El Pollo Loco Chicken

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chicken
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Chicken -- cut pieces w/skin
BROILER BASTING SAUCE
1/3 cup Lemon juice
1/3 cup Canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper

Briefly simmer the cut-up chicken in a deep-sided skillet, keeping pieces
in single layer without crowding them, until the meat appears milky white
and the juices run clear, no longer pink. Allow to cool in the broth,
uncovered, while you prepare the basting sauce. Arrange the chicken pieces
skin-side up on broiler pan in single layer and baste with enough of
mixture to evenly coat skin side. Turn and baste other side. Turn again to
skin side up and broil 6" from the heat, brushing with additional sauce
every few minutes until skin is really crispy and golden brown,
approximately 5 to 8 minutes for large pieces. BASTING MIXTURE-Mix juices,
oil, turmeric, salt and pepper. This makes enough to baste nine pieces.

El Pollo Loco (Pollo Asada)

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chicken
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup White wine vinegar
1 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup White wine
Oregano
Thyme
Salt
10 milliliters Garlic -- mince
1 1/2 teaspoons Hot sauce

Mix all ingredients and marinate two whole chicken which have been cut in
half. Marinate several hours in refrigerator. Grill chickens slowly until
done.

Durkee's Famous Sauce

Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Sauces Cheese/Eggs

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1/2 cup Cold water
4 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 cup Plus 2 TB dark vinegar
2 tablespoons Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Whole egg
4 tablespoons French's prepared mustard
4 tablespoons Margarine -- tiny bits

Place all ingredients as listed in blender on high speed until smooth (2
minutes). Transfer to top of double boiler and cook over gently boiling
water, stirring often for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and smooth.
Once more put mixture back through blender 30 seconds or till smooth,
using high speed. Refrigerate in covered container 24 hours before using.
Keep refrigerated 3 months.

Drake's Devil Dogs

Here's a clone recipe for a favorite east coast
treat that could even fool Rosie O'Donnell. The snack
food - loving talk show hostess professes her love
for these tasty Drake's goodies all the time on her
daytime show. And who could blame her? It's hard not
to relish the smooth, fluffy filling sandwiched between
two tender devil's food cake fingers. I'll take a Devil
Dog over a Twinkie any day of the week. For this clone
recipe, we'll make the cakes from scratch. This will
help us to create a flavor and texture closest to the
original, although the color will be much lighter than
the real thing (the miracles of food coloring). But if
you're feeling especially lazy, you can certainly use a
devil's food cake mix in place of the scratch recipe here.
Just make the filling with the recipe below and assemble
your cakes the same way.

Cake
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Filling
2 cups marshmallow creme (1 7-ounce jar)
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons very hot water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together the egg, shortening,
and sugar with an electric mixer. Continue beating while
adding the milk and vanilla.
3. In another bowl sift together remaining cake ingredients -
flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.
4. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and beat
until smooth.
5. Spoon about a tablespoon of the batter in strips about 4 inches
long and 1 inch wide on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for
5 to 6 minutes or until the cakes are done. Cool.
6. In another bowl combine the marshmallow creme, shortening,
powdered sugar and vanilla. Dissolve the 1/8 teaspoon of salt
in the 2 teaspoons of very hot water in a small bowl. Add this
salt solution to the filling mixture and beat on high speed with
an electric mixer until the filling is smooth and fluffy.
7. When the cakes have cooled, spread about a tablespoon of
filling on the face of one cake and top it off with another cake.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Makes 20 to 24 snack cakes.

Dr. Ruth's almost as good as Sex Cheesecake

Servings: 8

Crust:
5 oz Graham cracker crumbs
3 tb Sugar
5 tb Butter melted

Filling:
16 oz Cream cheese softened
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
pn Salt
2 lg Eggs
3 tb Chambord liqueur

Topping:
8 oz Sour cream
1 tb Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
1 tb Chambord liqueur
1 c Raspberries fresh

Preheat oven to 350 Deg. F. To prepare crust, mix graham cracker
crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture firmly into bottom of 9"
springform pan.
To make filling, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at
medium speed with electric mixer. Add eggs, and mix until well
blended. Using a fork, gently fold Chambord into batter. Pour
mixture into crust.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. Loosen
cake from rim of pan. Let cool and remove rim of pan.
To prepare topping, mix sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and Chambord
and spread evenly over cheesecake. Refrigerate for 4 hours or
until firm. Top with fresh raspberries just before serving.
Chambord a French liqueur

DoubleTree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you check in at one of 240 hotels run by this U.S.
chain, you are handed a bag from a warming oven that
contains two soft and delicious chocolate chip cookies.
This is a tradition that began in the early 90s using a
recipe from a small bakery in Atlanta. All of the
cookies - which weigh in at an impressive two ounces
each - are baked fresh every day on the hotel premises.
Raves for the cookies from customers convinced the hotel
chain to start selling the chocolaty munchables by the
half-dozen. But if you've got an insatiable chocolate
chip cookie urge that can't wait for a package to be delivered
in the mail, you'll want to try this cloned version fresh out
of your home oven. Just be sure to get the cookies out of
there when they are turning light brown. This way they'll
stay soft in the middle when cool. For even better results,
you can chill the dough overnight before you commence with
the ceremonial baking.

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine
the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
in a medium bowl.
3. Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in
another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix
until smooth.
4. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add
the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until
ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Spoon rounded 1/4-cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. You don't need to press
the dough flat. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until cookies are
light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a sealed container
when cool to keep soft. For the best results, chill the dough
overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.
Makes 20 cookies.

Dolly Madison Zingers (Devil's Food)

Former U.S. President James Madison's wife did not
create this baking company, despite the fact that her
name is on every carrot cake, crumb cake, and Zinger that
comes off the production line. It was instead company
founder Roy Nafziger's brainstorm to use the former first
lady's name, since she was notorious for throwing huge
shindigs featuring a fine selection of desserts and baked
goods. Nafziger said his company would create cakes "fine
enough to serve at the White House." While I don't expect
you'll be treated to a tray of Zingers on your next stay
in the Lincoln Bedroom, I will agree that these little
snack cakes are a tasty way to appease a sweet tooth.
You can craft a version at home by making little cake
pans out of aluminum foil that is wrapped around an
empty prescription pill bottle. The cake batter is easy,
since you just use any instant devil's food cake mix.
I like Duncan Hines, but you can use whatever you want.
As for the frosting, it may not come out as dark brown
as the original since the recipe here doesn't include brown
food coloring (caramel coloring). But the taste will be
right on. And I think President Clinton would agree that as
long as the sweet little treats taste good, appearance is secondary.

Cake
Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup oil
3 large eggs

Filling
2 teaspoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups marshmallow creme (one 7-ounce jar)
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
Tear off a bunch of foil pieces about this size. These will be your
mini cake pans after folding two times and wrapping around a pill
bottle.

Empty prescription medicine bottles are actually good for something.

Use a toothpick or skewer to dig three caverns in the cakes where the
filling will live. Later you will cleverly hide these holes with
frosting.

1. Prepare the cake batter following the directions on the box.
If you use Duncan Hines brand, you will need 1 1/3 cups of water,
1/2 cup of oil, and three eggs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare the cake pans that will make cakes the size of Zingers,
tear off 20 pieces of aluminum foil that are each about 8 inches
wide. Fold the foil in half and then in half once more so that you
have a rectangular piece of foil. Wrap this piece of foil around a
small prescription medicine bottle. Tuck in the ends and take the
bottle out, leaving the foil open at the top. This will form a little
pan. Flatten the bottom so that the mini pan stands up straight.
Place this into a baking pan and repeat with the remaining pieces
of foil. When you have arranged all of the foil pans in a baking
pan, spray the inside of all the pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Fill each little pan about halfway with cake batter. Bake cakes
for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes
out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool
completely.
3. To make the filling, combine the hot water with the salt in a
small bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Let this mixture
cool.
4. Combine the marshmallow creme, shortening, powdered sugar, and
vanilla in a medium bowl and mix well with an electric mixer on high
speed until fluffy. Add the salt mixture to the bowl and mix.
5. To make the chocolate frosting, combine all the frosting
ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well with an electric mixer
until smooth.
6. To assemble your snack cakes first poke three holes with a
toothpick or skewer in the top of a cake and swirl around inside
the holes making little caverns for your filling.
7. Use a pastry bag with a small tip to squeeze some filling into
each hole. Careful not to overfill, or your cake will burst open.
Sure, it's exciting, but this mess won't make for a good clone.
8. Once the cake is filled, use a butter knife to spread frosting
on top of the cake over the holes. Drag a fork lengthwise over
the frosting making grooves just like the real thing.
Makes 20 snack cakes.

