Author: Dave Tappan

The NFL playoffs are here! Time for game-day recipes. For my friends, Chuck and Jake…Go Lions! Crispy, Baked Korean Wings Wings2 pounds chicken wings, flats and drums1/2 tablespoon baking powderKosher salt and fresh, ground pepper, to taste1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder Korean sauce3 tablespoons gochujang paste, or chili-garlic paste2 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar2 tablespoons honey1 tablespoon sesame oil1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated4 cloves garlic, mincedLime wedges, for squeezingToasted 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.

Happy Friday! Let’s get this in the crock-pot tomorrow. Chicken Tortilla Soup 12 small corn tortillas 6-inch, cut into ¼-inch strips2 tablespoon olive oil2 onions chopped6 cloves garlic large, minced2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped4 teaspoons cumin4 teaspoons chili powder28 ounces crushed tomatoes20 ounces canned diced tomatoes with chilies such as Rotel, 1 can8 cups chicken broth30 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed2 cups frozen corn kernels4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Cook onion, garlic and jalapeño in olive oil. Add to the bottom of a slow cooker.Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas and oil) to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.Shred chicken and add back to the pot. Serve with tortilla strips.Crispy TortillasHeat oil over medium-high heat a small pan. Add tortilla strips in small batches and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately. ToppingsCilantro, rough choppedSour creamTortilla stripsHot sauceLime wedgesPickled jalapenoChopped onionChopped tomatoAvocado, diced or slicedGrated cheese

Here’s another leftover prime rib idea. Happy Friday! Prime Rib Sliders Slices of leftover prime rib1 package King’s Hawaiian Rolls12 slices Swiss cheeseOnion powderGarlic powderMelted butter, for topping rolls Caramelized Onions:4 large sweet onions halved and cut thinly1/4 cup butterKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste4 tbsp balsamic vinegar4 tbsp brown sugar6 fresh rosemary stems2 bay leaves Horseradish Cream Sauce:2 tbsp prepared horseradish1/4 cup sour cream2 tsp Worcestershire sauce2 tsp Sriracha Caramelized Onions:Cut the onions in half, then slice them thinly.Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the onions.Cook over low-medium heat until the onions are softened. About 20 minutes.Then add the rosemary stems and bay leaves. Mix. Cook for about 20 more minutes, until the rosemary has wilted.Once the rosemary has wilted, remove it and the bay leaves. You will likely have to remove stray rosemary leaves.Stir in the balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.Continue cooking until the liquid is all gone, and the onions are caramel colored and soft. Be very careful not to burn the mixture, so stir often. Horseradish Cream Sauce:Combine the horseradish, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha. I like to use a hand blender to make the sauce nice and creamy. Putting it all together:Pre-heat your oven to 350Cut the entire pack of rolls in half horizontally, keeping each half intact and connected. Place the bottom half of the rolls on a foil lined baking sheet. Top with the roast beef (about 1 slice per roll). Dollop the beef with the horseradish cream sauce. Spread the onions in an even layer over the top, then top with the cheese. Place the top layer of rolls over the cheese. Brush the top of the rolls with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the garlic powder and onion powder.Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is melted and the rolls are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Our Chief Engineer at Q97, Barry, brought a crock-pot of tri-tip soup. It is fantastic! Job well done, Barry! He doesn’t have a recipe, so I thought of a bunch of good ingredients and wrote my own recipe. I hope it’s good. It sounds good. Grilled Tri-Tip Soup 1/2 C all-purpose flour (optional)One 3 lb. tri-tip, seared and cubed3 Tbs olive oil1 bag frozen pearl onions8 cloves garlic, peeled2 Tbs balsamic vinegar2 Tbs tomato paste2 C dry red wine4 C beef broth1 bay leafDried thyme4 large carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into one-inch pieces2 cans kidney beans1-pound white button mushrooms, quarteredFresh parsley, choppedKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste Season the tri-tip with salt and pepper. Sear the tri-tip on your grill just until it gets good color, about five minutes, or so.Remove the tri-tip and place on a plate, to drain and cool. Cube the tri-tip. Reserve the juicesPlace the flour in a large resealable plastic bag and season it with salt and pepper. Add the tri-tip cubes to the flour, close the bag, and shake to coat well. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove the tri-tip from the flour, shaking off any excess and carefully add it to the hot oil. Brown the tri-tip, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove the tri-tip from the pot and set it aside.Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the vinegar and scrape up the brown bits from bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute more. Place the onions and garlic mixture in a crock-pot. Add the tri-tip to the pot, with the juices. Add the wine, beef broth, reserved cooking juices from the tri-tip, bay leaf and thyme. Stir to combine. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low for about 4 hours.After 4 hours of cooking, add the carrots, beans, celery and mushrooms. Cover and cook another 2 hours or until the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Today is National French Fried Shrimp Day. Now, I don’t know the difference between French fried and just fried, but I’ll be bustin’ out the ol’ Ninja Indoor Grill & Air-Fryer tonight. Happy Saturday! Air-Fried Shrimp 2 lbs. large shrimp peeled, de-veined, tails intact1 cup flouronion powdergarlic powderOld Bay SeasoningCajun SeasoningKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste2 large eggs, beaten1-1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbsCooking spray or vegetable oil Mix flour, onion powder, garlic powder, Old Bay Seasoning, Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Add beaten eggs to another bowl. Add breadcrumbs to a another bowl.Dredge the shrimp into the mixed flour mixture, then into the beaten egg, and then into the breadcrumbs.Preheat the air fryer to 390. Spritz the shrimp with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket leaving a little room in between the shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

