# SMOKED CALAMARI WITH FRESH HERBS & CHOPPED SNAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!



## leah elisheva (Feb 26, 2014)

Happy Wednesday You Fabulous Smoked Cookies!!!

And Here's To Great Things!

I whipped up some VERY SPECIAL, simple, healthful, smoked calamari today!!!

And here's all that edible and tasty jazz!!!!

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!!!! - Leah













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






I had fresh flat leaf parsley, fresh basil, and a fresh shallot to work with (or use up) and so I decided that they'd become a part of today...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






It was 6:30-ish in the morning, and since I wake up each day at 3 a.m., I was long past some working hours, and my breakfast, and ready to start putzing around in the kitchen and making my lunch.

On days when I don't have to go out for appointments, (and thus drive), I enjoy some wine with my lunch.

And since I'd opened up a luscious and lovely White Burgundy today therefore, I began "snacking" on a can of wild snails while cooking, (as to not merely drink without eating "a little something"), and then decided to even chop up the few snails that were left, and add that into today's mixture!

Delish!

Impromptu ingredients are so fun!













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






I chopped up the shallot and it did make me cry!!!!

Is there anyone out there who can do this, and get to the root chopping part even, and still not cry?

Teach me!













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






I mixed up the chopped herbs, chopped snails and chopped shallot...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And boiled some Hodgson Mill brand "brown rice & flax" wheat-free angel hair pasta...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And got my little gas smoker ready with pistachio shells instead of chips (a fabulous idea, and now I'm a covert, thanks to "Knuckle47" on this great site)...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And today, of my own volition, I added a Madagascar Vanilla Bean to the mix; as to me, there is nothing which smells better in this great world, than *vanilla!!!*













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And I took my calamari - today's was a tiny pack of frozen ones that I had thawed in my fridge overnight...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And I added a mound of the herb-snail-shallot mixture to the mollusks, and then some high heat friendly grapeseed oil too...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And I mixed that all up, as I do adore bigger chunks, texture, and the appearance of actual pieces and interesting shapes, versus pureed up "pesto" mush or dip or anything too diced or too pureed into too smooth of a consistency...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And My GOD, the smell of vanilla was all over the neighborhood along with subtle but very present essence of, "pistachio!"

HEAVENLY!













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






This stayed on my smoker (covered up) on high heat, for 15 minutes...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






Meanwhile, I put the mound of herbs onto a pasta plate and will admit that I did literally stand there and begin to eat the lovely mixture until my husband gently reminded me, that he would "love if any of that did make its way to our lunch plate too..."

OK THEN, onward...

I STEPPED AWAY from the platter...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






The smoked goods - all vanilla smelling and ambrosial, sultry, and aromatic therefore, came off the smoker and were amazing!!! (Yes, I "snitched" a taste)....Or two...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






I also had a red pepper to use up and thus chopped it for mere color and texture and vitamins...and I'd saved 3 snails for garnish, though ALMOST gobbled those up indeed as well...













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






Then I assembled the pasta, and tossed it with herbs, layered on the smoked calamari, added the chopped raw red pepper, and the snail garnish pieces...

and then doused it all with incredible olive oil...

and some crushed, black, Cyprus lava sea salt, and it was good to go!













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






And like a BIG PLATE OF CHRISTMAS, this now goes down in the books as one of my top five favorite menus of all time!

Simple, healthful, exotic, and still minimalistically arranged, I was in love with my dear lunch today indeed!!!!!!!!!













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






The calamari is soft! Smoky! Vanilla-esque and with a hint just, of "pistachio elegant smoke!"













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






The wet oil, and savory black lava sea salt, and the texture of all the herbs...it was so WON-DER-FUL!!!













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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014


















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__ leah elisheva
__ Feb 26, 2014






To swirl and twirl, and enjoy more of my White Burgundy, was just fantastic!

Thank you for sharing in my dinner!!! A fabulous day in, I am indeed having!!!!!!

Happy Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!!! - Leah


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## themule69 (Feb 26, 2014)

Leah








That looks very tasty.

Happy smoken.

David


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## leah elisheva (Feb 26, 2014)

Thank you David!!!

This was so good!!!

I'm happy you shared in it!!!

Happy WONDERFUL Wednesday!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!!! - Leah


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## diggingdogfarm (Feb 26, 2014)

That looks real good, Leah!



~Martin


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## leah elisheva (Feb 26, 2014)

Hi Martin!

And thank you!!!!

This really WAS delicious, and I'm so happy that it is being enjoyed here as well!

Cheers to you!!! - Leah


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