Dive! S'mores

You don't need a campfire, wire hangers or long
sticks to make this popular marshmallow, chocolate
and graham cracker dessert. Steven Spielberg's Dive!
chain of theme restaurants is the inspiration for this
week's clone recipe, pulled from the third TSR book,
Top Secret Restaurant Recipes (which includes other
clones from the chain as well). You need only four
ingredients, an oven with a broiler, and a serious
sweet tooth to put together this delicious dessert
previously enjoyed only camping trips and at beach parties.

2 whole graham crackers (4 sections, not separated)
two 1 1/2-ounce Hershey milk chocolate bars
16 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup, in squirt bottle

1. Preheat the broiler. Arrange the graham crackers side by side
on an oven-safe plate (such as ceramic). You can also use a baking
sheet.
2. Stack the milk chocolate bars side by side on top of the graham
crackers.
3. Arrange the marshmallows on the chcocolate in 4 rows -- 4 across,
4 down.
4. Broil the dessert on the middle rack for 1 to 3 minutes or until
the marshmallows turn light brown on top.
5. Remove the dessert from the oven. If you used a baking sheet,
carefully slide the dessert onto a serving plate. With the squirt
bottle, immediately drizzle the chocolate syrup over the marshmallows
in a sweeping back-and-forth motion. Drizzle the chocolate diagonally
across the dessert one way, and then the other, creating a
cross-hatch pattern. Allow the chocolate to over-shoot the
dessert so that it creates a decorative pattern on the serving
plate as well.
Serves 2-4.

Denny's Cheese Soup

Categories: Soups, Cheese
Yield: 4 servings


4 tb Butter or margarine
10 oz Cream of chicken soup
10 oz Cream of celery soup
1/2 Soup can Kraft's mayonnaise
8 oz Jar cheese Whiz
14 oz Can chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Put butter, soups, mayo and Cheez Whiz in 1-1/2 quart
saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat, until
smooth. Stir in broth and season to taste with salt
and pepper. Stir occasionally until piping hot -BUT
DO NOT LET IT BOIL! . Do not freeze because of the mayo.
Use within a week.

Cracker Jacks

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Snacks
Popcorn

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup Peanuts -- warmed
1 cup Butter
5 cups Popped corn -- warm
2 cups Brown sugar -- packed
1/2 cup Light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

Pop corn; keep warm in oven. Warm nuts in pan. In saucepan, melt butter; add br
own suagr and syrup. Cook till thick then add baking soda; stir. Pour over warm
ed popped corn and peanuts. Stir well. Let cool and munch down.

Cinnabon Strawberry Lemonade & Mochalatta Chill

Cinnabon gives lemonade a twist by adding strawberry syrup.
It's a simple clone when you snag some Hershey's strawberry
syrup (near the chocolate syrup in your supermarket),
and a few juicy lemons. But if it's a bit of a caffeine
buzz you're looking for -- enhanced by a killer chocolate
rush -- it's the Mochalatta Chill you'll want to whip up.
Brew some double-strength coffee (see Tidbits) and let it
cool off, then get out the half & half and chocolate syrup.
Man, these sippers are just too dang easy!

Strawberry Lemonade
1/2 cup lemon juice (from 3-4 fresh lemons)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons Hershey’s strawberry syrup

1. Mix ingredients together in a pitcher. Serve over ice.
Makes 2 drinks.

Mochalatta Chill
1 cup double strength coffee, cold (see Tidbits)
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup

Topping
whipped cream

1. Combine all ingredients in a small pitcher. Stir well or cover
and shake. Pour over ice in two 16 ounce glasses, and top with
whipped cream.
Makes 2 large drinks.

Tidbits
Make double-strength coffee in your coffee maker by adding half
the water suggested by the manufacturer. Allow coffee to chill
in the refrigerator before using it in this recipe.

Cinnabon Icescape

In a blender, Cinnabon adds concentrated flavoring,
some ice and a curious secret ingredient referred to
only as a "dairy product." When blended smooth,
out comes these thick, refreshing drinks that look
and taste like they were made with ice cream.
For this clone we just need a little half-and-half
(that's half cream and half milk for those of you
across the pond). It gives this version the exact
same creamy consistency as the original with its custom
"dairy" ingredient. Strawberry is the most popular of
the flavors, but the other two are tasty as well.
The Mochalatta version uses the TSR clone of the
Mochalatta Chill from last week and produces as thicker
blended version of the drink, similar to Starbuck's
popular blended Frappuccino.

Strawberry
1 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups crushed ice
1/3 cup frozen whole strawberries (about 4 large strawberries)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Hershey’s strawberry syrup

1. Combine the water and sugar in a cup and stir until the sugar
is dissolved.
2. Add this sugar syrup to other ingredients in a blender. Blend
on high speed until the drink is smooth. Serve in two 16-ounce
glasses.
Makes 2 large drinks.

Orange
3 cups crushed ice
1 cup water
2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons Tang orange drink mix

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender set on high speed until smooth
and creamy. Serve in two 16-ounce glasses.
Makes 2 large drinks.

Mochalatta
3 cups crushed ice
1 1/2 cups TSR version of Mochalatta Chill
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender set on high speed until smooth
and creamy. Serve in two 16-ounce glasses.
Makes 2 large drinks.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll

Serving Size : 12
Categories : Rolls
INGREDIENTS:
DOUGH
1/4 cup warm water, 1 cup milk -- room temperature
1 large egg -- beaten, 1/4 cup butter -- softened,
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 cups all purpose white flour
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz box)
1 tablespoon bread machine yeast FILLING 1 cup brown sugar
-- packed 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup butter -- softened
CREAM CHEESE CINNAMON FROSTING, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 ounces cream cheese -- softened, 1/4 cup butter -- softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 tablespoon milk, 1 1/2 cups powdered
sugar
*********
Preparation Instructions: Dough; (Add the dough ingredients,
in the order listed, to the bread machine and prepare using
the dough setting. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to an
18" by 30" rectangle. The dough can also be handmade. If you
use regular yeast, you may want to let the rolls proof for
15-30 minutes after assembly). Filling In a small bowl, mix
brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the softened butter over the
dough and evenly sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll up tightly. Mark
the roll every 2 inches. With a thread cut the roll by placing
the thread under the roll at your mark, crisscross over and
pull to cut. Place rolls into greased 8" or 9" baking pans 2"
apart. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place until
almost double, approximately 1 hour. After rising, rolls should
be touching each other and the sides of the pan. Bake at 350
degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cream
Cheese Cinnamon Frosting In a small bowl, mix cream cheese,
butter, vanilla and milk. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and
mix until smooth. Spread on warm rolls and serve immediately.
This recipe has been adjusted so that the dough can be prepared
in your bread machine. These will taste most like the originals
if you use Makara Cinnamon (available at the Cinnabon Stands)
instead of conventional powdered cinnamon from the supermarket.

