Cigar Box Salmon

1 thick salmon filet

1/2 bottle of Pinot Noir

25 fresh red grapes

1/4 cup sugar

6 shallots, thinly sliced

1 knob of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about the length of your index finger)

1 cigar box top or bottom, soaked in water for 2+hours

Salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil to taste.

In small sauce pan, sautee 2 of the shallots and half of the ginger in extra virgin olive oil, until soft. Salt and pepper the aromatics. Add the Pinot Noir, bring to a simmer. Add the fresh grapes and sugar and continue simmering until the wine reduces and thickens (aprox. 20 minutes). In a small sautee pan, sautee the remaining thinly sliced shallots and ginger in extra virgin olive oil and some butter until they get nice and crispy, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Make sure to salt the crispy shallots and ginger right after you take them out. Fire up the grill and place the cigar box plank over the direct heat and close the lid for a few minutes. Sear the top of the salmon directly on the grill for about 2 minutes just to get some nice grill marks and a crust, then transfer the fish onto the cigar box plank. Turn down the heat to medium and close the lid. The plank should start to smoke a little bit, this allows the aromatic oils from the wood to get into the fish. When the salmon is about medium rare (about 5 minutes on the plank) remove the whole plank and place under tin foil to continue cooking/smoking. Crank up the heat under the sauce pot, the grapes should have popped by now and it should seem almost jelly-like. Strain the sauce into a bowl, and return the thin sauce back to a clean sauce pot and let simmer. Check the consistency of the sauce with the back of a spoon. (it should coat the back of the spoon and hold its shape). Finish the sauce with a pat of butter and spoon onto the plate. Place the salmon on top of the Pinot Noir sauce, and top the salmon with the crispy shallots and carmelized ginger.

Lamb Meatballs & Mediterranean Manicotti

2lbs ground lamb

6 slices of white bread, crust trimmed

1 cup of 2% milk

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

2 eggs

3/4 cup grated parmesan reggiano

1/2 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped

2 packages of sweet 100’s (baby cherry tomatoes)

8 cloves garlic, smashed

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

8 manicotti shells

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 lemon, zested

1/2 cup green olives, pitted and finely chopped

extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a roasting pan, or deep sautee pan combine the smashed garlic, tomatoes, and onion with some extra virgin olive oil and roast in the oven until the tomatoes are wilted and garlic is soft, about 45 minutes. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Dice up the white bread in cubes and soak in milk while preparing the ricotta cheese. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the manicotti shells until al dente. Cool and set aside (add some olive oil to prevent sticking). In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, the lemon zest, half of the fresh oregano, and the chopped olives. Mix together and transfer the mixture into a ziploc bag (homemade pastry piping bag). In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, eggs, parmesan cheese, dried breadcrumbs, oregano, generous amounts of salt and pepper. Grab the white bread from the milk and squeeze out about half of the milk. Add the soaked bread to the lamb mixture. With your hands, combine all of the ingredients and form meatballs to your desired size. In a sautee pan or roasting pan, sear the meatballs on all sides over medium high heat to form a nice crust and transfer to a roasting pan. Snip the corner of the zip loc bag and pipe the ricotta filling into the manicotti shells. Arrange the shells in a baking dish and top with the roasted tomato sauce. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Bake the meatballs in the oven for about 15 minutes or until just cooked throughout. Arrange meatballs around the manicotti if desired. Serve the meatballs with extra roasted tomato sauce and manicotti. Finish with really good extra virgin olive oil, and more grated parmesan reggiano cheese.

 

Summer Seafood Stew

1lb. Cod, cut into 2 inch pieces

6 Jumbo Sea scallops

6 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb. Squid (Calamari) sliced into rings

1/2 lb.-1lb. mussels, cleaned

2 celery stalks

1 stalk lemongrass

2 medium yellow onions

1-3 Tbs red curry powder

2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk

Clam juice

seafood stock

1 green bell pepper, small dice

2 thai or serrano chiles, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 limes, zested

1/2 cup of pancetta, cubed

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Clean all of the seafood and set aside. In a large heavy bottomed pot, brown the pancetta over low to medium heat. Add the celery and green pepper and cook until soft over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, garlic and chiles and cook until soft. Season each component of the dish with salt and pepper. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the curry powder and lime zest and cook for about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 3 Tbs clam juice, and then add 2 cups of seafood stock and the potatos. Reduce the heat to a simmer, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the 2 cans of coconut milk and season with salt and pepper. Let the broth simmer for about 10-20 minutes. Taste your broth to make sure it is rich and flavorful. It should taste almost overseasoned which is good because you’re about to add alot of seafood. Once the broth is at a light simmer, add the scallops  and cod to the pot and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the shrimp, squid and mussels, and put a lid on the pan. Let cook until all the mussels open up, roughly 3-4 minutes. Grill some rustic, chewey bread. Serve seafood in a bowl, and ladle broth over it. Serve with a piece of grilled bread.

