photo by d. scott gregory Korean BBQ Skewers click on photo to enlarge

1 lb thinly sliced (to 1/4") beef sirloin/flank steaks, in 1" wide ribbon strips
1 cup soy sauce/tamari
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Korean red pepper sauce
1 tbsp lime
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp apricot preserves
2 scallions, sliced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp sesame seeds

In a medium flat bottomed bowl, thoroughly whisk all ingredients together, add thinly sliced strips of beef - cover and chill for a day or so. Using skewers (metal or bamboo**), thread beef into long ribbons. Grill for about 3-5 minutes.

** if using bamboo skewers, soak in water overnight before using

1 lb boneless pork shank, sliced in thin 1/4 inch strips
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow zucchini squash, sliced julienne
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 scallions minced
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
salt & pepper to taste

In a large saute pan over high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil, saute the pork strips for about 2 minutes until brown. Transfer the browned pork strips to a plate, while keeping the juices in the pan.

In that same pan, toss in the yellow squash, ginger, scallions, cilantro and saute for a minute. Add the extra olive oil, soy sauce and chicken broth and continue to stir fry for a few minutes.

Once the yellow squash becomes semi-transparent with a pale yellow color, toss in the cooked pork and continue to fold in/mix/pan-toss until completely together.

Suggestions:
Serve on a bed of fresh zucchini slices with a potato lattke - garnished with capers.

photo by d. scott gregory Yellow Squash with Sauteed Pork 1 click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Yellow Squash with Sauteed Pork 2 click on photo to enlarge
photo by d. scott gregory Yellow Squash with Sauteed Pork 3 click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Yellow Squash with Sauteed Pork 4 click on photo to enlarge
photo by d. scott gregory Yellow Squash with Sauteed Pork 5 click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Yellow Squash with Sauteed Pork 6 click on photo to enlarge

2 fillets of Mahi Mahi (about 6 ounces each)
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce or dark tamari
2 scallions, thinly sliced (for marinade + garnish)
chive sprigs (for garnish)
salt and pepper to taste

Using a grill, or a grill pan - prepare to be on medium to high heat. Dust fillets with salt and pepper, set aside. In a medium shallow dish, prepare quick marinade combining lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and a handful of scallions - wisk ingredients. Dredge the fillets in the marinade and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Check grill and after the fillets are properly soaked, place on grill - grill until the outside is opaque and the inside is partially pink.

Suggestion: Serve on a bed of large crispy bean sprouts and cooked asparagus, dollop a small bit of caviar on top, and garnish with the left over scallions and chives.

photo by d. scott gregory Grilled Mahi Mahi 1 click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Grilled Mahi Mahi 2 click on photo to enlarge
photo by d. scott gregory Grilled Mahi Mahi 3 click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Grilled Mahi Mahi 4 click on photo to enlarge
photo by d. scott gregory Grilled Mahi Mahi 5 click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Grilled Mahi Mahi 6 click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Pumpkin & White Chocolate Creme Brulee click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Pumpkin & White Chocolate Creme Brulee click on photo to enlarge

Ingredients:
6 large egg yolks (separated)
6 tbsps pumpkin (from can or cooked/pureed)
2 1/2 cups fat free Half & Half
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cups granulated sugar (plus a 4 tsp. for reserve)
1/2 cup grated white chocolate (plus 4 tsp. for reserve)
pinch of salt

Create custard filling:
Preheat oven, 300 degrees F. Boil a quart of water in a medium pot, and keep nearby.
In a small saucepan over very medium-low heat, pour in cream and wisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and white chocolate. Bring to a mild boil when small bubbles appear, after about 3 minutes - then set aside.

In a medium-large bowl, while using a whisk, mix together the egg yolks, vanilla, salt, sugar and pumpkin until completely smooth like batter. Transfer the cream mixture from the saucepan by slowly pouring into the bowl while whisking.
Divide the blended mixture into 4 8-fl. oz. ramekins and place into a shallow baking dish then pour the boiling water about half way up the sides of the ramekins.

Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in oven to bake for about 30 minutes - or until a slight crust appears.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for a few hours.

To serve:
Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle about 1tsp sugar evenly over each surface of the custard fillings. Using a kitchen torch, gently lick the flames over the sugar surface in small circles until the sugar melts into a fine glaze and lightly brown. Sprinkle the reserve of grated white chocolate in the center. Serve immediately.

photo by d. scott gregory Fruit Tart with Macadamia Nuts click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Fruit Tart with Macadamia Nuts click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Fruit Tart with Macadamia Nuts click on photo to enlarge

Ingredients For Tart Shell:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Ingredients For Custard Filling:
1c milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts, lightly roasted

Ingredients For Fresh Fruit Topping & Glaze:
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts, lightly roasted
1 medium carton fresh strawberries, sliced with few whole reserved
4 nectarines, sliced
2 peeled, sliced kiwis
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 apricot preserves

Tart Shell Preparation:
Sift the flour onto a clean, smooth work surface and make a well in the center. Use the fingertips of one hand to mix the remaining ingredients together in the well, and use a flexible pastry scraper in the other hand to mix the flour in with the other ingredients.