Church's Fried Chicken

Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chicken Sandwiches
Salsa

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 tablespoon Sugar
1 1/2 cups Self-rising flour
1/2 cup Cornstarch
3 teaspoons Seasoned salt
2 teaspoons Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 cup Biscuit mix
1 Env Italian Dressing Mix
1 Env Onion soup mix
-----TO USE-----
2 Eggs -- mix with
1/4 cup Cold water
1 cup Corn oil

Combine all ingredients in a 4-cup container. Mix to blend the
ingredients thoroughly. Store tightly covered at room temperature up to
3 months. TO USE-Dip the chicken pieces in egg mixture and then into
dry coating mix and back into egg to coat the pieces evenly but lightly
and finally back into dry mix. Have oil piping hot in heavy skillet.
Brown pieces skin-side down for 4 to 6 minutes. Use medium high heat.
Turn and brown underside of pieces a few minutes. Transfer to an oiled
or Pam-sprayed 9x12x2 pan. Cover pan in foil, sealing it on only 3 side
of pan. Bake 350~ for about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove foil. Bake another
5 minutes just to crisp the coating. Serves 4

CHOCOLATE COCONUT CRUNCH COOKIES

Categories: Cookies
Yield: 4 dozen

2 c Flour
1 ts Baking soda
1/4 ts Salt
1 c Butter; unsalted, softened
3/4 c Brown sugar
2 Eggs; lightly beaten
2 ts Vanilla
1 ts Almond extract
2 c Coconut; shredded
12 oz Chocolate chips
1 1/2 c Almonds; lightly salted
-dry roasted, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 300. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour,
baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,
baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream
the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and almond extract.
Mix on low speed until blended. Add the flour mixture and mix just
until blended; do not overmix. add the coconut, chocolate chips, and
almonds and stir just until blended. Drop the dough by rounded tbsp
2" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

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.

Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls

Many people have hopped on the cloning bandwagon for
this recipe. Unfortunately the "clone" recipes that
are floating around out there for this dish are pretty
lame. So into the TSR test kitchen we go, and out comes
the closest thing you'll ever savor next to actually
eating the real thing. These "eggrolls" are made with
flour tortillas, stuffed with a spicy blend of corn,
green onions, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers,
monterey jack cheese and spices. When you add the creamy
avocado ranch dipping sauce, you're tastebuds will begin
to party. Make these several hours before you plan to serve
them so that they can freeze solid before frying. This will
help to make the outside a dark golden brown, and the
eggrolls will stay folded without letting any oil seep into
the filling. This is how they cook 'em at the restaurant
chain. And now you can check out the video for a hands-on
demonstration.

1 chicken breast fillet
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced, canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
five 7-inch flour tortillas

Avocado-ranch dipping sauce
1/4 cup smashed, fresh avocado (about half of an avocado)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash dried dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash pepper

Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped onion

1. Preheat barbecue grill to high heat.
2. Rub the chicken breast with some vegetable oil then grill
it on the barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done.
Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks.
Set chicken aside until it cools down enough to handle.
3. Preheat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet
over medium-high heat.
4. Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for a couple
minutes until tender.
5. Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan.
Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley,
cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Cook
for another 4 minutes. Stir well so that the spinach separates
and is incorporated into the mixture.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the
cheese is melted.
7. Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high
temperature for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot.
8. Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center
of a tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over
the mixture. Roll the tortilla very tight, then pierce with a
toothpick to hold together. Repeat with the remaining ingredients
until you have five eggrolls. Arrange the eggrolls on a plate,
cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Overnight is best.
9. While the eggrolls freeze prepare the avocado-ranch dipping
sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
10. Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees.
11. Deep fry the eggrolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and
remove to paper towels or a rack to drain for about 2 minutes.
12. Slice each eggroll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a
plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce. Garnish the
dipping sauce with the chopped tomato and onion.
Serves 3-4

Chili's Nacho Burger

Here's a clone recipe for a delicious new burger from Chili's
unlike any you may have tasted before. It was designed by
the folks at this popular chain to incorporate several of
restaurant's prepared sides -- all of which you will now
have clones for -- including Chili's chili queso, Chili's
pico de gallo, and Chili's guacamole. Stack it all onto a
bun with a juicy 1/4-pound ground beef patty and some crumbled
tortilla chips for crunch, and you've got a slightly spicy,
South-of-the-border taste. Muy bien, amigos!

Pico de Gallo
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced Spanish onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt

Guacamole
2 small or 1 large Haas avocado
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 teaspoon diced jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Chili Queso
3 ounces ground beef
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
16-ounce bottle Cheez Whiz
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 pounds ground beef
4 large sesame seed buns
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded or chopped thin
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
16-20 tortilla chips
2-3 fresh jalapenos, sliced

1. First make the pico de gallo. This is easy. Just combine all
of the ingredients for the pico in a small bowl and mix well.
Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
2. Now we'll make the guacamole. In a small bowl, smash up most
of the avocado, but be sure to leave several unsmashed chunks.
Add the remaining ingredients for the guacamole to the avocado
and mix well. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator, next to
the pico.
3. Next we'll make the chili queso. In yet another small bowl, mix
together ground beef, flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black
pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Use your hands to work the
dry ingredients into the ground beef. Brown the beef in a small
skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spoon or
spatula to crumble the beef as it cooks. Cook until it's brown,
then set aside.
4. Melt the Cheez Whiz with 2 tablespoons of milk over low heat.
When milk and cheese has been combined, add the remaining queso
ingredients. Heat while stirring often until cheese is smooth
and creamy, then cover saucepan and remove it from the heat.
5. Pre-heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.
Lightly butter the face of each bun and brown the buns face-down
on the heat.
6. Separate the ground beef into four 1/2-pound portions. Roll
each portion of meat into a ball and then pat the meat down into
a circular patty slightly larger in diameter than the hamburger
buns. Cook the hamburger patties for 5-10 minutes per side, until
done. Lightly salt and pepper each burger patty.
7. Build the burger open-faced in the following order starting
with the bottom bun:

On Bottom Bun
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
hamburger patty
2 tablespoons chili queso
4 or 5 crumbled tortilla chips
2 teaspoons green onion

On Top Bun
1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pico de gallo
2 tablespoons guacamole
4 jalapeno slices

Serve burger with extra queso and guacamole. May also serve french
fries on the side and use the chili queso for dipping.
Makes 4 burgers.

Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

What makes this dessert so special is the way it
comes to your table sizzling in a cast iron skillet.
just like fajitas. The chocolate chip cookie and graham
cracker crust "pie" is topped with a scoop of vanilla
ice cream, and then drizzled with chocolate and caramel
syrup. It's all served up in a hot skillet of cinnamon
butter. Yum! If you want to prepare this one just like
they do at the restaurant, you'll need one of those
skillets for each serving. Small iron skillets work the
best, but any 6 or 8-inch frying pan will do fine.
You just have to be sure your pan is super hot to get
that authentic Chili's "sizzle." If you don't have enough
of the right pans for each serving, you can slide it all
onto a plate. It may not have the sizzle of the real thing,
but it'll still taste awesome!

Cookie Layer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Crust Layer
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cinnamon Butter
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

9 scoops vanilla ice cream
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup
6 tablespoons chopped walnuts


1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a
medium bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and
sugar with an electric mixer. Continue beating for about
30 seconds or until mixture turns lighter in color. Add the egg,
milk, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
4. Slowly mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Beat until
well-combined and then mix in the coconut flakes. Set this cookie
dough aside for now.
5. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium bowl in the microwave
on high temperature for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and stir
well for 30 seconds. Add the graham cracker crumbs and stir. Press
this mixture into the bottom of a 9x9-inch baking dish or pan.
6. Sprinkle the cup of chocolate chips evenly over the graham cracker
crust.
7. Press the cookie dough into the dish, covering the chocolate
chips. Use flour on your fingers to keep the soft dough from sticking.

8. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the dough. Use your fingers to
press the nuts into the dough.
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges of the “pie” become
light brown.
10. Prepare the cinnamon butter by creaming together the butter,
sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl with an electric mixer on high
speed.
11. When you are ready to make your dessert, heat up a small skillet
over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, remove it from the heat
then add about 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon butter to the pan.
It should quickly melt and sizzle. Slice the “pie” into 9 pieces
and place one into the hot skillet. If the “pie” has cooled,
you can reheat each slice by zapping it in the microwave for
30-40 seconds.
12. Place a scoop of ice cream on top of the “pie.” Drizzle
chocolate and caramel syrup over the dessert and then sprinkle
about 2 teaspoons of chopped walnuts over the top. Repeat for
the remaining ingredients and serve sizzling in the skillet.
Makes 9 desserts.