 

Bolognese Sauce

Mike’s Bolognese Sauce (serves 12)

 

1 lb. ground veal

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. ground pork

¼ cup pancetta, cubed

2 large yellow onion, small dice

2 carrots, small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

2 fennel stalks, small dice

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs Tomato Paste

1 Tbs fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 Tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 Tbs fresh sage, finely chopped

½-1 Tbs chili flake

1 bottle dry red wine (750ml)

2 Tbs Sherry vinegar

2 C. Beef stock/broth

10 chicken livers, cleaned

3 Tbs butter, unsalted

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, to taste

 

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, render out the fat from the pancetta until the pancetta is browned. Remove the crispy pork from the pot leaving the fat in the pot. Heat roughly 2 Tbs EVOO (medium-high heat). Add carrots and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add celery and fennel and cook until softened, about 4 min. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 7 min. Add the tomato paste, fresh herbs, and chili flake and cook for 2 min. Deglaze the pan with 2 Tbs Sherry Vinegar. Add all of the meat at once and cook until all of the pink is gone. Add the entire bottle of red wine, bring to a simmer, and reduce by over half. Once wine is reduced, add the beef stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for roughly 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste during every step of the process. Clean the chicken livers and pat dry. In a hot sauté pan, sear the chicken livers until brown. Remove livers from pan and chop finely. Stir livers into sauce with 3 Tbs butter until completely dissolved, silky texture. Let sauce simmer for another 30 min to 2 hrs. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Tagliatelle or Penne. Finish with Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Grana Padano cheese.

 

Grilled Salmon with Agave-Citrus Glaze

2 thick pieces of salmon

1 lime

1 lemon

1 orange/tangerine

1/4 cup agave nectar

salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil to taste

In a large mixing bowl, wish the juice of all of the citrus with a few Tbs of extra virgin olive oil and the agave nectar. Season the salmon with salt and pepper, and grill over high heat. Once flipped, brush the glaze on the fish while still on the grill, and after you take it off.

Guinness Braised Beef Short Ribs

2 Beef Short Ribs cut in half (have your butcher cut them into 3-4 inch pieces)

2 Tbs Flour

1 Carrot, small dice

1 celery stalk, small dice

2 yellow onions, small dice

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup molasses

2 pints Guinness

1/2 cup beef broth

1-2 Tbs Chinese Five Spice

Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

In a deep, heavy bottom pot (Le Crusset) heat 1 Tbs of vegetable oil over high heat until almost smoking. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper generously and then dredge in flour. Shake off extra flour. Sear the short ribs in the pot on all sides until a nice crust forms. Remove the ribs from the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Sautee the carrots and celery until soft. Then add the garlic cloves (smashed) and onion and sautee until soft and translucent. Add the Chinese Five spice and cook for 2 minutes. Add the 2 pints of Guinness and reduce by half over medium heat. Add the molasses and cook for another 2 min. Return the ribs to the pot. The liquid should only come halfway up the sides of the ribs, if not then add some beef broth. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the pot and cook in over for about 1.5-2 hrs. Halfway through check on the ribs and flip them. You will know the ribs are done when the meat is tender enough that it will fall apart if pinched with tongs or if it could be cut with a fork. Remove the ribs from the pot and return the pot to the stovetop to reduce the liquid uncovered to create a sauce. Finish the ribs in the broiler and a basting of the sauce or just return the ribs to the sauce after it is reduced. Serve with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed brussel sprouts.

Shiitake & Snap Pea Salad

(makes roughly 12 small salads)

20-30 Shiitake Mushrooms, stems removed

3-4 Cups (one large bag) Flat sugar snap peas, thin julienne

1 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1-2 packages of Japanese noodles (or bean sprouts substitute)

Rice wine vinegar

Sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

In a dry skillet, sear the mushrooms until tender but not soggy. Remove from pan, cool and thinly slice. It is important to let them cool before slicing them in order for them to retain moisture. Very thinly julienne the flat snap peas vertically so that they look long and stringy. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water for roughly 5 minutes or until al dente, cool and transfer to the bowl. Add the chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and dress with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil to taste. I have found that if you make this ahead of time, dress the salad, and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before taking it out and bringing it to room temperature to serve it, the flavors become more intense.

