Calamari is a squid. So if you rack your brain about how a strange named food has appeared in your menu then don’t think too much. It’s a squid really. It can be done or cooked in so many ways.
Aside from the delicious treats it can offer in every restaurant, calamari is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are a good kind of fat that is very beneficial to the body. Few of the known benefits of omega-3 from calamari involve:
Benefits
1. It reduces risk of heart problems.
2. Lowers bad cholesterol
3. Aids in arthritis pain
4. Improves cognitive functioning
5. Aids in diabetes
But before you go panicking going buying for calamari, know first that even though calamari is healthy, the way you prepare it can make a difference. Now check out below for a healthy calamari recipe.
Grilled Calamari
You don’t always need to fry calamari into squid rings and coat it with bread crumbs. It’s too unhealthy plus a dip to add to it. You defeat the purpose of the omega-3 fatty acids. So why not grill it?
Calamari is fancier for a name instead of a squid isn’t it? But it’s a squid anyway, so let’s start the ball rolling. Dish out your deep fryer and instead go outside and do the grilling. So what do you need for it?
You need of course the calamari. You can buy the un-chopped one, fresh from the supermarket. So you have to clean it. Chopped and ringed ones though can be available too if you just hate cleaning up. So here’s the official list of this recipe:
A healthy delicacy great all year round
- 1 pound calamari
- Salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- A lime cut into wedges
- Parsley finely minced, few sprigs only
- Bamboo skewers
The Procedure
1. Preheat the grill.
2. Wash your squid and pat it dry in a paper towel.
3. Cut the calamari in a 2 inch cube size but if you have the cut ones already, skip this part.
4. Thread it into the bamboo skewer. Have a minimum five pieces of squid cut in each skewer
5. Season the skewered calamari with salt and pepper
6. Grill the calamari over medium heat. Do it for 4 minutes with each side until edges is slightly charred. But don’t burn it.
7. Drizzle olive oil over the cooked squid.
8. Squeeze in some lime over the calamari.
9. Top with the finely minced parsley.
10. Do the plating and serve.
This recipe is as healthy as it looks. The olive oil for example is another source of healthy nutrients. Olive oil compared to all other cooking oil used is laden with health benefits and paring it with calamari can be a slam dunk. Just slow down with the salt and the pepper and your off for a healthy treat. If you’re not the chef type though, you can go and buy those supplements offering omega-3.
Thanks to Roselen Fernandez for this useful insight into the health benefits of Calamari, including an easy to make yet impressive recipe. You can keep up to date with Roselen on her Google plus profile.