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

It's an item that you won't even find on the current
menu at this national restaurant chain. But ask your
server what soups are available and this is a selection
that's available every day of the week. The dish is one
of Chili's most raved-about items, and a recipe to clone
the delicious soup is easily one of the most requested
here on the Internet. Looks like it's time for an official
TSR custom clone to answer those many requests. The secret
here is the addition of masa harina -- a corn flour that
you will find in your supermarket near the other flours
or in the Mexican food section. You'll find the recipe for
the pico de gallo garnish in the Chili's Nacho Burger clone
recipe from last November. Enjoy, amigos!

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb. of chicken breast fillets (approx. 3 fillets)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 ounces Velveeta
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Garnish
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled corn tortilla chips
pico de gallo

1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pot over medium heat.
Add chicken breasts to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side.
Set chicken aside.
2. Add onions and garlic to pot and sauté over medium heat for
about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent.
Add chicken broth.
3. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl
and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to pot with onions,
garlic and broth.
4. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot
and bring mixture to a boil.
5. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to
the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until
thick.
6. Serve soup in cups or bowls, and garnish with shredded cheddar
cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, and pico de gallo.
Makes approx. 12 servings.

Chili's Calypso Cooler

Ever order one of those expensive specialty drinks
off the shiny, full-color restaurant table-stand
cards and wish you had a clone recipe? This is one
of those drinks, off of one of those cards. And here's
the clone recipe.

1 1/4 ounces Captain Morgan spiced rum
1/2 ounce peach schnapps
4 ounces (1/2 cup) orange juice
splash Rose's lime juice
1/2 ounce grenadine

Garnish
orange wedge
maraschino cherry

1. Fill a 16-ounce glass with ice.
2. Pour all ingredients over ice in the order listed. Don't stir.
3. Garnish with an orange wedge and a cherry on a toothpick. Serve
with a straw.
Makes 1 drink.

Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings

This clone of Chili's new menu items gives us the
zesty flavor of traditional Buffalo chicken wings
without the bones or skin. That's because these "wings"
are actually nuggets sliced from chicken breast fillets
that are breaded and fried, then smothered with the same
type of spicy wing sauce used on typical wings. If you
like Buffalo wings, you'll love this recipe. Serve these
babies up with some celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing
on the side for dipping. Now you can actually eat Buffalo
wings with a fork!

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 chicken breast fillets
4-6 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup Crystal or Frank's Louisiana hot sauce
1 tablespoon margarine

On the side
bleu cheese dressing (for dipping)
celery sticks

1. Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Preheat 4-6 cups
of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
4. One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the
egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the
process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
5. When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on
a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
6. When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the
hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes or until each piece is browned.
7. As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and margarine in a
small bowl. Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the
margarine is melted, then stir to combine. You can also use a
small saucepan for this step. Just combine the hot sauce and
margarine in the saucepan over low heat and stir until margarine
is melted and ingredients are blended.
8. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate
lined with a couple paper towels.
9. Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a
large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the
container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken
is coated with sauce. Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve
the dish with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side.
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer.

Chili's Twisted Lemonade Twist

1 oz Sauza Commemoritiva Tequila
½ oz Cointreau
½ oz Presidente Brandy
½ oz Rose's lime juice
1/3 cup sweet & Sour mix



Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice.
Shake Pour drink into a martini glass rimmed with salt.
Serve the remainder of the drink in the shaker on the side.

Makes 1 serving.

Chili's Margarita Presidente

1 oz vodka
½ oz triple sec
1/3 cup sweet & sour mix
Lemon wedge



Fill a glass with crushed ice and add vodka and triple sec.
Top off the drink with sweet & sour mix. Add a lemon wedge
for garnish and serve.

Makes 1 serving.

Chi Chi's Mild Salsa

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Cn Stewed Tomatoes (14 Oz.) -- sliced
2 Large Green onions -- snipped*
1 Large Ripe Tomato -- cored and diced
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Ds Tabasco=AE Sauce -- or to taste

Cut up stewed tomatoes and combine in saucepan with onions, fresh tomato,
salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil. Boil hard 1 minute and remove at once
from heat. Put half of mixture through blender just to mince fine but not to
puree. Return to remaining half of mixture. Cool and refrigerate in tightly
covered container to use with a few weeks. Freezes well to use within 6=
months.

NOTE-For hot salsa, add 1 ts canned green chopped chilis or to taste,
freezing unused chilis to use in other recipes.

Chevys Mesquite-Grilled BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

With this secret recipe from the latest TSR low-lat book,
it isn't necessary to cook the chicken over a mesquite
grill as they do in the restaurant chain. Sure, you could
get some mesquite wood chips and throw 'em on your barbecue
or you can use that charcoal that has mesquite in it.
But an easier way to get the flavor of mesquite--especially
if all you've got is a gas grill--is to soak the chicken
in a marinade made with mesquite-flavored liquid smoke.
In the restaurant these puppies are made with red chili
tortillas. Since these type of tortillas can be a drag to
track down, especially in fat-free versions, we'll use plain
fat-free tortillas for our tasty reduced-fat clone.
Mesquite Marinade
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon mesquite-flavored liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash ground black pepper

Spicy BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup Bull's-Eye Original BBQ Sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash chili powder

1 boneless chicken breast
1/3 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced Spanish onion
2 large (12-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 1/3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1. Prepare the marinade by combining the ingredients in a medium
bowl. Add chicken breast fillet to the bowl, cover, and chill for
one hour.
2. When the chicken is finished marinating, preheat your grill to
high temperature.
3. As grill is heating, prepare the spicy BBQ sauce by mixing the
ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Throw the chicken on the grill and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes
per side or until it's done. When the chicken is done cooking, chop it into bite-size pieces.
5. Spray a light coating of nonstick cooking spray on a medium
skillet over medium heat. Sauté the sliced peppers and onion in
the pan for 4 to 5 minutes or until the veggies start to brown.
6. Set a large skillet over medium/low heat.
7. Put one flour tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle 1/3 cup
of cheese over half of the tortilla. Spoon half of the vegetables
over the cheese, followed by half of the chicken.
8. Spoon a generous portion of the spicy BBQ sauce over the chicken,
followed by another 1/3 cup of cheese.
9. Fold the other side of the tortilla over the filling, and press
down so that it stays in place.
10. By this time, the cheese on the bottom should be melted. If not,
wait another minute or so, then flip the quesadilla over and heat
for another couple minutes or until all of the cheese has melted.
11. Slide the quesadilla onto a plate and slice it into 4 pieces.
Repeat for the second quesadilla and serve immediately with salsa
on the side.
Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size – 2 pieces
Total servings – 4

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.

McDonald's Yogurt Parfait

This one's super easy to make, plus it's low fat and delicious.
The yogurt in the original is very sweet and creamy, like Yoplait.
So that's the brand that you should use, although any brand of
vanilla yogurt will work fine. If you use Yoplait, you'll need two
6-ounce containers of the stuff per serving. For the granola,
just look for one that contains mostly oats. It should be crunchy
and sweet (such as "maple" flavor) and can also include puffed
rice bits. You can even make these a day or two ahead of time.
Keep them covered in the fridge, and hold off on the granola
topping until you serve 'em up or it'll get mighty soggy.

4 cups vanilla-flavored low-fat yogurt (or 8 6-ounce containers
of Yoplait)
2 10-ounce boxes sliced strawberries with sugar added, thawed
1/3 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup crunchy, sweet granola

1. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt into a parfait cup or tall glass.
2. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries into the glass on top of the yogurt.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of blueberries to the glass.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt over the fruit.
5. Sprinkle granola over the top and serve. Repeat for remaining
3 servings.
Makes 4 servings.

