BEST COOKING
RECIPES
Secret Recipes
Applebee's
Baked French
Onion Soup
Don't even try to
find this one on the menu at Applebee's, because it isn't there; though it's
the
most popular
soup served each day at this huge restaurant chain. This is the first of
several bigtime
soup clones unveil here in the next few weeks to help get
you through the cold winter
months. And
they're all a cinch to make. Just be sure you have some oven-safe soup bowls
for
this one, since
we'll have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey melted provolone
of the
original version
you get from Applebee's is a unique round crouton that's made from bread
similar to a
hamburger bun. So that's exactly what we'll use in our clone.
3 tablespoons
vegetable oil
6 medium white
onions, sliced
8 cups beef
broth (Swanson is best)
1 cup water
2 1/2 teaspoons
salt
1/2 teaspoon
garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon
ground black pepper
5 plain
hamburger buns
10 slices
provolone cheese
10 teaspoons
shredded parmesan cheese
1. Add 3
tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the
sliced
onions and sauté
for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start to become
translucent.
You don't want
them to brown.
2. Add the beef
broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring mixture
to a boil. When
soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. To make the
croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so that the
bread is
the same
thickness as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you should
have 10
round pieces of bread
-- 5 bottom buns, and 5 top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325
degrees. Place
the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or
until each piece
is golden brown and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.
4. When the soup
is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a crouton on top of
the
soup, then place
a slice of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of
shredded
parmesan cheese over the provolone.
5. Place the
bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or
until the
cheese is melted
and starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more
than one bowl at
a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over
the top of the
soup and serve. Repeat process to pre pare remaining servings.
Makes 10
servings.
Benihana Ginger
Salad Dressing
As far as salad
dressings go, this is one of the most requested, and tasty. At the Benihana
chain of hibachi
grill restaurants, you are served a side salad before your meal that is doused
with this tangy,
slightly sweet, fresh ginger dressing. This Secret Recipes version of that
dressing is a
real cinch to make, once you've got the ingredients. Just dump everything into
a
blender, whiz
it, and you're set. Although this recipe is inspired by the many variations of
the
clone recipe that
are floating around , you should know that
this is an
original never-before-published creation that comes closer to the original
product than
any other
version I have seen. See what you think.
1/2 cup minced
onion
1/2 cup peanut
oil
1/3 cup rice
vinegar
2 tablespoons
water
2 tablespoons
minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons
minced celery
2 tablespoons
ketchup
4 teaspoons soy
sauce
2 teaspoons
sugar
2 teaspoons
lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon
minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1/4 teaspoon
black pepper
1. Combine all
ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all
of
the ginger is
well-pureed.
Makes 1 3/4
cups.
Boston Market
Meatloaf
If you already
have a recipe that claims to be a clone for this delicious meatloaf...you can
now
toss it out,
purge if from your hard drive, burn all hard copies. No clone recipe that I've
found
yet -- and there
are several circulating -- has come even close to the tender, tasty meatloaf
you
can get from
this popular chain. Don't be fooled! To make a REAL clone, first thing you've
got
to do is use
ground sirloin, just as the restaurant chain does. And then you need to know
how to
make the special
sauce that goes into the meatloaf and on top (no it's not ketchup and it's not
V-
8). And there's
no minced onion in there (just look at it!), or onion soup mix for that matter.
1 cup tomato
sauce
1 1/2
tablespoons Kraft original barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds
ground sirloin (10% fat)
6 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon
salt
1/2 teaspoon
onion powder
1/4 teaspoon
ground black pepper
dash garlic
powder
1. Preheat oven
to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the
tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Heat the mixture
until it begins to bubble, stirring often, then remove it from the heat.
3. In a large
bowl, add all but 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce to the meat. Use a large
wooden
spoon or your
hands to work the sauce into the meat until it is very well combined.
4. Combine the
remaining ingredients with the ground sirloin-- flour, salt, onion powder and
ground pepper.
Use the wooden spoon or your hands to work the spices and flour into the meat.
5. Load the meat
into a loaf pan (preferably a meatloaf pan with two sections which allows the
fat to drain,
but if you don't have one of those a regular loaf pan will work). Wrap foil
over the
pan and place it
into the oven for 30 minutes.
6. After 30
minutes, take the meatloaf from the oven, remove the foil and, if you aren't
using a
meatloaf pan,
drain the fat.
7. Using a
knife, slice the meatloaf all the way through into 8 slices while it is still
in the pan. This
will help to
cook the center of the meatloaf. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of sauce over
the
top of the
meatloaf, in a stream down the center. Don't spread the sauce.
8. Place the
meatloaf back into the oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is done.
Remove
and allow it to
cool for a few minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
California Pizza
Kitchen
Dakota Smashed
Pea & Barley Soup
Got one of those
cool hand blenders? You know, the kind of gadget that used to be pitched on
those annoying
yet compelling late-night infomercials? It comes in handy for this recipe,
which
requires the
split peas to be smashed into a smooth consistency, just like the original. If
you don't
have a hand
mixer, a standard blender works just fine. This soup is very tasty and very low
in
fat. And the
barley gives it a special chunky consistency and added flavor that isn't found
in most
pea soups.
