Author: Dave Tappan

Meatball Subs

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork (not sausage)

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Splash of milk

1 egg

3/4 Panko

3/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley

32 ounces homemade or jarred marinara

Fresh Mozzarella

4 French or hoagie rolls

Giardiniera, for serving

Butter

Mix ground beef, pork, salt & pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning Panko, parsley, egg, milk and Parmesan in a bowl. Use your hands to mix.

Roll the meatball mixture into large balls, depending on the desired size. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the meatballs and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning to brown all sides.

Meanwhile, make your own homemade marinara sauce or heat jarred marinara sauce in a large pot. Once the meatballs have browned, remove from the oil and place in the pot of simmering marinara sauce. Let cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

Cut bread in half, making sure not to cut all the way through. Spread butter over both sides of the bread. Put oven on the broil setting. Heat until the butter is completely melted and remove from the oven. Watch carefully as it can easily burn.

Place cooked meatballs and sauce onto the bread and generously cover with mozzarella. Return to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Top with fresh Italian parsley and serve immediately with extra sauce on the side for dipping. Top with giardiniera, if you like.

Louisiana Style Barbecued Shrimp

Use head on, unpeeled, tail on shrimp if you can. The head and shell has a lot of flavor in them and makes for a really great sauce. This dish can be done in the oven or your gas grill.

3 lbs head on, unpeeled, tail on shrimp

3 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup dry white wine (not chilled, room temp)

3 tablespoons minced garlic (I use Christopher Ranch in the jar)

1 onion, halved and sliced into thin half moons

1 bunch green onions, chopped coarse

Fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1 tablespoon Old Bay

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Hot pepper sauce, to taste (I like Pick A Peppa)

1 or 2 lemons halved and sliced into rings

Squeeze of lemon juice into the butter/olive oil mix

Melt 2 sticks of the butter and add the olive oil. Add seasonings and all remaining ingredients (except the shrimp, 3rd stick of butter and lemon slices) and mix. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. You want a rich and deep seasoned sauce that will meld together as it cooks. The sauce will mellow a bit when the shrimp release their juices.

Preheat your oven or gas grill to 325

Put rinsed and drained shrimp along with lemon slices in a 9×13 baking dish sprayed with Pam.

Add all remaining ingredients into the baking dish. Pour on the seasoned butter and olive oil seasonings mixture. Toss to coat well. Cut the 3rd stick of butter into pats and evenly dot the entire dish.

Place the dish into your oven or on your gas grill (lid closed) and bake at 325 for 30 to 45 minutes. It depends if you have a single layer of shrimp which will cook faster, or a bunch of shrimp stacked up. Stir the dish every 10-15 minutes.

Check after 30 minutes for doneness. The last thing you ever want to do, is over cook shrimp. It gets tough and rubbery and it’s not good.

Remove the head, peel the shrimp and enjoy! Have plenty of good, crusty bread on hand for sopping up all the goodness.

Crispy, Baked Korean Wings

Wings

2 pounds chicken wings, flats and drums

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

Kosher salt and fresh, ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Korean sauce

3 tablespoons gochujang paste, or chili-garlic paste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated

4 cloves garlic, minced

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Toasted sesame seeds, cilantro and sliced green onion, for garnish

To bake super crispy wings in the oven, you need to start with the secret ingredient. That magic thing is baking powder. By coating your wings in a light sprinkling of seasoned baking powder, you are guaranteed that crunchy crispy chicken skin that makes the perfect wings.

Start by combining baking powder, salt and onion powder in a small bowl. Pat your naked chicken wings with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible and then add them to a separate mixing bowl, one large enough to toss your wings around without them flying out.

Sprinkle half of your baking powder mixture on your wings and toss to coat. Sprinkle the remaining mixture and toss again until your wings are evenly coated.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet tray with foil and then add an oven safe wire rack on top of your foil. Lightly spray your rack with non-stick spray.

Lay your chicken wings out on the wire rack so that there is plenty of space between them to ensure they cook evenly.

Cook wings for 30 minutes then flip your wings and return to oven for an additional 20-25 minutes.

While your wings are baking, make your Korean sauce. Add gochujang sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic powder to a small sauce pan and heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Once your sauce reaches a slow boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Your sauce will start to reduce and thicken. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once your wings are done, remove them from the oven and to a large mixing bowl. Pour your spicy Korean sauce on top and toss to coat.

Top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro, or green onion, or both! Serve with lime wedges.

