Tuna Steaks with Tomato Basil Salsa

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons
2 (1-inch) steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each
Salt and pepper
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
A handful parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup torn or chopped fresh basil leaves, about 20

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the tuna steaks spread it around then season with salt and pepper.

Combine tomatoes, onions, parsley and basil in a bowl. Dress with extra-virgin olive oil, enough to coat the tomatoes evenly, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the sauce marinate at least 10 minutes.

When you are ready to eat, grill tuna steaks 2 minutes on each side for rare, 3 minutes for medium and 4 for opaque, well done. Stir sauce up then serve liberal amounts of it on top of the steaks.

Chicken Parmesan

The chicken thighs in this recipe can be substituted with 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Ingredients
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (or Emeril's Essence)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning pasta
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of Chef Jeff's Pasta Sauce
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound linguine, cooked al dente and kept warm
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon of the creole seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Place the flour into a small bowl. Place the egg and milk into a second small bowl. Place the bread crumbs, rosemary, and thyme into a third small bowl, toss to combine.

Dip each chicken thigh into the flour, then the beaten egg mixture, and finally into the bread crumbs, shaking to rid of excess between each step. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining thighs. When all of the thighs are breaded, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken thighs to the other side and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over each thigh and divide the mozzarella slices evenly among the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Adjust the oven setting to broil and continue to cook until the cheese bubbles and is lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.

While the chicken is baking, reheat the pasta sauce if necessary. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the pasta and toss until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add enough of the pasta sauce to just coat the pasta and divide between 4 large serving plates.

When the chicken is ready, top each plate of pasta with a little more sauce and top each serving with a chicken thigh. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.

Creole Scallops

Ingredients
1 pound fresh sea scallops
2 teaspoons creole seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Rinse scallops, dry thoroughly. Toss scallops with salt, pepper, and creole seasoning.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. Wait for butter to melt.

Add scallops. Sear for 3 minutes. Flip scallops over and sear for another 3 minutes. Toss with additional salt, pepper, and creole seasoning if desired, then serve.

Spicy Gazpacho

Chrissy & I had this Gazpacho at Sandy & Glen's last weekend. I thought it was so good i had to add it to my collection!

Ingredients
2 (32-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in puree
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce (for mild heat use 2 tablespoons)
1/2 European seedless cucumber, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
2 jalapenos or serranos, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, from the heart of the bunch, chunked
Handful fresh cilantro leaves
1 lemon or lime, juiced
Coarse salt and black pepper
Lemon or lime wedges, for garnish

Working in batches, combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse grind into a thick soup. Adjust seasonings. Pour soup into a thermos and chill until ready to serve. Serve in chilled glasses with wedges of lime or lemon for garnish.

Makes 2.5 quarts.

Spicy Shrimp with Rosemary

Ingredients
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice

To a large skillet, add olive oil and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add rosemary, pepper flakes, and shrimp, and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to serving dish. Squeeze some lemon juice over shrimp.

Pan Seared Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound fresh salmon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cucumber Dill Sauce

Cut the salmon into manageable portions. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of salmon. Sprinkle fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a saute pan over median-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.

Sear the salmon, skin side down, for 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and sear an additional 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

Plate salmon and top with a generous portion of cucumber dill sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Cucumber Dill Sauce

This sauces goes great on top of fresh salmon or chicken. Also good as a vegetable dip.

Ingredients
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, roughly chopped
1 bunch of dill, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 large lemons, juiced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine first four ingredients in a blender and puree. Gradually blend in mayonnaise, oil and yogurt and then season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2 cups.

Homemade Salsa

4 pounds vine-ripened red and/or orange tomatoes (about 5 medium)
1/2 medium onion (preferably white)
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
4 fresh serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quarter and seed tomatoes. Dice the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Finely chop enough onion to measure 1/2 cup and chop cilantro. Stir chiles, onion, cilantro, and garlic into tomatoes with sugar and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.