Makes two 10 inch pizzas
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnishing
One batch 3 minute pizza dough, click here for recipe
10-12 ounces thinly sliced steak, pretty much any kind will do
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and add onion and peppers - cook until just softened, 4-5 minutes - set aside
Wipe out skillet and add the butter, and when it melts add the garlic
Stir well until it becomes fragrant, about a minute
Then sprinkle with the flour and stir constantly with a whisk to combine (it will be dry and sandy)
Gradually whisk in the broth, a little at a time and then the milk a little at a time - stirring until completely incorporated and mixture is getting thick and smooth
Turn down to low and add the salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and the Parmesan also a little at a time (or it can clump) until melted and beautifully smooth - set to the side
Build the pizza: spread out dough to about 10 inches, and top some of the alfredo sauce, onions & peppers, torn pieces of the steak and finally a little of the Mozzarella
Bake in a 500 degree until brown and bubbly - 12-15 minutes
1 tablespoon oil
10 ounces cauliflower rice
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
8 ounces macaroni (or whatever noodle you like) cooked and drained
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, and add cauliflower
Cook, stirring often until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes - add spinach and stirr constantly until wilted - about a minute - remove to a baowl and set aside
In the same pan, melt butter and sprinkle with the flour - stir constantly with a whisk to combine (it will be dry and sandy)
Gradually whisk in the milk and broth, a little at a time, until completely incorporated and mixture is thick and smooth
Turn down to low and add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese a little at a time until melted and beautifully smooth
Add the chicken and cooked pasta and stir though
Let everything warm through about 5 minutes and you’re to serve, or if you want:
Put into a greased 9x13 casserole dish, and bake at 375 until cheese is bubbly and begins to brown
For the most basic miso soup, you can simply add boiling water to miso paste. But a much better version has ‘dashi’ added to it. Dashi is a Japanese soup base made from konbu (dried kelp) and dried bonito flakes. But who’s doing that? So for this version we’re using Hondashi - a granulated dashi you just stir into the boiling water with the miso.
Serves 2, or just me if I’m hungry
4 cups water
2 teaspoons Hondashi (or 1 teaspoon for every cup of water)
4 tablespoons yellow miso paste (feel free to add more or less to your taste)
6 to 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes - or however much you feel like
2 or 3 green onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
Bring the water and dashi to a boil
Reduce the heat and whisk in the miso - make sure it dissolves completely
Add the tofu and green onion - let simmer on low 3-5 minutes to warm through
Serve
Serves 2
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons neutral oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon sriracha
½ teaspoon each kosher salt & coarse ground black pepper
12 ounces of your favorite steak (ribeye, Denver, flat iron, hanger would all great)
Two 7-ounce packs fresh udon noodles
3 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 Holland pepper, sliced lengthwise then across into small pieces – with or without seeds, it’s up to you
2 green onions, white & light green parts diced fine
Toasted sesame seeds
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and mix well to combine
Put about ¾ of it in a zippered bag with the steak (reserve the rest) be sure all sides are covered well, then zip shut and let sit up to a few hours
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking
When ready to cook - preheat grill to medium high, clean and oil grates and cook the steak to your desired doneness
Remove from the grill, brush once with some of the reserved marinade, then cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes
While it rests, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the udon noodles – gently use tongs or chopsticks to separate them – let boil 2 minutes
Add the sugar snaps to the noodles, boil one more minute then quickly drain and rinse everything under cold running water to stop them cooking
Shake off as much water as possible then put back into the cooking pot with ¾’s of the Holland peppers and some of the reserved marinade (some, you can always add more) – mix well then separate into 2 serving bowls
Slice steak into bites (against the grain of course) and put on the noodles
Top with remaining Hollands, green onions and sesame seeds
And away you go
Serves 2
Marinade:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup neutral oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons garlic paste
1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons BFF
Zest & juice of one lime
12 ounces of a good grilling steak: bavette, flat iron, flank, skirt – choose your favorite
½ white onion, diced fine
½ jalapeno, diced fine
19 ounces red enchilada sauce
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, optional
4 cups tortilla chips
1 avocado, diced
2 radishes, clean and thinly sliced
2 eggs
Chopped cilantro and cotija cheese for garnish
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and mix well to combine
Put about ¾ of it in a zippered bag with the steak (reserve the rest) be sure all sides are covered well, then zip shut and let sit up to a few hours
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking
When ready to cook - preheat grill to medium high, clean and oil grates and cook the steak to your desired doneness
Remove from the grill, brush with reserved marinade, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes
While it rests, put a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat, and add the onion and jalapeno – cook until softened, 3-5 minutes
Add the enchilada sauce and remaining ½ teaspoon cumin – stir well to combine and bring to a low simmer
If you want it slightly thicker, add the cream, stir to incorporate and let simmer another couple minutes
Cook the eggs anyway you’d like (but they really should have a runny yolk!)