2 cups split
peas
6 cups water
2 14.5-ounce
cans chicken broth (4 cups)
1/3 cup minced
onion
1 large clove
garlic, minced
2 teaspoons
lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon
granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon
dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon
white pepper
dash dried thyme
1/2 cup barley
6 cups water
2 medium
carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 stalk
celery, diced (1/4 cup)
Garnish
chopped green
onion
1. Rinse and
drain the split peas, then add them to a large pot with 6 cups of water,
chicken
broth, onion,
garlic, lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil,
then
reduce heat and
simmer for 75 minutes or until the peas are soft.
2. While the
peas are cooking, combine the barley with 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring
to a
boil, then
reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until the barley is soft and most of
the water
has been
absorbed.
3. When the
split pea mixture has become a thick soup, use a handheld blender to puree the
peas
until the
mixture is smooth. You may also use a standard blender or food processor for
this step,
pureeing the
soup in batches. Alternately, if you like, you may skip this step, keeping the
soup
rather chunky.
It's still good this way, just not as smooth as the real thing.
4. Drain the
barley mixture in a sieve or colander and add it to the split pea mixture. Add
the
carrots and
celery and continue to simmer the soup for 15 to 30 minutes or until the
carrots are
tender. Stir
occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover the soup, and let it sit for 10 to 15
minutes
before serving.
Garnish each serving with a little chopped green onion.
Makes 8
servings.
Chevys
Garlic Mashed
Potatoes
This
easy-to-clone dish comes with many of the tasty entrees at the restaurant chain
or can be
ordered up,
pronto, on the side. It's a nice clone to have around since it goes well with
so many
dishes, Mexican
or otherwise. Just give yourself the time to bake and cool the potatoes. Be
here
at TSR next week
for a big clone request from the same "always fresh ingredients"
Mexican food
chain. It's for
that muy delicioso salsa, baby! Si, si, si. See you then.
4 medium/large
russet potatoes
1 tablespoon
butter
1 tablespoon
minced fresh garlic (3-4 cloves)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup cream
3/4 teaspoon
salt
1/8 teaspoon
black pepper
1. Preheat oven
to 400 degrees.
2. Bake the
potatoes by first rubbing them lightly with oil and then baking them in the
preheated
oven for 1 hour
until they are tender. Cool.
3. Mash potatoes
and remove about half of the skin. You want to leave the rest in.
4. Melt the
butter in a large suacepan over medium heat, then add garlic and saute for 5
minutes.
5. Add the
remaining ingredients to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes while stirring often
until
garlic mashed
potatoes are very hot.
Serves 4.
Chili's Calypso
Cooler
Ever order one
of those expensive specialty drinks off those shiny, full-color restaurant
tablestand
cards and wish
you ha d the recipe? Well, this is one of those drinks, off of one of those
cards, from the
popular Chili's chain. It's a great one to make while the weather's still hot
(or
anytime), and
can be made in a much larger quantity for a party-time punch bowl...with a
punch.
2 shots Captain
Morgan Spiced Rum
1 shot peach
Schnapps
1 shot grenadine
1 cup orange
juice
ice
orange wedge
maraschino
cherry
1. Combine the
rum, peach schnapps orange juice and grenadine in a shaker. Shake well.
2. Pour drink
over ice cubes or crushed ice in a big glass. Add an orange wedge and a cherry.
Makes one drink.
Chili's
Southwestern
Vegetable Soup
If you like a
soup that's packed with veggies, that's low in fat, and has some of that
Southwestern
zing to it, this is the one for you. Just toss all the ingredients in a pot and
simmer.
Garnish with
some shredded cheese and crumbled tortillas, and prepare to take the chill off.
6 cups chicken
broth (Swanson is best)
1 14.5-ounce can
diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup water
1 cup canned
dark red kidney beans, with liquid
1 cup frozen
yellow cut corn
1 cup frozen cut
green beans
1 4-ounce can
diced green chilies
1/2 cup diced
Spanish onion
1/2 cup tomato
sauce
6 corn
tortillas, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons
chili powder
dash garlic
powder
Garnish
1 cup grated
cheddar/jack cheese blend
1 cup crumbled
corn tortilla chips
1. Combine all
the soup ingredients in a large saucepan or soup pot over high heat. Be sure to
mince the corn
tortillas into small pieces with a sharp knife before adding them to the soup.
2. Bring soup to
a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the
soup has
thickened and tortilla pieces have mostly dissolved.
3. To serve soup
ladle 1 1/2 cups into a bowl. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the grated
cheddar/jack
cheese blend over the top of the soup, and then a heaping tablespoon of
crumbled
corn tortilla chips
over the cheese.
Makes 6
servings.
Grandma's
Oatmeal Raisin
Big Cookies
Grandma's Cookie
Company was founded back in 1914 by Foster Wheeler, but it wasn't until
1977 that the
company introduced the popular Big Cookie. This large, soft cookie comes two
-toa-
pack and is
offered in several varieties, including oatmeal raisin. Now you can bake up a
couple batches
all your own with this kitchen clone. Just be sure not to over do it in the oven.
You want these
cookies soft and chewy when cool -- just like a happy grandma would make 'em -
- so take them
out when they are just beginning to turn light brown around the edges.
