greens

I come originally from what I considered the home of collard greens, by which I mean the southern US.  But I didn’t start to really like them until we lived in Brazil and I discovered another country that cooks collards even more than we do!  Couve, as it is called there, is a constant accompaniment to the traditional daily staples of beans and rice.   I mean, seriously!  Every day!  After almost six years there, collards became a regular side dish on our family menu as well.  The other night I made a small bowl just for my daughter and me, to serve alongside a potato galette.  I thought I’d share it here because I cut the collard greens as I learned to in Brazil.   My grandmother was most intrigued when I showed her many years ago and I thought it might be a new way for you too.

Ingredients
Big bunch of collard greens (10-12 big leaves)
2-3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
1 stock cube or flakey sea salt to taste
Black pepper
Cayenne

Method
Using a sharp pointy knife, cut along each side of the stems of the greens and remove them.

Lay the leaves one on top of the other and roll them up as tightly as you can manage.

Start at one end of the roll and cut it into very thin strips.

Toss the strips gently to separate them.

Rinse the strips in some running water and set aside.

Mince your garlic.  In a large pan, gently fry the garlic in a drizzle of olive oil, being careful not to let it brown.  Add in the stock cube and let it dissolve.

Add in the damp collard greens.  Sprinkle with salt (if using instead of the stock cube) and the two peppers.  Pop the lid on the pot and cook for about five to seven minutes.   Your collards are done!

Like any green, they cook down to a fraction of their original size so plan on doubling or tripling – or more – if you have lots of folks to feed.

Enjoy!  Do you eat a lot of collard greens too?  I'd love to hear where you are from, if you do!