Grilled Sea Scallops on Tortilla Chips with Avocado Puree and Jalapeno Pesto

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted & coarsely chopped
3 T red onion, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 T canola oil
¼ C chopped cilantro
kosher salt & ground pepper to taste
20 blue tortilla corn chips
Scallops

Combine avocados, onion, lime juice, oil, cilantro, salt & pepper in a food processor until smooth. Spread about 1 tablespoon puree on tortilla chip, top with a flash-fried scallop and top each scallop with the jalapeno pesto.

Jalapeno Pesto

1 ½ C cilantro
6 jalapenos, grilled, peeled & chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T pine nuts
salt & pepper
½ C extra-virgin olive oil.
Process al but the oil and then add gradually until emulsified.

From Bobby Flay’s Grill It, PotterPublishing, 2008.

Shrimp-Orange Mojito Appetizer

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
* 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 to 2 T freshly grated orange zest
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 12 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
* 2 T olive oil
* 2 teaspoon minced garlic
* 2 T spiced rum and or dark rum
* 1/2 C fresh orange juice
* 1 T torn fresh mint
* 1 T chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast 2 to 3 minutes or until aromatic. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Grind to a rough, coarse ground in a spice grinder. Combine fresh ground spices with orange zest, thyme, and salt. Rub spice mixture over shrimp.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium, and cook shrimp 2 to 3 more minutes on each side, or until pink and cooked through.

Remove shrimp.

Add rum and orange juice. Cook 1 minute, and stir in mint and cilantro. Reduce somewhat and then pour thickened mixture over
shrimp.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com

ps. this was phenomenal!

Squid and Olives

¼ C olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped, about 1.2 cup
1 ½ T chopped garlic
¼ C large pitted Spanish green olives
¼ tsp saffron
1 T tomato paste
½ C white wine
½ C fish broth
1 pound cleaned squid, cut into rings, tentacles cut in half

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the oil and add onion and cook slowly until transparent.
Add garlic and stir slightly, then add the olives and cook 2 minutes.
Stir in saffron, paste, wine and broth.
Cook for 5 minutes and transfer to an earthenware casserole.
Add squid and throw in a cork (little trick that makes rubbery seafood tender).

Bake covered for 35 to 40 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with toasted baguette.

Poke

Even Paul liked this one and he swore he wouldn’t eat raw fish. Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish, the word literally means “blocks” and came about after Hawaiians observed the early sailors cutting up fish into blocks and salting them. The most traditional Poke is raw fish sprinkled with Hawaiian salt. Use a sushi quality ahi tuna and you will amaze people with this recipe.

½ pound fresh tuna, cut into fairly small “blocks” ¼ inch cubes maybe
½ C chopped sweet onion
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
½ inch fresh peeled ginger root, grated
Few drops of sesame oil
½ C Shoyu sauce (lighter Japanese soy sauce)
Handful of sesame seeds
Dash of salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Wayne’s Piraeus Shrimp

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 ½ T olive oil
28 oz can tomatoes, lightly chopped
Oregano and basil
Salt and pepper
¼ C white wine
1 lb shelled deveined shrimp
8 ox. Feta cheese, crumbled

Saute onions and garlic in oil over high heat for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Cook until boiling then add wine. Stir the shrimp in when liquid boils. Simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Add cheese and cook another 2 or 3 minutes.

Curry Coconut Mussels Babalu’s

(Cooked by guest Mike Kuehnel)

½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 T vegetable oil
½ C dry white wine
½ C fresh orange juice
¼ C fresh lime juice
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ tsp crumbled saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ T sambal oelek
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2Lbs mussels, well scrubbed

Cook onion, garlic & ginger in oil in a large heavy pot over medium low heat. Stir in wine, juices, curry powder, thyme,. Saffron, bay leaf, milk, tomato and sambal. Simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until slightly reduced, 15 minutes.

Add cilantro & mussels and cook covered over high heat just until mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt & serve immediately

Phenomenal Crabcakes

In a bowl mix together:

320 grams crab meat
1/3 C finely diced red pepper
3 finely diced scallions
2 finely diced shallots
1 beaten egg
2/3 tsp thai red curry paste mixed with enough water to make it runny
1/2 C mayonnaise
3/4 C fine bread crumbs
3/4 C unsweetened coconut
some salt and pepper

Form into patties (makes about 8 small ones) and bake at 350F for about 35 minutes.

Serve with Habanero Jelly.