Author: Dave Tappan

Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce

2/3 cup Frank’s Red-Hot sauce

1 stick cold unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt, to taste

Combine hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk.

As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.

Enjoy!

Tappan Out Spaghetti & Meatballs

For the sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbs. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs. tomato paste (the tube stuff is great)

1 Tbs. Anchovy paste from a tube or 4 fillets

2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 cup red wine (Carlo Rossi)

A few leaves of fresh basil, torn by hand, plus more for garnish

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the meatballs

Olive oil, for frying

8 oz. ground pork (not sausage)

8 oz. ground beef

8 oz. ground veal (substitute the veal for 4 more ounces of beef and pork, if you prefer)

A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta

2 large eggs

2 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 Tbs. dried oregano

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

For the pasta

Lots of Kosher salt…a healthy palm full

1 lb. dried spaghetti

Make the sauce

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-duty 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, anchovies and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and the anchovies are melted, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, wine, basil and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced by about a third, 40 to 60 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt & pepper. Simmer on very low heat.

Make the meatballs

Combine the ground meats, breadcrumbs, ricotta, eggs, parsley, oregano, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl. Mix gently and thoroughly with your hands, but don’t over work the meat.

Divide the meat into 16 golf-ball-size portions using a small ice cream scoop or your hands; roll with wet hands to make them round. Set aside on a large platter or plate.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add a few turns of olive oil. Add the meatballs and fry just until browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Cook in batches. Add meatballs to the simmering sauce to finish cooking. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs. Simmer the sauce and meatballs on low heat for an hour or more.

Cook the pasta

Bring a large covered pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.

Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes less than package timing for al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and drain.

Return the pasta to the pot and mix with the some of the sauce. Add 1 cup pasta water to thin the sauce and cook over medium heat until the pasta is al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more pasta water if necessary, and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Transfer the spaghetti to a large platter. Top with the meatballs and their sauce. Garnish with fresh basil, torn by hand. Serve with fresh, grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese and good, crusty garlic bread to sop up all the goodness!

Ruthie’s Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

3 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup sliced green onions (or more to taste)

For the sauce:

½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

4 cloves garlic , minced

½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

⅓ cup apple juice

1 ½ tablespoons honey

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup ketchup

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

¼ cup water

¼ cup Bourbon (I like Maker’s Mark)

¼ cup soy sauce

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Egg noodles, cooked per package instructions, for serving

Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Place chicken in slow cooker, pour sauce over top. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or on high 3 hours, or until chicken is nice and tender.

Remove chicken and chop into bite sized pieces and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, combine 3 tablespoons water with cornstarch. Turn slow cooker up to high. Whisk cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Cover and allow to thicken, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Stir chicken back into the sauce and add in green onions.

Serve over egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5 ounce) can cheddar soup

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Kosher salt, to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup sour cream

1 bag frozen broccoli florettes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray a 6-quart crockpot with pan spray and add the cream of chicken soup, cheddar soup, chicken broth, salt, Cajun seasoning, and garlic salt into the bottom of it. Stir everything together until combined.

Lay 4 chicken breasts over the soup mixture in the bottom of the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Make sure the internal temp of the chicken is 165-170 degrees.

Before the last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken with two forks or hand mixer and add broccoli florettes, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for the remaining 30 minutes until the broccoli is tender and heated through.

Serve over rice and garnish with more shredded cheese.

Dave’s Chicken Marsala

2 large chicken breasts

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

16 oz of your favorite mushrooms, sliced thick

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 garlic cloves minced

3/4 cup dry Marsala wine (not the sweet stuff)

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make four even cutlets. Place them between plastic wrap and pound just until they thin out a bit (make sure they’re all even in thickness so they evenly cook). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour, shake off the excess flour and then set aside.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add a couple of turns of olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Once the butter and oil are hot, add dredged chicken and saute until golden and cooked through; about 3-4 minutes per side (DO NOT OVER COOK). Set the chicken aside and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add more oil to the pan if you need to along with mushrooms and saute until excess liquid from mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms are golden brown. Stir in onion powder and minced garlic and saute another 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add Marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and cook until mostly reduced down, ab then add 3/4 cup chicken stock and while stirring add cup heavy cream in a steady stream. Lower the heat to keep at a simmer and continue to simmer and reduce sauce another 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt.

Return chicken to pan and sprinkle the tops with chopped parsley. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and keep on the heat until heated through and the sauce has thickened to a consistency you like. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve with pasta.

Dave’s Halloween Chili with Kicked Up Sour Cream

3 to 4 lbs. untrimmed tri tip

2 lbs hot Italian sausage, casings removed and broken up like ground beef

2 onions, diced

1 head garlic, finely diced

1 can diced green chiles

1 can diced jalapenos

2-28 ounce can diced tomatoes (keep another one handy if you need more)

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons coriander

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 package of chili mix. I like Shelby’s

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons paprika

2 bay leaves. Don’t eat the bay leaves

2 (14 ounce) cans of your favorite beans (optional)

1 or 2 cups red wine

Remove your tri tip from the fridge. Trim as much fat off the trii tip as you want and season liberally with salt and pepper. Allow the tri tip to reach room temperature.

