Greek Hot Dogs

Makes 4

Yes the tomato and cucumber are nice, refreshing & certainly delicious.  But what really makes this is the quick tzatziki. It adds a crazy amount of flavor that had us wanting a 2nd & 3rd.  

INGREDIENTS

• 4 hot dogs
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup cucumber, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 wedge lemon
• Pinch of Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and diced small
• Butter
• 4 hot dog buns

DIRECTIONS

1. Make small diagonal slits on all sides of the dogs and cook in a non-stick pan
2. Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon juice & salt - mix well
3. When dogs are almost cooked (and you'll know cuz the slits will open and it'll get gorgeous and slightly brown) butter buns and cook on a flat griddle until lightly brown
4. Spread tzatziki sauce on a bun, then place a dog, then add tomato & olives
5. Eat

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Italian Sausage Burger

Makes 2

Jeez, we all really love this. Just make it – no questions...

Ingredients

• 1 large red pepper, diced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 pound hot Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 large basil leaves, chopped fine
• 1 big clove garlic
• 2 slices provolone cheese
• 2 Ciabatta rolls

Directions

1. Heat non-stick pan, add red pepper, onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil & salt and pepper – cook until well softened, 6-7 minutes – keep warm
2. Mix sausage well with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt & pepper – form into 2 patties
3. Cook until done on both sides (145 degrees is fine), and add cheese when you flip
4. While it cooks, combine mayo, basil & garlic – stir well and set aside
5. Grill or toast bun and build: bottom bun, basil/mayo, burger, pepper/onion mix, top bun
6. Oh damn...

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Ahi Slider

Makes 2 sliders

It's a small burger with giant flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

• 2 tablespoons Kewpie (Japanese mayo) or Miracle Whip

• 1 tablespoon Chili Paste

• 1/4 cup Jicama, cut into matchsticks

• 3 green onions, white & light green parts shredded lengthwise

• Approx 6 ounces fresh ahi - cut into 2 small fillets

• 2 King's Hawaiian Rolls

• Kosher salt

• Fresh black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Half an avocado, in thin slices

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine hoisin, mayo & chili paste - mix well and set aside

2. Mix jicama and green onion - set aside

3. Pre-heat a griddle or non-stick pan or fire up the grill outside to medium

4. Lightly oil ahi, season with Kosher salt and pepper, cook or grill until 1/4 of the way done up the side, then flip and repeat – this will keep it rare in the middle

5. While it cooks, slice Hawaiian rolls, lightly oil and grill until brown on both sides

6. Build: grilled bun, hoisin mix, avocado slices, ahi, jicama slaw and top bun, enjoy!

Pork² Burger

Makes 4 burgers

While a ground pork burger with bacon mixed in is potentially overkill, this is a way delicious burger. And considering there's a fried egg on this... way delicious.

Ingredients

• 1lb ground pork (I used 95% lean)
• 1/3 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 big clove garlic, crushed
• Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs, Panko if possible
• 4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons green salsa
• 4 English muffins (or any hamburger bun)
• Butter
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup alfalfa sprouts

Directions

1. Combine pork, bacon, garlic, salt, pepper and bread crumbs - mix well and make into 4 patties
2. Pre-heat griddle or non-stick pan to medium
3. Lightly oil patties and cook 3 minutes then flip, add cheese and 2-3 more minutes until done
4. Butter the muffins and toast or grill along side eggs in another pan
5. Mix sour cream and green salsa
6. Build the burger: muffin on bottom, generous amount of sauce, burger, fried egg, sprouts and top muffin

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WATCH ME MAKE THIS

Chris' Sand Bass Bacon Tacos

Makes 8

Named for my friend Chris, but not because he cooks - because he can't...or doesn't (same thing really). But he can fish so that partially makes up for it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup green salsa
• 1 lime, cut in half (one half left whole and the other into wedges)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 pound Sand Bass fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 corn tortillas
• 3/4 cup green cabbage, shredded
• 12 strips bacon, cooked until just crispy & crumbled
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Mix sour cream, salsa & juice from ½ the lime, set aside
2. Heat non-stick pan to medium high, and add oil, onions and bass
3. Cook until the onion has softened and the bass is just evenly cooked – about 5 minutes
4. While fish cooks, warm tortillas until just starting to get a little crispy
5. Build the tacos: tortilla, salsa cream, cabbage, fish, avocado slices, bacon and finally add a squeeze of fresh lime juice

