Author: Dave Tappan

I’m a simple man with simple needs. Simple foods are often the best foods. These are so simple, even a Dodgers fan can make them! Happy Taco Tuesday!  

Simple Street Tacos  

2 tablespoons soy sauce Fresh lime juice from two limes

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 4 cloves garlic, minced (I use Christopher Ranch in the jar)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/2-2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

12 mini tortillas, warmed or charred (double up on the tortillas for 2 per taco)

Onion

diced Fresh cilantro

chopped Lime wedges, for squeezing  

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon canola oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, onion powder and oregano.  In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine soy sauce mixture and steak; marinate for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add steak and marinade, and cook, stirring often, until steak has browned and marinade has reduced, about 5-6 minutes, or until it’s done like you like it. For a little more cilantro punch, hit the steak with some of the chopped cilantro while it’s cooking. Serve steak in tortillas, topped with onion, cilantro and lime wedges for squeezing.

What a wild weekend! Now, we can pump the brakes a little bit and get ready for The Redding Rodeo and Redding Rodeo Week with the Asphalt Cowboys! Here’s an easy Back at it Monday recipe.

Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu

3 chicken breasts, boneless skinless

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

8 slices deli ham

8 slices Swiss cheese

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon garlic, crushed or minced

½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 large eggs, whisked

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon onion, minced , dehydrated

1 tablespoon parsley, garnish if desired

Lay out chicken breasts on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut along one side of the chicken breast until it is almost cut in half. Unfold the chicken and lay out flat. Place a film of plastic wrap over the chicken and pound out to ¼” thick using a meat mallet. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of Swiss cheese over the center of the chicken Starting at one side, tightly wrap the chicken, rolling to the other side. Secure using toothpicks. Rub remaining salt, pepper and paprika over your chicken breasts.

Prepare the dredging station.

Add flour, garlic, and onion powder to one bowl. Stir to combine. Whisk eggs into a second bowl. Add panko and minced onions to a third bowl.

Dredge the chicken.

First, roll the chicken into the seasoned flour.Then, dip and roll in the egg wash. Remove from eggs and let excess drip back into the bowl. Finally, roll into the panko bread crumbs until evenly coated. Repeat until all your chicken breasts are done.

Preheat the air fryer to 380* for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the air fryer basket and spray lightly with canola oil or nonstick cooking spray. Cook for 8 minutes, flip and spray again with canola oil and cook 8 minutes more.

While the chicken is cooking prepare the dip.

Add dijon mustard to a small bowl. Add sour cream, and crushed garlic. Whisk to combine. Remove from heat and pace on serving platter. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with garlic dijon dip. Serve each chicken cordon bleu cut in half. Enjoy!

 It’s a Wing Wednesday! This is a deep-fry recipe, but you can do these in an air-fryer as well.

390 degrees for 18-20 minutes; flip wings half-way through cooking.  

Classic & Delicious Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip  

For the dip:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon buttermilk

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper  

For the wings:

Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon paprika

3 pounds chicken wings, split at the joints, tips removed

1 1/2 cups Frank’s Red-Hot sauce

1 stick unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey  

1. Make the dip: Pulse the sour cream, blue cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, milk and lemon juice in a food processor until combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Make the wings: Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Set a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Mix the flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge the wings in the flour mixture to coat, tapping off the excess. Fry the wings in batches, turning as needed, until cooked through and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Return the oil to 375 degrees F between batches.) Remove with tongs and transfer to the rack to drain.

4. Meanwhile, combine the hot sauce, butter and honey in a medium pot over medium heat until the butter melts. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Reserve one-quarter of the sauce for serving. Add the cooked wings to the pot and toss with the remaining sauce. Serve with the blue cheese dip and reserved sauce.

 Happy Taco Tuesday! We’ve got a lot of Kool April Nites Show & Shines today. 

Hilltop Springs Senior Living 10-1

Kuebler’s Furniture 11-2

Dude’s Drive-In 11-1

Riverview Golf and Country Club 3-7

Pete’s Restaurant and Brewhouse 5-8

Riddick’s Sports Pub 6-9 

Enjoy the show n shines and the tacos! 

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos 

Juice of 3 limes

2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

2 tsp minced garlic. I use Christopher Ranch in the jar

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp. olive oil

Zest of 1 lime

Kosher salt, to taste

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and de-veined

8 Tortillas, warmed 

FOR THE CABBAGE SLAW

1 c. shredded green cabbage

1/4 c. cilantro

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste 

FOR THE GARLIC-LIME MAYO

1/3 c. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. hot sauce. I like Tapatio for this

Zest of 1 lime1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Kosher salt, to taste 

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, olive oil, lime zest and season with salt. Add shrimp and cover with plastic wrap. Let marinate 20 minutes in refrigerator. Make slaw: in a large bowl combine all slaw ingredients. Toss gently to combine and season with salt. Make garlic-lime mayo: in a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Whisk and season with salt. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Grill shrimp until pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Build tacos: add a scoop of slaw, a few shrimp, and a drizzle of the garlic-lime mayo to each taco. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

 It’s Round-Up Weekend! Enjoy the Red Bluff Round-Up and a good steak!  

