Lentils and Squid.JPG

Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!

Carnival is officially over. From today on, a lent period of 40 days starts, that will end Saturday before Easter Sunday. This Monday is called Clean Monday because of the fact that Christians clean themselves physically and spiritually. The lent period of 40 days symbolizes the 40 days Christ spent in dessert fastening and praying. Clean Monday is a public holiday here in Greece and Cyprus and apart from specific food we consume this day, there is also the custom of flying kites. Children of all ages buy kites and fly them, weather permitting.

During this day, the family table consists of seafood (i.e. squid, octopus, shrimps, shells, mussels etc.), tahini halvà, olives, taramosalata, azyme bread called Lagana, legumes, dolma without meat and other dishes that do not contain meat.

Taramosalata is a dip made from tarama, which is the salted and cured roe of the cod or the carp. This roe is mixed with either breadcrumbs, or mashed potato, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. It is consumed as a dip with lagana and other vegetables.

Lagana is an azyme bread, which means that it does not contain sourdough and it is consumed during this day replacing the normal bread.

Lentils and Squid.JPG

Lentils and Squid.JPG

I prepared several dishes for the occasion, but since it was going to be a long post, I will share them with you post by post. Today, I will start with the first dish which is a combination of legume and seafood. I saw this dish in a very old magazine of my mother’s called “Εγώ” and I loved the idea of combining two ostensibly different flavors in one dish. I didn’t follow the magazine’s way of making them, but I decided to use my own recipes and I can tell you it was a success. I do not like lentils that much, I prefer beans. I find lentils somewhat blunt and uninteresting. Well, with the squid they take a whole new meaning. I was curious if the experiment would work, but it worked perfectly. The sautéed squid balanced beautifully with the plane flavor of lentil purée.

In the past I have combined seafood with starch successfully with Santorini Fava with Shrimps you can check it out. I am adding this dish to the “do it again” ones. In my next posts you will see yet another one recipe for Lagana bread and other delectable Clean Monday dishes. Also, you can check my Tahini Halvà  and a Lagana I made in the past!

  Lentils and Squid.JPG   

 

Lentil Purée with Squid

 

Ingredients

For the Lentil Purée

1 1/2 cup lentils

4 cups water

½ cup tomato puree

2 bay leaves

1 garlic cloves

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup olive oil

Lentils and Squid.JPG  

For the Squid

1 kilo / 2 pounds squid cleaned and cut in slices

Flour to sprinkle the squid

Olive oil to sauté

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup of dry white wine or any other wine you have available

1 garlic clove, minced

  Lentils and Squid.JPG

Instructions

Put a pot in medium/high heat and pour the 3 tbsp of olive oil.

Add the onion garlic and lentils after you have washed them well.

Sauté for one minute and then add everything but the salt and the ⅓ cup of olive oil.

When it starts to boil, close the lid and let it cook in low heat for 1 ½ hour.

Open the lid, increase the temperature to medium/high and add the salt and olive oil and boil for three more minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and put everything in a blender and make them puree.

Throw the puree back to the pot and keep warm.

Lentils and Squid.JPG Lentils and Squid.JPG  

For the Squid

Clean the squid thoroughly and flour it.

In a skillet pour 3 tbsp of olive oil in medium/high heat add the garlic and squid and sauté for couple of minutes.

Salt and pepper it.

Pour the wine and sauté for another couple of minutes, until it becomes somewhat thick.

Remove from fire.

Serve the lentils purée and above them the squid with the sauce.