McDonald's Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

This recipe clones one of those sauces you get with your
order of McNuggets at the world's largest hamburger outlet.
Now, instead of shoving a fistful of the little green packs
into your backpack, you can make up a batch of your own to
use as a dip for store bought nuggets, chicken fingers, fried
shrimp, and tempura. Or you can even use this as a sauce
for the traditional Chinese sweet and sour dish (with pineapple,
bell pepper, onion, and sautéed chicken or pork.) It's a
simple recipe that requires a food processor or a blender,
and the sauce will keep well for some time in the fridge.

1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water

1. Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor
or a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.
2. Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water,
stir, and bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for five
minutes, stirring often. When the sauce has thickened, remove
it from the heat and let it cool. Store sauce in a covered
container in the refrigerator.
Makes about 3/4 cup.

McDonald's Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches

Steak & Egg Bagel

Sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 slice of white onion, quartered
1 14-ounce pkg. Steak-Umm chopped steak (7 steaks)

4 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
salt
ground black pepper
4 plain bagels
8 slices Kraft Singles American cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise with
the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside until you
are ready to use it.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over
medium heat. Separate the onion slices and sauté in the oil until
light brown.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Break up the sandwich
steak into the hot pan and cook until brown. Drain off fat. Add the
grilled onions to the meat and stir.
4. To make the eggs it's best to make one at a time in a small 6-inch
skillet. If you have more than one of these small pans, you can save
a little time.
5. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth, but
not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Heat a small
6-inch skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter to the pan.
When the butter has melted add the egg to the pan. Swirl the pan so
that the egg spreads evenly. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula
to pull in a couple of the edges so that raw egg flows from the top
onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the
edges of the egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch.
Fold the opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges
over, creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelet. Flip the
little omelet over and turn off the heat.
6. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking
sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven, set on
broil, until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this
step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small
baking sheet or on aluminum foil.
7. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the
sauce onto the face of the top bagel half.
8. Place a slice of cheese onto the face of each bagel half.
9. Divide the meat into four portions and stack one portion onto the
cheese on the bottom bagel half.
10. Place the finished omelet onto the meat on the bottom half of the
sandwich.
11. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the
bottom. Heat for 15 seconds in microwave if needed to warm.
Makes 4 servings.

McDonald's Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches

Spanish Omelet Bagel

Sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

2 teaspoons minced green pepper
2 teaspoons minced white onion
4 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
salt
ground black pepper
8 ounces breakfast sausage

4 plain bagels
4 slices Kraft Singles American cheese
4 slices Kraft Singles Monterey Jack cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise
with the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside
until you are ready to use it.
2. To prepare the eggs it's best to make one at a time
in a small 6-inch skillet. If you have more than one of
these small pans, you can save a little time.
3. First preheat pan over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced green pepper along with 1/2 teaspoon
minced white onion to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes,
or until soft.
4. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth,
but not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Add the
egg to the pan with the vegetables. Swirl the pan so that the egg
spreads out. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula to pull in a
couple of the edges so that raw egg flows from the top onto the hot
pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the edges of the
egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch. Fold the
opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges over,
creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelet. Flip the little
omelets over and turn off the heat.
5. Press the sausage into four 2-ounce patties approximately the size
of the bagel. Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat
until brown. Drain when done.
6. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking
sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven, set on
broil, until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this
step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small
baking sheet or on aluminum foil.
7. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the
sauce onto the face of the bottom bagel half.
8. Place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese onto the face of the bottom
bagel half.
9. Place a sausage patty on the cheese on the Jack cheese.
10. Place the finished omelet onto the sausage and then place the
American cheese on the omelet.
11. Finish the sandwich with the bagel top and heat for 15 seconds
in the microwave if needed to warm. Repeat for remaining servings.
Makes 4 servings.

McDonald's Shakes

All right, it's the middle of summer and it's dang hot out.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could whip up a little something
to help keep those beads of sweat from rollin'? Check out
how simple it is to recreate any of the three flavors of
McDonald's thick shakes from scratch. Just three ingredients
to each clone. And the secret ingredient for the chocolate
and strawberry flavors is Nesquik mix. How McEasy is that?
Throw everything in a blender and press a button -- the one
on the right. And if you want your shake thicker, just put
it in the freezer for a while. That's it!

Vanilla Shake
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/4 cups low fat milk
3 tablespoons sugar

Chocolate Shake
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/4 cups low fat milk
2 tablespoons chocolate flavor Nesquik mix

Strawberry Shake
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/4 cups low fat milk
3 tablespoons strawberry flavor Nesquik mix

1. Combine all ingredients for the shake flavor of your choice
in a blender and mix on high speed until smooth. Stop blender,
stir and blend again, if necessary to combine ingredients.
2. Pour into two 12-ounce cups.
Serves 2.

McDonald's Lobster Sandwich

Yes, this actually exists. On an excursion through some New
England states I practically drove off the road when I first
saw a sign advertising lobster at this fast food chain. I just
had to get a closer look. That's when I discovered that this
unique sandwich is served only at select McDonald's locations,
mostly in Maine, for a limited time only during the summer months.
It's basically a lobster salad served on a hoagie roll with some
lettuce, but with fresh Maine lobster, is quite tasty.
Since you can't get this anywhere else, I figured this sandwich
was a prime candidate for kitchen cloning. Here's a recipe to
make a version of your own that has never before been published.

1\2 cup cooked Maine Lobster (fresh is best)
1\2 tablespoon mayonnaise
pinch salt
1 lettuce leaf
small hoagie roll

1. Mix together lobster, mayonnaise and salt.
2. Slice hoagie roll length wise, and spread the lettuce leaf on
the bottom half.
3. Spread lobster over lettuce. Top off sandwich with top half of
the roll.
Makes 1 sandwich.

McDonald's Hot Mustard Sauce

I finally got on the case to bring you the definitive kitchen
clone for this one - and it's a cinch! Tie one hand behind
your back and witness plain old ground dried mustard mixing
it up with sweet and sour flavors in a saucepan over medium heat.
The cornstarch wrangles around in there to thicken and stabilize
while Captain Habanero pops in for the perfect spicy punch.
Use it for dipping, use it for spreading, use it again and again,
since you'll make about a cup of the stuff. And McDonald's will
be glad that we no longer need to hoard the little blister packs
from the restaurants.

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons ground dried mustard
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
10-14 drops habanero hot sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a small uncovered saucepan. Whisk
until smooth.
2. Turn heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often.
Sauce should thicken in 2 to 3 minutes after it begins to boil.
Remove sauce from heat and chill in refrigerator in a covered
container.
Makes 1 cup.

McDonald's Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches

Ham & Egg Bagel

Sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

4 eggs
salt
ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
8-ounces deli-sliced ham (2 to 3 slices per sandwich)
4 plain bagels
8 slices Kraft Singles American cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise with
the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside until you
are ready to use it.
2. To prepare the eggs it's best to make one at a time in a
small 6-inch skillet. If you have more than one of these small
pans, you can save a little time.
3. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth,
but not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Heat
a small 6-inch skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter
to the pan. When the butter has melted add the egg to the pan.
Swirl the pan so that the egg spreads evenly. As the egg begins to
cook, use a spatula to pull in a couple of the edges so that raw
egg flows from the top onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes,
then fold over one of the edges of the egg using a spoon or fork.
Fold it down about an inch. Fold the opposite end over as well.
Then fold the remaining two edges over, creating a small rectangular
or square mini-omelet. Flip the little omelet over and turn off the
heat.
4. Heat up the ham in a covered dish in the microwave for 1 minute.
This will make it hot, and keep it from drying.
5. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking
sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven, set on
broil, until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this
step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small
baking sheet or on aluminum foil.
6. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the
sauce onto the face of the top bagel half.
7. Place a slice of cheese onto the face of each bagel half.
8. Place the finished omelet onto the cheese on the bottom half of
the sandwich.
9. Place the ham onto the egg.
10. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the
bottom. Heat for 15 seconds in microwave if needed to warm.
Makes 4 servings.

