Chef Caro

In the mood for tapas? This tapa is a healthy and colourful dish packed with flavour and is super-quick to make.

Soft Patagonian calamari stuffed with smokey rice, draped in sweet peppers and covered in garlicky basil pesto.

Ingredients

250g calamari tubes
1/2 onion
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 small red chilli
1/2 cup brown basmati rice
2 red peppers
1 tub basil pesto

Olive oil

Seasoning

Method

Make the rice according to the packet instructions.
Grill the red peppers, turning every so often until the skin blackens all over and place in a plastic bag.
Dice the onion finely and sauté in some olive oil.
When it starts to go translucent, add the paprika and chilli and fry until fragrant (1-2 minutes), stirring all the time. Add to the rice.
Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off the blackened skin and slice it into strips.
Stuff the calamari with the rice mixture and secure the open end with a toothpick (take care not to over stuff or it will burst).
Repeat with all the calamari.
Toss in a pan with some olive oil for a minute or 2 until the calamari is cooked, add at least 2 T of pesto (but to your tastes) and the red pepper strips for the last minute or 2 to warm through and bring out the flavours.
Add a fresh tablespoon of fresh pesto just before serving and toss.
Season with cracked black pepper and salt.

It took me just over half an hour from start to finish, it’s a great healthy, low GI tapas.

Make it a starter by adding a bed of rocket drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Enjoy!