Author: Dave Tappan

Happy Taco Tuesday! Let’s stay on that Hawaiian Chicken jag.  

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Tacos  

• 2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

• Corn tortillas, warmed or charred on a grill or gas flame

For the marinade:

• 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar

• 1/4 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce

• 1 teaspoon Minced Fresh Ginger

• 1 teaspoon Minced Fresh Garlic

• 1/2 cup Pineapple Juice

• 2 tablespoons Ketchup

• 2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

• Lime wedges, for squeezing  

For the Pineapple Pico de Gallo:

• 1 cup Pineapple, chopped (fresh or canned)

• 2 tablespoons Chopped Red Onion

• 1/2 cup red, yellow or orange Bell Pepper, diced

• 1 tablespoon Chopped Cilantro

• Juice from one lime  

Mix all Pico ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until using.

• Prepare the marinade by combining the sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, pineapple juice, ketchup, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce together, add ingredients to a large resealable plastic bag and whisk together.

• Add the chicken to the bag, seal, and store in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-4 hours.

• After marinating, preheat a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill the chicken for about 5-7 minutes. Then flip and cook the other side for another 5-7 minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°

• Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove from grill. Set on a cutting board. Let it rest for a few minutes to cool slightly. Chop the chicken into strips or cubes.

• Make the tacos by filling the corn tortillas with the cut-up chicken, top with the pineapple Pico de Gallo and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Happy Monday. Five more days of workin’ for the man. Make dinner easy tonight.  

HAWAIIAN STYLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN  

3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

1 cup of soy sauce

1 cup of pineapple juice

1 cup of brown sugar packed

5 cloves of mashed garlic.

1 inch knob of fresh ginger, grated on a micro-plane grater  

In a large bowl, mix the pineapple juice and soy sauce and add in the sugar to be dissolved. Add the desired amount of ginger and garlic then add in the chicken. You can soak the meat in the marinade for up to 3 days, if you are in a hurry, you need to soak it for at least 24 hours. If you can’t wait, boil the chicken in the sauce right after you make it. Bake the chicken in a 425 oven for 50 minutes, brushing with sauce every 10 minutes. When in doubt, pull out your digital thermometer. The chicken is done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.

It’s National Burrito Day! I like mine like I like my…well, you know. 

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, in sauce divided

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (or you can use a Mexican blend)6-8 10 inch flour tortillas

2 cups re-fried beans, with

1/4 teaspoon cumin, added1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce1 (18 ounce) jar home-style beef gravy 

FOR SERVING

sour cream

chopped onion

salsa

jalapeno

chopped lettuce

chopped tomato

fresh cilantro 

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic, making sure to chop ground beef into very fine pieces while cooking. Drain off any fat from browning.

Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, oregano, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and half of the can of tomatoes with sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes.

While meat is simmering, heat beans with 1/4 tsp. cumin, and make the gravy.For gravy, combine enchilada sauce, beef gravy, and the other half of tomatoes, and heat until almost boiling.

Soften tortillas in moist paper towels for 20 seconds in microwave.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble burritos.On each tortilla, layer some of the meat mixture, the bean mixture, and the cheese.

Fold sides of burrito in, then roll from the other sides until you have a “package”.

Place seam side down in a 13×9 baking dish.

When all burritos are assembled and in the baking dish, pour sauce mixture over all and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and burritos are heated through.

Serve each burrito with extra sauce from pan spooned over the top.

Have sour cream, chopped onions, salsa, jalapenos, chopped lettuce, cilantro and chopped tomatoes available to sprinkle on as desired.

Happy Taco Tuesday & April Fool’s Day!  

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  

Tex-Mex 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.  

Tex-Mex 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.

Hi-O, Hi-O, It’s Off To Work We Go. Another five days of workin’ for the man!  

