Top Secret Recipes

Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins' idea to franchise their ice
cream stores for rapid growth was so inspired that the
company's former milk shake machine salesman, Ray Kroc,
adopted the technique to successfully expand his new chain
of McDonald's hamburger outlets.
Ice cream is this chain's staple. So this coffee drink,
unlike the Frappuccino made famous by Starbucks, requires
adding ice cream for a creamy texture and rich taste.
If you've got a blender you can clone either of the two
varieties of this refreshing coffee beverage. For
chocoholics bent on everything mocha, just add some
chocolate syrup to the mix.

Cappuccino
1 cup double-strength coffee (see Tidbits)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping cup vanilla ice cream
2 cups crushed ice or ice cubes

Garnish
whipped cream
cinnamon

1. Combine the strong coffee, milk and sugar in a blender
and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar.
2. Add ice cream and ice then blend on high speed until smooth
and creamy.
3. Pour drink into two 16-ounce glasses. If desired, add
whipped cream to the top of each drink followed by a sprinkle
of cinnamon.
Makes 2 large drinks.

Mocha
For this version, add 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup to
the recipe above and prepare as described.

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.

Serving Size : 12
 
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.

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

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.

Okay, wash out the blender; this one's been
begging to be cloned for years now. Arby's
famous Jamocha Shake was one of the first frozen
coffee drinks to gain popularity, even before
Starbucks pummeled us with Frappuccinos. This
thick drink is actually more milk shake than
coffee drink, but if you like the original,
you'll love this easy-to-make clone that serves two.

1 cup cold coffee
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups vanilla ice cream
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1. Combine the coffee, milk, and sugar in a blender and
mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add ice cream, and chocolate syrup then blend on high
speed until smooth and creamy. Stop blender and stir mixture
with a spoon if necessary to help blend ingredients.
3. Pour drink into two 16-ounce glasses.
Makes 2 large drinks.

4 cups cooked rice
1 cup frozen peas - thawed
2 tbsp finely grated carrot
2 eggs - beaten
½ cup diced onion
1½ tbsp butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt
pepper

Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups
water to a boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat
and simmer in covered saucepan for 20 minutes). Pour rice
into a large bowl to let it cool in the refrigerator. Scramble
the eggs in a small pan over medium heat. Separate the scrambled
chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking. When rice
has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot,
scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl. Carefully toss all
of the ingredients together. Melt 1½ tbsp of butter in a large
frying pan over medium/high heat. When butter has completely
melted, dump the bowl of rice and other ingredients into the
pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper. Cook
rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.

Makes 4 servings.

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
14 c Dried Onions Reconstitute in
1/4 c Hot Water 5 minutes
24 Oz-Jar Great Northern Beans
1 c Hunt's Ketchup
1/2 c Open Pit Hickory Flavored Bbq Sauce
1 lg Can Baked Beans

While onions are softening, empty jar of northern
beans into a 4-quart baking dish or pan. Add pork and
beans to northern beans. Stir in onion, ketchup, BBQ
sauce and ham. Bake, uncovered at 350~ about 30-35
minutes or until piping hot. Stir 2-3 times during
baking. Refrigerate covered, to use in 1 week. Freeze
to use in 4 months.

Applebee's 60-item menu is revised twice a year.
That means about 40 percent of the entire menu
changes on a regular basis. The other 60 percent
are items that are found on menus in all of the
Applebee's restaurants, and seldom ever change.
One item that has been on the menu for some time
now is this Oriental Chicken salad, which is
considered one of the restaurant's signature
items. The recipe makes one dinner-size salad
and can be easily doubled or quadrupled for
additional servings. This recipe comes from
the third book, "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes,"
but the dressing has been improved to more closely
match the current dressing served at the restaurant.


Oriental Dressing
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons rice winevinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Salad
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
2-4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup Napa cabbage
1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1/3 cup chow mein noodles

1. Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat.
You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees.
2. Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small
bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator
to chill while you prepare the salad.
3. In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well.
4. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt
and pepper.
5. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips. Dip each strip
of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture,
coating each piece completely.
6. Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has
darkened to brown.
7. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped
red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots.
8. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce.
9. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.
10. Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks. Place the
chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. Serve
with salad dressing on the side.
Makes 1 dinner-size salad.