Bacon Blue Cheese Burger with Caramelized Onions

For the burgers

2 pounds freshly ground chuck (or R&R patties)

1 tablespoon onion powder

A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

8 ounces blue cheese, sliced or crumbled from a wedge

12 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and drained on paper towels

6 large Hamburger buns

For the caramelized onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

Kosher salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions, stir briefly to coat with oil and cook without stirring for 10-12 minutes.

Flip so that the onions on the bottom of the pot are now on top, and cook for another 10-12 minutes. Flip one more time, lower heat and allow onions to caramelized until completely brown — about 15 minutes — gently stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside. These can be reheated before you put the burgers together.

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, onion powder, Worcestershire and salt and pepper until just combined. Do not over-mix, or your patties will be tough.

Divide into six portions and form patties, without pressing too hard. They should be uniform in thickness. Smooth out any cracks using your fingers. Make these right before you grill them, so they stay at room temperature.

Preheat your grill, grill pan or cast-iron skillet to high heat and add burger patties. If using a grill, cover with the lid.

Cook until the crust that forms on the bottom of the burger releases it from the pan or grate — about 2 minutes. Gently test, but don’t flip it until it gets to this point. When burgers lift up easily, flip, add enough blue cheese to cover completely, close lid if using a grill, and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes for medium to medium rare.

Remove patties carefully using a metal spatula and transfer to buns. Top with caramelized onions and bacon and serve immediately.

Smoked Gouda-Chorizo Jalapeno Poppers and Mexican Tri-Tip

1 pound Mexican chorizo (If using links, remove the casings)

1/2 pound smoked gouda, shredded

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

One 4 ounce package cream cheese

Hot sauce ( I like Tapatio for this)

Kosher Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

12 large jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and halved

Pre-heat your smoker for 225 degrees. I’m gonna use some nice sweet apple pellets for this cook.

Slice the peppers in half, lengthwise and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the gouda, onions, cream cheese, hot sauce, salt and pepper and chorizo until completely combined.

Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture. Put the stuffed peppers in a large foil pan or heavy baking sheet and place in the smoker. Smoke at 225 for 1 ½ to 2 hours. “Pop” them in your mouth and enjoy!

Mexican Tri-Tip Rub

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon each paprika, crushed red pepper and Kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons each garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and fresh-ground black pepper

Mix everything together in an air tight jar.

Smoked Mexican Tri-Tip

One 2-3 pound Tri-Tip. If you buy one that is un-trimmed, clean it up pretty well. You don’t want a lot of fat in tacos.

Pre-heat your smoker to 225 degrees. When it comes to tri-tip, I usually like to use a competition blend pellet, but in this case with the Mexican rub, I will use something sweeter, like apple or pecan.

Smoke the meat for about 1 ½ to 2 hours at 225. Using a digital thermometer, take the tri-tip off the smoker at 140 degrees and wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil. Let it rest at room temperature until you’re ready to slice.

For the tacos, slice the tri-tip in half with the grain, then slice the halves in strips against the grain.

Build your tacos with your choice of toppings and enjoy!

Tacos

Flour or corn tortillas grilled or slightly charred over a gas flame

Topping ideas

Shredded lettuce

Diced white onion

Diced tomato

Pico de Gallo

Guacamole

Sliced radish

Fresh cilantro leaves

Sour cream or crema

Queso fresco, Cotija or shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Chicken and Pineapple Kebabs

4 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp sesame oil

One inch knob fresh ginger, grated

2 tsp garlic powder

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2″ pieces

One 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Skewers

In a shallow glass dish, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Stir the chicken pieces and pineapple into the marinade until well coated. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken and pineapple alternately onto skewers. Grill 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, basting with bbq sauce or until chicken juices run clear.

Maple-Mustard BBQ Chicken

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on thighs and legs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1. Place the maple syrup, Dijon, whole-grain mustard, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small, nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine. Equally divide the sauce between 2 small bowls; set aside 1 bowl for serving and the other for brushing onto the chicken while it cooks on the grill.

2. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet. Coat all over with the oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. When the grill is ready, place the chicken (skin-side down), cover the grill, and cook until grill marks appear on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over, cover the grill, and cook until grill marks appear on the second side, about 4 minutes more.

4. Flip the chicken again and generously brush the pieces using the sauce. Move the chicken to a cool part of the grill and continue to cook. Flip and brush the chicken occasionally until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest piece reads 160°F to 165°F and the meat near the bone is no longer pink. Remove the chicken to a clean serving platter and serve. Mix up more sauce if you want to baste the chicken at the table.

Parmesan Garlic Grilled Corn

4 ears of fresh corn

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Preheat grill to 400°. Remove husks and silks from corn. Combine grated garlic and butter in a small saucepan and melt slowly. Do not let the butter brown!