Add the tortilla chips to the simmering sauce, and use a spoon to coat the chips, turn down heat
Slice steak (across the grain) into this strips
Assemble: separate the now gorgeous tortilla chips into 2 bowls and add an egg to each, some steak slices, some avocado, some radish and finally the cotija and cilantro to garnish
Watch the video, then make them from the receipes below. Happy air frying!
Donut Holes
Makes as many as you want
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 can large flaky refrigerator biscuits
Oil spray
Separate into individual biscuits, and cut each into quarters
Roll each quarter into a small ball
Place them into a sprayed, preheated 350 degree air fryer for 3 minutes
While they cook, combine sugar and cinnamon, mix well
When they’re done, toss them in the cinnamon sugar and serve
Garlic French Bread Pizza
1/3 cup mayo
1 loaf/baguette French bread
1 tablespoon garlic paste, or 1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup marinara, spaghetti sauce, pasta sauce - whatever
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Enough pepperonis to cover your size French bread
If necessary, cut the ends off the baguette to allow it to fit in the air fryer - then slice horizontally
Mix mayo & garlic to combine, then spread on each cut side, cook in preheated fryer at 370 for 3 minutes
Remove and top each half with the sauce, most of the cheese, the seasoning, the pepperoni and finally remaining cheese
Put back into the air fryer, but this time at 350 for 4 to 5 minutes, or until bubbly and beautiful
Air (Not Deep) Fried Oreo’s
Pancake batter (I use the ‘just add water’ kind, it’s easier)
Double Stuff Oreos
Make about a cup of pancake batter
Preheat fryer to o350 degrees
When ready to cook - line the basket with a piece parchment paper, and spray with cooking oil
Dip each cookie into the batter, and use a fork to pick one up letting some of the batter drip off, then place into the fryer - be sure to spread them out into the corners to keep the parchment from flyer away
Cook at 350 7 minutes
Mac & Cheese Egg Rolls
Makes about 6
About 1 cup of cooked, cooled and not ‘wet’ Mac & Cheese
5” x 5” egg roll wrappers, or you could cut down larger ones (and yes you could make them the large size, but I think smaller is better)
Put a wrapper on the counter, with a point facing you
Put about 2 tablespoons of mac on the wrapper, below the middle side closest to you
Wrap the point facing you over the mac, tuck in the sides (see the video) and then roll away from you sealing it up. Use a little water on the tip to help it seal
When ready, preheat a fryer to 370, put them in seam-side down and cook for 10 minutes flipping halfway
Wings
Makes as many wings as you want
Sticky Sweet Wings
Neutral oil
BBQ seasoning, any kind you’ve got (got nuthin? then try some salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and a little brown sugar)
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup hot honey
Combine wings with a splash of oil, then add some seasoning - mix well to coat
Cook in a preheated air fryer 8 minutes, or until wings are about 170-175 degrees
Remove and put in a bowl with the bbq sauce & honey - mix well
Put back into the fryer and cook 2 minutes more
Makes about 12
3 cups cooked mashed potatoes, (I used a 4 ounce pack dried and they were great)
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Cor tortillas
Oil for frying
Avocado Crema for serving, see below
Combine cooled mashed potatoes with cheese, mix to combine
Warm tortillas slightly (just enough to make them pliable) and put about 2 tablespoons of the mash on each tortilla, spread across and roll up - use a little mash to help seal them shut
When ready to fry, heat about an inch of oil in a medium pan to 350
Cook taquitos, turning to het them until golden brown all the way around
Serve with the avocado crema
Avocado Crema
1 ripe avocado, peeled
2 tablespoons diced white or yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch kosher salt & coarse ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sour cream, or more if you like it creamier
