Category: Dave’s Blog

The Shrimp Louie at LuLu’s is fantastic! The long-time chef at LuLu’s, is Cory. His recipe for the thousand island dressing, is hands down, the best I’ve ever had! I would never insult him by asking him for the recipe, so I’ll just have to use my mom’s…which is pretty damn good!

Ruthie’s Grilled Shrimp Louie

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

⅓ cup ketchup

¼ cup sweet pickle relish

Juice from one lemon

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons minced green onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Grilled Shrimp:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice from one lemon

2 pounds raw medium shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails left intact

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Salad:

1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber, diced

1 small red onion, peeled, halved and sliced into half-moons

1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced

4 hard-boiled eggs, halved

Lemon wedges, for squeezing

1. Place mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, lemon juice, cider vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, green onion, and parsley in a bowl. Whisk together until ingredients are well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours

2. Drizzle olive oil and juice from half a lemon over the shrimp just before grilling. Sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Gently but thoroughly toss until shrimp are coated.

3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.

4. Grill until shrimp are pink and flesh is opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a dish and refrigerate until shrimp are chilled, about 30 minutes. You can remove the tails, or leave them on.

5. Divide romaine lettuce among serving bowls. Arrange cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado slices, and egg halves on top. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle on about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup dressing and top with the shrimp and sliced green onions. Drizzle more dressing over the shrimp, if you like. Serve with lemon wedges.

I follow Giovanni’s Italian Deli in White Plains, New York on Facebook. The guy is a hoot. “Sangweech” “How ya doin’?” “Fahgettaboudit” “Mangia” Here in Nor-Cal, Tri-Tip is king!

Tri-Tip Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Cream Sauce

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

4 jumbo yellow onions

Honey

1/2 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE

1 cup mayo

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

DRY RUB

4 tablespoons ground coffee

2 heaping tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chipotle pepper

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon cinnamon

MEAT

3 pounds tri-tip, trimmed

ASSEMBLY

4 Good quality French rolls

Swiss cheese slices

Your favorite mixed greens

For the caramelized onions:

Thinly slice onions and separate into rounds. Place in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, a drizzle of local honey and sea salt. Then add the butter on top and let melt down into the onions. Continue to cook down until the onions are somewhat transparent, gooey and quite sticky with some of the ends crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the horseradish cream sauce:

In a bowl, add all the ingredients and stir to mix well. Set aside.

For the dry rub:

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and stir to combine well.

For the meat:

Coat the tri-tip with the dry rub, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 3 hours (could be up to a day). Remove and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to the grill.

Heat grill to 500°F.

Sear meat on both sides for approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from direct heat and place on the indirect side of the grill or reduce heat to medium-high (approximately 350°F). Continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 130°F, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Place tri-tip on cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before thinly slicing (across the grain). Then sprinkle with a little more kosher salt.

To assemble:

Drizzle the bottom of the French bread, drizzle with the horseradish sauce and top with the meat, cheese, greens and a final slathering of the sauce.

I grilled some beautiful top sirloin steaks last night with corn on the cob, grilled shrimp and watermelon, but my mind was on chicken.

Grilled Garlic-Ginger Chicken Thighs and Grilled Shrimp

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced, peeled ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice

Fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Vegetable oil, for the grill

Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, juice and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat a grill to medium high and oil the grate. Grill the chicken skin-side down until marked, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Shrimp with Garlic

3/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped or pressed through a garlic press

24 large shrimp, tail on, shelled and deveined

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Special equipment: Wooden skewers soaked in water

Heat the grill to medium.

Whisk together 1/4 cup of the oil, 2 tablespoons of the thyme, ancho powder and chopped garlic in a small bowl. Skewer the shrimp and brush with marinade.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup of the oil in a small saucepan, add the sliced garlic and cook until the sliced garlic is lightly golden brown. Remove the garlic slices with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the oil.

Increase the heat of the grill to high.

Remove the shrimp from the marinade, season with salt and pepper and grill until golden brown on each side, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skewers, transfer to a platter and drizzle with some of the reserved garlic oil and the garlic chips. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme and garnish with oregano leaves.

Another fun thing to do with your Blackstone, is smashing stuff.

Smash Chorizo Tacos with Guacamole & Quick Pickled Red Onions

Chorizo:

2 lbs. ground chorizo or links removed from casings

Guacamole:

4 Large Avocados, halved, peeled, pit removed and diced

1 small red onion, diced

Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

3 medium Limes, juiced

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate, until use.

Taco:

Corn Tortillas

Chopped Cilantro

Pickled Red Onions (recipe follows)

Favorite Salsa

Sour Cream

Cotija Cheese

Preheat your grill or Blackstone to medium high heat (about 350F) for direct cooking. Add a cast iron skillet to the grill 2 minutes before cooking.

Add about 2 oz of the ground chorizo to the skillet or Blackstone and top with a tortilla. Smash the tortilla into the ground chorizo (get them as flat as possible!) so that it lays flat and cook for 3-4 minutes until the chorizo is heated through. Flip the tortilla over and cook for 30 more seconds on the opposite side, then pull off and keep warm. Repeat this for the rest of your chorizo smash tacos.

To serve, add the guacamole, pickled red onions, favorite salsa, sour cream, cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Quick Pickled Red Onions

1 large red onion, halved, peeled and sliced into thin half-moons

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1–2 tablespoons sugar

Heat the vinegar mixture. In a small saucepan, stir together the vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a simmer.

Combine in a jar. Place the thinly-sliced onions in a mason jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions, screw on the lid, and shake the onions briefly until they are evenly coated with the vinegar mixture.