Cowboy Butter:

2 sticks salted butter, softened

¼ cup Gorgonzola crumbles

1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley, plus more if needed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

A couple of turns of fresh-ground pepper

2 cloves garlicfinely minced

1 lemon, zested and halved

Kosher salt, to taste  

Steaks:

Garlic salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

4 rib eye steaks, 2 inches thick  

For the cowboy butter:

Well in advance, make the cowboy butter. Place the softened butter in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Whip the butter until it’s fluffy. Add the Gorgonzola, parsley, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic, lemon zest and the juice of half the lemon. Mix it until it’s totally combined, scraping the sides as needed. Taste and add more ingredients as needed to your liking. After the butter is well combine, lay out some plastic wrap and lay out the butter in the middle of the plastic wrap. Wrap the butter tightly in the form of a log and twist the ends. Put the butter log in the fridge to set up until you cook the steaks.  

For the steaks:

Preheat your grill on high. Sear the steaks on both sides, but do not burn them. There’s a fine line between seared and burnt. Lower the grill to medium and cook the steaks to your desired doneness. Flip the steaks as needed as to not char them too much. I pull mine when the internal temp is about 125 degrees. On the final flip, put a couple of pats of your compound butter on top of the steaks to melt. Pull the steaks and top them with more butter if you like. Loosely cover the steaks with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Happy Ex-Spouses Day! Let’s celebrate with a really terrific sandwich.

Marinade:

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 (4 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed 

Bacon Horseradish Sauce:

2 teaspoons minced green onion

1 cup mayonnaise

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

12 to 15 onion rolls, split, buttered, and toasted

Arugula, for serving 

For the marinade:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper. Add the flank steak, seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Preheat a grill to medium heat.

Drain the steak, discarding the marinade. Place the steak on the grill. Grill 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until desired temperature. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

For the bacon horseradish sauce: In a small bowl, combine the green onions, mayonnaise, bacon, horseradish, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and chill.

To assemble: Spread desired amount of Bacon Horseradish Sauce over the bottom of the rolls. Top with desired amount of arugula. Top with sliced flank steak. Cover with roll tops. Serve immediately.

The weather in Redding this weekend is going to be epic! I say we celebrate the beautiful spring weather with surf-n-turf. 

To prep the grill:

2 large handfuls of mesquite wood chips

Small disposable foil pan 

For the butter:

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 shallot, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 stick unsalted butter, softened1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest 

For the steak:

Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste

Bone-in or boneless rib-eyes, 1-1 ½ pounds each

Extra-virgin olive oil Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the grill for direct and indirect cooking over medium-high heat In a small disposable foil pan combine the shallot quarters, oil, and paprika. Drain the chips and add one handful to the charcoal or to the smoker box of a gas grill, and close the lid. When smoke appears, place the foil pan with the shallot over indirect medium-high heat, close the lid, and cook until the shallot is tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes. Mince the shallot, transfer to a small bowl, and add the remaining butter ingredients, including salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly. Lay the butter on plastic wrap. Roll it up to form a log and twist the ends. Place in the freezer for an hour to solidify.Lightly brush both sides of the steaks with oil and season with the steak seasoning. Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before grilling. Drain and add the remaining wood chips to the charcoal or smoker box. When smoke appears, sear the steaks over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Then move the steaks over indirect medium-high heat, close the lid, and continue cooking to your desired doneness, about12 to 14 minutes more for medium rare. Using a digital thermometer, I like to pull mine off the grill at about 135 degrees. About a minute before pulling the steaks, place a generous pat of the butter on each steak. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm, topped with more butter. 

Oysters & Butter:

12 Raw Oysters, shucked

¼ cup Clarified Butter

1 tbsp Chopped Parsley

2 tbsp. Garlic, minced

2 tbsp Grated Parmesan

1 tbsp Chopped Basil

½ medium Lemon juiced 

As the steaks are cooking, add a cast iron basting skillet with clarified butter. Let that melt, then add your minced garlic to brown for about a minute. Finally, add your parsley, Parmesan, basil and lemon juice. Mix and let simmer for 1 minute, then pull off and let cool. Add your shucked oysters to the grill and *carefully* add a spoonful of the butter to each oyster. Be aware of flare-ups as they can occur with this part of the process. Let the oysters simmer for 30-45 seconds, then pull them off to cool for 2 minutes.

Slice up your steaks, serve with the oysters and enjoy!

I love Hawaii. As soon as you step off the plane, you get leid! 

Wings:

4 lbs. Chicken Wings  

Marinade:

4 cups Soy Sauce low sodium

4 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Black Garlic Sauce or garlic paste

2 tbsp Ginger Paste

4 tsp Garlic Powder

4 tsp Smoked Paprika Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste  

Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce:

2 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup Pineapple Juice

4 tbsp Sriracha

4 tbsp Honey

3 tbsp Dijon Mustard

3 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

4 tsp Black Garlic Sauce  

Garnishes:

Chopped Parsley

Sriracha Sesame Seeds  

1. Begin by adding your chicken wings to a food safe bowl/container along with all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix thoroughly then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

2. Preheat a grill for medium high heat (around 350) for direct cooking.

3. Pull the wings out of the fridge and discard any excess marinade. Place the wings over the flames about 6-8” away from the heat and cook until they reach 175 internal temp (about 20-25 minutes). Once they are done, pull them off and let them cool for 2-3 minutes.

4. While the wings are cooking, heat up a basting skillet over the fire. Add all your ingredients for the Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce. Let simmer over the flames until it thickens and is well incorporated (about 20 minutes). Pull off the heat and set to the side. When the wings are done, pull them off and toss them in the BBQ Sauce. You can also garnish them with sesame seeds, more sriracha and chopped parsley.

5. After the wings are ready, serve ‘em up and enjoy!