Avocado and Shrimp “Seviche”

1 pound cooked shrimp, cut into large chunks
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 avocadoes, cubed
½ cup chopped fresh pineapple
1 tomato, cored and chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt

  1. Place the shrimp, lime zest and juice, cilantro, avocado, pineapple, tomato, red pepper flakes and salt in a large glass or ceramic bowl and toss to combine.
  2. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes but no longer than 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Curried Shrimp

I keep a bag of uncooked shrimp in my freezer so that I can make a dish like this one with very little effort. Since I usually have everything else on hand, I only need to pick up the cilantro and pineapple.

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Chili-Rubbed Shrimp

The first time I made this, I used jumbo shrimp and made six for myself. And then I made two more, and then two more. The next day, my friend David Zebny came over and I prepared more for lunch. The same thing happened: we just kept eating and eating. Suffice it to say, these are really addictive. This rub is also great on scallops and tuna: If you are using scallops cook about 1 minute per side. For tuna steaks, cook for 2 minutes on the top and bottom and then 1 minute on each side.

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Mediterranean Tuna

Originally from France, black olive paste is more commonly known as tapenade, and is a puree of black olives, capers, garlic, anchovies, and olive oil. It is often used as a spread for crackers. Here it infuses a simple tuna salad with the flavors of the South of France.

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Spicy Scallops with Cashews

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients – most of them can be found in your pantry. The Asian ingredients can be found in a well-stocked supermarket or specialty foods store. If you have to buy them just for this dish, they keep indefinitely and you’ll find lots of ways to use them in everyday cooking. The versatile sauce can be used with shrimp and a finishing or basting sauce for grilled scallops, shrimp, or chicken. It can be prepared right before you cook or hours ahead, which makes it a sure bet when you don’t have a lot of time.

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Tuna Au Poivre

Cynthia Stuart, one of my oldest and dearest friends, gave me this recipe. It’s pure Cynthia: low in calories and fat, deceptively easy to make, pretty to look at, and high in flavor and jammed with black pepper. It’s also great made with salmon.

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Grilled Salmon Steaks with Citrus and Lime

I got this recipe from my friend Nancy Olin, who got it from her stepfather, Bob Raives, who cut it out of a newspaper, but he no longer remembers which one. It’s gone through enough changes to avoid a lawsuit, but if you’re the author, my congratulations on an amazing dish and my apologies for not acknowledging you.

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Saffron Risotto with Pan-Broiled Fennel Shrimp

“When you are making a risotto, you should be in perfect harmony with yourself. You shouldn’t be nervous or angry. It’s a ritual that is going to give you so much pleasure later that it’s worth spending 15 or 20 minutes over a hot stove stirring very slowly… It’s the dish of romance. If you rush it, it’s never good. (Pino Luongo, A Tuscan in the Kitchen, Potter, 1988)

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