Spaghetti and Meatballs from SimplyRecipes

Ingredients
Sauce
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ chopped sweet yellow onion
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 cup very finely chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped crimini brown mushrooms
• 2 28-oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (get San Marzano brand if possible)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste concentrate in tube
• ¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
• Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• ¼ cup red wine

Meatballs
• 1 lb ground beef (at least 16% fat)
• ½ lb fresh bulk Italian style pork sausage
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• ½ cup finely chopped crimini brown mushrooms
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Red wine

Spaghetti
• 1 1/2 lbs dry 100% semolina spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or bucatini

Method
1 Prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in 4-5 quart pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and mushrooms, blend together for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir together. Add basil and parsley, stir tomatoes with a potato masher until sauce starts to thicken about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add tomato paste concentrate, stir to blend. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing meat balls, stirring occasionally.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix by hand in a large bowl beef, Italian sausage, basil, parsley, mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbed salt, and pepper until well mixed. Use small melon baller, or teaspoons to form 1-inch round meat balls. Roll and compress into tight balls.

3 Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive oil. Sear and brown meat balls on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Depending on pan size you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan by stacking the meatballs. Cook in a single layer. Do not over-cook. As meatballs are finishing, add a little bit of red wine to de-glaze pan.

4 Add ¼ cup red wine to the sauce. Then stir in ¼ cup cheese. Add salt to taste. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5 While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 1 Tbsp of salt. When the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave the pot uncovered while you cook the pasta on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put a timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package directions say is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain.

To serve, place thin layer of sauce on plate, add pasta, add sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with grated parmesan-romano cheese.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spaghetti_and_meatballs/

Seafood Stew

Serves 4 to 6
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 crushed garlic cloves
6 peeled and seeded roma tomatoes cut into thin strips
1 cup homemade fish stock, purchased seafood stock or clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound skinned saltwater fish filets (snapper, sole, halibut, cod) cut into 2 inch chunks
16 large peeled and deveined raw shrimp
16 sea scallops
1/2 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1. Heat the oil in a 4 to 6 quart dutch oven or sauce pot. Add the crushed garlic and saute on very low heat for about two minutes or until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
2. Add the tomatoes, stock and wine and simmer for about 10 minutes. (At this point you can cool and refrigerate this if you want to prep a day ahead - just reheat before adding the seafood).
3. Add the fish and seafood and simmer for about 5 minutes until just done (don't overcook!). Stir in the parsley and basil and serve immediately (with crusty bread).

https://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-food/dinner-tonight-seafood-stew-grilled-corn-basil-butter-221000322.html

Seafood Pasta with Sherry Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pound penne rigate or bow tie pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• A pinch or 2 crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or seafood stock
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound shelled, cooked or raw bulk lobster pieces
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup cream
• A handful chopped chives or parsley or both

Directions
In a large saucepan boil water for the pasta. When water begins to boil add salt liberally, let water return to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic, red pepper flakes and saute 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with sherry, stir in stock and tomatoes and bring to a bubble. If using raw seafood, season with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat a bit then add the seasoned seafood and heat through or cook until just about firm and opaque, a couple of minutes. If using cooked seafood, season the seafood when you add it to skillet with lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Stir in heavy cream and toss hot pasta with sauce and chives and/or parsley, adjust seasoning and serve.

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1886

Pan Seared Halibut

Pan Seared Halibut with Herb Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Apple Butter Sauce and Grilled Pear Salad

4 –7 oz. pieces Halibut
12 large pieces Asparagus
4 oz. per person Herb Mashed Potatoes

Apple butter:
8 oz. Apple Juice
6 Black Peppercorns
4 oz. White Wine
2 Thyme Sprigs (whole stem on)
12 oz. Unsalted Butter
2 oz. Brown Sugar