Gochujang and Bacon Fried Rice

Serves 4

Gochujang, Korean 'red chili paste' is so good you could put it on old shoes and it would be amazing.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced (not ready bacon)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup raw or frozen peas
• 2 cups cabbage, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cups cooked & very cold white rice
• 2-3 tablespoons Gochujang
• 2 green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Heat a wok and cook bacon until just crispy, set aside bacon, take out most of fat but leave a couple tablespoons in the wok
2. Add peas, cabbage, peppers and cook for 2 minutes
3. Add onion, cook until onions soften, about 4 minutes
4. While it cooks, beat the egg in a small bowl & stir in the sesame oil and soy sauce, set aside
5. Add garlic and ginger to wok - cook about 1 minute until fragrant
6. Crumble the rice into the wok, break it up and cook until it's very hot throughout
7. Pour in beaten egg and mix until egg is cooked through - about a minute
8. Add bacon, Gochujang paste & stir really well to combine everything
9. Serve, garnished with green onions

Gochujang Salmon

Serves 2

Gochujang is Korean red chili paste and easily accessible at any Asian market. Think of it as Sriracha's older, wiser, more mature cousin. And this recipe goes from nothing to the table in under 15 minutes. 

Ingredients

• 2 - 6 ounce salmon fillets

• 2 tablespoons Gochujang
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon soy
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Kosher salt
• Green onions diced, for garnish
• White rice for serving

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. Mix gochujang, garlic, soy, sesame oil & honey into a paste
3. Cover baking sheet with foil (it's messy), add salmon, season with Kosher salt and add a layer of the Gochujang mixture over top and sides of salmon
4. Place 5-6" away from broiler coils & cook about 7 minutes or until medium rare 
5. Garnish with green onions and serve with rice

Leftover Celery & Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 2

A stir fry is one of the greatest ways to use up leftovers - so use this merely as a guide, and throw in anything you have.

Ingredients

• 6 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 3 raw chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1-2 cups shredded cabbage (any kind really)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• Fresh rice for serving

Directions

1. Heat wok till almost smoking then add oil and chicken - cook about 3 minutes or until just cooked through - set chicken aside
2. Heat wok again (don't clean it) add oil and the celery and cook for 1 minute, then add cabbage, onion & stir fry about 3 minutes or until softened
3. Push veggies to the side, add the ginger and garlic to the middle with a splash of oil and wait till it gets super fragrant - about a minute
4. Then add chicken back in with the vegetables, the sesame oil and soy sauce
5. Stir well to combine everything and serve on the rice

Tri Tip with Tomato Pepper Sauce

Makes approx one 2 pound tri tip

This trip tip is crazy good by itself, but served with the tomato/pepper stuff...it's insane.

Ingredients

• One trip tip, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds

• 1 tablespoon each: Kosher salt, ground pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried rosemary and celery salt

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 green pasilla (poblano) pepper, diced

• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced

• 10 strips ready bacon, diced

• 1 large garlic clove, crushed

• 1 - 14oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes

Directions

1. Remove tri tip from fridge 30 minutes before cooking, let come to room temperature

2. Combine all herbs in a small bowl, mix well

3. Rub oil into tri tip, then rub well with herb mix

4. Cook over direct heat 4-5 minutes a side to sear, then move to indirect heat and continue cooking until 130 degrees for medium rare

5. While it cooks, put one tablespoon of oil in a medium pan and add onion and diced pepper - cook until softened, about 5 minutes

6. Add bacon, cook until a little crispy

7. Then stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant and add tomatoes

8. Stir well, turn down and let simmer, about 10 minutes

9. When beef is done, remove, cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing & serving with tomato/pepper sauce

THE BEST 'NO MAYO' POTATO SALAD

Serves about 6-8

This is perfect summer food & goes stupidly well with this Spicy Dijon Maple Chicken

1.5 pounds baby or pee wee or small potatoes - I used purple, red & yellow, but one color is all good

3 celery stalks, diced

1/4 cup chopped curly parsley

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

10 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

6 hard boiled eggs, diced up medium

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

• Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft enough for a fork to pierce easily

• Drain, run cool water over them, and when cool enough to handle Halve the smaller ones and 1/4 the larger ones - put in a large bowl