1 1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/8 teaspoon MSG
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
(You may use all-purpose flour only for this recipe)

Bread machine: Add ingredients to machine bread pan in order
given or as per
manufacturer's instructions. Set to 'dough' mode.

Food processor:
Place water, sugar, salt and olive oil in bowl of food processor
and pulse
to dissolve sugar and salt. Add yeast, bread flour, all purpose
flour other
dry ingredients. Process until a soft ball forms. Remove from
machine and
allow to rest, covered with a tea towel, about 45 minutes.

Dough hook:
Place water, sugar, salt and olive oil in bowl of mixer and
dissolve sugar
and salt. Stir in yeast, bread flour, all purpose flour, other
dry
ingredients and knead with dough hook to form a soft, but not-too
sticky
dough (about 8 minutes). Remove from machine and allow to rest,
covered with
a tea towel about 45 minutes.

By Hand:
In this case, use only all-purpose flour. Place water, sugar,
salt and olive
oil in bowl and dissolve sugar and salt. Stir in yeast, all purpose
flour,
other dry ingredients and knead to form a soft, but not-too sticky
dough
(about 8-l0 minutes). Allow to rest, covered with a tea towel about
45
minutes.

(*) For a breadier pizza dough - depending on taste and recipe
requirements,
you can add an additional 1/4 tsp. yeast.

Deflate dough very gently before using and allow it to rest a
further 15
minutes before using in a recipe. You may refrigerate dough in
an oiled
plastic bag for up to two days.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable shortening


Preheat oven to 425ºF. Sift together flour,
salt, sugar and baking powder into mixing bowl.
Make a well in the flour mix and add the milk.
Add shortening and begin kneading with hands
(to cut in) the vegetable shortening and flour
in the milk until thoroughly mixed. Add milk,
if needed to form, and mix. Turn onto floured
board, and knead gently 6 to 8 times. Pat dough
to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into biscuits. Place
on baking sheet and brown in oven 10-13 minutes.
Makes about 9 biscuits.

Take a big honkin' bite out of one of these and you'll soon know
why it's the Hard Rock Cafe's most popular sandwich. According
to the menu the pork is hickory smoked for 10 hours. But since
we're impatient hungry people here, we'll cut that cooking time
down to under 4 hours using a covered grill and carefully
arranged charcoal. Just sprinkle wet hickory chips over the hot
charcoal arranged around the inside edge of a grill (such as a
round Weber), and let the smoking begin. You can certainly use
an actual smoker if you've got one, and go the full 10 hours with
this puppy. But while you're still waiting for your sandwiches,
the rest of us will have already dragged our full, round bellies
over to the couch for a nap.
By the way, make your marinated cabbage a day ahead of time,
if you have the foresight.

Marinated Cabbage
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 cups thinly-sliced cabbage

4 cups hickory smoking chips

Spice Rub
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 boneless pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)
vegetable oil

Sauce
2 15-ounce cans tomato puree
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (hickory)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

8 Kaiser rolls

1. Make the marinated cabbage at least one day prior to building
your sandwiches. Like cole slaw, this garnish needs some time to
develop in the fridge. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a medium
bowl. Add the cabbage, stir, cover the bowl and store it in the
refrigerator until you are ready to make the sandwiches.
2. Put the wood chips in a bowl and cover with water. Let the wood
soak for at least 1 hour. Light the charcoal after it has been
arranged around the inside edge of your grill. You don't want coals
directly under your pork. When the coals are hot, drain the water
from the wood chips and sprinkle the chips over the top of the coals.
You should now have smoke.
3. Combine the spices for the rub in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Rub some vegetable oil over the surface of the pork roast.
Sprinkle the spices over the entire surface of the roast.
5. Place the roast in the center of your grill and put the lid on.
Let the pork cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature
of the roast reaches 175 to 180 degrees.
6. As the pork cooks, make the sauce by combining the ingredients in
a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Let the sauce simmer for 15
to 20 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Set this aside until
your pork is ready.
7. When the pork is done, remove it from the grill and let it sit to
cool for 15 to 20 minutes or until you can handle it. Now you want
to tear the meat along the grain, making bite-size strips of shredded
pork.
8. Put the shredded pork into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add
2 cups of the sauce to the pan and stir. Keep the rest of the sauce
for later to serve on the side. Cook the pork for 15 minutes or until
it is heated through.
9. Grill the faces of the rolls and stack about 1 cup of pork onto
the bottom half of each roll. Add a rounded tablespoon of marinated
cabbage on top of the pork, add a tablespoon or so of extra sauce
on top of that, then cap off each sandwich with the top half of the
roll. Serve with clones for the Hard Rock's cole slaw and baked beans
on the side, if desired.
Makes 8 sandwiches.

