by Wilbur, Todd
1. Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Combine cabbage, parsley, green onion, and relish in a large bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and mix well. Add celery seed and mix, then cover the bowl and chill for at least 4 hours before munching out. Chilling the slaw overnight is even better
• MAKES 8 SERVINGS.
IHOP CINN-A-STACKS
Put away the maple syrup. Next time you whip up pancakes or French toast, try something new with this clone that makes your stacks taste like freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Spread the cinnamon sauce on each pancake or on each slice of French toast as you stack ’em up. Then drizzle the delicious cream cheese icing over the top. As for the pancakes, we’ve got some great clone recipes on pages 175 (IHOP Country Griddle Cakes) and 180 (IHOP Harvest Grain ’N Nut Pancakes). And there’s a simple clone for Denny’s Fabulous French Toast on page 148. This mouthwatering new product from America’s favorite pancake chain is a “limited time only” offering, but a fabulous home clone is yours whenever you crave it.
CINNAMON SAUCE
¼ cup butter (salted)
¾ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons half-and-half
I tablespoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
I tablespoon all-purpose flour
CREAM CHEESE ICING
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
I ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
GARNISH
whipped cream
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, 2 tablespoons half-and-half, cinnamon, salt and cloves and cook while stirring constantly until mixture comes to a simmer. Immediately remove sauce from the heat, add remaining tablespoon of half-and-half and stir in the flour.
2. Combine ingredients for cream cheese icing in a medium bowl. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon icing into a squirt bottle.
3. To assemble your dish, spread about a tablespoon of cinnamon sauce on top of each pancake, or on each slice of French toast as you stack them. A typical serving at the restaurant is two pancakes or two slices of French toast. Drizzle cream cheese icing over the top, and finish off your stack with a dollop of whipped cream.
• MAKES ENOUGH FOR AT LEAST 4 SERVINGS.
IHOP COUNTRY GRIDDLE CAKES
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Delicious blend of buttermilk and real Cream of Wheat.”
This nationwide chain, which is known for its big bargain breakfasts, serves an impressive number of non-breakfast items as well. In 1997, IHOP dished out over 6 million pounds of french fries and over half a million gallons of soft drinks. But it’s the Country Griddle Cakes on the breakfast menu that inspired this Top Secret Recipe. The unique flavor and texture of this clone comes from the Cream of Wheat in the batter. Now you can have your pancakes, and eat your cereal too.
nonstick spray
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups buttermilk
cup instant
Cream of Wheat (dry)
1 egg
cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Apply nonstick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer set on medium speed. Mix until smooth, but don’t over mix.
3. Pour the batter by ⅓-cup portions into the hot pan and cook pancakes for 1 to 3 minutes per side or until brown. Repeat with remaining batter
• MAKES 8 TO 10 PANCAKES.
IHOP COUNTRY OMELETTE
Sure, IHOP is famous for pancakes, but the joint makes a pretty killer omelette when put to the task. What makes this three-egg creation so cool is the top secret folding method. For all of IHOP’s omelettes, the beaten eggs are mixed with the appropriate chunky ingredients, and the whole thing is poured out thin on a giant griddle. When the eggs have firmed up, two sides are folded over, the filling is positioned, and the omelette is rolled over once, twice, three times so it ends up looking like a burrito, sort of. Now we can execute the same egg origami at home with a 12-inch electric skillet, or a 12-inch stovetop griddle pan. You can find easy-to-cook hash brown potatoes in bags in the freezer section.
3 eggs
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons diced cooked ham
2 tablespoons diced white onion
½ tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons cooked shredded
hash brown potatoes
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
GARNISH
2 tablespoons sour cream
1. Heat a 12-inch electric skillet to 275 degrees (or heat a 12-inch griddle pan over medium low heat). Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Add salt to eggs and beat for about 30 seconds. Stir in diced cooked ham and white onion.
3. Melt ½ tablespoon of butter in hot griddle or pan. When butter melts pour eggs into the pan and swirl the pan around to coat the bottom evenly. Use a spatula to evenly distribute ham and onion.
