Shrimp Stuffed Calamari With Polenta Food

BRAISED CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMP, SPINACH AND HERBS

Steps:

• To make the calamari:
• Roughly chop 3 of the calamari tubes and add to a food processor with the coarsely chopped shrimp and garlic. Pulse into a coarse paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the spinach, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, and pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini patty, cooking it in a small pan and eating it. It should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more salt, to taste. Divide the stuffing among the 8 remaining calamari bodies and secure closed with toothpicks.
• To make the sauce:
• Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill or puree them in a food processor and add them and 1 cup of water to the pan. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
• Add the calamari to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the pan and remove the toothpicks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, if needed. Arrange the calamari on a serving platter and cover with the sauce before serving.
• Deliciouso!

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse the calamari tubes and pat dry.
• In a large bowl, stir together the onions, 6 cloves garlic, shrimp, crabmeat and lemon juice. Spoon some of this mixture into each squid tube and seal the ends by 'sewing' with a toothpick. Arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and 2 cloves garlic. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until heated through and then remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper. Pour over all of the calamari tubes in the baking dish. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of Romano cheese on top of each one.
• Bake uncovered until the cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. While the calamari is baking, Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Serve the stuffed calamari and sauce over a bed of linguine.

BRAISED CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMP, SPINACH, AND HERBS

Steps:

• For the calamari: Roughly chop 3 of the calamari tubes and add to a food processor with the shrimp and garlic. Pulse into a coarse paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the spinach, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini patty, cooking it in a small pan, and eating it. It should taste really good! If it doesn't, it is probably missing salt. Add more salt, as needed. Divide the stuffing among the remaining 8 calamari bodies and secure closed with toothpicks.
• For the sauce: Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill or puree them in a food processor and add them with 1 cup of water to the skillet. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
• Add the calamari to the skillet and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the skillet and remove the toothpicks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, if needed. Arrange the calamari on a serving platter and cover with the sauce before serving.

CREAMY POLENTA FOR STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• In a large, deep saucepan bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the taralli until it forms coarse crumbs. Measure 1 1/4 cups of the crumbs. Pulse the squid tentacles in the food processor to chop them fine, and pat them very dry with paper towels.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering, add the squid tentacles, and spread them out. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then add the butter, garlic and red-pepper flakes to taste. Cook, stirring, until the garlic just starts to color, about 1 minute.
• Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, and stir in the taralli crumbs and lemon zest. The crumbs should look like wet, clumpy sand. If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle in a little more wine, and allow the filling to cool until just warm.
• Stuff each squid body with the filling, leaving the bottom and top inches unfilled (the stuffing will expand as it cooks). Secure the tops with toothpicks, and season all over with salt.
• Make the sauce: In a wide, deep pan, warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add red-pepper flakes to taste and the garlic, and cook until fragrant and just beginning to color. Stir in the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the tomatoes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add the calamari and any extra stuffing, and bring back to a very gentle simmer.
• Cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to make sure the sauce maintains a lazy bubble. Adjust with salt to taste. Garnish with the parsley. Serve with bread or pasta.

STUFFED SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, horseradish and Parmesan cheese until blended. Cut a small hole in the corner of a resealable plastic bag; add cream cheese mixture. Butterfly the shrimp along the outside curves. Pipe about 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture into each shrimp. , Arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with seafood sauce if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.