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup
vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cups dark
brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla
2 cups
all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups oats
(not instant)
2 teaspoons
baking soda
3/4 teaspoon
cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1. Preheat oven
to 275 degrees.
2. Combine
raisins with water in a food processor and blend on high speed for about 1
minute or
until very
smooth.
3. Combine this
raisin puree with the vegetable shortening, egg, brown sugar and vanilla in a
large bowl. Mix
well with electric mixer until smooth.
4. In a separate
bowl, combine the flour with the oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Pour
this
dry mixture into
the wet mixture and mix well until ingredients are incorporated. Mix in
raisins.
5. Roll 3
tablespoon portions of the dough into a ball in your hands and press to
1/2-inch flat on
an ungreased
baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the
cookies
will not be
chewy. Store in a sealed container.
Makes 16 to 18
cookies.
Hard Rock Cafe
Cole Slaw
If you want the
authentic Hard Rock Cafe Pig Sandwich experience, you just have to serve
your clone of
that pulled-pork sandwich with this creamy, delicious cole slaw on the side.
Even if
you don't whip
up the sandwich, you'll want to dive into a batch of this secret slaw. It's
just too
easy to make,
and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? isn't on tonight. But be sure to let
the stuff
hibernate in the
fridge for a day or two after you toss it. That's the only way to get the
flavors up
to dancing the
perfect tastebud mambo.
1 1/3 cups
mayonnaise
3 tablespoons
white vinegar
2 tablespoons
plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons
milk
dash salt
8 cups chopped
cabbage (1 head)
1/2 cup shredded
carrot
1. Combine all
ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl and blend until
smooth
with an electric
mixer.
2. Add cabbage
and carrots and toss well.
3. Cover and
chill overnight in the refrigerator. The flavors fully de velop after 24 to 48
hours.
Serves 6 to 8 as
a side dish.
Hard Rock Cafe
Homemade Chicken
Noodle Soup
It's the
chunkiest dang chicken soup you'll ever slurp down and it comes from the first
worldwide theme
eatery and hip hangout. Crank up the rock 'n roll and throw all this good stuff
into a pot and
enjoy this final secret recipe in our series of mouth-watering soup clones.
Bah-bye
winter!
1 pound chicken
breast fillets
1 pound chicken
thigh fillets
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons
butter
1 cup chopped
onion
1/2 cup diced
celery
4 cups chicken
stock
2 cups water
1 cup sliced
carrot
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon
cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon
minced fresh parsley
2 cups egg
noodles
Garnish
minced fresh
parsley
1. Preheat oven
to 375 degrees.
2. Rub a little
vegetable oil over the surface of each piece of chicken and arrange them on a
baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven when it's done and set it
aside to cool.
3. Melt the
butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion and
celery in the
saucepan for just 4 to 5 minutes. You don't want to brown the veggies.
4. Dice the
chicken and add it to the pot along with the remaining ingredients, except the
noodles.
5. Bring the
soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrots
are
soft.
6. Add the
noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, or until the noodles are
tender.
Serve with a
pinch of minced fresh parsley sprinkled on top.
Makes 6
servings.
Hot Dog on a
Stick
Hot Dog
One hot summer
day in 1946 Dave Barham was inspired to dip a hot dog into his mother's
cornbread
batter, then deep fry it to a golden brown. The first Hot Dog on a Stick was
born, and
Dave soon found
a quaint Santa Monica, California location near the beach to offer his new
creation along
with a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade and mustard on the side.
The chain uses
only turkey dogs for this treat, so we'll do the same. Just be sure you find
the
shorter dogs,
not "bun-length." This time size does matter. For the stick,
simply snag some of the
disposable wood
chopsticks from a local Chinese or Japanese food restaurant next time you're
there.
2 cups flour
3/4 cup corn
meal
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons
salt
1 teaspoon
baking soda
1 3/4 cups
fat-free milk
2 egg yolks,
slightly beaten
10 turkey hot
dogs
8-10 cups of
vegetable oil
5 pairs of chopsticks
1. Preheat oil
in a deep pan or fryer to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the
flour, corn meal, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Combine the
milk and egg yolks to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer on
high
speed until
batter is smooth.
4. Dry off the
hot dogs with a paper towel. Jab the thin end of a single chopstick about
halfway
into the end of
each hot dog.
5. When the oil
is hot, tip the bowl of batter so that you can completely coat each hot dog.
Roll
the hot dog in
the batter until it is entirely covered with batter.
6. Hold the hot
dog up by the stick and let some of the batter drip off. Quickly submerge the
hot
dog in the oil
and spin it slowly so that the coating cooks evenly. After about 20 seconds you
can
use a lid to the
deep fryer or pan to put weight on the stick, keeping the hot dog fully
immersed
in the oil. You
can cook a couple dogs at a time this way. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until
coating is
dark brown. Turn
them once or twice as they cook. Drain on paper towels while cooling, and
repeat with
remaining hot dogs.
Makes 10 hot
dogs.
I.H.O.P.