4. Cook eggs for 4 to 6 minutes or until top of omelette is mostly firm. Fold over 1-inch of top and bottom of the omelette. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese down omelette at about one-third of the way from the left side of the omelette. Arrange about 3 tablespoons of cooked hash brown potatoes on top of the cheese. Starting at the left end, use a spatula to roll the eggs over the filling ingredients. Continue rolling the omelette two more times. Use a spatula to lift the omelette onto an oven safe plate. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of shredded Cheddar over the top of the omelette and place the plate in the 300 degree oven for I to 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. If you’re making more than one omelette, set your oven to 200 degrees to keep ready-to-eat omelettes on hold.
5. Just before serving, spoon 2 tablespoons of sour cream onto the middle of the omelette.
• MAKES 1 SERVING.
IHOP HARVEST GRAIN ’N NUT PANCAKES
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Hearty grains, wholesome oats, almonds and English walnuts.”
Wholesome grains and nuts get it on in this clone for the signature pancakes from the country’s largest pancake chain. The whole wheat flour and oats add more flavor, while the nuts pitch in for a crunch in every bite. Take a break from gummy, bland traditional pancakes. Make a breakfast that pacifies your pancake urge and leaves you feeling peppy.
¾ cup Quaker oats
¾ cup whole wheat flour
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
I teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
⅓ cup whole milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped
blanched almonds
3 tablespoons finely chopped
walnuts
1. Lightly oil a skillet or griddle and preheat it to medium heat.
2. Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine, like flour.
3. Combine oat flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
4. In another bowl combine buttermilk, milk, oil, eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients, add nuts and mix well by hand.
5. Ladle ⅓ cup of the batter onto the hot skillet and cook the pancakes for I to 3 minutes per side or until brown.
• MAKES 12 PANCAKES.
TIDBITS
You can cover and freeze these after they cool. To reheat, just put a stack in the microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
IHOP PUMPKIN PANCAKES
During the holiday season this particular pancake flavor sells like
... well, you know. It’s one of 16 varieties of pancakes served at this national casual diner chain. You can make your own version of these delicious flapjacks with a little canned pumpkin, some spices and traditional buttermilk pancake ingredients. Get out the mixer, fire up the stove, track down the syrup.
nonstick spray
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons canned pumpkin
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
I ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with oil cooking spray.
2. Combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend ingredients.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend with mixer on medium speed until smooth.
4. Pour the batter incup portions into the hot pan.
5. When the batter stops bubbling and edges begin to harden, flip the pancakes. They should be dark brown. This will take from 1 to 3 minutes.
6. Flip the pancakes and cook other side for the same amount of time, until brown.
• MAKES 8 TO 10 PANCAKES.
ISLANDS CHINA COAST SALAD DRESSING
This 30-store Hawaiian-themed chain of restaurants is known for its handmade burger buns, specialty sandwiches and taco platters with names like Shorebird, Pelican, Sandpiper, Baja, and Northshore. Some people, though, go to the Islands just for the China Coast salad. It’s a huge bowl filled with sliced chicken breast, lettuce, red cabbage, julienned carrots, fried noodles, sesame seeds, mandarin orange wedges and chives, and then tossed with this top secret dressing. Many diners think the dressing’s so good they ask for extra and discreetly smuggle it home. No more smuggling required. Now, with this simple formula, you can make your own clone at home and use it on any of your favorite bowls of green.
½ cup mayonnaise
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
I tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with an electric mixer until blended and sugar is dissolved. Chill.
• MAKES 1 CUP
ISLANDS ISLAND FRIES
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Our famous fries are fresh cut daily from whole potatoes with the skins left on.”
Not only can I show you the best way to make french fries at home in this clone of Islands’ top-selling version, but I’m also supplying you with a super simple way to make the same type of salt blend that Islands uses to make those fries so dang addicting. As with any good french fry recipe, you’ll need to slice your potatoes into strips that are all equal thickness. That means you need a mandoline, or similar slicing device, that makes ¼-inch slices. Once you’ve got your potatoes cut, you must rinse and soak them in water to expel the excess starch. The frying comes in two stages: A quick blanching stage, and the final frying to put a crispy coating on the suckers. Islands uses a combination of peanut and vegetable oils in their fryers, so you simply combine the two in your home fryer. The whole process is not that tough once you get going, and certainly worth the effort if hungry mouths are waiting for the perfect homemade french fries. However, if you want to simplify the process because your hungry mouths aren’t of the patient sort, you could certainly buy frozen french fries, cook ’em up following the instructions on the bag, and then sprinkle on this garlic/onion salt blend for a quick-and-easy kitchen clone.
