Calamari Salad.....easy, fast but stunning food!

Things have been pretty hectic around here with catering, a test series at school and a car being in the garage for repairs so not much planning has gone into family meals. I found some calamari steaks at the fish monger the other day and had it in the fridge for a couple of days while trying to find a good recipe for it. There was no time for slow cooked food, so one lunchtime my daughter and I got back from school and we decided today is the day for a calamari salad.... I simply scored the calamari with a crisscross pattern and marinated it for about 10 minutes in Olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce.
In the meantime we made a salad with a young Asian mix leaves, halved cocktail tomatoes, cucumber and some Strawberries. The strawberries were Chloe's idea and what a stunning combination it turned out to be.... When the salad was ready, I heated a pan and quickly fried the calamari - about 30 seconds on each side. Serve with a simple dressing of your choice. To keep the Asian flavors I used a glug of olive oil, some soy sauce, lemon juice and zest and a pinch of sugar. I thought about adding a few drops of peanut oil, but in hindsight I think it would have over-powered the subtle sweetness of the strawberries. The salad was a delight and cooking with my child was such a pleasure She has a wonderful palate already and she is only 7. I cannot wait to try more of her creations....

For more of Chloe's recipes, simply follow the links below!
Club Sandwich
Easy Pastry