Country Griddle
Cakes
This nationwide
chain, which is known for it's big bargain breakfasts, serves an impressive
number of
non-breakfast items as well. In 1997, I.H.O.P. dished out over 6 million pounds
of
french fries and
over half a million gallons of soft drinks. But it's the Country Griddle Cakes
on
the breakfast
menu that inspired this Top Secret Recipe. The unique flavor and texture of
this
clone comes from
the Cream of Wheat in the batter. Now you can have your pancakes, and eat
your cereal too.
nonstick spray
1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups
buttermilk
1/3 cup instant
Cream of Wheat (dry)
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1 teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 cup
vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1. Preheat a
skillet over medium heat. Apply nonstick spray.
2. Combine all
ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer set on high speed. Mix until smooth.
3. Pour the
batter by 1/3-cup portions into the hot pan and cook pancakes for 1-2 minutes
per
side or until
brown. Repeat with remaining batter.
Makes 8-10
pancakes.
Pancakes from
International
House of Pancakes
Even though the
early press runs of Top Secret Recipes excluded buttermilk in this
recipe -- a
very important
ingredient if you really wa nt pourable batter -- many figured out the missing
ingredient on
their own and the error was quickly corrected in later copies. Now we just like
to
call those
copies of the book the "Collector's Editions." For any of you who
were lucky enough to
get one of the "Collector's
Editions" we'd liked to say "Congratulations!" Now here's the
recipe,
in its entirety,
to make pancakes just like those served every day at IHOP.
Nonstick Spray
1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups
buttermilk
1/4 cup
granulated sugar
1 heaping
teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 cup cooking
oil
pinch of salt
1. Preheat a
skillet over medium heat. Use a pan with a nonstick surface or apply a little
nonstick spray.
2. In a blender
or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour the
batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5-inch circles.
4. When the
edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes. They should be golden brown.
5. Cook pancakes
on the other side for same amount of time, until golden brown.
Kellogg's Cocoa
Rice Krispies Treats
It's the Rice
Krispies Treat for all you chocolate lovers. By simply replacing regular Rice
Krispies with Kellogg's
Cocoa Krispies, then adding a bit of cocoa to the recipe, we can clone the
exact flavor of
the product you otherwise have to buy in boxes in the grocery store. This
recipe
makes 16 of the
crunchy brown bars, or the equivalent of two boxes of the real thing.
3 tablespoons
margarine
1/4 teaspoon
salt
5 cups miniature
marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla
4 teaspoons
cocoa
6 cups Cocoa
Krispies cereal
non-stick
cooking spray
1. Combine
margarine and salt in a large saucepan over low heat.
2. When margarine
has melted, add marshmallows and vanilla and stir until marshmallows have
melted. Add
cocoa and stir well. Remove from heat.
3. Add Cocoa
Krispies and stir until the cereal is well-coated with the melted marshmallow
mixture.
4. Spray a
9x13-inch baking dish with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Pour the
mixture into the
dish and, using wax paper or lightly greased hands, press down until it's flat
in
the dish. Cool.
Slice into 16 bars.
Makes 16 bars.
.
KFC
Cole Slaw
If you've ever
seen a clone recipe for KFC Cole Slaw floating around on the Internet, it
probably looks
like this. That's because this formula has become one of the most copied &
pasted
recipes from the
first book, "Top Secret Recipes." It's also one of the most requested
recipes on
the TSR Message
Board. So, to fulfill all those requests, and to stake claim to a recipe that's
rarely sourced
as a TSR original, here's the killer recipe to clone the world's best slaw.
And,
because I love
to out-clone the "copycats", I'm going to take it one step further.
Tune in next
week for an
original version of this clone recipe that tastes just like the real thing but
includes
only five
ingredients...and is completely fat free! Don't be lieve it? Be here next
Monday.
8 cups finely
chopped cabbage (about 1 head)
1/4 cup shredded
carrot (1 medium carrot)
2 tablespoons
minced onion
1/3 cup
granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1/8 teaspoon
pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup
mayonnaise
1/4 cup
buttermilk
1 1/2
tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2
tablespoons lemon juice
1. Be sure
cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of
rice).
2. Combine the
sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice in
a
large bowl and
beat until smooth.
3. Add the
cabbage, carrots, and onion, and mix well.
4. Cover and
refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serves 10-12.
KFC
Macaroni &
Cheese
Here's a clone
for another of KFC's famous side dishes. We'll use easy-to-melt Velveeta as the
main ingredient
for the cheese sauce with its very smooth texture. Then a bit of cheddar cheese
is
added to give
the sauce a sharp cheddary zing like the original. It's a very simple recipe
that will
take only 15
minutes to prepare. That's great news if you're a lazy cook like me who wants
to dig
right into the
tasty vittles.
6 cups water
1 1/3 cups elbow
macaroni
4 ounces
Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup shredded
cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons
whole milk
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1. Bring water
to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add elbow macaroni to the water
and cook it for
10 to 12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
2. While the
macaroni is boiling, prepare the cheese sauce by combining the remaining
ingredients in a
small saucepan over low heat. Stir often as the cheese melts into a smooth
consistency.
3. When the
macaroni is done, strain it and then pour it back into the same pan, without
the
water.
4. Add the
cheese sauce to the pan and stir gently until the macaroni is well-coated with
the
cheese. Serve
immediately while hot.
Makes about 3
servings.
