Barbecued Salmon with Fresh Nectarine Salsa

4 4- to 5-oz. fresh skinless salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick
3 Tbsp. bottled barbecue sauce
2 nectarines, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
Lemon wedges

1. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce in small bowl; brush sauce on both sides of the salmon.

2. For charcoal grill, cook salmon on greased grill rack directly over medium coals for 8 to 12 minutes or until salmon flakes when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through grilling. (For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place salmon on greased grill rack over medium heat. Cover and grill as above.)

3. For nectarine salsa, in medium bowl combine nectarines, blueberries, pecans, and the remaining 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce. Season with salt. Serve salmon with salsa and lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Tuna with Vegetables and Linguine

12 ounces fresh or frozen tuna steaks or fillets (1 inch thick)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 large red or green sweet pepper, cut into julienne strips (1-1/2 cups)
8 ounces linguine, cooked and drained
3/4 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Discard any skin and bones. Set aside.

2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together wine, thyme, salt, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.

3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add broccoli; stir-fry for
2 minutes. Add sweet pepper; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from the wok.

4. Add tuna to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 3 to 6 minutes or until tuna flakes easily, being careful not to break up pieces. Return cooked vegetables to the wok.

5. Stir sauce. Add sauce to the wok. Add cooked linguine. Gently toss all ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Remove from heat. Serve immediately. Sprinkle each serving with Romano or Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare vegetables; cover and chill up to 4 hours.

Tuna and Avocado Stuffed Shells

8 jumbo shell macaroni
8 ounce tuna fillet, cooked and broken into small chunks*
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons walnut oil or cooking oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 medium cantaloupe, cut into wedges

1. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain; set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir together tuna, avocado, oil, lemon juice, chives, and mustard. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the tuna salad mixture into each shell. Arrange 2 filled shells per serving with a cantaloupe wedge on each plate. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

*Note: To cook tuna fillet, rub with cooking oil. Grill fish on rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium to medium-hot coals 8 to 12 minutes, turning once, until fish just flakes with a fork. Cover and refrigerate until cool enough to handle.

Full-Steam-Ahead Fish

2 6-ounce orange roughy or other fish fillets
Small fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons shredded fresh ginger
1 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers
8 ounces asparagus spears, trimmed

1. Make bias cuts about 3/4-inch apart into the fish fillets. (Do not cut completely through fish.) Tuck 1 or 2 whole basil leaves into each cut. Rub fillets with garlic and ginger.

2. Place peppers and asparagus in a steamer basket. Top with fish. Place basket into a large, deep saucepan or wok in which 1-inch of water is boiling. Cover; steam 6 to 8 minutes or until fish just flakes easily when tested with a fork. Makes 2 servings.

Spicy Red Snapper with Mango Salsa

1 pound fresh or frozen red snapper fillets or other firm-fleshed whitefish, such as orange roughy, redfish, or haddock
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 recipe Mango Salsa (see recipe below)
1 medium lime, cut into wedges (optional)
Fresh cilantro or parsley sprigs (optional)

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 serving-size pieces. Measure thickness of fish. In a small bowl combine lime juice and water; brush onto fish. In another small bowl combine paprika, salt, ginger, allspice, and black pepper; rub onto fish.

2. Arrange the fish in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (Allow 4 to 6 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness.)

3. To serve, brush the fish with pan juices. Serve with Mango Salsa. If desired, garnish with lime wedges and cilantro or parsley sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Mango Salsa: In a medium mixing bowl combine 1 mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups); 1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and finely chopped; 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion; 1 Scotch bonnet or hot green chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Makes about 2 cups.

Poached Halibut and Peppers

1-1/2 cups dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) or chicken broth
1 cup water
2 medium yellow sweet peppers, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
3 Tbsp. drained capers
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 halibut steaks (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb.) or 4 cod or other whitefish fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. basil oil or olive oil
Coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1. For poaching liquid in a large skillet combine combine wine, water, sweet pepper, capers, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Place fish in a single layer in the poaching liquid in the skillet. Season fish with salt and pepper. Spoon liquid over fish. Return to simmer. Cook, covered, 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness of fish until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fish to serving platter and pour poaching liquid to a small serving pitcher. Drizzle cooked fish with the basil oil or olive oil and a little of the poaching liquid. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining poaching liquid.

Grilled Halibut with Blueberry-Pepper Jam

4 5- to 6-ounce fresh or frozen halibut steaks or fillets, or sea bass or salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon snipped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup garlic croutons, coarsely crushed
1/4 cup snipped fresh sage
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Olive oil (optional)

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry. In a small bowl combine crushed croutons, the 1/4 cup sage, the orange peel, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in orange juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil until lightly moistened; set aside.

2. For a charcoal grill, grill fish, skin side up if using fillets, on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 5 minutes. Turn and top fish evenly with crouton mixture, gently pressing onto fish. Grill for 7 to 10 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place fish on greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)

3. To serve, place fish on serving platter. If desired, drizzle fish with additional olive oil. Serve with Blueberry-Pepper Jam.

Blueberry-Pepper Jam: In a medium bowl mash 3/4 cup of the blueberries with a potato masher or fork. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup blueberries, the 1 teaspoon sage, and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Makes 4 servings.