Grill corn until lightly charred and deep, bright yellow (about 15 – 20 minutes). Brush garlic butter over corn and sprinkle over Parmesan cheese. Garnish with Italian parsley.

Weekend Hot Dog Bar

For the Tex-Mex:

1 cup corn salsa

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 jalapeño peppers, sliced and grilled

For the lime-cilantro mayonnaise:

½ cup mayonnaise

juice of ½ a lime

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

For the County Fare:

4 pickles, sliced lengthwise

1 cup beef chili, warmed

1 cup shredded sharp Canadian cheddar

ketchup, prepared mustard and relish for garnish

For the Pizza Dawg:

1 cup pizza sauce

1 cup sautéed onions, mushrooms and peppers

½ cup sliced green olives

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons green onion, chopped, for garnish

For the Bacon Mac ‘N Cheese:

8 slices bacon, cooked

1 cup macaroni and cheese, warmed

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup creamy coleslaw, for garnish

Prepare the hot dogs: Preheat grill to 500°F. Using a paring knife, cut small 45° slits along the length of the wieners, marking every half-inch and going about halfway deep. Transfer the wieners onto the hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure they’re uniformly cooked. Use wieners in one or more of the following ways:

For the Tex Mex: Open buns on work surface and spoon equal amounts of corn salsa onto each, spreading it out evenly. Place one cooked wiener onto each bun. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack then add slices of grilled jalapeños. Place prepared hot dogs into an oven-safe casserole or rectangular baking pan. Transfer to preheated 250°F oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bun is toasted. Combine mayo, lime juice and cilantro and add to hot dogs as garnish.

For the County Fare: Open buns on work surface and line each side with pickle slices. Place one cooked wiener onto each bun. Add a helping of chili on top of each, spreading it across the hot dog. Sprinkle with cheese. Place prepared hot dogs into an oven-safe casserole or rectangular baking pan. Transfer to preheated 250°F oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bun is toasted. Garnish with ketchup, mustard and relish.

For the Pizza Dog: Open buns on work surface. Add a helping of pizza sauce onto each, spreading it across. Place one cooked wiener onto each bun. Sprinkle a small handful of olives on one side of hot dog. Add some of the sautéed vegetables across the other. Sprinkle with cheese. Place prepared hot dogs into an oven-safe casserole or rectangular baking pan. Transfer to preheated 250°F oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bun is toasted. Garnish with chopped green onion.

For the Bacon Mac ‘N Cheese: Open buns on work surface and line each side with a rasher of bacon. Add a helping of macaroni and cheese onto each, spreading it across. Place one cooked wiener onto each bun. Sprinkle with cheese. Place prepared hot dogs into an oven-safe casserole or rectangular baking pan. Transfer to preheated 250°F oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bun is toasted. Garnish with a generous helping of coleslaw, distributing it across the hot dog.

Honey-Sriracha Salmon Lettuce Wraps

4 (4 ounce) salmon fillets, pin bones and skin removed

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

For the Honey Sriracha Sauce:

oil for the pan

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup water

4 tablespoons Sriracha

4 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon cornstarch stirred into 1 tablespoon cold water (slurry)

For the Lettuce Wraps:

10 leaves of butter lettuce, separated

2 carrots, thinly sliced into matchsticks

Cilantro leaves, torn

Green onions, sliced

Lime wedges

Sriracha, for serving

Place a frying pan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan lightly with neutral oil like canola. Pat the salmon fillets dry and season them well with salt and pepper. Sear the salmon about 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned on the outside and cooked to medium on the inside.

Meanwhile, to a small saucepan over medium heat, add a small amount of oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the water, Sriracha, honey, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then gradually whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring until thickened, forming a glaze. Remove from heat.

Spoon some of the glaze over the salmon fillets, coating them. Reserve any remaining glaze to drizzle over the lettuce wraps. To assemble wraps: flake the salmon in large chunks with a fork. Fill each lettuce cup with salmon. Top with carrots, cilantro, and green onions. Serve with lime wedges, Sriracha, and remaining glaze.

Slow Cooker Sausage, Peppers & Onions

4 sweet Italian sausage links

4 hot Italian sausage links

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (24 ounce) jar of your favorite marinara or pasta sauce

8 good quality hoagie rolls

1 bunch fresh basil, leaves removed and torn

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausages, turning to brown all sides, 4 to 5 minutes.

Place browned sausage in slow cooker. Add the peppers, onions, garlic, and jarred sauce to the slow cooker; stir. Turn to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve in the rolls with plenty of sauce and garnish with fresh basil.