Author: Dave Tappan

  • Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

    Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

    Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

    4 Jalapenos sliced lengthwise seeds and membranes removed

    8 ounces cream cheese

    8 slices cooked bacon

    4 slices pepper jack

    4 slices yellow American

    8 slices Italian bread

    Cilantro, chopped

    Butter

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

    Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Bake stuffed jalapenos on cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven.

    Place 1 slice each American cheese on 4 bread slices. Place 1 slice each pepper jack on other 4 bread slices. Each sandwich will have both kinds of cheese. Slice the cooked, stuffed jalapenos into bite size spears. Divide the jalapeno slices between the slices of bread with American. Add the bacon to the slices of bread with pepper jack. Add chopped cilantro to one side. Combine the slices of bread to form sandwiches.

    Top each sandwich with butter. Place in skillet over medium low heat butter side down. Grill each side until lightly browned. Cheese should be melted and gooey.

  • Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

    Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

    Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

    2 lbs. large raw shrimp peeled, deveined & tail-off

    4 large eggs

    3 cups Panko

    1 cup cornstarch

    1 tsp paprika

    1 tsp garlic powder

    1 tsp onion powder

    Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

    cooking spray

    For the Bang Bang Sauce:

    1 cup mayonnaise

    1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

    Sriracha, to taste

    For the Slaw:

    16 oz coleslaw mix

    1/2 cup chopped cilantro

    1/2 cup chopped green onion

    4 tbsp mayonnaise

    Juice from 1 lime

    Sriracha, to taste

    Kosher salt, to taste

    To Serve:

    20 flour tortillas

    Chopped green onion

    Cilantro

    Lime wedges, for serving

    Pat the shrimp dry. Then set up your dredging station with 3 shallow bowls. To one of the bowls, add the cornstarch and seasonings. To the second bowl, add the Panko. To the last bowl, add the eggs and a splash of water and whisk until combined.

    Dip each shrimp into the cornstarch, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Let them rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place breaded shrimp in your air fryer basket, in one layer and spray the top with oil. You will likely need to cook the shrimp in batches.

    Spray the shrimp with cooking spray.

    Air fry the shrimp at 390F for 7 minutes, flipping halfway through. After you flip the shrimp, spray the other side with oil and continue frying.

    While the shrimp is cooking, add all of the bang bang sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Then, add all of the slaw ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.

    After the shrimp is done cooking, add it to a large bowl and pour the bang bang sauce over top (reserving a little bit for garnish, if you’d like). Gently toss or shake the bowl to coat the shrimp in the bang bang sauce.

    Warm your tortillas over an open flame, on a pan, or in the microwave. Then, assemble your tacos, starting with the tortillas, a bit of the slaw, the shrimp, any leftover bang bang sauce you have, and garnish with some sliced green onion. Enjoy!

  • Grilled Asian Chicken Thighs

    Grilled Asian Chicken Thighs

    Grilled Asian Chicken Thighs

    16 bone in-skin on chicken thighs

    1/2 cup hoisin sauce

    1/2 cup honey

    1/2 cup soy sauce

    ¼ cup orange juice

    8 cloves garlic, minced

    ¼ cup chopped green onion

    2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

    1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    More chopped green onion and sesame seeds for garnish

    1. In a large bowl, mix together hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, orange juice, garlic, green onion, ginger and cayenne pepper.

    2. Put the chicken thighs in Ziploc bags and marinate at least 1 hour in refrigerator.

    3. Remove chicken and place marinade in small saucepan over medium high heat; boil 2 minutes.

    4. Place the chicken on a sheet pan with a wire rack to drain and come to room temperature.

    5. Heat the grill to medium and cook the thighs for about 10 minutes, turn and cook another 10 minutes more, basting occasionally with the boiled marinade until thighs are done. They should reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees on a digital thermometer. If they are not done, turn and baste while they cook a little longer. Don’t let them catch on fire! Move off the heat while cooking if necessary.