KFC
Potato Salad
Here's a simple
clone for the potato salad that is purchased as a side dish from America's
largest fast
food chicken chain. Some of the skin is left on the potatoes in the real thing,
so you
don't have to
peel them too thoroughly (great news for lazy cooks like me!). Just be sure to
chop
your potatoes
into cubes that are approximately 1/2-inch thick, and then let the salad
marinate
for at least 4
hours so that the flavors can properly develop. If you let the salad chill
overnight, it
tastes even
better. Tune in for more KFC clone recipes each week this month!
2 pounds russet
potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons
sweet pickle relish
4 teaspoons
sugar
2 teaspoons
minced white onion
2 teaspoons
prepared mustard
1 teaspoon
vinegar
1 teaspoon
minced celery
1 teaspoon diced
pimentos
1/2 teaspoon
shredded carrot
1/4 teaspoon
dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon
pepper
dash salt
1. Lightly peel
the potatoes (you don't have to get all of the skin off) then chop them into
bite-size
pieces and boil
in 6 cups of boiling, salted water for 7-10 minutes. The potato chucks should
be
tender, yet
slightly tough in the middle when done. Drain and rinse potatoes with cold
water.
2. In a medium
bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
3. Poured
drained potatoes into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix
until
well-combined.
4. Cover and
chill for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
Makes 6 cups
(about 8 servings).
Kraft
Shake'n Bake
(Original)
Need a recipe
that copies Shake'n Bake in a pinch? Or maybe you don't feel like coughing up
the dough for
the real thing. Here's the TSR solution for a quick clone that will give you
the same
texture and
flavor of Kraft Shake'n Bake using very common ingredients. You may notice the
color is a bit
different in this clone when compared to the real thing. That's because this
recipe
doesn't include
beet powder -- a hard-to-find ingredient that lends a dark orange tint to the
original. But
sink your teeth into the chicken (baked the same way as described on the
Shake'n
Bake box) and
you'll swear it's the same stuff.
1/2 cup plus 1
tablespoon corn flake crumbs
2 teaspoons
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon
paprika
1/4 teaspoon sugar
scant 1/4
teaspoon garlic powder
scant 1/4
teaspoon onion powder
1. Combine all
ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
2. Prepare
chicken following the same technique as described on the box of the original
mix
using 2 1/2 lb.
of bone -in chicken (6 to 8 pieces, with or without skin) or 2 lb. boneless
skinless
chicken breast
halves Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then moisten the chicken with water.
Use a large
plastic bag for the coating and use the same steps as described on the original
package:
"Shake moistened
chicken, 1 to 2 pieces at a time, in shaker bag with coating mixture. Discard
any remaining
mixture and bag. Bake at 400 degrees in ungreased or foil-lined 15x10x1-inch
baking pan until
cooked through --
BONE-IN: 45
minutes/BONELESS: 20 minutes"
Serves 4.
Top Secret
Recipes
version of
Lawry's
Seasoned Salt
"Shake on
meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Accent vegetables, salads and popcorn. Use while
cooking, or at
the table." reads the label of one of America's most popular spice blends.
This
seven-ingredient
clone of Lawry's Seasoned Salt can be made in a small bowl, but is best used
when poured into
an old spice bottle that you've cleaned out and saved. You've got one of those
somewhere,
right?
2 tablespoons
salt
2 teaspoons
sugar
1/2 teaspoon
paprika
1/4 teaspoon
turmeric
1/4 teaspoon
onion powder
1/4 teaspoon
garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon
cornstarch
1. Combine all
ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Pour blend
into an empty spice bottle to store.
Makes 1/4 cup.
Lone Star
Steakhouse Baked Sweet Potato
It saddles on up
next to your entree at this huge steakhouse chain, but it's not what it claims
to be. Sure, the
menu says "baked sweet potato," but you're actually getting a sweet
and tender
red-skinned yam
underneath all that yummy melted butter and cinnamon/sugar. And don't just
get any yam for
this top secret clone. You want to use garnet yams, if you have a choice. Then
be
sure to cook
them long enough that the sugar in the yams begins to squirt out and burn in a
couple of spots.
Each yam should be tender, but not mushy. The skin on the outside will turn
from red to
greyish-brown, and inside it will be a hearty shade of black.
4 garnet yams
3 tablespoons
granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons
cinnamon
1/2 cup whipped
butter
1. Preheat oven
to 400 degrees. Bake yams for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When they are done, they will
be
very soft in the
center, and you will see liquid from the potato oozing out and charring. When
the
potato is sliced
open, the inside of the skin will be charred black from the caramelizing sugar
in
the potato. This
is a perfectly cooked potato.
3. To serve,
slice a potato down the center. Add two tablespoons of whipped butter, then
sprinkle
some
cinnamon/sugar over the top.
Makes 4
servings.
Lone Star
Steakhouse Chili
When the weather
gets cold it's time to fire up the stovetop. This chain makes a tasty chili
that
warms the bones
on a nippy fall day. This clone recipe is easy-to-make, low-fat and delicious.
And if it's
super brisk outside, you might want to add an additional tablespoon of diced
jalapeno
to aggressively
stoke those internal flames.