• Add celery, parsley, dill and and bacon

• Combine honey, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste - mix well and add about half to salad stir through to combine

• Then add the eggs, and gently mix them in gently, add more of the dressing if you like

• Serve

Roasted Poblano Soup

Makes 4 to 5 cups-ish

This is just amazingly good. Kelly says it’s her favorite soup…EVER

3 pounds poblano/pasilla peppers (about 5 or 6)

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 small white or yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic clove, minced

2 1/2 -3 cup chicken broth

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Diced avocado, chopped green onion and cilantro for garnish

• Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil until blackened all around, or put on top of a gas burner on your stove - you'll have to turn them a couple times. Or you could put them over your stove's open top and keep turning until blackened all around

• While they blacken, heat oil and butter in large deep skillet, cook onions about 5 minutes until softened

• When black, put the poblanos in a paper bag, or in a bowl and cover with foil or cling film for 15 minutes to steam

• Peel off blackened skin, remove stem and seeds and rough chop and add to the onions with the garlic

• Stir until fragrant then put in a blender and blend until smooth

• Put back into the pan/pot and add broth until it’s at the thickness you like - heat through

• Serve in a bowl with the avocado, green onion and cilantro

• Boom…hell yes beotches!!!

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Caprese Grilled Cheese

Makes 2 sandwiches

What’s not to like? We take all the wonderfulness of a caprese salad but turn into a grilled cheese with a little garlic aioli to go with it. I’m in love…

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 4 slices Sourdough (or any white bread with a good crust)
• 1 large fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Combine mayo, garlic, chopped basil and lemon juice, mix well and set aside
2. For each sandwich, generously spread the aioli on 1 slice
3. layer on mozzarella, tomato, more mozzarella and top with other slice of bread
4. Butter the top, then place face down onto medium hot grill pan and cook until golden brown
5. Butter the top, flip and cook until golden
6. Slice and serve, enjoy!

 

Wonton & Noodle Soup

Serves 2

If a Jewish & Chinese grandmother got together and made a feel-good soup, this would be it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1" fresh ginger, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed & roughly chopped

• 6 green onions, white & light green parts cut in one inch lengths, with the dark green parts chopped finely for garnish

• 6 frozen chicken pork or chicken pot-stickers

• 4 baby bok choy, root end cut off & leaves separated

• 1 pack instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning pack, don’t need it)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame chili oil

Directions

1. Bring broth, ginger, garlic & green onions to a simmer in a medium sized pot - simmer 5 minutes

2. Add pot-stickers and cook for 5 minutes, then add noodles and bok choy

3. Cook until noodles are softened, then stir in soy

4. Serve with a drizzle of chili oil and green onion

One Minute Breakfast Bagel

Serves 1

No time to eat you say? In a rush and can’t get it together? Well the most important meal of the day needs more respect than that. And in the time it takes you to brush your teeth you could make this.

Ingredients

• One egg
• Salt and pepper
• 2 ready bacon strips
• One slice of American cheese
• 1 bagel

Directions

1. In a microwave safe bowl beat one egg and season with salt and pepper
2. On one large plate put the bowl on one side and on the other, folded kitchen paper with bacon laid on top, then microwave for 1 minute.
3. While it cooks, grab your bagel cut in half and layer on cheese
4. Then top with egg, and bacon, cut in half and enjoy.

Pesto Meatball French Bread Pizza

Makes one French loaf - serves about 6

Frozen meatballs, pesto & French bread tun into a wildly good pizza-kinda-thing.

Ingredients

• 20 frozen 1-inch meatballs
• 2 tablespoons butter 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1 loaf French bread
• 1 cup Mozzarella, grated

Directions

1. Place meatballs on a plate and microwave until just softened, then cut in half
2. Put in a bowl and toss with pesto - set aside
3. Melt butter in a medium pot on low heat, add garlic
4. Cook about a minute or until just fragrant then whisk in flour
5. Continue stirring and cook about a minute until it becomes a thick paste
6. Add milk and whisk to incorporate
7. When it starts to thicken, add Parmesan cheese and stir well until thick & smooth
8. Preheat broiler
9. Cut french bread lengthwise and add a generous layer of the cheese sauce to both cut sides
10. Add a layer of meatballs and top with mozzarella
11. Place under the broiler until bubbly, melty and gorgeous
12. Slice & serve

