Whiskey BBQ Burger

Makes 3 

1 pound ground beef (at least 80/20)

2-3 tablespoons whiskey

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper

1 tablespoon soy paste or sauce

6 slices American cheese

6 slices Muenster cheese

3 brioche hamburger buns, or something decent

3 tablespoons mayo

Whiskey bbw sauce, see recipe below

Onions rings see recipe here

• Put the beef, whiskey, garlic, s&p and soy into a large bowl - mix well to combine, then make into three1/3 pound patties

• Grill or pan fry burgers over medium-high heat until done to your liking

• Once you flip them, and a slice of each cheese to the top of the patties

• While they finish cooking, toast buns lightly and build: bun, mayo, some bbq sauce, the patty, a couple onion rings and the top bun

Whiskey BBQ SAUCE

Makes about a cup

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup whiskey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprkia

1 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch Kosher salt & pepper

• Put everything in a small pot, and bring to a simmer over medium, let simmer 5 to 10 minutes

• Done

Crunch AF Onion Rings

Forget the frozen ones from the supermarket, cuz these are insanely good and lmost ‘glass shattering’ crispy. Make em once, and you’ll make em again…and again.

Oil

1 yellow onion

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Big pinch Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

1 cup cold water

2 cups panko bread crumbs

• Heat about an inch or 2 of oil to 350 in a skillet

• Peel onions and cut into 1/4 inch rings, then separate into individual rings

• Put flour, cornstarch, cayenne and salt and pepper into a large bowl, mix well to combine

• Add water, and using a whisk mix until smooth - set aside

• Put panko into another large bowl

• When ready to cook, dip onion rings into the wet batter, then into the panko and then carefully put into the oil - don’t overload the pan though or the oil temp will drop way too much

• Cook 2-3 minutes until golden brown, then remove to a cooling rack

• Keep going

5 Minute Chow Mein

Yup, only five minutes cooking time…with a little ore time for prep - but not much.

8 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles, if not pretty much any chow mein-like noodle will do

1 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup hot chicken broth or hot water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce 

Neutral oil

1 small red pepper, sliced into 2” thin pieces

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 2” thin pieces

1 bunch green onions, dark green stems cut into 2” thin pieces  - and the white & light green parts finely chopped

1 tablespoon each finely chopped ginger & garlic

Sesame seeds for garnish

• Put noodles into a pot of boiling water

• In a small bowl put the broth (or water), sugar, soy & oyster sauces - mix well to dissolve sugar and set aside

• Heat a wok/pan/whatever on high and add a tablespoon of the oil, and when it starts to smoke add the red pepper - cook about 2 minutes then add the chicken

• Stir to mix chicken and peppers together, and when the chicken is about halfway cooked, add the ginger & garlic - stir about a minute then add the green onion stems and give a quick mix

• Drain the noodles and add them to the chicken & vegetables - mix well then add the soy/oyster sauce mix

• Mix everything to coat really well with the sauce, then plate

• Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds

Carne Asada Marinade

1 bunch cilantro, just the leaves finely chopped - but save the stems

3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup neutral oil

Zest & juice of one lime

2 tablespoons soy sauce

• Combine all ingredients really well

• Use

Fajita Seasoning

3 Tablespoons chipotle chili powder

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons cumin

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Makes as many as you want (or need)

These are pretty much one of the easiest things you can make. The key tho is to start with dry-ish corn tortillas. If you don’t have stale ones, you can:

• Put em on a rack on a baking sheet and put them into the oven at 350 for 5-6 minutes.

• Put em in a single layer on paper towels in the microwave about 30-45 seconds

And…we cook:

For oil - Cut them into the shape you want - I mostly want triangles, so stack the tortillas and cut into 6 wedges - more just makes them too small. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large pan to 350 degrees, and slowly add the wedges, in a single layer. Fry them until beginning to get golden and crisp - about 2 minutes. Remove to papers towels, let dry a bit then season with kosher salt - repeat with remaining chips.

In the oven - Preheat oven to 350, brush both sides of tortillas with a small amount of neutral oil, cut into wedges, put on a rack on a baking sheet (in a single layer) and bake until golden and crispy about 12 to 15 minutes. But they can go from perfect to burnt quickly, so def keep an eye on them.