It's one of Applebee's top-selling signature dishes
and a big request here on the site. This tasty dish
combines the tangy flavor of the tequila lime marinade
with creamy southwestern-style dressing, and tops it all
off with a melted cheese blend. Just be sure you don't
marinate the chicken longer than the 3 to 4 hours, or the
citric acid in the lime juice may toughen the chicken.
The bed of crispy corn tortilla strips can be easily
cloned with crumbled store-bought corn chips, but if
you want strips like those served at the restaurant,
just follow the "tidbits" below. Serve this dish with
your choice of rice (Spanish rice is recommended),
along with some pico de gallo (you can find a recipe here)
or salsa on the side.

Marinade
1 cup water
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon tequila

4 chicken breast fillets

Mexi-Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons minced tomato
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon minced canned jalapeno slices (nacho slices)
1 teaspoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
dash garlic powder
dash ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend
2 cups crumbled corn chips or fried tortilla strips (see tidbits)

1. Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients
in a medium bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover and
chill for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Make the mexi-ranch dressing by combining all of the
ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then
cover dressing and chill it until needed.
3. When you are ready to prepare the entree, preheat the
oven to high broil. Also, preheat your barbecue or indoor
grill to high heat. When the grill is hot cook the marinated
chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until
they're done.
4. Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan. Spread a
layer of mexi-ranch dressing over each piece of chicken
(you'll have plenty left over), followed by 1/4 cup of
the shredded cheese blend. Broil the chicken for 2 to 3
minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.
5. Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of the tortilla strips or crumbled
corn chips on each of four plates. Slide a chicken breast onto
the chips on each plate and serve with your choice of rice,
and pico de gallo, or salsa. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)
Serves 4.

Tidbits
Crumbling store-bought tortilla chips is the easy way to
make the bed of crunchy chips that the tequila lime chicken
rests on. But, you can make tortilla strips like those served
at the restaurant by cutting a stack of eight 6-inch corn
tortillas in half. Stack the halves on top of each other and
slice the tortillas into thin strips. Fry the tortilla strips
in 2 cups of oil preheated in a large skillet for 3-5 minutes
or until crispy. Salt lightly and cool on paper towels to drain.

¼ cup Uncooked rice
6 oz sirloin steak - boneless
1 tbsp Peanut oil
2 large Mushrooms - sliced
Salt
Pepper
Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside.

Heat griddle to 350°F and pour on oil to coat surface.
Sear steak on both sides. Cut steak into strips. Return to
griddle along with mushroom slices.

Turn meat pieces until done to preference. Season with salt
and pepper to taste. Serve with boiled rice and magic mustard sauce.

Makes 1 serving.

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.

Here's a quick recipe for the dessert drink served at Hard Rock
Cafes all over the world. With only a few ingredients you can
make this one super-quick in the blender. Great on a hot day.
And it's easy to double or quadruple to serve more.

2 cups orange sherbet or sorbet
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup milk
1 sprig fresh spearmint

1. Put the sherbet, juice, and milk in a blender and blend for
15 seconds or just until the sherbet is smooth. You may have
to stop the blender and stir the sherbet up a bit to help it combine.
2. Pour the orange freeze into a tall, chilled glass. Place a
sprig of fresh spearmint in the top and serve immediately.
Serves 1 as a dessert or beverage.

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.

