Cooking for Zo

Ingredients:
6-8 wooden skewers (soaked in water for 2-3 hours)
1 lb large shrimp
1 lb large scallops
1 lb tri-tip (cut into cubes)
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Fresh crack pepper (to taste)
1/3 cup Yummy sauce

Brushing Sauce (optional)
2 tbsp Volcanic Lemon juice
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/4 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Chipotle powder
1/2 tsp essence

Preheat grill to 300 degrees.

Mix together Brushing sauce ingredients if using.

Thread tri-tip, scallops and shrimp onto wooden skewers. Sprinkle both sides of kabobs with salt and pepper. Place kabobs on grill and cook for 4 minutes (brush with sauce if using.) Flip kabobs and cook for 2 minutes (brush with sauce if using.) Dab 1 tsp of Yummy sauce onto each shrimp and scallop and cook for 4 minutes (if desired you can also put yummy sauce on the tri-tip (Zo desires it.))

Remove from heat and serve hot, enjoy!

12 stalks fresh asparagus (trimmed, chopped)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tbs fresh rosemary (chopped)
1/2 green garlic and stalk (chopped)
1/4 cup Fresh Parmesan (sliced into slivers)
2 tbsp plus one pad butter
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Fresh Crack Pepper (to taste)

Heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat in a medium non-stick skillet.  Once heated add asparagus, green garlic, green garlic top and rosemary and cook for 7-10 min folding often.  Move Asparagus mixture to one side of skillet. Add 1 pad butter and then crack eggs into empty side of skillet, scrambling for 3-4 min.  Add salt and pepper to entire skillet and fold all ingredients together. Top with Parmesan, turn off but do not remove from heat and let sit 3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.  Enjoy!

Zo said she wanted ham but I did not want to make ham.  She told me I had to make it... So I did.  But I decided to just go crazy by stuffing it with linguica, grilling it and coating it with a think Chipotle Blueberry Glaze.  In the end I am glad Zo made me make ham because I loved it!

Ingredients:
Ham
8.75-9 lb spiral cut smoked ham
13 oz hot linguica (sliced into long 1/8 inch thick strips, then cut in half)

Glaze
6 oz fresh Blueberries
1/3 cup Orange juice (non-concentrated)
7 oz can Chipotles in adobe sauce
3 tbsp Molasses
1 tbsp Fresh crack pepper
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Kosher salt (to taste)

Glaze
Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until even.  Using an Infusion mixer, blend until an even and smooth liquid has been formed. (If you do not have an infusion blender you can use a food processor or blender to mix.)

Ham
Preheat grill to 250-260 degrees/

Lay ham cut side down onto a large doubled over piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Stuff each spiral cut with a slice or two of linguica.  Place ham on grill and cook for 2-2 1/2 hours or until heated through. Glaze  every 15 minutes.

Remove from grill and serve hot, Enjoy!

Ingredients:
15 oz white kidney beans (rinsed)
2 tbsp fresh Basil (chopped)
1 tsp fresh Thyme (chopped)
1 tsp fresh Oregano (chopped)
1 tbsp Spinach (chopped)
1 tbsp arugula (chopped)
2 tbsp black truffle oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp 1 tsp volcanic Lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp Romano (freshly grated)
1 1/2 tsp Parmesan (freshly grated)
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Fresh crack pepper (to taste)
Red pepper flakes (to taste)

Toss all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until evenly mixed.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

4 servings Orzo
1 diced green onion
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tsp Sriracha
2 tsp volcanic lemon juice
Fresh crack pepper and kosher salt to taste

Topping
4 4 oz lobster tails (chopped)
3/4 lb boiled crawfish (chopped, boiled in Zataran's Crab Boil)
1/2 of white onion
1 habanero
3 green onions
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp corn starch

Sauce
7 tbs Butter
4 garlic cloves
1 blood orange juice
1/2 limes juice
1 tbsp essence

In a medium bowl mix essence, lime and blood orange juice together.  Add lobster and crawfish meat and let marinate until ready to use.

Cook Orzo by following the packaging instructions.  Once cooked strain, then fold in mayonnaise, Sriracha, lemon juice, green onion, salt and pepper.   

In a medium sauce pan heat garlic, onion, habanero and butter over medium high heat for 10 minutes stirring constantly.  Whisk cornstarch into sauce until even.

Stir lobster and crawfish into the sauce pan mixture and cook for 3 minutes.  Fold in cilantro and green onion, cooking for 2 minutes.

Serve sauce over orzo, garnishing with sprinkled basil. Enjoy!

Taste Level: GR

Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 1-2
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook Time: 15-20 min.
Difficulty: 1

If you love onions and other Allium genes flowering plants I suggest you wolf down this onion.  Though you may want to warn any loved ones you plan on getting close to about your eating habits.

Ingredients:
Omelet
3 large eggs
2-3 tbsp half and half
1/3 cup white sharp cheddar (shredded)
1/4 tsp fresh thyme (diced)
1/4 tsp fresh rosemary (diced)
1 tbsp chives (chopped)
2 tbsp onions (diced)
2 tbsp shallot (diced)
2 garlic cloves (diced)
1/2 tsp essence
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
2 tbsp butter

In a small mixing bowl beat three eggs using a whisk. Whisk in half and half and seasonings.
Add butter to a 10 inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium heat. Add onion, shallot and garlic to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes stirring often.  Pour egg mixture into skillet covering vegetables evenly. As the mixture begins to set at the edges (4-5 minutes) add your cheese and chives by sprinkling them along one side of the omelet. Let cook 4-5 additional minutes. Fold omelet half without cheese over half with cheese using a spatula and let sit 2-3 minutes before sliding onto plate. Serve hot and enjoy!