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mashing avocado and mixing well to combine
Refrigerate until ready to use
Before you think this sounds odd (which it does) this came from our first ‘Legit or Shit’ video. It had 64 million views, and we had to make to see if it was legit - and it was! Thank you dans la cuisine de sou for the inspiration. And, it turns out it’s a fairly popular way of making fried chicken. The more you know…
7 chicken legs - but you could use almost any chicken part
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt & coarse ground black pepper
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon each: kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, granulated garlic , dried thyme, chili powder, dried parsley
Oil for fying
Put chicken in a large pan (with a lid) and add the milk, water & garlic cloves - season with salt & pepper
Heat on medium until beginning to simmer, cover with a lid
Let bubble away 20 minutes, then flip over and simmer another 20 - put chicken on a plate to cool
Put eggs in a medium bowl, the panko on a plate and the flour and all the seasons on another - mix so the flour and spices are combined
Heat about 1 1/2 inches oil to 350 in a large pan
Dredge the chicken first in the flour - coating it well, then dip in the egg to cover and finally coat really well with the panko
Fry the chicken a couple minutes (flipping over halfway) or until golden brown and beautiful
Be happy
Whether it’s a chicken or a turkey or even a duck - the principles are the same. Get a good pair of kitchen shears and have at it. And why do we do this Sam, you may wonder? We do it because the bird will now cook much more evenly AND much faster than when it’s in the football shape.
Any of these will not just be delicious, but’ll make you the star of the event.
No Mayo Potato Salad
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
Baked Beans
Makes 6-8 servings
½ small onion, diced small
½ green pepper, diced small
1 - 28 ounce can baked beans
¼ cup chili sauce (like Heinz, not the spicy version)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
½ tablespoon Worcestershire
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons chipotle peppers, minced
⅓ pound bacon, cooked halfway (not crispy)
Big pinch Kosher salt
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350
In a large oven proof pot (that has a lid) cook onion, green pepper and bacon until beginning to soften and brown
Add remaining ingredients, stir well, cover and bake about 45 minutes to an hour or until bubbly
Garnish with green onions
Serve hot
Maple Bacon Cornbread (with sriracha honey butter)
Makes 8-10 servings
1.5 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup maple or pancake syrup
3/4 stick butter, melted
3/4 pound bacon, diced, and cooked until just crispy
Preheat oven to 425
In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder & salt - mix well
In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs & syrup - mix well
Add wet to dry ingredients, mix well - then stir in butter and bacon
Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch round or square pan - cast iron is ideal and place into oven
Bake approximately 25 or until a toothpick come out clean
Let cool just a bit, then slice and serve with the Honey Sriracha Butter below
Sriracha Honey Butter
Makes about a cup
1 stick (8 tablespoons) softened butter
3 tablespoons honey
2-3 tablespoons sriracha
2 cloves minced garlic
Pinch kosher salt
Put everything in a small bowl and mix well to combine
You can serve it like this, or put onto plastic wrap, roll into a log and refrigerate
Carnitas Deviled Eggs
Makes 24 deviled egg halves
12 hard boiled eggs
Roughly 1/3 cup mayonnaise – adjust to your liking
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup chopped green onion, white and light green parts
1 tablespoon hot sauce, I like cholula for this
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
About ½ cup leftover pulled pork
Slice the eggs lengthwise down the middle (but then you knew that, right?).