If you love baked beans you'll go nuts over this clone recipe from
the world's first theme restaurant chain. It's real easy to make
too, since you just pour all of the ingredients into a covered
casserole dish, stir, and bake for an hour and a half. The only
element that may give you pause is the pulled pork from last week's
recipe. It's an effortless addition if you've got some of that
pork on hand. If not, just leave that ingredient out. Or you could
add some cooked bacon to the mix. Either way the beans will still
come out awesome as a nosh-worthy side dish or snack.

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans (with liquid)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded pork (from last week's recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour entire contents of the can of pinto beans into a casserole
dish (with a lid).
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with the 2 tablespoons
of water. Add this solution to the beans and stir.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the dish, stir well and cover.
5. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every 30
minutes. After removing the beans from the oven, let the beans
cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

8 Bacon slices - fried & crumbled
1 cup Yellow onions - diced
2/3 cups Flour
6 cups Chicken stock - hot
4 cups Potatoes - baked, diced & Peeled
2 cups Heavy cream
¼ cup Parsley - chopped
1½ tsp Granulated garlic
1½ tsp Salt
1½ tsp Red pepper sauce
1½ tsp Coarse black pepper
1 cup Cheddar cheese - grated
¼ cup Green onions - diced



Chop bacon; reserve. Cook onions in remaining drippings
over medium high heat until transparent, about 3 minutes.
Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps; cook for 3-5 minutes,
until mixture just begins to turn golden. Add chicken stock
grdually, whisking to prevent lumps until liquid thickens.
Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, chopped bacon,
parsley, garlic, basil, salt, pepper sauce and plack pepper.
Simmer for 10 minutes; do not allow to boil. Add grated cheese
and green onions, heat until cheese melts smoothly. Garnish
each serving as desired with chopped bacon, grated cheese and
chopped parsley.

Makes 8 Servings.

Menu Description: "Six pot stickers filled with fresh ground turkey
meat
seasoned with ginger, water chestnuts, red pepper and green onions.
They are fried and served in a basket with spicy hoisin."

Here's a special recipe from one of the most popular theme
restaurant chains. Pot stickers are a popular Asian dumpling that
can be fried, steamed, or simmered in a broth. Planet Hollywood
has customized its version to make them crunchier than the traditional
dish, and it's a tasty twist that I'm sure you'll love. Since
hoisin sauce would be very difficult to make from scratch, you
can use a commercial brand found in most stores.

1/4 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced green onion
1 teaspoon minced water chestnuts
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (no seeds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
12 wonton wrappers (3 x 3-inch size)

On the side
Hoisin sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the egg,
wrappers and oil. Add 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg. Save the
rest of the egg for later. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or a deep
saucepan to 375 degrees. Use enough oil to cover the pot stickers
-- 1 to 2 inches should be enough.
2. Invert a small bowl or glass with a 3-inch diameter on the center
of a wonton wrapper and cut around it to make a circle. Repeat for
the remaining wrappers.
3. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the turkey filling into the center of one
wrapper. Brush a little beaten egg around half of the edge of the
wrapper and fold the wrapper over the filling. Gather the wrapper as
you seal it so that it is crinkled around the edge. Repeat with the
remaining ingredients.
4. Deep-fry the pot stickers, six at a time in the hot oil for 3 to
5 minutes or until they are brown. Drain on a rack or paper towels.
Serve with hoisin sauce for dipping. If you want some crushed red
pepper or cayenne pepper to the sauce.
Serves 3 to 4 as an appetizer.

Tidbits

If you can't find wonton wrappers, you can also use eggroll wrappers
for this recipe. Eggroll wrappers are much bigger, so you will be
wasting more of the dough when you trim the wrappers to 3-inch
diameter circles. But in a pinch, this is a quick solution.
Pot sticker wrappers can also be found in some supermarkets, but
I've found the wonton wrappers and eggroll wrappers, when fried,
taste more like the restaurant version.

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs


Sift all dry ingredients together, then cut in the shortening
(as for pie crust). Add the buttermilk and unbeaten eggs,
mix until smooth. Preheat the waffle iron. Pour into lightly
greased waffle iron. Yield will vary depending on size of
waffle iron.