GARLICIONION SALT
I tablespoon garlic salt
I teaspoon onion salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
FRIES
2 medium russet potatoes
3 to 5 cups vegetable oil (fryer
filled halfway)
3 to 5 cups peanut oil (fryer filled
rest of the way)
1. Combine garlic salt, onion salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Slice potatoes with a slicer or mandoline set to ¼-inch thick slices. Hold potato at a slight angle when slicing to produce fries that are about 2 to 3 inches in length.
3. Drop sliced potatoes into a bowl of water to rinse away starch. Pour out water, then fill bowl again. Pour out that water, then fill bowl again with water and add some ice. Let potatoes sit for I hour in the ice water.
4. Heat oils in fryer to 350 degrees.
5. When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them, then pour them out onto a clean dish towel. Blot fries dry.
6. When fries are dry drop about half into the hot oil and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes (fries should be soft in the center). Remove the fries onto a towel to cool. When all the fries are blanched, let them sit to cool for about 30 minutes. When fries are cool, fry them for the second time for 5 to 7 minutes or until fries are golden and crispy.
7. Pour fries onto a rack or towels to drain. Toss fries with several pinches of the garlic/onion salt and serve hot.
• SERVES 4.
ISLANDS TORTILLA SOUP
The entire process for making this soup, which Islands serves in “bottomless bowls,” takes as long as 3 hours, but don’t let that discourage you. Most of that time is spent waiting for the chicken to roast (up to 90 minutes—although you can save time by using a precooked chicken, see Tidbits) and letting the soup simmer (1 hour). The actual work involved is minimal—most of your time is spent chopping the vegetable ingredients. This recipe produces soup with an awesome flavor and texture since you’ll be making fresh chicken stock from the carcass of the roasted chicken. As for the fried tortilla strip garnish that tops the soup, you can go the hard way or the easy way on that step. The hard way makes the very best clone and it’s really not that hard: Simply slice corn tortillas into strips, fry the strips real quick, then toss the fried strips with a custom seasoning blend. The easy way is to grab a bag of the new habanero-flavored Doritos, which happen to be similar in spiciness to the strips used at the restaurant. Simply crumble a few of these chips over the top of your bowl of soup, and dig in.
4 to 5 pound whole roasting
chicken
2 tablespoons butter, melted
16 cups (1 gallon) water
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
(2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
(I cup)
2 medium carrots, diced
(1 cup)
2 Anaheim peppers, diced
(¾ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
(I tablespoon)
4 6-inch yellow corn tortillas, diced
(I ½ cups)
juice of 2 large limes
(3 tablespoons)
I tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh
cilantro
TORTILLA STRIPS
2 cups vegetable oil
6 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
1 teaspoon chili powder
I teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
½ teaspoon salt
GARNISH
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
cheese
2 avocados, diced
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Rub the chicken with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper Place your clucker breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast chicken for 70 to 90 minutes or until the temperature in the center of the breast is 160 degrees. Remove chicken from the oven to cool, but don’t get rid of the drippings in the roasting pan.
3. When chicken has cooled enough to handle, tear the meat off the bone. Throw away the skin, but kee
p all the bones. Add the bones to 16 cups of water in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer and find something to keep you busy for 30 minutes. This is a good time to finish chopping the veggies.
4. Spoon a tablespoon of fat from the roasting pan into a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, saute onion, peppers, carrot and garlic for 10 minutes over medium/low heat.
5. After 30 to 45 minutes of simmering, remove chicken bones from the water, and add the sautéed vegetables, plus the chicken meat, lime juice, salt, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Simmer soup for I hour, adding the cilantro to the pot about 30 minutes in.
6. As your soup simmers, heat up 2 cups of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan. Make your spicy tortilla strips by cutting a pile of 6 small corn tortillas in half. Slice the stacks into ¼-inch strips. Test the oil by dropping in one strip. If it bubbles rapidly, it’s hot enough. Wait 4 minutes, then take out the sample and make sure it’s crunchy. If your oil is ready, fry half of the strips at a time for 4 to 5 minutes or until they all come out crispy. Drain on paper towels. Combine the seasonings for the strips (chili powder, paprika, cayenne and salt) in a small bowl. Toss the tortilla strips with the seasoning in a large bowl until the strips are coated.