Put the whites on your serving plate and the yolks in a bowl.
To the yolks, add the mayo, red onion, 3 tablespoons of the green onion, and the hot sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well to combine and then fill each of the egg halves with some of the mixture (you'll have some left over, and that's cool).
Top each with some of the pork, and finally top with remaining green onion.
For anyone who’s ever looked longingly into their backyard and thought “I bet I could make some great stuff out there…if only I knew how…’Sam the Cooking Guy & The Holy Grill’ is for you. You’ll come away not just more confident at the grill or smoker, but also filled with recipes that will make you and whoever you cook for squeal with with bbq delight.
You can pre-order it from any of the booksellers below - so pick one and get going.
Use whatever steak you like, but if you can find a Denver, you’ll be really happy. And even if you’re not an onion fan, I think you’ll be making the Caramelized Onion Dressing over and over
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon pepper
kosher salt, to taste
Denver steaks (or whatever your pref) and anywhere from about 6-8 ounces per person
Salad – use any of the following, but ideally about 3 cups mixed salad per person:
Baby arugula
Napa cabbage sliced thin
Romaine, chopped up
Sliced radishes
Curly Parsley, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Holland Peppers, thinly sliced
Avocados, diced
Toasted pine nuts
Croutons
Shredded parm & black pepper for garnish
Make the dressing
Warm a non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil and the onions
Cook, stirring often until just beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes – then add the butter and stir in
Continue cooking until much more golden, maybe another 10 minutes then remove from the heat and set aside
If using an immersion blender, put into a mixing jar with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, Dijon, salt & pepper – blend slowly until one gorgeous, harmonious dressing, or
Put everything into a processor and buzz until blended – set aside until ready to use
Cook the steak
Remove steak from fridge 45 minutes before cooking
Clean and oil grates, and preheat to medium high
Cook steak(s), turning often like every 2 minutes until it’s where you’d like it. For medium rare, pull it around 128 and it will continue to rise in temp
Cover loosely with foil and let rest
Build the salad
Combine your salad greens etc in a large bowl, add some of the dressing and toss to mix
Slice steak into thin pieces against the grain, add to salad and toss once more
Add some shredded parmesan and fresh ground pepper
Enjoy
This is a classic Portuguese, multi-layerd sandwich that we made in honor of Chance’s engagement trip to Portugal. It’s big, it’s difficult to eat, and it’s fricking delicious. The gravy really makes it.
1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 large) diced
2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
12 ounces lager
3/4 cup Port wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 ounces Italian sausage
1 - 4 ounce steak, I used a small filet
2 spicy sausages, Linguica is traditional but I used a nice spicy sausage version
3 slices white bread
1 egg
3 slices ham
8 slices Havarti cheese
Make the gravy
Heat a medium sized pot and add oil and onion, cook until softened - 3-5 minutes
Add tomato and garlic, stir a couple minutes and add broth, beer & the wine
Bring to a boil, add salt, pepper and bay - turn down and cover - let simmer on low 20 minutes
When done, put in a processor and blend until smooth
Put back in the pot on low heat, mix cornstarch with about 3 tablespoons of water until smooth, then add some a little at a time, stirring well until thickened nicely - set aside and keep warm
Cook
Slice sausages lengthwise, flatten ground sausage into a patty, and pound steak flat - slightly larger than the size of the bread
Cook all 3 on the flattop until done - season the steak and patty with salt & pepper as you do
Toast bread slices until golden on both sides, and cook egg - sunny side up please
Build
From the bottom up: toast, cheese, sausage patty,ham, toast, cheese, steak, sausages, ham, cheese, toast
Top with another slice of cheese, and drape remaining cheese slices over the sides to cover
Put in the oven or under the broiler just to start the cheese melting, then add the egg to the top and pour gravy over the whole thing
Devour
Always start with a clean grill
A dirty grill is not just gross, but your food will cook much better, and your chances of sticking go way done when the grill is clean
Preheat your grill well before cooking
10 minutes with the lid down should do it
Oil the grates
Once the grill is preheated, but before you add any food be sure to spray or oil the grates
Don’t add sweet sauces too early
The sugars in a sauce can burn early, giving you the impression the food is done, when it’s not. And because these are usually thick, they’ll stay on – so you don’t have to start adding until about the final 5 or 10 minutes
Always use an instant read thermometer
Don’t guess whether your mother-in-law’s steak is done. A $20 digital, instant read thermometer will be your best friend at the grill
Learn the 2-zone method
One side hot and one side not. This lets you get a good sear and color on the hot side, but then you move over to the not hot side to finish cooking more gently and evenly
Let meat rest after taking it off the grill
Loosely tented with foil for about 10 should be about fine. This lets the juices redistribute
I remember my first bite of a lobster roll. It was buttery and delicious, but it lacked something - and that was texture. Oh sure, there was crunch from the celery, but I wanted more. And at the risk of pissing off hardliner east coast lobster roll lovers - I add crispy panko to the top at the end. And guess what? It’s fantastic.