If you’re still trying to come up with a sexy Christmas Eve dinner, this ought to do the trick.   Steak Marsala   1cup chicken broth ½-ounce dried porcini mushrooms 3 tablespoons olive oil 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin Kosher salt and fresh-pepper, to taste Four 6-8-ounce sirloin steaks 1 shallot, minced 1 tablespoon flour 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced ¾ cup sweet marsala, plus one tablespoon 4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons lemon juice   Add ½ cup of broth to dried porcini mushrooms in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 1 minute until steaming. Let sit for about 5 minutes until softened. Drain and reserve liquid. Chop mushrooms until fine. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a nonstick skillet over medium-high. When hot, add fresh mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and cover. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with tinfoil to keep warm. Pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. When hot, add steaks and cook until brown on one side. Turnover and cook until meat thermometer registers 125º for medium rare, 130º for medium. Time will vary depending on how thick the steaks are, but about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with tinfoil. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat and add shallots, flour, garlic, rosemary, dried mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the shallots have softened. Stir in ¾ cup of Marsala, reserved mushroom liquid and ½ cup of broth. Cook until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and whisk in butter a piece at a time. Next add parsley, lemon juice, the browned fresh mushrooms and 1 tablespoon Marsala. Season with salt and pepper. Slice steak and spoon sauce over steak.

Christmas Eve is one week from today…Yikes! Cioppino is a must for many families during the Holidays. This one comes from the Putah Creek Cafe in Winters. It’s expensive, time consuming and a lot of work, but if you want to show your friends and family a lot of love on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, have a big pot of this on the stove. Cin Cin! San Francisco Style Cioppino Cioppino Tomato Base:1/4 cup olive oil1 small carrot, chopped1 small yellow onion, chopped1/2 green bell pepper, chopped2 ribs celery, chopped5 cloves garlic, chopped1 small serrano chile1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped1/2 bunch fresh oregano, chopped1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns1 bay leaf1/2 bottle good red wine2 teaspoons red wine vinegar2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce2 teaspoons hot sauce10 cups canned pureed tomatoes, about five 15-ounce cansFish Stock, recipe follows Seafood:6 tubes of squid, with tentacles, cleaned and cut into rings3 whole Dungeness crab legs and bodies, with the crabmeat intact18 littleneck clams, scrubbed clean18 black mussels, bearded and scrubbed clean1 1/2 pounds fresh firm fish, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces12 peeled and deveined prawns (shells reserved for stock Fish Stock:1 pound fresh fish bones, plus the head if you can get it2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped1 small carrot, coarsely chopped1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped2 cloves garlic, mashed1/4 bunch parsley stems1 bay leaf1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns1/2 teaspoon fennel seedsShells from the prawns10 to 12 cups clam juice Fish Stock:In a large pot, add all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth and discarding the solids. For the tomato base: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, peppers, and celery, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, herbs, and seasonings and cook until fragrant. Add the wine, vinegar, Worcestershire, and hot sauce and reduce until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the tomatoes and all of the fish stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine strainer, discarding the solids. For the seafood: Place the strained liquid into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Add the crab, squid, clams, mussels, and fish, cover the pot, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. To serve: Divide the seafood into 6 large bowls and ladle the broth over top. Serve with good, crusty garlic bread to sop up all the heavenly goodness!