Braised Chicken Thighs

2 Chicken Legs

2 Chicken Thighs

3 lemons

20 sprigs of fresh thyme, picked

10 cloves garlic

1 bottle of dry white wine

chicken stock

1 large yellow onion, small dice

2 stalks celery, small dice

3 Tbs unsalted butter

Extra Virgin Olive oil, salt and pepper

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, brown the seasoned chicken pieces on all sides with a little olive oil, skin side down first and make sure the skin gets nice and crispy. Remove from the pot and set aside. Smash the cloves of garlic and add to the pot with the celery. Cook until the garlic starts to brown and the celery gets soft. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the thyme and one of the lemons cut into 6 slices. Cook for about 4 minutes. Make sure you are seasoning each layer of ingredients with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and add the entire bottle of dry white wine. Bring the pot to a simmer and reduce the wine by 75% to concentrate all the flavor. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Return the chicken to the pot skin side up. The braising liquid should only come halfway up the sides of the chicken. Add some chicken stock to the pot to bring the liquid level halfway up the chicken and add 6 more slices of lemon. Cover the pot and cook in the oven for about an hour. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set aside. Put the remaining braising liquid on the stove over medium-high heat and reduce by half. Strain the liquid into a sauce pan and add 1-2 Tbs of butter to create a sauce for the chicken. Serve the chicken and drizzle the sauce over it. If the skin lost some of its crispyness during the braising, finish the chicken under the broiler before serving. Garnish with a lemon wedge and sprig of thyme.

Grilled Zucchini & Orange Salad

4 Zucchini or Summer Squash

2 oranges

1 package of fresh mint

extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Slice the Zucchini length-wise and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill on one side for roughly 2 mintues, or until the vegetable becomes tender but not mushy. Slice and transfer to a mixing bowl. Juilienne or mince the mint and add to the bowl. Zest the entire orange and add the zest to the bowl. Slice and remove all of the supremes from both oranges and add to the salad. Toss with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

 

Fish Tacos!!!

1 lb Thick Cut Red Snapper (or other firm white fish)

Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper to taste

Season the fish on both sides, and grill over high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette. Slice into 6-8 pieces.

Citrus Vinaigrette

Fresh Orange Juice

Fresh Lemon Juice

Fresh grapefruit juice

Vinho Verde

Vegetable Oil

Whole Grain mustard

Salt & Pepper to taste

Rice Wine Vinegar

Combine a few tablespoons of the citrus juices in a mixing bowl with 1TBS of whole grain mustard and 1TBS of Rice Wine Vinegar. With a whisk, slowly whisk in the vegetable oil in a slow stream until a stable vinaigrette has formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the grilled fish, and save the rest for the slaw.

Roasted Serano/Mango Sauce

2 Ripe mangos, peeled, diced and chopped

2 Serano Chiles, Roasted, peeled, seeded

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup honey

salt & pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan , combine the mango, roasted chilies, orange juice and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until soft and the juice had reduced by half. Let cool and then transfer to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth while adding the honey to gain a thicker consistency. Constantly taste and re-season your sauce until you have reached desired amount of heat or sweetness. Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator.

Guacamole Cream

2 ripe avacados

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro chopped

2 Tbs Resposado Tequilla

2 Tbs Sour Cream

1TbS Siracha hot chile sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside

Cabbage Slaw

1 head of radicchio

1 head of white cabbage

1/2 Cup of Cilantro, chopped

Juilienne the cabbage and toss with the remaining citrus vinaigrette and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

****Grill Small corn tortillas until soft. Spread the tortilla with the Guacamole Cream. Place a slice of Snapper in the tortilla. Drizzle with the Roasted Serano/Mango Sauce. Top with some of the Cabbage Slaw. Fold and Eat.