Heat your grill or bbq with a hot zone and cold zone.

Sear the tri tip on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t walk away while searing…It’ll catch on fire if you don’t watch it. Move it around if you have to so it doesn’t burn. After searing, move the tri tip to the cold zone and turn down the hot zone to medium high.

Cook the tri tip until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. Get it off the grill and rest it at room temperature while you brown your sausage.

Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a couple of turns of olive oil to the hot pot. Add your onions and cook through until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add your sausage. Cook until just browned.

Add the canned tomatoes. Stir to incorporate completely. Bring the pot to a mild boil, then turn down to a simmer.

While simmering, cube the tri tip. Add the cubed tri tip, all of the spices, chiles, jalapenos garlic and wine. Stir to incorporate completely. Bring it back to a mild boil then turn down to a very low simmer and simmer for at least one hour to several hours. As the chili simmers, thin with water or broth if needed. If the chili is too thin for your liking, add masa.

Add beans (optional) about a half hour before serving.

Serve with corn bread, flour tortillas, crackers or garlic bread and toppings.

TOPPINGS:

Sour cream (kicked up sour cream recipe follows)

Cheddar cheese

Sliced radishes

Sliced green onion

Sliced avacado

Pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Kicked Up Sour Cream

1-16 ounce container sour cream

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

A few dashes of hot sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Keep chilled in fridge ’till service.

Coney Island Hot Dogs

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

2 cups water, or as needed

1 white onion, diced

⅓ cup ketchup

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste

1 teaspoon celery salt, or to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

8 good quality, all-beef hot dogs

8 good quality hot dog buns

Prepared yellow mustard

Combine ground beef, water, 1/2 cup diced onion, ketchup, butter, garlic, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, celery salt, and cayenne pepper together in a pot. Mix with a potato masher or spatula over medium-high heat until mixture has a finely ground testure and begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.

Bring beef mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and reduces, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook hot dogs in boiling water until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange hot dog buns on a baking sheet. Cook buns in the preheated oven until soft and warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

Place 1 bun on a plate. Place a hot dog in the bun and top with meat sauce. Drizzle yellow mustard and a portion of remaining diced onion over the meat sauce. Repeat with remaining hot dogs.

Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Enchiladas with Chili Gravy

Chili Gravy

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Mexican or regular oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth. More, if needed

Enchiladas

1 twelve-ounce block cheddar cheese, shredded

12 corn tortillas

1 twenty-eight-ounce can red enchilada sauce.

1 white onion, chopped

Handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Make the Chili Gravy

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. When browned add chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir until mixed evenly.

Add the flour and stir in with the seasoned ground beef.

Pour in the broth and bring it up to a boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It smells really good at this point. When it thickens up, then it is ready to pour over the cheese enchiladas. If the gravy is too thick for your liking, add a little more broth.

Heat The Tortillas

In a skillet, heat the enchilada sauce to barely boiling, then turn down to a slight simmer.

Submerge each tortilla in the hot enchilada sauce to make it soft and pliable before adding the cheese and rolling it.

Enchiladas

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Ladle about a half cup of the chili gravy into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

Add about 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on the lower third of the sauced tortilla. Then tightly roll the tortilla around the cheese and place seam side down in the 9×13 baking dish. Repeat until you have rolled all enchiladas.

Pour the remaining chili gravy over the enchiladas, and sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese evenly over the top of the enchiladas.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Serve the enchiladas hot, and top with chopped onions and chopped cilantro just before serving.

Sausage, Ham, Pepperoni and Salami Stromboli

FOR THE DOUGH

1 cup warm water

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

FILLING

1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled

1 cup sliced yellow onion

1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper

2 tablespoons thinly sliced seeded and stemmed jalapenos

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 lb. sliced ham

1/4 lb. thinly sliced pepperoni

1/4 lb. sliced salami

1/2 cup sliced black olives

2 cups grated provolone cheese

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash

1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Dough:

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make the Stromboli:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos and cook, stirring, until very soft, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.

Punch down the dough and divide half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to a large rectangle, about 10 by 14 inches. Spread half of the cooled sausage mixture across the dough leaving a 1-inch border. Overlapping slightly, layer half of the ham, pepperoni, olives, provolone and mozzarella cheeses over the top. Using a pastry brush, paint the border of 1 long edge with egg wash. Starting at the opposite long end without egg wash, roll up the dough into a cylinder, pinching the edges to seal. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Let the dough rise, 20 to 30 minutes.

Brush the top of each stromboli with egg wash. Bake until nearly completely golden brown and starting to crisp, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle each stromboli with Parmesan cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and the dough is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice thickly and serve.