Pan Seared Salmon

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 Cup of vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. of Johnny’s Garlic Spread Seasoning or garlic powder

4 Pieces of salmon filet

Directions 

Clean up salmon and cut into 4 pieces. Check for any bones. Marinate salmon in Johnny’s and oil. Heat a large dry sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Let it get hot. Then add the salmon and cook on the first side until nicely golden brown. Turn over to finish cooking. Turn down heat and place a cover over the fish and cook until lightly opaque in the middle. DO NOT OVERCOOK!! It will continue cooking after you take it off the stove. 

Serve as is or with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce or your favorite sauce.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

Recipe by Chef Amy Jurist — Adapted from Nobu

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Eggs plus 2 extra yolks

3 Ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

3 Ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

¾ Cup plus 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. plus ½ Tsp. cornstarch

Powdered sugar

Raspberry or strawberry sauce (I like the Plate Scrapers brand)

Vanilla ice cream

Raspberries, whole or sliced strawberries

4 Ceramic ramekins (4-ounce)

Directions

Beat together the whole eggs and egg yolks and set aside at room temperature. 

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat without burning, until just before the butter starts to froth. Set aside. 

Place the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk together until the chocolate melts. Next, add the brown sugar and cornstarch and mix. Ideally, the cake mixture should be left to sit covered in the refrigerator for a day before cooking, but it can be placed in the freezer to chill. Mixture should be very thick. 

Preheat the oven to 355-375 degrees. Grease 4 oven-proof ramekins 3 inches in diameter with melted butter. Place the molds on a baking sheet and fill each with the cake mixture. 

Bake for about 12-15 minutes. As soon as the cakes are done, run a knife around the edge to loosen. Place each one on a plate and carefully turn them over, then flip them back over onto the serving plate. Sift powdered sugar through a sieve over the tops of the cakes. 

For each serving, arrange chocolate cake and a scoopful of ice cream onto a plate. Drizzle with raspberry or strawberry syrup. Add the fruit and serve. Make and serve the soufflé quickly before the chocolate hardens. The cakes should be brownie-like consistency on the outside, and runny on the inside. 

Blistered French Green Beans with Almonds

Serves 4

Ingredients

1-lb. package of thin haricot vert — French green beans, cleaned and

trimmed (Trader Joe’s has the best ones)

3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil

½ Cup of toasted slivered almonds

2 Tsp. of kosher salt

1 Tsp. of Johnny’s

1 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

Directions 

Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil across the pan. Make sure green beans are cleaned and there are no stems. Add green beans and let them cook and get slightly charred. Remove from the pan and toss with butter, salt and Johnny’s. Add in almonds.