Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1.5–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque.

Make sauce and finish

Remove shrimp to a plate. Add wine (or stock) and lemon juice to the skillet, scraping browned bits; simmer 1 minute to reduce. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted, then return shrimp and toss to coat. Sprinkle chopped parsley and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Grilled Calamari

Prepare calamari

Slice tubes into 1/2-inch rings or leave tubes whole and score lightly; leave tentacles whole. Pat dry thoroughly so they sear instead of steam.

Marinate briefly

In a bowl combine olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper. Add calamari and toss to coat; let rest 10–15 minutes (do not marinate longer or calamari will toughen). If using skewers, thread rings/tubes and tentacles onto skewers for easy grilling.

Grill calamari

Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat. Oil grates lightly. Grill calamari 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque with char marks — do not overcook. Transfer to platter and sprinkle chopped oregano or parsley. Serve immediately with extra lemon.

Bruschetta

Make tomato topping

In a bowl combine diced tomatoes, diced red onion, minced garlic, chopped basil, olive oil and balsamic if using. Season with salt and black pepper. Let sit 10 minutes to meld flavors; if tomatoes are watery, drain a little juice.

Toast bread

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice baguette and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush or drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toast 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp; optionally rub warm toasts with a cut clove of garlic for extra aroma.

Assemble

Spoon tomato mixture onto each toasted slice just before serving to keep bread crisp. Garnish with extra basil leaves.

Garlic Bread

Prepare garlic butter

Combine room-temperature butter with minced garlic, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan (if using) and salt. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.

Assemble and bake

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice loaf horizontally or into thick slices leaving base intact for pull-apart style. Spread garlic butter evenly over cut surfaces. Wrap in foil if you want softer bread or leave open for crispier top. Bake 10–12 minutes until butter melted and bread heated through; for a golden top, open foil and broil 1–2 minutes watching closely.

Finish

Slice and transfer to platter. Optionally sprinkle extra parsley and grated Parmesan. Serve warm.