When the dough starts to gather together into crumbs, use your fingers to press the crumbs firmly together to form a ball of dough. With the heel of your hand and the pastry scraper, keep flattening the dough out and blending it back into a ball until it becomes smooth and feels velvety. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a round about 1/8-inch thick. Use more flour if the dough sticks. Working quickly, place the dough in a 10-inch tart pan by rolling it onto your rolling pin and unrolling it over the pan.

Tuck the dough into the corners of the pan. Remove excess dough from the pan rim by rolling the pin over the top of the pan. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 F.

Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork to allow steam to escape as the shell bakes. Place a round of parchment paper over the dough, and pour ceramic pie weights or similar, on the paper to keep the bottom of the crust from puffing up. Bake for 15 minutes, and then cool to room temperature.

Custard Filling Preparation:
Bring the milk and vanilla to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Beat egg yolks with sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale. Beat in flour and cornstarch. Whisk the hot milk into the eggs vigorously. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Add in toasted macadamia nuts. Whisk constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Just before it comes to a boil it will become lumpy. Whisk until smooth, lower heat, and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap over the top to prevent a skin from forming, and chill.

When cooled, use a rubber spatula to force the cream through a metal sieve, or beat it very well with a whisk to loosen the mixture. Fold in whipped cream.

Fresh Fruit Topping & Glaze Preparation:
Assembling the Tart: Remove the parchment and pie weights from the shell. Use a spatula to spread a layer of pastry cream in the bottom of the shell, about 1/3-inch thick. Arrange the sliced and peeled fruits over the top. Melt the apricot jam in a microwave oven, or melt in a small saucepan over low heat.

Brush tart with the melted apricot jam to create a glaze. Chill the tart briefly. Serve.

2 large skinless chicken breasts, flattened
1 Chorizo sausage link, loosely chopped
1/2 lb fresh spinach
handful of cilantro, loosely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Chardonnay
1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
pine nuts, roasted
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil and saute garlic, onion and chorizo for a few minutes. Add spinach, cilantro, rosemary, pine nuts, salt & pepper - stir in and add Chardonnay, cover and let spinach steam for 4 minutes, occasionally stirring.

Oil a medium baking dish and lay flattened chicken breasts down, lightly salt and pepper. Spoon a 1/4" thick layer of the spinach mixture evenly over flattened chicken breasts, then roll up and use toothpicks to secure. Cover baking dish with tin foil and put in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Presentation suggestions: Remove from oven and slice on the diagonal, lay down medallions onto plate, garnish with pine nuts, capers and cooked asparagus.

photo by d. scott gregory Chicken Spinach Florentine Roll click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Chicken Spinach Florentine Roll click on photo to enlarge
photo by d. scott gregory Chicken Spinach Florentine Roll click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Chicken Spinach Florentine Roll click on photo to enlarge

4 large sea scallops
2lbs (20 count) live fresh mussels
6 cloves garlic, loosely chopped
handful fresh chives, minced, few sprigs reserved for garnish
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter
1 cup Chardonnay
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1/2 lb. linguini
1 tsp olive oil
4 tbsp pesto sauce
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
salt & pepper to taste

For Linguini:
In a large pot 2/3 filled with water over high heat, bring to boil. Add 1 tsp olive oil and linguini. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until pasta is no longer opaque. Strain water and place back into pot, add pesto and thoroughly mix. Cover and set aside.

For Mussels:
In large saute pan over high heat, saute garlic, onion, chives in 1/4 stick of butter for a few minutes. Add in chardonnay and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Add mussels and cover. Turn heat down to medium and cook until mussels open up, keep folding mussels into broth until completely saturated. Cover and turn off heat.

For Scallops:
Lightly salt and pepper scallops. In medium saute pan over medium migh heat, add 1/4 stick of butter and melt until bubbling. Add scallops and sear both sides for a bout a minute until lightly golden, turn and sear other side. Saute until opaque, no longer pink. Turn off heat, cover and set aside.

Presentation:
Lay nest of pesto linguini in middle of large pasta bowl, sprinkle grated romano cheese over pasta, lay scallops on bed of linguini, arrange mussels around bed of pasta, spoon broth over whole plate and garnish with chive sprigs.

photo by d. scott gregory Scallops & Mussels Linguini 1 click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Scallops & Mussels Linguini 2 click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Scallops & Mussels Linguini 3 click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Dill Lime Salmon on a bed of Samphire Greens click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Dill Lime Salmon on a bed of Samphire Greens click on photo to enlarge

photo by d. scott gregory Dill Lime Salmon on a bed of Samphire Greens click on photo to enlarge

2 6-8 oz salmon fillets
handful of fresh dill, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup freeze-dried shitake mushrooms, re-hydrated in Chardonnay
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups Samphire Greens, blanched
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Blanche Samphire Greens (otherwise known as seas asparagus), set aside on serving plate(s) in a nest for the grilled salmon, put in refrigerator and allow to chill. In a small saute pan, saute the shitake mushrooms in butter for a few minutes, cover and set aside.

Lightly salt & pepper salmon fillets and rub in dill, reserving some for garnish. Drizzle lime over fillets and place on grill. Grill for 2 minutes each side until opaque.

Remove serving plate with Samphire greens and lay grilled salmon fillet(s) on nest of greens, spoon out a generous amount of the sauteed mushrooms over fillet(s).
Garnish with sliced lime, capers and left over dill.