    6. Platter the cooked chicken on a large platter and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if you like.

  • Salmon Cordon Bleu

    Salmon Cordon Bleu

    Salmon Cordon Bleu

    For the fish:

    Four thick salmon fillets, 6-8 ounces each

    1/2 pound thin deli sliced hot ham

    1/2 pound good quality Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

    For Lemon-Lime Cream Poaching Sauce:

    2 shallots, minced

    4 garlic cloves, minced

    1/2 cup dry white wine

    4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    2 cups chicken broth

    1 teaspoon dried thyme

    1 cup heavy cream

    2 teaspoon Franks hot sauce

    1-1/2 sticks cold butter, in pieces

    Fresh parsley

    Sliced green onions

    Make lemon lime poaching sauce:

    Combine shallot, garlic and wine in a saucepan and simmer until wine is reduced to about a tablespoon

    Add chicken broth, thyme, pepper, lemon, lime, hot sauce and cream and bring to a simmer.

    Transfer to a skillet large enough to hold fish bundles in one layer

    Prepare salmon for poaching:

    Slice a pocket into the side of each fillet

    Stuff the pocketed salmon with cheese with ham

    Bring poaching liquid to a very light simmer, add fish, cover and cook on low until fish is done, about 8 to 10 minutes

    Carefully remove fish to serving plate and cover to keep warm

    Bring sauce to a boil and reduce until slightly thickened, lower heat to low and whisk in butter in pieces, add parsley and green onions

    Serve sauce drizzled on fish with extra on the side.

  • Mojo Marinated Tri-Tip Tacos

    Mojo Marinated Tri-Tip Tacos

    Mojo Marinated Tri-Tip Tacos

    3 ½-4 pound tri-tip, trimmed

    2 bottles Pacifico beer

    2 oranges

    2 Serrano peppers, sliced, no seeds

    8 guajillo chiles soaked (reserve 1/2-1 cup liquid from peppers)

    6 garlic cloves

    2 tbsp ground cumin

    2 tbsp onion powder

    Kosher salt, to taste

    6 tbsp olive oil

    24 corn tortillas

    Refried beans

    Cotija cheese, crumbled

    Fresh limes, quartered, for squeezing

    Diced onion

    Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

    Marinate the meat in beer for 1 hour, in a large zip lock bag, in the refrigerator. Soak the guajillo peppers in hot water, covered, for 5 minutes or until soft.

    Juice the oranges. In a blender purée the orange juice, Serrano peppers, soaked guajillo chilies and 1/2-1 cup liquid from peppers, garlic, cumin, onion powder, salt and olive oil.

    Place the beer marinated tri-tip, with the beer, in the large zip lock bag.

    Pour the orange marinade into the bag with the tri-tip.

    Marinate 2 hours, in the refrigerator. Place the bag in a bowl or pan in case of leakage.

    Start your grill. Fire up all of your burners and get the grill really hot. When the grill is 400-500 degrees, place the meat on the grill and sear both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Don’t walk away! If the meat catches on fire that’s a bad thing! Continue to move the meat around to prevent burnage.

    Shut off half of your burners and move the meat to the indirect heat side of your grill. Continue cooking the tri-tip until medium rare. Use a digital probe thermometer and cook the meat to about 130-140 degrees.

    When done, remove the tri-tip from the grill, wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil or butcher paper and let rest.

    While meat is resting, grill the tortillas on each side until slightly charred.Slice the tri-tip in half crosswise and then against the grain into strips or small cubes and serve with refried beans spread on grilled tortillas. Top with crumbled cotija cheese,diced onion and cilantro with a squeeze of lime.

  • Sausage, Ham, Pepperoni and Salami Stromboli

    Sausage, Ham, Pepperoni and Salami Stromboli

    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.

  • Summer Pasta

    Summer Pasta

    Summer Pasta

    8 oz fettuccine or spaghetti, linguine or bucatini

    4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

    1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

    8 oz fresh mozzarella balls sliced in half (the cherry tomato-sized ones in water are perfect)

    10 large basil leaves, torn or gently sliced in ribbons (julienned)

    4 tablespoons Parmesan freshly grated

    Kosher salt, to taste

    COOK THE PASTA

    Cook the pasta in heavily salted water. Follow the package directions but cook for 1 minute less than the package says for al dente.

    Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet on medium heat.

    Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the preheated skillet, then add the crushed red pepper flakes and allow them to infuse in the oil for about 10 seconds.

    Once pasta is just below al dente, remove pasta from water and transfer to the skillet with the oil and red pepper flakes. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the pasta. Stir frequently to coat the pasta completely.

    Add tomatoes and heat through on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. The pasta should be perfectly al dente at this point.

    Remove from heat after tomatoes have heated through and add the mozzarella, basil, remaining extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and salt directly to the pan and toss to combine. Immediately transfer to a serving bowl or plates and serve.

    You can add cooked protein to this, like shrimp, scallops, steak or chicken. Also, add capers and olives, if you like. Zest some lemon into the dish to brighten it up.

  • Baked Garlic-Parmesan Wings

    Baked Garlic-Parmesan Wings

    Baked Garlic-Parmesan Wings

    4 pounds chicken wings, drums & flats

    2 tablespoons baking powder. DO NOT use baking soda!

    Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    1 teaspoon onion powder

    1 stick butter

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    Fresh parsley, finely chopped

    Parmesan cheese, grated

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and place a non stick oven safe rack on top of the pan.

    Place the chicken wings in a large bowl. Add in the baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

    Toss to coat the chicken evenly with the baking powder and spices.

    Place the wings on the rack in a single layer.

    Bake for 45 minutes or until wings are golden brown and crispy.

    Place the butter and garlic in a small bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments until the butter is melted.

    Let the butter cool for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the parsley and Parmesan.

    Pour the butter mixture over the wings and toss to coat. Serve immediately, with a dipping sauce of your choice if desired.

  • Wet Burritos

    Wet Burritos

    I like ’em wet and fat!

    Wet Burritos

    1-pound ground beef

    1 packet taco seasoning

    5 burrito-sized tortillas

    1 (15 ounce) can refried beans

    2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

    1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup beef broth

    28 ounce can enchilada sauce

    1 teaspoon chili powder

    Shredded lettuce, for serving

    Chopped tomato, for serving

    Diced onions, for serving

    Diced avocado, for serving

    Preheat oven to 350ºF.

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, break up, and cook for 5-7 minutes until it is fully cooked. Drain any fat in the pan. Add taco seasoning and the amount of water called for on the packet directions.

    In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and cook for a minute.

    Slowly whisk in the beef broth and enchilada sauce. Add chili powder and bring to a simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.

    Arrange tortillas and fill with beans, ground beef and about 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese.

    Fold the sides over and roll tightly.

    Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Place burritos seam side down in the dish.

    Pour sauce over the burritos. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

    Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is hot.

    Remove from the oven and serve with lettuce, tomato, onions and/or avocado, if you like

  • Garlic Pork Chops (or steaks) in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Garlic Pork Chops (or steaks) in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Garlic Pork Chops (or steaks) in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    4 pork chops or steaks, boneless (about 1-inch thick)

    1 teaspoon paprika

    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

    2 tablespoons butter

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    For the mushroom sauce:

    1 cup sliced mushrooms

    2 teaspoons jarred, Christopher Ranch minced garlic

    4-5 garlic cloves, crushed

    1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

    1 1/2 cups heavy cream

    1/2 cup chicken broth

    1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

    Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

    To make the chops: Combine paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the pork chops dry with kitchen paper then season generously with the spice mix. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high until butter is melted.

    Sear the chops for 3-5 minutes per side until well browned on both sides. Transfer the chops to a warm plate and set aside.

    In the same skillet, add the garlic and mushrooms and saute until golden brown, scraping up any bits leftover from the chops.

    Add garlic, parsley and Italian seasoning then stir fry for another 30 seconds before pouring in the broth. Add the cream, give a good stir then allow simmering for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and adjust seasoning if needed.

    Place the chops and their juices back into the sauce and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the pork chops are cooked to your liking. Garnish with remaining fresh parsley and serve in the creamy mushroom sauce.