 

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with Herbed Goat Cheese

12 Baby Lamb Chops (Lamb Lollipops) *increase number according to size of party

1 log of goat cheese

fresh rosemary

fresh oregano

fresh mint

fresh parsley

fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Chop the fresh herbs finely and lay out on the cutting board with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roll the log of goat cheese in the herbs until completely covered and store in the freezer to make it easier to cut. Season the lamb chops with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over high heat for roughly 2 minutes per side and remove from the grill. Transfer lamb chops to a serving platter. Remove the goat cheese from the freezer and with a sharp knife, slice the log into discs. It may help to wipe the knife after each slice in order to achieve a perfect disc without crumbling. Place each disc of herbed goat cheese on the lamb lollipops and serve.

Grilled Shrimp with Bacon & Strawberries

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 slabs of thick cut bacon, sliced into strips

10-12 strawberries, sliced

1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Season the shrimp and grill for about 1-2 minutes per side. Render down the bacon in a skillet until it just starts to get crispy, remove from the fat and set aside. Slice the strawberries. In a bowl, toss the shrimp, bacon and strawberries and finish with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Grilled Lemongrass Swordfish with Roasted Summer Squash Puree

2 thick pieces of fresh swordfish

2-3 stems of lemongrass

2 lemons

4 summer squash

6 cloves of garlic

1 large bunch of fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the summer squash lengthwise and place on a baking sheet with the 6 cloves of garlic and half of the fresh basil leaves. Season with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the squash is soft, remove and let cool. In the food processor, puree the squash, garlic, basil, as well as adding the other half of the fresh basil. Throughout this process, constantly taste and reseason the puree until you are happy with the product. Transfer into a saucepan on low heat to keep warm. Season the fish generously with salt and pepper. Fire up the grill to high heat. Slice the lemongrass on the thick end. Sear the fish on both sides to obtain some nice grill marks, and then place atop the sliced lemongrass and close the lid, cook for about 7-10 minutes. Also slice a lemon in half and grill the lemons for a garnish. Serve atop the roasted squash puree.

 

Grilled Portabello Mushroom/Asparagus Pizza

Fresh pizza dough

1 yellow onion

1 bunch of asparagus

4 portabello mushroom caps

1 tub of marscapone cheese

3 lemons

1 block of ripe goat cheese

2 Tbs unsalted butter

flour for dusting

salt & pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, spoon out the marscapone cheese and add the juice and zest of 2 whole lemons, salt and pepper to taste. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Flour your cutting board and roll out pizza dough until it is about the size of a cookie sheet. Place the pizza dough on the back of a cookie sheet pan and bake for 2-3 minutes just to make it firm enough to grill, remove and cool. Fire up the grill. Remove stems from Portabello caps and trim the ends of the asparagus. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. When grill is extremely hot, grill the veggies, remove and cool. Slice the yellow onion into rings and put in a dry skillet over low-medium heat until carmelized. Halfway through the carmelization process add salt, pepper, and the butter. Spread a thin layer of the lemony marscapone cheese over the base of the pizza crust. Top with carmelized onions, sliced portabello mushrooms, and grilled asparagus. Crumble fresh goat cheese over the top of the pizza. Wipe down the grill with some vegetable oil and bring it to medium heat. Throw the pizza on the grill and close the hood. Let cook until the dough is crispy. Slice and serve.

Macadamia Nut Encrusted Cod with Cilantro Pesto

2 thick pieces of fresh cod

1 package of Macadamia nuts

2-3 large bunches of fresh cilantro

6 cloves garlic

1 jalepeno

5 limes

grated manchego cheese

1 egg

flour

1 head of cauliflower

4 Tbs unsalted butter

2 Tbs cumin

Extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In the food processor, combine cilantro (not the stems) garlic, seeded jalepeno, half of the macadamia nuts, the juice and zest of 4 limes, about 1/2 cup of finely grated manchego cheese, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, until pesto-like texture is reached, set aside. Season both sides of the cod with salt and pepper, dredge one side in flour and shake off, then place the floured side into the egg wash, and then back onto the cutting board. Encrust the top of the fish with chopped (in food processor) macadamia nuts so that a nice crust is formed on top of the fish. In a large sautee pan, melt 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil and bring to high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cod in the hot pan fish side down and let sear for about 2 minutes while constantly basting the nut crust with the butter/evoo (use a large spoon). Throw the fish into the preheated oven to finish cooking for about 6 minutes. Finish under the broiler to obtain a nice browned crust. Remove the fish and let rest for about a minute. In a medium sized sautee pan, sautee cauliflour florets, butter, and cumin until nicely carmelized and tender. Serve the fish on top of the cilantro pesto accompanied by the cumin cauliflower. Garnish with a slice of lime.