McDonald's Breakfast Burrito

It was in the late seventies, shortly after McDonald's had
introduced the Egg McMuffin, that the food giant realized the
potential of a quick, drive-thru breakfast. Soon, the company
had developed several breakfast selections, including the Big
Breakfast with eggs, hash browns, and sausage. Eventually one
out of every four breakfasts eaten on the go would be served
at McDonald's - an impressive statistic indeed. The newest
kid on the McBreakfast block is this morning meal in a tortilla,
first offered on the menu in 1991.

4 ounces breakfast sausage
1 tablespoon minced white onion
1/2 tablespoon minced mild green chilies (canned)
4 eggs, beaten
salt
pepper
4 8-inch flour tortillas
4 slices American cheese

On the side
salsa

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Crumble the sausage
into the pan, then add the onion. Sauté the sausage and onion
for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sausage is browned.
2. Add the mild green chilies and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
3. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and scramble the eggs with
the sausage and vegetables. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
4. Heat up the tortillas by steaming them in the microwave in
moist paper towels or a tortilla steamer for 20 to 30 seconds.
5. Break each slice of cheese in half and position two halves
end-to-end in the middle of each tortilla.
6. To make the burrito, spoon 1/4 of the egg filling onto the
cheese in a tortilla. Fold one side of the tortilla over the
filling, then fold up about two inches of one end. Fold over the
other side of the tortilla to complete the burrito (one end should
remain open). Serve hot with salsa on the side, if desired.
Makes 4 burritos.

McDonald's Biscuits

Them's the biscuits served at America's most popular stop
for breakfast, partners - simple to make and gosh darn tasty.
Get yourself some Bisquick and buttermilk and crank up the
oven for a clone that's become one very frequent request.

2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons margarine, melted and divided

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine the baking mix, buttermilk, sugar, salt, and half of
the melted margarine in a medium bowl. Mix until well blended.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 30
seconds, or until dough becomes elastic.
4. Roll dough to about 3/4-inch thick and punch out biscuits using
a 3-inch cutter. Arrange the punched-out dough on an ungreased
baking sheet, and bake for 10 to12 minutes or until the biscuits
are golden on top and have doubled in height.
5. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush each one
with a light coating of the remaining melted margarine. Serve warm.
Makes 8 biscuits.

McDonald's BigXtra!

McDonald's roll-out of the BigXtra! is another bomb dropped on
the battlefield of the latest burger war. Burger King took the
first shot by introducing the Big King - a pretty good clone of
McDonald's signature Big Mac, with a bit more meat and no middle bun.
Then Mickey D's fired back with a clone of Burger King's popular
Whopper, to be exact. That's just under 5 ounces of ground beef,
stacked on a huge sesame seed bun, with the same ingredients you
would find piled on the Whopper - lettuce, onion, tomato, ketchup,
mayo, and pickles. Plus McDonald's addition of a special spice
sprinkled on the beef as it cooks. It's all very tasty.
Especially if you like Whoppers. Today the Big Xtra! is less extra,
having been shrunk down and renamed Big 'N Tasty.

1 large sesame seed bun (4 3/4-inch diameter)
5 ounces ground beef
seasoned salt
ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped onion
3 pickle slices (hamburger style)
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1 large tomato slice
non-stick cooking spray

1. Form the ground beef into a very large patty on wax paper.
Make it approximately 5 1/2 to 6 inches in diameter (the meat
should shrink to the perfect size for the buns when cooked). Freeze
this patty for a couple hours before cooking.
2. Grill the faces of the hamburger bun in a hot skillet over medium
heat. Grill until the buns are golden brown. Leave pan hot.
3. Grill the frozen patty in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Sprinkle one side with seasoned salt and ground black pepper.
4. Prepare the rest of the burger by first spreading the 2 teaspoons
of ketchup on the face of the top bun. Follow the ketchup with the
tablespoon of mayonnaise.
5. Stack the onion onto the top bun next, followed by the pickles and
lettuce. Add the tomato slice to the top of the stack.
6. When the beef patty is done cooking, use a spatula to arrange it on
the bottom bun. Turn the top of the burger over onto the bottom and
serve.
Makes 1 hamburger.

McDonald's Big Mac Sauce ("Special Sauce")

If you like Big Macs, it's probably because of that tasty
"secret" spread that is plopped onto both decks of the world's
most popular double-decker hamburger. So what's so special
about this sauce? After all, it's basically just thousand island
dressing, right? Pretty much. But this sauce has a bit more sweet
pickle relish in it than a typical thousand island salad slather.
Also, I found that this clone comes close to the original with the
inclusion of French dressing. It's an important ingredient -
ketchup just won't do it. That, along with a sweet & sour flavor
that comes from vinegar and sugar, makes this sauce go well on
any of your home burger creations, whether they're Big Mac clones
or not. This is the closest "special sauce" clone you'll find
anywhere.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well.
2. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for several
hours, or overnight, so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a
couple of times as it chills.
Makes about 3/4 cup.

McDonald's Arch Deluxe

In 1996, McDonald's set out to target more educated tastebuds
in a massive advertising campaign for its newest burger creation.
We watched while Ronald McDonald golfed, danced, and leisurely
hung out with real-life grown-up humans, instead of the puffy
Mayor McCheese and that bunch of wacko puppets. Supposedly the
Arch Deluxe, with the "Adult Taste", would appeal to those dancers
and golfers and anyone else with a sophisticated palate. But let's
face it, we're not talking Beef Wellington here. The Arch Deluxe
is just a hamburger, after all, with only a couple of elements
that set it apart from the other menu items. The big difference
is the creamy brown mustard spread on the sandwich right next to
the ketchup. And the burger is assembled on a sesame seed potato
roll (which actually tastes very much like your common hamburger bun).
Also, you can order the burger with the optional thick-sliced
peppered bacon, for an extra ka-ching. Okay, so the plan hasn't
quite worked out the way Micky D's had hoped. Sales of the Arch
Deluxe have been disappointing, to say the least. That's why I
thought this would be a good recipe to clone. You know, for all
of you who have been struggling to get by without the Arch Deluxe
in your lives. The Arch Deluxe may have gone on to join the McD.L.T
and the McLean Deluxe on the great list of fast food duds from our
past. But you can now create a delicious kitchen facsimile of your
own with this recipe. And hopefully, in the meantime, Ronald has
gone back to work.

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard (French's "Hearty Deli" is good)
1 sesame seed hamburger bun
1/4 pound ground beef
1 slice American cheese
1 to 2 tomato slices
1 to 2 lettuce leaves, chopped
1/2 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons chopped onion

1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and the brown mustard.
Set aside.
2. Grill the face of each of the buns on a griddle or frying pan over
medium heat.
3. Roll the ground beef into a ball and pat it out until it's
approximately the same diameter as the bun.
4. Cook meat on hot griddle or frying pan for about 5 minutes per
side or until done. Be sure to lightly salt and pepper each side of
the patty.
5. Build the burger in the following order, from the bottom up:

On Bottom Bun
beef patty
American cheese slice
1 to 2 tomato slices
lettuce

On Top Bun
mayo/mustard
ketchup
onions

6. Slap the top onto the bottom and serve hot.
Makes one burger.

Tidbits

If you can find thick-sliced pepper bacon in your supermarket, you
can add it to the burger just as you could at the restaurant chain.
Cut one slice in half after cooking and place the slices next to
each other onto the bottom bun before adding the beef patty.

McDonald's Big Mac Sauce

1 c Miracle Whip
1/3 c sweet relish
1/4 c French dressing (orange not red)
1 T sugar
1/4 t black pepper
1 t minced onion

Mix Ingredients Well.

MCDonald's Apple Muffin

21 oz Apple pie filling
3 Eggs
2 ts Apple pie spice
18 oz Yellow cake mix

Beat all together with electric mixer on medium-speed.
Divide batter equally between 24 paper-lined cupcake
wells. Bake 350~ 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted
comes out clean. Cool before peeling off paper liners.