Lentils and Squid.JPG

4.6 from 5 reviews
Lentil Purée with Squid
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Main Course
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Greek
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
For the Lentil Purée
  • 1½ cup lentils
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ cup tomato puree
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 carrot, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
For the Squid
  • 1 kilo / 2 pounds squid cleaned and cut in slices
  • Flour to sprinkle the squid
  • Olive oil to sauté
  • Salt and pepper
  • ⅓ cup of dry white wine or any other wine you have available
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Put a pot in medium/high heat and pour the 3 tbsp of olive oil.
  2. Add the onion garlic and lentils after you have washed them well.
  3. Sauté for one minute and then add everything but the salt and the ⅓ cup of olive oil.
  4. When it starts to boil, close the lid and let it cook in low heat for 1 ½ hour.
  5. Open the lid, increase the temperature to medium/high and add the salt and olive oil and boil for three more minutes.
  6. Remove the bay leaves and put everything in a blender and make them puree.
  7. Throw the puree back to the pot and keep warm.
For the Squid
  1. Clean the squid thoroughly and flour it.
  2. In a skillet pour 3 tbsp of olive oil in medium/high heat add the garlic and squid and sauté for couple of minutes.
  3. Salt and pepper it.
  4. Pour the wine and sauté for another couple of minutes, until it becomes somewhat thick.
  5. Remove from fire.
  6. Serve the lentils purée and above them the squid with the sauce.

4.6 from 5 reviews
Φακές Πουρέ με Καλαμάρι
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Κυρίως Πιάτο
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Ελληνική
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
Για τον Πουρέ Φακής
  • 1½ φλ. φακές
  • 4 φλ. νερό
  • ½ φλ. ντομάτα πουρέ
  • 2 φύλλα δάφνης
  • 1 σκελίδα σκόρδο
  • 1 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
  • ½ κ.γ. κανέλα
  • ½ κ.γ. μοσχοκάρυδο
  • 1 κ.σ. βαλσάμικο ξύδι
  • 1 καρότο, κομμένο σε φέτες
  • 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
  • 2 κ.γ. αλάτι
  • 3 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
  • ⅓ φλ. ελαιόλαδο
Για το Καλαμάρι
  • 1 κιλό καλαμάρια, καθαρισμένα και κομμένα σε φέτες
  • Αλεύρι για να αλευρώσουμε το καλαμάρι
  • Ελαιόλαδο για το σωτάρισμα
  • Αλάτι και πιπέρι
  • ⅓ φλ. ξηρό λευκό κρασί ή ότι κρασί έχετε ανοιχτό
  • 1 σκελίδα σκόρδο, λιωμένη
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Βάλτε μια κατσαρόλα σε μέτρια/υψηλή θερμοκρασία και ρίξτε 3 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο.
  2. Προσθέστε το κρεμμύδι, το σκόρδο και τις φακές, αφού τις πλύνετε.
  3. Σοτάρετε για ένα λεπτό και στη συνέχεια να προσθέσετε τα πάντα, εκτός από το αλάτι και το ⅓ φλιτζάνι ελαιόλαδο.
  4. Όταν αρχίσει να βράζει, κλείστε το καπάκι και αφήστε να βράσει σε χαμηλή φωτιά για 1 ½ ώρα.
  5. Ανοίξτε το καπάκι, αύξηστε τη θερμοκρασία σε μέτρια/υψηλή και προσθέστε το αλάτι και το ελαιόλαδο και βράστε για τρία λεπτά.
  6. Αφαιρέστε τα φύλλα δάφνης και βάλτε τα πάντα σε ένα μπλέντερ να γίνουν πουρές.
  7. Ρίξτε τον πουρέ πίσω στην κατσαρόλα και διατηρήστε τον ζεστό.
Για το Καλαμάρι
  1. Καθαρίστε το καλαμάρι καλά και αλευρώστε το.
  2. Σε μια κατσαρόλα ρίξτε 3 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο σε μέτρια/υψηλή θερμοκρασία, προσθέστε το σκόρδο και το καλαμάρι και σωτάρετε για μερικά λεπτά.
  3. Αλατίστε και βάλτε πιπέρι.
  4. Ρίξτε το κρασί και σοτάρετε για άλλα δύο λεπτά, μέχρι να πήξει κάπως.
  5. Βγάλτε από τη φωτιά.
  6. Σερβίρετε βάζοντας τον πουρέ με τις φακές και από πάνω τα καλαμαράκια με τη σάλτσα τους.