IKEA's Swedish Meatballs

Makes approximately 2 dozen

1 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

5 tablespoons whole milk

Generous salt and pepper

Dash of oil

3 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup vegetable stock

1 cup beef stock

2/3 cup thick double cream

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• In a large bowl, combine ground beef and pork, using your fingers to break up any lumps. Mix in finely chopped onion, garlic, bread crumbs and egg. Add milk and season well with salt and pepper

• Shape mixture into small, round balls. Place on a clean plate, cover and store in the fridge for two hours (this will help them hold their shape while cooking).

• In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. When hot, gently add meatballs and brown on all sides, put in an ovenproof dish, cover and bake at 400 degrees 30 minutes

• Melt butter in a pan. Whisk in plain flour and stir for two minutes. Add vegetable stock and beef stock and continue to stir. Add double cream, soy sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring it to simmer and allow sauce to thicken

• Add the meatballs when done to the sauce, add some parsley and kroon! (that’s Boom in Swedish)

5 Things to Make with Your Air Fryer

Think of it as a small, powerful convection oven - that cooks things faster, easier and stilll damn delicious.

Pepper Bacon

• Put bacon slices into the air fryer, and top with fresh ground pepper

• Preheat air fryer to 390, then cook bacon about 8 minutes, start checking after 7

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

• Build sandwich like normal, adding butter to both outside slices

• Preheat air fryer to 390, add sandwich and cook 4 minutes

• Flip it and cook 3 to 4 more minutes

• Remove, add bacon from above, close and eat

Corn on the Cobb

• Preheat air fryer to 390

• Remove husks from corn, brush lightly with oil then cook 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway

• Remove, add whatever ya like – salt, pepper, compound butter - I used non-dairy butter from my friends Ma and Jay and it was crazy delicious

Pizza

• 1/3 pound pizza dough, store bought or see recipe here

• Flatten dough into a circle, put on parchment paper

• Preheat air fryer to 390, and cook dough 4-minutes

• Remove, add sauce, cheese, meat – anything you like then put back in 3-4 minutes or until done

Steak

• Remove steak from fridge 30 minutes before cooking

• Preheat air fryer to 390, lightly oil and season steak

• Cook 5 -6 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes or until where you like i

Chicago Dog

Makes as many as you want

All beef hot dogs

Poppy seed hot dog buns, see recipe here

Yellow mustard

Pickle relish

Diced white onion

Tomato wedges

Dill pickle spear

Sport peppers, or small chili peppers

• Put dog(s) in a pot of simmering water for 5 minutes, then build:

• Bun, dog, mustard, relish, tomato, pickle, onion, peppers

• Eat and repeat

Poppy Seed Hot Dog Buns

Makes 8

1 packet fast acting yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup warm milk, approximately 110-120 degrees but no hotter

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 egg + 1 egg white

3 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

• Put the yeast, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the warm milk in a small bowl - stir gently and leave 5 minutes until foamy

• In a large bowl put 2 1/4 cups of the flour, remaining sugar and the salt - mix well

• When the yeast is foamy, add it to the center of the bowl with the flour mixture along with the egg and the melted butter

• Use a large spoon to give the egg a quick beat, then start mixing everything until it all comes together - it won’t be smooth or pretty and that’s ok

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside 5-10 minutes

• Put a little bit of the remaining flour on a flat surface, and add the dough out of the bowl

• You want to knead this while adding the rest of the flour until smooth - this should only take a couple minutes of kneading

• Grease the bowl the dough came out with a little oil, put in the now smooth ball of dough, cover with plastic wrap and let proof about 30 minutes

• Give the dough a couple pokes with your fingers to deflate (I love this part) then put on a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 even pieces

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Roll each into about a 6 inch log, and put seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet - cover with a kitchen towel and let rise 15 minutes

• Whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons water, brush top and sides of the rolls then sprinkle with with the poppy seeds

• Place in the preheated oven and bake 15 minutes, or until beginning to brown and become gorgeous

Oven Baked Beef Back Ribs

Makes one rack - maybe serves 3

So simple and so damn delicious. No smoker, no problem cuz we do em in the oven

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1 tablespoon course black pepper