1 pound ground
beef
1 diced onion
1 tablespoon
diced fresh jalapeno pepper
1 15-ounce can
kidney beans with liquid
1 14.5-ounce can
peeled diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can
tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon
white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili
powder
1/4 teaspoon
garlic powder
1 bay leaf
Garnish
grated cheddar
cheese
diced onion
canned whole
jalapeno chili peppers
1. Brown ground
beef in a large saucepan over medium heat. Drain fat.
2. Add onion and
pepper and sauté for about two minutes.
3. Add remaining
ingredients and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve one cup in a
bowl with the
optional cheese, diced onion and whole jalapeno garnish on top.
Makes 4
servings.
Mimi's Cafe
Carrot Raisin Bread
It's dark, moist
and delicious. And it comes in a bread basket to your table at this
Frenchthemed
west coast
casual restaurant. Now the tastiest carrot bread ever can be yours to create at
home with a
couple of grated carrots, molasses, raisins and chopped walnuts. You'll be
baking
this one in the
oven for at least an hour. That should be enough time to warm up the house and
send amazing
smells wafting through every room. Line the carpet with newspaper to catch the
family drool.
1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon
cinnamon
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1 teaspoon
baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable
oil
1 cup plus 2
tablespoons granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 cup shredded
carrot
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped
walnuts
1. Preheat oven
to 350 degrees.
2. Combine
flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. In another
bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla with an electric mixer.
Add
shredded carrot
and mix. Add raisins and walnuts and mix well by hand.
4. Pour flour
mixture into the other ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Pour batter
into two ungreased 8-inch loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes, or until
done.
Makes 2 loaves.
Mimi's Cafe
French Market
Onion Soup
You might not
imagine a tough World War II flying ace would open a restaurant called
"Mimi's,"
but that's exactly what happened in the 70's. Arthur J. Simms flew spy missions
over
France during
the war and helped liberate a small French town near Versailles. After the war
Arthur ran the
commissary at MGM studios in Hollywood, stuffing the bellies of big-time celebs
like Judy
Garland, Clark Gable and Mickey Rooney. He later joined his son Tom in several
restaurant
ventures including one called "French Quarter" in West Hollywood.
This was the
prototype for
the French-themed Mimi's Cafe. In 1978, the first Mimi's opened in Anaheim,
California.
Today there's over 40 Mimi's in the chain with a new one opening every other
week;
all of them
serving this amazing onion soup that can now be part of your culinary
repertoire.
Oui!
1/4 cup butter
3 medium white
onions, sliced
3 14-ounce cans
beef broth (Swanson is best)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon
garlic powder
3 tablespoons
Kraft grated parmesan cheese
6 to 12 slices
French bread (baguette)
6 slices Swiss
cheese
6 slices
mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons
shredded parmesan cheese
1. Sauté onions
in melted butter in a large soup pot or saucepan for 15 to 20 minutes or until
onions begin to
brown and turn transparent.
2. Add beef
broth, salt and garlic powder to onions. Bring mixture to a boil, then re duce
heat and
simmer uncovered
for 1 hour. Add the grated parmesan cheese in the last 10 minutes of cooking
the soup.
3. When soup is
done, preheat oven to 350 degrees and toast the French bread slices for about
10
to 12 minutes or
until they begin to brown. When bread is done, set oven to broil.
4. Build each
serving of soup by spooning about 1 cup of soup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a
toasted slice or
two of bread on top of the soup, then add a slice of Swiss cheese on top of
that.
Place a slice of
mozzarella on next and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese over
the top of the
other cheeses.
5. Place the
soup bowl on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese
begins to
brown.
Makes 6
servings.
Olive Garden
Pasta e Fagioli
It's amazing how
many lousy clones for this delicious chili-like soup from Olive Garden are
floating around
on the Web. Some are shared on message boards, others are displayed on sites in
a collection of
"actual restaurant recipes" (yeah, right!). But they all leave out
obvious
ingredients you
can see, like the carrots, ground beef, or two kinds of beans. Others don't get
the
pasta right --
it's obviously ditali pasta (short little tubes). Then there's the recipe that
really
squeezed the
seeds from my gourd -- one that's floating around in MasterCook format that
lists
"Top Secret
Recipes" as the source. But, wait a minute! I've never before created a
clone for this
dish -- not here
on the site, and not in any book. So, after logging some time over a chopping
block, an open
flame, and a couple tasty glasses of Merlot, out popped this puppy. And this is
the
one, kitchen
cloners! If you want the taste of Pasta e Fagioli at home, this is the only
recipe that
will fool in a
side -by-side taste test. Accept no other imitation imitation!
1 pound ground
beef
1 small onion,
diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot,
julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery,
chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic,
minced
2 14.5-ounce
cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can
red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can
great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can
tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can
V-8 juice
1 tablespoon
white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons
salt
1 teaspoon
oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon
pepper
1/2 teaspoon
thyme
1/2 pound (1/2
pkg.) ditali pasta
1. Brown the
ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the
fat.
2. Add onion,
carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining
ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. About 50
minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water
over
high heat. Cook
for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough.
Drain.
5. Add the pasta
to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Serves 8.