Roasted Garlic Butter Rib-Eye Steaks 

4 Rib-Eyes

Olive oil

Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste 

Roasted Garlic and Herb Butter

1/2 shallot, diced

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon thyme, chopped

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 bulbs garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the tops off the head of the garlic bulbs (enough to expose the top of the garlic cloves) and remove any loose papery outer layers.

Place garlic cut side up on enough foil to wrap the garlic. Drizzle oil on the exposed surface of the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the sides up and place the foil wrapped garlic onto a baking tray.

Roast in the preheated oven until golden and soft, about 45 minutes or up to 60 minutes. Roasting time will vary based on the size and type of garlic.

Set aside to cool, then squeeze out the soft cloves.

While the garlic is roasting, season the steaks with Montreal Steak Seasoning and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Get a stick of softened, unsalted butter in a bowl and begin adding the roasted garlic (8 or so cloves), rosemary, thyme, shallots, and salt & pepper. Mix and set aside.

Grill, BBQ or air-fry the steaks to your preferred doneness. I like mine medium-rare.

On the last flip of the steaks, top them with a teaspoon, or so, of the roasted garlic butter. Remove the steaks when done and top them with more butter. Tent them with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes, enjoy!

Happy Opening Day! The Giants open their season in Cincinnati, the A’s are in Seattle and the Dodgers host the Tigers. Bust out the brats and enjoy! 

Opening Day Beer Brats 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)

2 pounds of brats

2 onions, halved and sliced into half moons

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bottles of a good craft beer

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup Stone Ground mustard1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons cider vinegar 

In a large skillet on medium high heat brown the brats on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the other 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the skillet and cook the onions on medium heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic, nutmeg and caraway seeds and cook until fragrant, and then add the beer, and mix in the mustard, vinegar and honey.At this point, if you want to do a smoker or grill version, put everything into an aluminum foil pan and set your smoker or grill to 250. Let everything stew and cook for about an hour.Add the brats back into the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes or until brats are done.

Remove the brats to a serving platter and then bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Boil until onion mixture is thickened – stirring frequently.

Serve on brat buns or hoagie rolls topped with the onion mixture.

Pork steaks are on sale at my favorite meat store in Redding. So…

Smothered Pork Chops with Garlic-Mushroom Sauce  

4 boneless pork chops or pork steaks Paprika, to taste

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/2 small yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons all-purpose Flour

2 cups chicken broth

Minced parsley or chives, for garnish  

Season both sides of pork chops with paprika, salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and half of the olive oil. Sear both sides of the pork chops until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side. Remove pork chops from pan and set aside. In same skillet over medium-high head add remaining the butter and olive oil. Add onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they are golden and browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mustard and cook for about 1 minute until garlic becomes fragrant. Stir in the flour, cooking stirring to remove lumps. Slowly add the broth, whisking until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste Return pork chops to pan and cook for a couple of minutes or until they are heated through. Serve hot. Garnish with parsley or chives.

I made some hot, steamy fuh-jy-tas on the Blackstone last night.

2 pounds steak of your choice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 red bell peppers, sliced

2 yellow bell peppers, sliced

2 yellow onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic minced

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 packages fajita seasoning

Flour tortillas

Lime wedges, for squeezing  

Slice steak against the grain into small slices about half inch thick. Place into bowl or resealable gallon sized bag and add 1 Tablespoons olive oil, toss to coat. Then add 1 package of fajita seasoning to meat and toss to coat. In another bowl or resealable gallon size bag add vegetables and remaining olive oil. Toss to coat then add in 1 package of fajita seasoning and mix until coated. Preheat the Blackstone for about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Pour vegetable oil on preheat griddle and spread out. Put the steak and vegetables on hot, oiled griddle. Cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing the steak and vegetables a few times. You want these to be slightly charred and cooked through. During the last few minutes add garlic. During the last minute of cooking place tortillas on griddle to warm. Remove the steak, vegetables and tortillas from griddle to a large platter. Build your fajitas and hit them with a squeeze of lime and enjoy!