Squid Ahoy!

Thought it was time for another in my occasional series of recipes - this one works perfectly for a super-speedy, protein-rich, Mediterranean flavour-infused treat...

How do you choose what you're going to eat today?  If you're like me, then perhaps you take your inspiration from the market or supermarket, as you shop.  Perhaps you sometimes also need to give yourself a bit of a nudge to veer out of your 'comfort' zone.  So it was for me, a couple of nights ago, as I tried to decide what to make for dinner, while I shopped. At the fish counter, in my friendly local Waitrose, I noticed the squid was on offer and I realised that the last time I had prepared it, myself, was when I was living in Paris, shortly after I graduated.  Dis donc!  

After a reassuring chat with the girls behind the counter, I purchased my two squid tubes (pre-cleaned) and wandered home pondering my concoction of squid in red wine and tomato sauce, as I walked. En route, I thought back to when I was in Paris -  very young, adventurous and a touch naïve - and how I had prepared them totally from scratch, cleaning and all.  The result, as I recall, was a delicious success.

Ingredients:

(Per main course portion)

2 cleaned squid tubes, (approx 7oz/200g)

olive oil or stir fry oil blend

1 small fresh, or dried, red chili, chopped

1 dash/glug of full-bodied red wine

1 small can (1/2 a regular can) chopped plum tomatoes or 1/2 sachet Ella's Organic The Italian One sauce (your favourite healthy tomato sauce would work just as well)

1 tablespoon soya milk

Method:

Rinse the squid under cold water, pat dry with kitchen paper; cut - length-wise - into 1" (5 cm) strips.  Pre-heat your pan.  Pour-in approx 10ml olive or stir-fry oil.  Place the squid slices in the pan, spreading around, (not on top of each other), so that they cook evenly.  After 30 seconds, add the chili, wine, tomatoes (or sauce) and soy milk.  Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until sauce thickens and squid is tender.  Remove from heat, pour onto a plate or bowl and sprinkle with chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.  Enjoy as it is or to top your favourite pasta or rice.  Buon appetito!

NB  Whatever you do, don't over-cook the squid or it will be rubbery and chewy rather than tender and delicious!

It was too late to add the photo after I'd tasted my 'experiment' - I'll rectify that next time I make it...