Outback
Steakhouse Caesar Salad Dressing
Ask and you
shall receive. To answer many requests, I've whipped up this killer clone for
the
mouth-watering
caesar salad dressing from America's favorite steakhouse chain. You can't buy
it in the
stores, but now you can make it from scratch in mere minutes. Best of all, this
dressing
keeps for weeks
and weeks in the fridge in a covered container (if it's even around that long).
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup egg
substitute
1/4 cup grated
parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons
water
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1 1/2
tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon
anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic,
pressed
2 teaspoons
sugar
1/2 teaspoon
coarse ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/4 teaspoon
dried parsley flakes, crushed fine
1. Combine all
ingredients in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat ingredients for
about
1 minute.
2. Cover bowl
and chill for several hours so that flavors can develop.
(http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)
Makes
approximately 2 cups.
Snapple Iced Tea
(Lemon Flavor)
Here's a quick
and easy recipe for the brand of ice tea that hit the market and quickly blew
away competitors
Lipton and Nestea. Between 1988 and 1992 Snapple tea sales increased a
whopping 1,300
percent. And if you like Snapple ice tea, you'll find this recipe will save you
some
cash. While a
16-ounce bottle of Snapple tea costs around $1.00, this top secret clone cost
about
15 cents -- for
the same amount.
2 quarts (8
cups) water
3 Lipton tea
bags (orange pekoe and pekoe cut black tea blend)
3/4 cup
granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 2
tablespoons lemon juice
22
1. Boil the
water in a large saucepan over high heat.
2. When the
water comes to a rapid boil, turn off the heat, put the tea bags into the
water, and
cover.
3. After the tea
has steeped about 1 hour, pour the sugar into a 2-quart pitcher, then add the
tea.
The tea should
still be warm, so the sugar will dissolve easily.
4. Add the lemon
juice. Chill.
Makes 2 quarts.
Sonic Cherry
Limeade
Here's the
signature drink from the chain that's reviving the drive-up burger joint, just
like a
scene out of
American Graffitti or Happy Days. At this growing chain you pull up to a stall
and
servers bring
food out to your car as they did in the 40's and 50's. This recipe makes a
simple
old-fashioned
drink by combining 7-Up with cherry juice and some wedges of lime. Very
refreshing!
(according to Potsy).
1 cup Sprite
1/4 cup cherry
juice (Libby is good)
2-3 lime wedges
(each 1/8 lime)
1. Pour Sprite
into a glass over ice.
2. Add cherry
juice.
3. Add 2-3 lime
wedges, squeezing slightly before dropping each one in.
Serves 1.
The Soup Nazi's
Cream of Sweet
Potato Soup
4 sweet potatoes
(about 1 pound each)
8 cups water
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons
half and half
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon
pepper
dash thyme
1 cup cashews
(split in half)
1. Preheat oven
to 375 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes or until they are soft.
Cool the
potatoes until they can be handled.
2. Peel away the
skin, then put the potatoes into a large bowl. Mash the potatoes for 15-20
seconds, but you
don't need to mash them until they are entirely smooth.
3. Spoon the
mashed sweet potato into a large saucepan over medium/high heat, add the
remaining
ingredients and stir to combine.
4. When the soup
begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Cashews should
be soft. Serve
hot with an attitude.
Makes 6-8
servings
Swiss Miss
Fat-Free Tapioca
Pudding
2 tablespoons
cornstarch
2 1/2 cups
fat-free milk
1/2 cup sweetened
condensed skim milk
dash salt
2 1/2
tablespoons instant tapioca
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1. Combine the
cornstarch with the fat-free milk in a medium saucepan and whisk thoroughly to
dissolve the
cornstarch.
2. Add the
condensed milk, salt, and tapioca to the pan. Stir until smooth and then set
the pan
aside for 5
minutes.
3. After 5
minutes, bring the mixture to a boil over medium/low heat, stirring constantly
until it
thickens, then
cover and remove from the heat. Let the pudding sit, covered, for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the
vanilla, then transfer the pudding to serving cups. Cover the cups with plastic
wrap
and let them
chill for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size –
3/4 cup
Total servings –
4
Fat (per
serving) – 0g
Calories (per
serving) – 140
Original Tommy's
World Famous Hamburgers
1 pound ground
beef (not lean)*
1/4 cup flour
plus 1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups beef
broth
4 cups water
3 tablespoons
chili powder
2 tablespoon
grated (and then chopped) carrot
1 tablespoon
white vinegar
2 teaspoons
dried minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons
granulated sugar
1 teaspoon
paprika
1/4 teaspoon
garlic powder
3 pounds ground
beef
8 hamburger buns
16 slices Kraft
cheddar cheese Singles
1/2 cup diced
onion
32 to 40
hamburger pickles (slices)
8 slices large
beefsteak tomato (1/2-inch thick)
1/4 cup yellow
mustard
1. Prepare the
chili by first browning the meat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crumble
the meat as it
browns. When the meat has been entirely cooked (7 to 10 minutes), pour the meat
into a strainer
over a large cup or saucepan. Let the fat drip out of the meat for about 5
minutes,
then return the
meat back to the first saucepan. Cover and set aside.