Grilled Pear Salad:
2 Whole Pears
12 Dried Cranberries
8 sprigs Watercress
8 thin slices Red Onion
2 oz. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Dust the halibut with parsley, salt & pepper and lay skin side up in a hot skillet for approximately 2 minutes or until crust is created. Then place in 350-degree oven for 5 minutes. For mashed potatoes use your usual mashed potatoes recipe, but add some fresh thyme for flavor. As far as the asparagus goes; rub them with oil, salt & pepper, and place on the grill with low heat until they are soft enough to eat (beware of burning). Now for the sauce… first add juice, peppercorns, wine, thyme, and sugar all in a saucepan and reduce to syrup. Let cool to room temperature and then stir butter in with a whisk. The pear salad is easy, just cut your pears into slices. Brush with a little oil, salt & pepper; and grill for 1 minute on each side. Place all ingredients for Pear Salad in a bowl and mix.

http://www.columbusfishmarket.com/recipes.cfm#quickviewrecipe138

Braised Snapper

Paul Bartolotta's Orata All' Acqua Pazza

http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/guide-cooking-fish/page/8

It’s called a braise. This rustic, bold-flavored approach will put to rest the notion that seafood is unsexy diet fare. If you're braising fillets, use sturdy ones: Bass, snapper, and grouper all hold their shape perfectly. The best part? You can skip the usual white wine and pair this baby with a hearty red.

Paul Bartolotta's Orata All' Acqua Pazza

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Sicilian)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
• 2 lb whole Mediterranean orata (snapper may be substituted for this Italian sea bream)
• 12 oz cherry tomatoes (quartered)
• Sicilian sea salt and black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In an ovenproof saute pan or roasting pan, warm half the olive oil with the garlic and red-pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and lightly saute them.

Season the fish with sea salt and black pepper, place it in the pan with the tomatoes, and add water. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 135° to 140°F. (Check it with a probe thermometer.) Remove the fish from the pan.

Cook the sauce on high heat until it's reduced to about a cup (8 to 10 ounces). Add the parsley and the rest of the olive oil. Add salt and pepper, if necessary. Fillet the whole fish and dress with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings

OR

http://www.esquire.com/features/guy-food/pesce-alla-palermitana-recipe-ll-1107

Ingredients
Serves 2

• 4 oz (1/4 lb) fingerling potatoes (at least 3)
• 2 oz (4 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes (about 1 pint), quartered
• 8 green olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 oz capers, rinsed and drained
• 4 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 4 oz (1/4 cup) dry white wine
• 2 6-oz orata (sea bream) fillets (or substitute red snapper or American bass)
• Coarse salt and ground black pepper
• 4 oz (1/4 cup) water
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Olive oil for drizzling

Instructions
1. In a saucepan of cold water bring fingerlings to a boil and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, halve lengthwise, and reserve.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. In a large (12-inch) ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, potatoes, olives, capers, oregano sprigs, lemon, and white wine.
4. Season fish with salt and pepper and place skin-side up in pan. Add water and bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until the fish has reached an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Remove fish from pan and reserve.
5. Place pan over high heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add chopped oregano and parsley and remaining olive oil. Adjust seasoning. Divide sauce evenly (including potatoes and lemon wedges) between 2 plates. Place fish on top of sauce and drizzle with olive oil.

Paul Bartolotta is the chef of Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas.

Baked Chicken Marsala

Marsala is Italy's most famous version of fortified wine and it makes an outstanding sweet sauce when used in this easy baked chicken Marsala recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup crushed Italian flavored croutons
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (baby portabella is a favorite)
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Marsala Wine

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes

Preparation

Put thawed chicken breasts in a large ziploc bag and pound chicken into thinner portions with a mallet or rolling pin. Next, crush the croutons in another ziploc bag until they are fairly fine. Melt a half cup of butter in a saucepan with the crushed garlic clove. Then, dredge the chicken through the butter and place in the ziploc bag with the crushed croutons to thoroughly coat the chicken. Place the crouton crusted chicken into a shallow baking dish. Melt a little more butter and add a touch of olive oil to saute the mushrooms and add the sherry once the mushrooms get soft. Let it all simmer for another minute or so. Pour the sauteed mushroom mixture over the coated chicken breasts. Add salt and pepper and a dash of paprika if you like, and then bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with fresh parsley.


Source: http://wine.about.com/od/howwineismade/r/Chickenmarsala.htm