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Makes one 10 inch pizza

This has all the great taste of those spicy little chicken wings except in a pizza and with no bones.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (one of those deli roasted ones perfect)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces hot sauce
• 3/4 cup blue cheese dressing, any kind but chunkier is better
• 1-10" ready-made pizza crust like Boboli, or fresh pizza dough spread out to be about that size
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Melt butter with hot sauce in small pot, remove from heat
3. Add chicken to the sauce and set aside
4. Spread dressing on crust, then chicken mixture - it will be messy
5. Top with mozzarella
6. Bake until bubbly, brown and awesome looking - about 15 minutes

Honey Garlic Spare Ribs

Need to take an appetizer to someone's home? Bring these baby's along and they'll be talking about you all night. You don't even have to say where you got the recipe. Just send me an email telling me how good they were.

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds pork spare ribs, 2 racks

• 2 tablespoons garlic powder

• 3/4 cup honey

• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup soy sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• Sliced green onion

• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cut racks into individual ribs and season with garlic powder

2. Arrange in a 13x9-baking dish

3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour, or until very tender

4. Combine remaining ingredients (except green onions and sesame seeds) in a saucepan and simmer 5 minutes

5. Remove from oven and drain ribs well - careful, there will be lots of steam under the foil

6. Pour honey mixture over spareribs and make sure all ribs get coated

7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for another hour. Baste well about every 10 minutes

8. Remove from oven and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.

Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Pizza

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Also referred to as a 'Margherita" pizza (but different from the Margarita drink) this is easily on of my favorites. The fresh mozzarella makes it the bizzle. The quantities below will make a 10-inch pizza, or 2 of the smaller appetizer sized ones.

Ingredients

• 1-10" ready made pizza crust - like Boboli
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced 1/8" thick
• 3-4 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/8" thick
• Fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Put tomatoes in bowl with olive oil & garlic, mix well
3. Put tomatoes on crust & cover with mozzarella (NOTE: Do not cover too perfectly - you want some of the tomatoes showing through)
4. Top pizza with some of the basil leaves
5. Bake approximately 12-15 minutes

Tomato, Onion & Goat Cheese Pie

This is no quiche - not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just a wonderful collection of simple ingredients that you'll love. My teenager had friends over one day when I was making this and they all ate it. All of it. Here's what they said:

Nick: "Sam at the top of his game." John: "It was a loped out dank piece of pie." Dean: "It was a gnarly chill pie." Josh: "It's a creeped out danky piece of dank cheese pie."

You can see how moved they were. Maybe you should try it for yourself.

Ingredients

• 3 large red onions, sliced thin
• 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, in 1/4 inch slices
• 6 ounces crumbled goat cheese with herbs
• 1-9 inch unbaked pie crust
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Saute onions in olive oil until softened, season with salt & pepper
2. Place pie crust in pie plate, and fill with onions
3. Cover with sliced tomatoes in a nice pattern
4. Sprinkle cheese crumbles over the top
5. Bake at 350 until edges become brown
6. Remove from oven and slice into wedges

Potato Soup

I'll be the first to admit that potato soup sounds boring. But this one isn't. The red onions help it taste great, plus it's way fun because your guests get to customize it themselves with a choice of cool toppings. Think baked potato - but way better. It's so good, just serve a salad with it and you're done.

Ingredients

• 2 big baking potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 3 cups chicken broth, diced - just kidding
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/2  teaspoon cayenne
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put potatoes in large pot, cover with chicken broth and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes
2. While it cooks, saute onions in butter and cayenne until softened
3. Add about 3/4 of the onions to the pot along with the whipping cream and parsley
4. Continue cooking the remainder of the onions until crispy and blackened - but not burnt
5. Simmer soup on low about 5 more minutes until it thickens a bit
6. With back of large spoon, mash some of the potatoes in the pot while it's simmering (this will help to thicken) - season well with salt & pepper
7. When the soup is the thickness you want, serve in bowls with a selection of the following toppings - add any and all you'd like:

• Crispy bacon pieces (if I said bits, you might buy those crappy artificial ones and I'd be mad)
• Thinly sliced green onions
• Croutons or even crouton remnants - from the bottom of the box
• Crispy thin Asian noodles
• Shredded cheese - cheddar works nicely
• Any hot sauce you like
• Diced leftover chicken, turkey, steak, pieces of a leftover broken up burger
• Anything else you can think of - just look in the fridge

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