Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli

1 head broccoli
2 T. EVOO
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash, cut, and toss broccoli with EVOO and kosher salt & pepper to taste.  Roast on a parchment paper lined baking sheet until slightly caramelized, 15-20 minutes.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese and/or truffle oil.

Pan Fried Calamari

Pan Fried Calamari

Ingredients

1 pound squid, rings & tentacles, cleaned
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup flour
1 t. Kosher Salt
1 t. Pepper
1 T. Old Bay Seasoning
Vegetable Oil

Preheat 1" of oil in a heavy skillet over high heat.

If working with whole squid, cut the the tubes into rings and trim the tentacles.  Rinse the squid and pat dry.  Mix flour with Kosher salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning.  Toss the squid in the flour and shake off any excess flour.

Fry the squid until golden brown over medium high heat, 5-7 minutes.  Remove from the pan and place in a bowl lined with a paper towel.  Shake off excess oil, remove the paper towel, toss with lemon juice and Old Bay Seasoning.  Serve with cocktail sauce and/or lemon cilantro aioli.

Florida Gulf Cioppino

Florida Gulf Cioppino

Quick Fish Stock:

1 small onion-minced
1 medium carrot-minced
2 medium ribs celery-minced
parsley-chopped
1 cup dry white wine
24 ounces clam juice
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
Juice of a lemon
Kosher salt & black pepper to taste

Bring all ingredients to a boil, and simmer about 30 minutes.  Strain the stock and reserve for later.

Cioppino

1/4 cup EVOO
1 small carrot, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bottle red wine
2 bay leaves
2 t. red wine vinegar
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
10 cups pureed tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh basil
1/2 bunch fresh oregano
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound Mahi Mahi
1 pound squid, rings and tentacles, cleaned
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Fish Stock (see above)

Sautee the onion, carrot, green pepper, and celery in EVOO over medium high heat for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic & herbs and cook for 1 minute.  Add the wine, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and reduce the mixture until almost all the liquid is gone.  Add the tomatoes and the fish stock, bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.

Over medium heat add the squid and cook for 35 minutes uncovered.  Add the clams and fish, cover the pot, and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the shrimp, cover the pot, and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Spouts

Ingredients

1 bunch Brussels Sprouts
EVOO
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash brussels sprouts, dry in colander, slice the white end off each sprout, cut each sprout into 2 halves, and remove the tough outer leaves.  Toss with EVOO, kosher salt, and pepper before spreading evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the sprouts are golden brown and nicely caramelized.

Grouper Cheeks with Lemon Cilantro Aioli

Grouper Cheeks with Lemon Cilantro Aioli

Ingredients

Grouper Cheeks

Grouper Cheeks (the actual cheek of a fish)
1/3 cup flour
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Old Bay Seasoning
Vegetable Oil

Lemon Cilantro Aioli

1/2 cup Olive Oil Mayo
1/2 bunch Cilantro
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Juice of a Lemon

Combine the Aioli ingredients, mix well, chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan with 1 inch of vegetable oil over medium high heat.  Combine flour, kosher salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning to taste.  Dredge fish cheeks through the flour, shaking off excess flour so that a thin coating remains.  Pan fry the checks for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Serve with aioli.

Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Arugula Crostini with Orange Zest and Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Arugula Crostini with Orange Zest and Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

1 Baguette
Spreadable Goat Cheese
Handful of Arugula
2 Beets
Zest of an Orange
Fig Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Pepper
EVOO

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash, peel, and cut each beet into 2 halves.  Turn each beet on its side, and thinly slice beets into "half moon" shaped pieces.  Toss with EVOO, kosher salt, and pepper, spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and roast until crisp, about 10-15 minutes.

Thinly slice the baguette, spread goat cheese on each slice, place a few leaves of arugula on each slice along with a 1-2 beets.  Top each crostini with orange zest and finish with fig balsamic vinegar.

Local Ft Myers Beach Seared Yellow Fin Sushi Grade Tuna

Seared Tuna for 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds of tuna fillets, 1-1.5 inches thick (ahi tuna or other quality grade tuna works as well)

EVOO

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Allow the tuna to come to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.  Pre-heat grill on high heat for 10 minutes.  Season the tuna with a liberal amount of salt and pepper before brushing tuna fillets with enough EVOO to coat both sides.  

Turn the grill down to medium high heat and sear one side of the tuna for 2 1/2 minutes with the lid closed, turning 180 degrees half way through the 2 1/2 minute cooking time to achieve a "steakhouse X" sear on the fillet.  

When 2 1/2 minutes has passed, apply more EVOO to the fillets before flipping.  Close the lid of the grill, and cook an additional 2 minutes for rare, 3 minutes for medium rare, or 4 minutes for medium; regardless of your preference for doneness (I recommend rare), remember to turn 180 degrees half way through your cooking time to get grill marks.

When the cooking is complete, pull the fillets off the grill, allow them to rest 2 minutes, and cut them in half and serve!