Marinate. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the onions in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Today is National Catfish Day! Davey likes his catfish blackened! Once you go blackened, you never go backened! Lake Shasta produces beautiful, big catfish. What is your preferred catfish bait? Chicken liver, anchovies, dough bait? https://www.gameandfishmag.com/…/how-to-make…/193217

Blackened Catfish Tacos with Mango Pico de Gallo

Four 8 oz. catfish filets

Canola oil

Unsalted butter

Blackened Fish Rub

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons Old Bay or Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

4 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons cumin

Kosher salt, to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne

Mango Pico de Gallo (recipe follows)

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Your favorite hot sauce

Corn or flour tortillas

Add the spices to a shallow dish and stir with a fork until combined. Pat the catfish filets dry with a paper towel. Then, dredge the filets in the rub mixture, shaking off any excess.

Preheat your Blackstone griddle or cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add the canola oil and spread in an even layer with a spatula or twirl your skillet. Then, add the butter and spread it around until it is melted and foamy.

Place the filets on the hot griddle or skillet and cook on each side for about 3 minutes, until the fish is browned and flakes easily with a fork.

Warm or char your tortillas. Assemble your tacos with flaked fish and salsa. Top with a squeeze of lime, hot sauce and a pinch of salt.

Mango Pico de Gallo

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced

2 mangoes, finely diced

1 small red onion, finely diced

Cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt, to taste

Pinch sugar

Once everything has been diced, combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Stir ingredients together and enjoy or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken quarters are on sale this week at R&R Quality Meats & Seafood for the stupid price of .79 cents a pound! Fire the air fryer!

Air-Fried BBQ Chicken Quarters

2 chicken leg quarters

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.

Pat the chicken leg quarters dry, coat them with olive oil, and set them aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spices, then sprinkle it over the chicken quarters and rub it in.

Place the chicken quarters in your air fryer basket skin side down and air fry at 400 degrees for 15-minutes. Then flip them over and air fry for an additional 10-minutes.

Brush the chicken with barbecue sauce and air fryer at 380 for 5-minutes until browned and crispy. The internal temp should register at least 165 degrees.

Allow to rest for ten minutes then serve warm.

Tappan Out Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 packet Red Star instant yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 ½ cups high gluten bread flour (Power Flour at US Foods on Hartnell)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place warm water, yeast and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment attached. Mix gently then let sit until doubled in size, about 5 minutes.

With mixer on low, add flour, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and garlic salt. Scrape sides of bowl and let mixer knead dough for 5 minutes. Dough should have the sides of the bowl cleaned. Add sprinkles of flour or water if needed to get the bowl cleaned while kneading.

After 5 minutes of kneading, remove dough from mixing bowl with floured hands (put a small amount of flour in your hands and rub together), and transfer to a floured countertop. Fold dough over itself a couple times then form into a round ball.

From here, you can use the dough to make pizza and calzones.

Arguably, the most important day of the year is this Sunday. So, get down to R&R Quality Meats & Seafood, whip out the plastic and buy dad lobster. Pair it with a nice steak and he might put you back in his will!

Grilled Lobster with Melted Herb Butter

1 stick melted butter

Juice from 1 lemon, no seeds

Zest from 1 lemon, no pith

2 tbsp. freshly chopped chives, plus more for garnish

2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

4 (8-oz.) lobster tails

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat a grill or BBQ to medium heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, lemon juice, zest, chives, parsley, garlic, and salt.

Using kitchen shears, cut top of lobster shell from meaty portion of tail. Using a knife, cut halfway through meat down the center, without cutting all the way through. Insert a skewer lengthwise through the lobster to keep lobster from curling up when cooked.

Brush all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill flesh side down until lightly charred, about 6 minutes. Flip lobster and spoon butter mixture on flesh side. Grill until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Remove lobster from grill and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Father’s Day is this Sunday. So, fire the Blackstone for dear ol’ Dad.

Oklahoma Onion Smash Burgers

2 pounds ground beef

2 medium yellow onions peeled, halved and sliced into half-moons

Kosher salt

Fresh-ground pepper

6-8 hamburger buns

6-8 slices American cheese (optional)

Montreal Steak Seasoning

condiments of choice (I simply like pickles, maybe mustard)

vegetable oil

Using a mandolin or knife, slice onion into paper-thin slices, place into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix and cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Form 6-8 equal-sized ground beef balls and place the balls onto a parchment lined pan.

Preheat your Blackstone or flat top grill for high heat.

Drain onions of excess liquid. Place them into a clean dish towel and squeeze out any additional moisture. Transfer to a clean dish and season the onions with pepper.

Lightly oil griddle surface and set down about 1/4 cup of sliced onions with a ground beef ball on top. Using a spatula or press, smash the ball into the onion, creating a burger patty. Season the patty with the Montreal Steak Seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes, gently turn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the patties reaches 165 degrees.

Once cooked, assemble the burgers with cheese and your chosen condiments and enjoy!

Tomorrow night is my poker night. I usually make deviled eggs for the guys, but I think I’ll go a different route and if they don’t like them…f**k ’em!

Dave’s Not So Famous Pickled Eggs

8 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets with liquid

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup water

1 small jalapeno or serrano chile, stems cut off

1 small onion, halved and sliced into half-moons

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, and peel. Place eggs in a glass or plastic container.

Combine beets, vinegar, sugar, water, pepper and onion in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Place eggs, peppers and onions in a quart canning jar and pour liquid over eggs. Cover with the lid and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.