Makes 2 rolls
Two 4- to 5-ounce lobster tails
8 tablespoons (1 stick)
salted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Pinch each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons diced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery leaves or fresh curly parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 top-split lobster or brioche buns, grilled to golden brown
Steam the lobster tail or drop it in simmering water. In either case, remove them after 4 minutes, assuming they're now opaque, then let cool slightly.
Put all but I tablespoon of the butter in a small pot along with the garlic, paprika, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper. Melt over low heat.
Using scissors, cut up the middle of the shell toward the tail, then pull the sides of the shell apart, exposing the meat. Remove the lobster and cut into slightly larger bite-size pieces. Add them to the melted butter to warm.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium heat and add the panko. Mix well to coat the panko with the butter and stir until the crumbs get golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Combine the celery, celery leaves or parsley, dill, and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Add the lobster (leaving the butter in the pot) and mix well.
Fill the toasted bun with the lobster combo, drizzle with a little extra butter from the pot, and add the panko on top at the end.
Makes 2 racks
Sticky, sweet, spicy and smokely delicious. And yes I know smokely is not a word, but it should be.
2 racks pork ribs
Yellow mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chipotle chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup hot honey, or reg honey (but hot’s better)
Remove ribs from fridge about 30 minutes before cooking
Set smoker to 275
Brush both sides of ribs with mustard
Put brown sugar, chipotle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and salt & pepper in a small bowl and mix to combine - use to season both sides of ribs
Put on smoker for 2 hours, remove
Spray the center of a sheet of heavy duty foil (about 1 1/2 times longer than the ribs) with non stick spray, and spread out 4 tablespoons of butter the length of the ribs, then drizzle with the honey
Lay the ribs meat-side down on top of the butter/honey, and wrap tightly - repeat with 2nd rack
Put back on the smoker for 1 hour, remove from foil, brush with the bbq sauce below and put back on for about 30 minutes, or until approx 200-205 degrees
BBQ Sauce
1 cup plain bbq sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup (pancake syrup is a fine swap)
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
Put everything in a bowl and mix well
Lots of citrus helps make this grilled chicken kinda irresistible. And this will make enough for a whole chicken - so use whatever parts or pieces will make you happy
Marinade
1 large orange
2 limes
1/4 olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Chicken - 1 whole chicken broken down, or thighs or breats - it’s all good
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine
Use a knife to make small slash cuts in chicken - this will let more marinade in
Put chicken into a zippered bag, add about 3/4 of the marinade (save extra for brushing after) be sure all sides are coated and refrigerate, up to 4 hours
Heat grill to medium, clean & oil grill grate - put on chicken
Cook, flipping often (occasionally brushing with reserved marinade) until beautifully grilled, nicely charred and chicken registers about 160 in the breast - you’re probably looking at about 25-30 minutes