1 tablespoon granulated garlic, not garlic salt

1 rack beef back ribs, approximately 4-5 pounds

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Apricot Bourbon BBQ sauce, see recipe here

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees

• Combine salt, pepper & garlic powder - mix well and set asidee

• Remove ribs from packaging, dry with paper towels and remove membrane from the back (see the video)

• Turn them over so the meat side is face up, rub this side with the mustard and sprinkle on the spg - you won’t need quite all of it

• Wrap and seal tightly with 2 layers of foil, and put on a baking sheet and then into the oven

• Bake 3 1/2 hours, or until a knife can go in with zero resistance - they should be somewhere between 200 and 205 degrees

• Remove from oven, and turn to broil

• Take ribs out of the foil, put back on the baking sheet and brush liberally with the bbq sauce, then put back in the oven under the broiler (roughly 6 inches from the heat) about 3 minutes

• You’re looking for them to get lots of color, and the sauce to get sticky

• Ur done - just cut in between the bones and eat

• Oh shit…

Bourbon Apricot BBQ Sauce

Makes about 1 ¾ cups

This sauce can go on anything you’d normally put bbq sauce on, but it’s especially good on the Oven Baked Beef Ribs.

1 ½ cups ketchup 

1 cup bourbon

1⁄2 cup apricot preserves

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder and onion powder

• Put everything into a small pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil

• Then reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, or until reduced to about 1 3/4 cups

Chicken Chimichangas

Makes 4 or 5

3 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon cayenne

Neutral oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large avocado, ripe

1/4 cup sour cream

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and rough chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch salt & pepper

12 inch flour tortillas

1 cup black beans, drained

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

Oil for frying - if this is what ur doing

• Put paprika, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, 1 tablespoon of the salt & cayenne in a small bowl - mix well

• Lightly oil chicken and season nicely with the seasoning mix - you’ll have some letover

• Cook chicken any way you want: on a smoker, in the oven, in a pan - just get it to between 160 and 165 degrees

• While it cooks, scoop out the avocado and put into a blender with the sour cream, lime, jalapeno, garlic powder and a pinch of salt - give it a quick blend

• Add as much water as necessary to get it to a smooth, consistency - set aside

• When the chicken is done, cut into bite sized pieces and build

• Warm a tortilla in a large pan and add about a 1/4 cup of the beans, 2-3 tablespoons of the avo crema, some chicken and finally about 1/4 cup cheese - roll up and secure with a toothpick

• Now - you can either heat about a 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet to approximately 350 degrees and brown the burrito on all sides until golden and crispy, or

• Heat your oven to 325, lightly oil the burrito put on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and crispy - about 20 minutes

• Remove the toothpick, plate, and top with a little more sour cream and avo crema

• Daaaaamn

Khachapuri

Makes one, but a really damn good one

9 ounces pizza dough, store bought, or see recipe here

Flour

1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons crumbled feta

1 tablespoon cold butter, plus extra soft for brushing

1 egg yolk

Finely cut chives or chopped parsley for garnish

• Remove dough from fridge about an hour before using

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees

• Put dough on lightly floured parchment, and spread out into roughly an 8 x 10 rectangle

• Starting on one of the long sides, roll an edge in about an inch towards the center, curving the ends – repeat on opposite side - you’re essentially making a canoe shape

• Combine cheeses, mix well and place into the canoe

• Bake for 15 minutes, remove make a small indentation with the back of a spoon and gently put in the egg yolk, brush the edge with the soft butter and put back in the oven for 3 minutes

• Remove, add the tablespoon of cold butter, let melt a minute or so then using a spoon or fork mix the cheese with the yolk and melted butter to make a creamy combo

• Pull off a piece of the canoe from an edge, dip into the deliciousness, scoop and eat

• Repeat

• Repeat

• Repeat

Green Chili & Bacon Cornbread

3-4 Hatch Green Chills

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 stick butter, melted

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 pound bacon, cooked & crispy

• Preheat oven to 425

• Lightly oil chills and put on the bbq until blackened all the way around, then remove burnt outer skin, discard stems and seeds and cut into a medium dice

• Put cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder & salt in a large bowl - mix to combine

• Beat eggs, add milk and butter, stir then mix into the dry ingredients - then add the cheese, bacon and chilis - combine well

• Butter an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan, add the batter and bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Buffalo Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 2

This definitely sounds stupid, but is only stupid delicious.

