Seared Tuna with Toasted Sesame Garlic Ginger Oil and Lemongrass White Balsamic

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil + 3 Tbsp

1/4 cup of balsamic

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1-2 lbs of ahi tuna loin or 2 x 1" steaks

1/2 cup of sesame seed (white and black mix)

2 Tbsp of freshly chopped cilantro

Directions:

Mix oil, vinegar, soy, and cilantro. Pour marinade over tuna and chill for 1 hour.

Remove tuna from marinade, drain excess marinade off tuna, and coat with sesame seeds on all sides.

Heat 3 Tbsp of sesame oil in a pan until hot.

Sear the tuna on both sides for 2 minutes until 1/8" boarder is formed.

Remove and chill for 1/2 - 1 hour.

Slice tuna and serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger.

Seafood Curry with Ella's Olive Toasted Sesame Garlic and Ginger Oil

This is one of my family's favourite, easy, quick and all in one pot. If you have an Asian market nearby, it makes it even easier. You can also substitute chicken thighs instead of seafood.

Ingredients:

Seafood ( 1 lb of each: mussels, scrubbed and beards removed, scallops, x-large shrimp, cleaned/deveined), 1 medium size filet of firm white fish ( cod, halibut, rockfish) cut into large pieces.

1 large onion cut into large chunks

2-3 large carrots, cut into 1" rounds

1 green pepper - cut into large chunks

6 garlic cloves - crushed and minced

2 TBSP of fresh ginger, minced

2-3 stalks of lemongrass, outer tough leaves and green ends removed

4 TBSP of Sesame Garlic and Ginger Oil

2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk

1- 2 TBSP of red curry paste, can substitute yellow curry, or any other curry paste available

1/3 cup of sweat mirin wine

Juice from 1 lime

1 bottle of clam juice ( or if you are doing chicken, 1 cup of chicken broth)

Salt and Pepper

1 - 2 TBS of chopped cilantro

Rice - 2 cups of steamed short-grain rice.

Directions:

1. Season scallops and fish pieces w/ salt and pepper.

2. Preheat 2 TBSP of Sesame oil in a non-stick skillet and sear scallops and fish, a few pieces at a time for 2- 3 minutes on all sides. Remove, and deglaze the pan with some mirin wine. Reserve it and add it to the ovenproof pot in step

3. In an ovenproof pot, preheat remaining sesame oil, saute onion, garlic, carrots ginger, lemongrass stalks until softened ( 10 min) on med heat.

4. Add curry paste and mix with onion mixture for 5 min

5. Add wine, clam juice, lime juice, and deglaze liquid from step 2. Bring to a slow simmer.

6. Add mussels and shrimp, cover and cook until shrimp is pink and mussels begin to open.

7. Add 2 cans of coconut milk, stir, and bring to a slow simmer.

8. Add cooked scallops and fish, stir gently and heat through. Be careful not to break up the fish.

9. Add salt to taste.

10 Serve over cooked rice with chopped cilantro as a garnish.

Spicy shrimp and cheese grits with Garlic Chili EVOO

Ingredients

1 -2 lbs of shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 chorizo sausages ( casings removed), can substitute 4-6 strips of bacon

1 cup of chopped yellow onion

4-6 garlic cloves

1 green pepper chopped

1 container of grape tomatoes

1 can of chopped tomatoes

2 TBSP of tomato paste

1 cup of white wine

1 small bottle of clam juice

2-4 TBSP of Garlic Chili EVOO

1 cup of Grits (stone ground preferred)

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of chopped green onion or parsley

Directions

Break up chorizo sausage and brown in 2 TBSP of garlic chilli EVOO or cook bacon strips, drain excess drippings.

Add onion, garlic and green pepper to the pan and cook until softened

Add grape tomatoes and cook until softened, crush with the back of the spoon to release juices

Add tomato paste and cook for 2-5 minutes, add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 cup of wine and reduce for 5minutes, add clam juice, bring to a slow simmer, add shrimp and cook until done.

Cook grits according to instructions, ( 4:1 water to grits) add 2 TBSP of garlic chili oil and cheese

Serve grits in a bowl with a generous hipping of shrimp and sauce and garnished with green onions.