2. With the fat
from the meat, we will now make a roux -- a French contribution to thicker
sauces and
gravies usually made with fat and flour. Heat the drippings in a saucepan over
medium heat (you
should have drained off around 1/2 cup of the stuff). When the fat is hot, add
1/4 cup flour to
the pan and stir well. Reduce heat to medium/low, and continue to heat the
roux,
stirring often
until it is a rich caramel color. This should take from 10 to 15 minutes. Add
the
beef broth to
the pan and stir. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile,
back at the other pan, add the water to the beef, then whisk in the remaining 1
1/4
cups flour. Add
the ro ux/broth mixture and the other chili ingredients and whisk until
blended.
Make sure your
grated carrot is chopped up to the size of rice before you add it.
4. Crank the
heat up to medium/high. Stir often until you see bubbles forming on the surface
of
the chili. Turn
the heat down to medium/low, and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or
until thick. The
chili should be calmly bubbling like lava as it simmers. When it's done
cooking,
take the chili
off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before using
it on the
burgers. It should
thicken to a tasty brown paste as it sits.
5. To make your
hamburgers, you'll first divide 3 pounds of hamburger into 16 portions of 3
ounces each.
Grill the burgers on in a hot skillet or on an indoor griddle for 4 to 5
minutes per
side or until
done. Use some salt and pepper on each patty.
6. Build the
burgers by lightly toasting the faces of the hamburger buns. Turn them over
into a
hot skillet or a
griddle on medium heat.
7. Place one
patty onto the bottom bun.
8. Position two
slices of cheese on the meat.
9. Place another
beef patty on the cheese.
10. Spoon about
1/3 cup of chili onto the beef patty.
26
11. Sprinkle
about 1 tablespoon of diced onion onto the chili.
12. Arrange 4 to
5 pickle slices on the onion.
13. Place a
thick slice of tomato on next.
14. Spread
mustard over the face of the top bun and top off your hamburger by turning this
bun
over onto the
tomato.
Makes 8 burgers.
(6 cups of chili.)
Tony Roma's
Baked Potato
Soup
2 medium
potatoes (about 2 cups chopped)
3 tablespoons
butter
1 cup diced
white onion
2 tablespoons
flour
4 cups chicken
stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup
cornstarch
1 1/2 cups
instant mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon
pepper
1/2 teaspoon
basil
1/8 teaspoon
thyme
1 cup half and
half
Garnish
1/2 cup shredded
cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled
cooked bacon
2 green onions,
chopped (green part only)
27
1. Preheat oven
to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes or 1 hour or until done. When potatoes
have cooked
remove them from the oven to cool.
2. As potatoes
cool prepare soup by melting butter in a large saucepan, and sauté onion until
light brown. Add
the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.
3. Add stock,
water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and
simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Cut potatoes
in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with a large spoon. Discard skin.
Chop
baked potato
with a large knife to make chunks that are about 1/2-inch in size.
5. Add chopped
baked potato and half-and-half to the saucepan, bring soup back to a boil, then
reduce heat and
simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it is thick.
6. Spoon about 1
1/2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with about a tablespoon of shredded
cheddar cheese,
a half tablespoon of crumbled bacon and a teaspoon or so of chopped green
onion.
Serves 6 to 8.
Wendy's Chili
2 pounds ground
beef
One 29-ounce can
tomato sauce
One 29-ounce can
kidney beans (with liquid)
One 29-ounce can
pinto beans (with liquid)
1 cup diced
onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup diced
green chili (2 chilies)
1/4 cup diced
celery (1 stalk)
3 medium tomatoes,
chopped
2 teaspoons
cumin powder
3 tablespoons
chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons
black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
1. Brown the
ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat.
2. Using a fork,
crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.
3. In a large
pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer
over
low heat. Cook,
stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.
Makes about 12
servings.
Wendy's
Spicy Chicken
Fillet Sandwich
6-8 cups
vegetable oil
1/3 cup Frank's
Original Red Hot Pepper Sauce
2/3 cup water
1 cup
all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons
salt
4 teaspoons
cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon
coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion
powder
1/2 teaspoon
paprika
1/8 teaspoon
garlic powder
4 chicken breast
fillets
4 plain
hamburger buns
8 teaspoons
mayonnaise
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices
1. Preheat 6-8
cups of oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.
3. Combine the
pepper sauce and water in a small bowl.
4. Combine the
flour, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, paprika and garlic
powder in
another shallow bowl.
5. Pound each of
the chicken pieces with a mallet until about 3/8-inch thick. Trim each breast
fillet if
necessary to help it fit on the bun.
6. Working with
one fillet at a time, coat each piece with the flour, then dredge it in the
diluted
pepper sauce.
Coat the chicken once again in the flour mixture and set it aside until the
rest of
the chicken is
breaded.
7. Fry the
chicken fillets for 8-12 minutes or until they are light brown and crispy.
Remove the
chicken to a
rack or to paper towels to drain.
8. As chicken is
frying, prepare each sandwich by grilling the face of the hamburger buns on a
hot skillet over
medium heat. Spread about 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise on the face of each of the
inverted top
buns.
9. Place a
tomato slice onto the mayonnaise, then stack a leaf of lettuce on top of the
tomato.
10. On each of
the bottom buns, stack one piece of chicken.
11. Flip the top
half of each sandwich onto the bottom half and serve hot.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
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