Buffalo Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

8 ounces Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce

• In a small saucepan melt butter with Franks, over low heat - stir to combine well and set aside

Ranch

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley, chives and dill

Salt and pepper to taste

• Put all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to combine - set aside

Noodles & Chicken

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into pieces pieces

1 tablespoon oil

2 stalks celery (reserve leaves), sliced thin on an angle

8 ounce fresh Udon Noodles; cook per package directions

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

• Put chicken in a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce and stir well to coat, set aside

• Heat oil in wok or skillet on high, add celery and cook about a minute then add chicken

• Stir until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes then mix in cooked Udon Noodles, add remaining Buffalo sauce, blue cheese and stir to mix in

• Put in a bowl, drizzle with ranch and garnish with chopped reserved celery leaves

Jalapeno Popper Dogs

Makes 4 dogs

Oh boy oh boy. I’ll admit the stuffing is a bit of a pain in the ass, but soooooo worth it.

1 whole head garlic

Oil

Kosher salt

4 large jalapenos

4 hot dogs

4 hot dog buns

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, and a fairly coarse grind too please

• Preheat oven to 425

• Cut about the top 1/2 inch from the top (pointy end) of the head of garlic to expose the cloves

• Place on 2 sheets of foil, drizzle with oil, season with salt and wrap up in the foil - bake for 45 minutes

• Cut the top and bottom off the jalapenos, core out inside and gently as you can push the dog inside the jalapeno tube - repeat with remaining dogs & peppers

• Grill until peppers are well marked and beautifully softened - 10 to 15 minutes

• Open foil packet, squeeze cloves into a small bowl, add cream cheese and pepper and mix well to combine

• Toast or grill buns, add roasted garlic cream cheese and a dog

• Boom

Green Chili Cheese Sauce

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

4 ounce can diced green chilies, drained

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

• Melt butter, add milk and cheese in a medium saucepan over low heat, stir in flour to combine

• Cook, stirring often until cheese has melted, then add chilies, cumin, garlic powder,

• Stir until smooth, add a little more milk if you prefer it slightly thinner or add more cheese if you prefer thicker

Chicken Fajitas

Sevres 6-8

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts if you don’t care about eating dry chicken)

Neutral oil

1 teaspoon each cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

1 poblano pepper

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 yellow onion

Chopped cilantro for serving

Cheese sauce, see recipe here

Corn tortillas, see recipe here

• Slice chicken into thin strips and put into a bowl with about a tablespoon of oil

• Add cumin, garlic & chili powder, salt & pepper and lime juice - mix well and refrigerate about an hour

• Slice peppers and onion into thin strips, set aside

• When ready to cook, heat a large pan over medium high heat, add a tablespoon of oil and put in peppers and onions

• Stir well a couple minutes, push to one side, add a little more oil then add the chicken

• Stir quickly to separate pieces and start getting color - once it does combine it with the veggies and cook until both are done

• Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream, some cheese sauce it using and a little cilantro

Corn Tortillas

Makes 8 tortillas

Dog simple, and frankly so much better than store bought. There’s nuthin like a warm, fresh tortilla. Btw, you can easily cut this recipe in half or double as necessary.

1 cup masa harina

1  teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm water

• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, mix well and add 1/2 cup of the water

• Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until it starts to come together

• Remove from bowl and knead with your hands until you get a soft, smooth dough - it should feel like ‘play dough’ - roll into about a 6 inch long cylinder

• Note: If the dough sticks to your hands and feels a little ‘wet’ add a little more masa harina about a tablespoon or so at a time - But if it feels too dry and, add an extra tablespoon of hot water at a time - you’ll get it down, trust me

• Cut the dough into 8 even pieces, roll each into a small ball and cover with a damp kitchen towel for 10 minutes

• Put a ball of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and use either a tortilla press or roll out into a 6-inch round

• Heat an ungreased cast iron griddle, pan or large non-stick pan over medium-high heat

• Gently lay one of  the tortillas into the pan, and cook about a minute or so on each side until just beginning to brown