Chevys Fresh Salsa

Whip out the food processor and fire up the grill
because you’ll need these essential tools to clone
one of the best restaurant salsas in the business.
The key to recreating the flavor of the real deal
is to fire roast the tomatoes and the jalapenos,
and to add a little mesquite-flavored liquid smoke.
The restaurant chain uses a mesquite grill, so these
steps are crucial to getting the same smoky flavor
as the addictive restaurant version. Chevys uses chipotle
peppers, or smoked red jalapeno peppers. But unless you
grow your own jalapenos, it may be difficult to find the
riper red variety in your local supermarket. For this recipe,
the green jalapeno peppers will work fine.

6 medium tomatoes
10 jalapenos (red is best)
1/4 of a medium Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite-flavored liquid smoke

1. Preheat your barbecue grill to high temperature.
2. Remove any stems from the tomatoes, then rub some oil over
each tomato. You can leave the stems on the jalapenos.
3. Place the tomatoes on the grill when it’s hot. After about
10 minutes, place all of the jalapenos onto the grill. In about
10 minutes you can turn the tomatoes and the peppers. When almost
the entire surface of the peppers has charred black you can remove
them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but
when the skin begins to come off they are done. Put the peppers
and tomatoes on a plate and let them cool.
4. When the tomatoes and peppers have cooled, remove most of the
skin from the tomatoes and place them into a food processor.
Pinch the stem end from each of the peppers and place them into
the food processor as well. Toss out the liquid that remains on
the plate.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and puree
on high speed for 5-10 seconds or until the mixture has a smooth
consistency.
6. Place the salsa into a covered container and chill for several
hours or overnight while the flavors develop.
Makes approximately 2 cups.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic

Louisianna chef Paul Prudhomme, America's number
one Dom DeLuise look a like, hit it big in supermarkets
with his magical brand of Cajun spice blends. Chef Paul
developed his seasonings after years of making little
batches and passing them out to customers in the restaurants
where he worked. Now his Magic Seasoning Blends come in
several varieties and are produced in a whopping 30,000-
square-foot plant by 38 employees. Fortunately, it'll take
only one of you in a small kitchen to make a clone of one
of the most popular versions of the blend. Use it when you
barbecue, roast, grill, or sauté your favorite chicken, turkey,
duck, or Cornish game hens.

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
dash cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in a covered
container. Sprinkle on any poultry to taste.
Makes 4 teaspoons.

Carl's Jr. Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich

We'll use elements of the Carl's Jr. Bacon Swiss
Crispy Chicken Sandwich clone recipe to whip up one
of the other Carl's Jr. crispy chicken sandwiches,
because I always say you can never have too much crispy
chicken. This fried chicken breast sandwich includes
lettuce and tomato, and is slathered with a clone of Carl's
tasty ranch dressing. Use the recipes together and you
can easily serve up two different sandwich clones for
different tastes, with little extra effort. And you diners
will be so impressed.

Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

6 to 8 cups vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 chicken breast fillets
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices

1. Preheat 6 to 8 cups of shortening in a deep fryer to 350
degrees. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can also pan
fry using a large frying pan, and just a couple cups of shortening.
2. To prepare the ranch dressing, combine all of the ingredients
except the water and gelatin in small bowl. Mix the water with
the gelatin in a small cup until all of the gelatin is dissolved.
Add this gelatin solution to the other ingredients and stir.
Cover and chill the dressing until it's needed.
3. Beat the egg and then combine with 1 cup of water in a small,
shallow bowl. Stir.
4. Combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic
powder in another shallow bowl.
5. Pound each of the breast fillets with a mallet until about
1/4-inch thick. Trim each breast fillet until it is round.
6. Working with one fillet at a time, first coat each fillet
with the flour, then dredge it in the egg and water mixture.
Coat the chicken once again in the flour and set it aside until
all of the fillets have been coated.
7. Fry the chicken fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until light
brown and crispy.
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 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ranch dressing on the face
of the top and bottom buns.
9. On the bottom bun, stack a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice.
10. When the chicken is done frying, remove the fillets from the
fryer and drain on paper towels or a rack for a couple minutes.
11. Stack one fillet on the bottom of the sandwich (on top of
the tomato), then top it off with the top bun. Repeat the
stacking process for each of the sandwiches.
Makes 4 sandwiches.

Carl's Jr. Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich

If you love crispy chicken sandwiches - and especially
if you don't live in the West - you'll want to try out
this clone of the tasty Carl's Jr. creation. The recipe
makes four of the addicting chicken sandwiches from the
California-based chain, but will also come in handy for
making a delicious homemade ranch dressing. Try using
some lean turkey bacon, fat-free Swiss cheese, and fat-free
mayonnaise if you feel like cutting back on the fat.
Then you can eat two.

Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

6 to 8 cups vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 chicken breast fillets
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices
Kraft Swiss cheese Singles
8 slices bacon, cooked

1. Preheat 6 to 8 cups of shortening in a deep fryer to 350
degrees. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can also pan
fry using a large frying pan and just a couple cups of shortening.
2. To prepare the ranch dressing, combine all of the ingredients
except the water and gelatin in small bowl. Mix the water with
the gelatin in a small cup until all of the gelatin is dissolved.
Add this gelatin solution to the other ingredients and stir. Cover
and chill the dressing until it's needed.
3. Beat the egg and then combine with 1 cup water in a small,
shallow bowl. Stir.
4. Combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder and garlic
powder in another shallow bowl.
5. Pound each of the breast fillets with a mallet until about
1/4-inch thick. Trim each breast fillet until it is round.
6. Working with one fillet at a time, first coat each fillet
with the flour, then dredge it in the egg and water mixture.
Coat the chicken once again in the flour and set it aside until
all of the fillets have been coated.
7. Fry the chicken fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until light
brown and crispy.
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 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ranch dressing on the face
of the top and bottom buns.
9. On the bottom bun, stack a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice.
10. When the chicken is done frying, remove the fillets from the
fryer and drain them on paper towels or a rack for a couple minutes.
11. Stack one fillet on the bottom of the sandwich (on top of the
tomato), then stack a slice of the Swiss cheese onto the chicken.
12. Arrange the bacon, crosswise, on top of the Swiss cheese, then
top off the sandwich with the top bun. Repeat the stacking process
for each of the remaining sandwiches.
Makes 4 sandwiches.

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.

Burger King Breakfast Sandwiches

You can have your eggs and sausage and biscuits
sitting next to each other on the plate like
all the traditional folks out there, or you
can get vertical with this top secret breakfast-in-sandwich
from the world's number two fast food chain.
And if you prefer a croissant to a biscuit,
I've got that version for you, too (along with
the special way to get bigger, circular croissants).
A great way to make the eggs for these breakfast
sandwiches is to pour the beaten egg into a well-greased
mold made from an empty pineapple can. Just cut both
ends off an 8-ounce pineapple can - you know, the short
cans that have crushed or sliced pineapple inside.
Oh, and take the pineapple out. Then, before you know it,
you'll be making perfectly round eggs like the fast food pros.

Biscuit Sandwich
1 small can (5 biscuits) Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits
melted butter
Non-stick cooking spray
5 eggs
salt
ground black pepper
10 ounces ground breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean) or 10
slices of bacon
5 slices American cheese

1. Prepare biscuits following instructions on the can
(bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes). When you remove the
biscuits from the oven brush the top of each with melted butter.

