You only need two words to describe this tasty salad: quick and refreshing.
Watermelon Salad
Ingredients:
Watermelon
Sweet red onion
Fresh mint leaves
EVO oil
Salt
Cut the watermelon flesh into small bite-size pieces. Slice the onion crosswise so that you have thin rings. Rinse the mint leaves and dry them on paper towels.
Put the watermelon pieces, the onion rings and the mint leaves in a bowl. Dress with salt and oil. Toss gently.
Octopus is
considered a star-status delicacy in many cuisines the world over, especially
Asian and Mediterranean. It is rich in essential minerals such as iron,
calcium, potassium and phosphorus but low in fat containing less than 70
Calories per 100 grams.
Cooked properly,
octopus is deliciously tender, sweet and juicy, vaguely reminiscent of the sea
and tending to make you think of lobster.
Cook it in
a simple manner using few ingredients as to not overwhelm its unique flavour,
and voilà, there it is Grilled Octopus in all its splendour.
Grilled
Octopus
Ingredients:
- Octopus –
cleaned and ready to cook
- Potatoes,
medium-sized
- Lemon
- Garlic, 1
clove – peeled and crushed
- Parsley,
finely chopped
- EVO oil
- Salt
- Pepper
(optional)
Rinse the
octopus and put it in a pot with boiling water. Cover, turn the heat to low and
simmer for 40 – 45 minutes for an octopus that weighs about 1 kg or for 20 – 30
minutes if it weighs less. Pierce with a fork to test for doneness being
careful not to overcook it otherwise it will become rubbery.
When the
octopus is cooked, turn off the heat and leave it in its cooking water. When cool,
take it out of the pot, divide the tentacles and put them in a bowl with the clove
of garlic. Drizzle with oil and leave to marinate stirring or tossing from time
to time.
Wash and
peel the potatoes. Cut each one lengthwise into 4 thick slices. (Allow 2 slices
per person.) Filter the cooking water through a strainer and use it to cook the
potatoes until just tender. Drain and transfer to a platter. Brush both sides
with oil.
In a bowl
prepare the dressing using 1 part lemon juice, 3 parts oil, parsley, a pinch of
salt and, if using, a pinch of pepper.
Drip off excess
marinade from the octopus and grill 3 minutes, flip it over and cook another 3
minutes. As soon as it’s cooked and still hot, put it in the bowl containing
the dressing. Toss well to thoroughly coat the tentacles. (Important: Dressing
the octopus while it’s hot will determine the success of the dish.) Now grill
the potatoes until they form a light crust on both sides.
To serve: Put 2 slices of potatoes on a plate. Place
the octopus on top and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