2. Spray a skillet over medium heat with non-stick cooking spray.
Open both ends of a clean, small, sliced pineapple can. Spray the
inside of the empty can with the non-stick spray, and then place
the can in the pan to heat up. Use more than one can if you'd like
to speed up the cooking process.
3. Beat an egg, then pour it into the empty can mold, add a bit
of salt and pepper, and cover with a saucepan lid. Cook for a
couple minutes, then scrape a knife around the edge of the egg
to release it. Remove the can, then turn the egg over and cook
it for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
4. If using sausage, form 2-ounce portions of sausage into patties
with the same diameter as the biscuits. Cook the sausage in another
hot skillet over medium heat until brown. If using bacon, cook the
bacon and drain on paper towels.
5. Slice a biscuit in half through the middle. Build each sandwich
by first stacking egg on the bottom half of the biscuit.
Next arrange sausage (or 2 slices of bacon) on the egg,
then a slice of American cheese. Top off each sandwich with
the top biscuit half, then zap it in the microwave for 15 to 20
seconds to help melt the cheese. Repeat with the remaining
ingredients.
Makes 5 sandwiches.

Croissan'wich®
1 8-ounce can Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls
4 eggs
salt
ground black pepper
8 ounces ground breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean) or 8
slices of bacon
4 slices American cheese

1. Prepare the rolls by first unrolling the dough out of the can.
Separate the dough into four sections, each made up of two triangles.
Detach the triangles by tearing along the diagonal perforation,
then reattach the dough along the outside parallel edges,
pinching the dough together along the middle. This will make one
bigger triangle. Loosely roll the dough, from the wide end,
all the way up. Now, bring the ends around so that they overlap
and the roll is in the shape of a circle. Press the ends together
and place the roll onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining
dough, then bake following the directions on the package
(bake at 375 degrees for 11 to13 minutes).
2. When the rolls are done baking build the sandwich using the
above steps 2 through 5 in the recipe for the biscuit sandwich clone.
Makes 4 sandwiches.

Burger King BK Broiler

This grilled chicken sandwich was introduced by
America's number-two burger chain in 1990, and
soon after the launch the BK Broiler was selling
at a rate of over a million a day. Not good news
for chickens.
This one's easy to duplicate at home. To clone
the shape of the chicken served at the burger giant,
you'll simply slice the chicken breasts in half,
and pound each piece flat with a mallet. Pounding
things is fun. Let the chicken marinate and then
fire up the grill. The recipe makes four sandwiches
and can be easily doubled if necessary for a king-size
munch fest.

Marinade
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon oregano
dash onion powder
dash parsley

2 chicken breast fillets
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
1 1/3 cups chopped lettuce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
8 tomato slices

1. Make the marinade by combining the ingredients in a medium
bowl.
2. Prepare the chicken by cutting each breast in half. Fold a
piece of plastic wrap around each piece of chicken and pound
the meat with a tenderizing mallet until it is about 1/4 - inch
thick and about the same diameter as the hamburger buns. Place
the chicken into the marinade, cover it, and chill for at least
four hours. Overnight is even better.
3. Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat. Grill the
chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done.
4. Toast the faces of the hamburger buns in a pan or griddle, in
a toaster oven, or facedown on the grill. Watch the buns closely
to be certain that the faces turn only light brown and do not burn.

5. Build each sandwich from the top down by first spreading about
a tablespoon of the mayonnaise on the toasted face of a top bun.
6. Spread about 1/3 cup of chopped lettuce over the mayonnaise.
7. Arrange two tomato slices on the lettuce.
8. Place a chicken breast on the toasted face of the bottom bun.
9. Flip the top part of the sandwich over onto the bottom and scarf
out.
Serves 4.


Tidbits
Liquid smoke is a flavoring found near the barbecue sauces and
marinades. Use hickory-flavored liquid smoke if you have a choice.

Burger King

The Burger Wars are becoming the biggest food
fight since that cafeteria scene from the movie
"Animal House". The two burger giants, McDonald's
and Burger King, have each been cloning the other's
top products in the bloody battle for the big burger buck.
Burger King stepped up first with the Big King -
Burger King's version of the McDonald's Big Mac.
Yes, it had two all beef patties, special sauce,
lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun;
although everything was arranged a bit differently,
and there's no middle bun in there. Then McDonald's
rolled out the Big N' Tasty, which bore a striking
resemblance to Burger King's Whopper, with fresh lettuce,
tomato, and onion on top of a huge beef patty.
Who's winning this fight by leveraging the popularity
of the other company's product? Nobody, really.
McDonald's chose to alter its Big N' Tasty recipe
by making it smaller n' cheaper, then changed the name
to Big Xtra!, while Burger King bailed out on the Big King
altogether. But this food fight is far from over.
More recently Burger King tweaked its french fry formula
in an unsuccessful attempt to steal away fans from McDonald's
winning fried spuds recipe. And McDonald's has added more
breakfast sandwiches to compete with Burger King's wider
wake-up selection. So the war continues. And the battlefield
is splattered with ketchup.

Spread
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons French dressing
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
dash salt
dash pepper
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
1 1/3 cups chopped lettuce
8 slices American cheese
1 to 2 slices white onion, separated
8 dill pickle slices

1. Prepare the spread by combining the ingredients in a small
bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it.
2. Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat.
3. Divide the ground beef into 8 even portions (3 ounces each).
Roll each portion into a ball, then press each ball flat to
form a patty about the same diameter as the bun.
4. Grill the beef patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until
done. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the patties.
5. As the meat cooks, brown the faces of the buns in a hot skillet,
toaster oven, or face down on the grill. Watch the buns closely so
that they do not burn.
6. Build each burger by first spreading a tablespoon of the spread
on the face of the top bun. Arrange about 1/3 cup of lettuce evenly
over the spread.
7. On the bottom bun stack a patty, then a slice of American cheese,
another patty, and another slice of cheese.
8. On the top slice of cheese arrange 2-3 separated onion slices
(rings), then 2 pickle slices.
9. Turn the top part of the burger over onto the bottom and serve.
You may also want to zap the sandwiches in the microwave,
individually, for 15 to 20 seconds each.
Serves 4.

Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce

1/2 C. chopped onions
1 (8 oz.) can tomatoes sauce
1 C. water (OPTION: Beer)
1 1/4 C. ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
1 T. olive oil
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco sauce

Combine ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
I cooked this for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce reduced
itself and tasted good. If you taste the sauce before simmering,
it will not taste as good as when the flavors have melded,
but after cooking it is great.

Just like the 'real' sauce on barbecued pork steaks. For
the original, do not use beer.

Boston Market Meatloaf

In the early 90s Boston Chicken was on a roll.
The home meal replacement chain's stock was
soaring and the lines were filled with hungry
customers waiting to sink their teeth into a
serving of the chain's delicious rotisserie chicken.
So successful was the chain with chicken, that the
company quickly decided it was time to introduce other
entrée selections, the first of which was a delicious
barbecue sauce-covered ground sirloin meatloaf.
But offering the other entrées presented the company
with a dilemma: what to do about the name. The bigwigs
decided it was time to change the name to Boston Market,
to reflect a wider menu. That meant replacing signs on
hundreds of units and retooling the marketing campaigns.
That name change, plus rapid expansion of the chain
and growth of other similar home-style meal concepts
sent the company into a tailspin. By 1988, Boston Market's
goose was cooked: the company filed for bankruptcy.
Soon McDonald's stepped in to purchase the company,
with the idea of closing many of the stores for good,
and slapping Golden Arches on the rest. But that plan
was scrapped when, after selling many of the under-performing
Boston Markets, the chain began to fly once again.
Within a year of the acquisition Boston Market was profitable,
and those meals with the home-cooked taste are still being
served at over 700 Boston Market restaurants across the country.

1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Kraft original barbecue sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin (10 percent fat)
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/4 tbsp 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, ground pepper,
and garlic powder. 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 that 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.

Boston Market Meatloaf

1 cup tomato sauce
1½ tbsp Kraft barbecue sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1½ lbs 10% fat ground sirloin
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
¾ tbsp salt
½ tbsp onion powder
¼ tbsp ground black pepper
dash garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400°F. 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.

In a large bowl, add all but 2 tbsp 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. 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.

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.

After 30 minutes, take the meatloaf from the oven, remove the
foil and, if you aren't using a meatloaf pan, drain the fat.
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 tbsp of sauce over
the top of the meatloaf, in a stream down the center. Don't spread
the sauce. 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.

Makes 4 servings.