by Wilbur, Todd
7. Serve each bowl of soup topped with a couple tablespoons of shredded Jack cheese, a couple tablespoons of diced avocado (one-quarter of an avocado), and handful of tortilla strips on top.
• MAKES 8 SERVINGS (1½ CUPS EACH).
TIDBITS
Home-roasting a chicken is easy, but if you want to save a little time you can just as well use one of the precooked whole chickens usually found in the deli section of your market. If you go that route, just pick up the recipe from step #3.
ISLANDS YAKI SOFT TACOS
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Three flour tortillas stuffed wlmarinated chicken, teriyaki sauce, Jack cheese, pineapple, lettuce, tomatoes & scallions.”
If you love the sweet taste of teriyaki-marinated chicken, you’ll dig the Yaki Soft Tacos at this Hawaiian-themed burger chain. Sure, Islands is famous for its burgers, but many also go for the several choices of soft tacos—and the one I’ve cloned here is the top-seller. After testing all popular brands of teriyaki sauce on the market, I found that none have the heavy ginger notes of the chain’s version, so you’ll want to make the sauce from scratch. Which is really no big deal, since it’s an easy process and you’ll end up with a teriyaki sauce/marinade that’s better than any store version, and you can use it in all sorts of recipes. When you buy the canned pineapple, go for the 20-ounce can or get two 8-ounces cans. You’ll need that much since you’ll use the pineapple chunks in both the sauce and on the tacos (and you’ll even use some of the juice from the can in your teriyaki sauce). When chopping the chunks, take the time to slice each chunk into quarters (lengthwise, with the grain) so you get thin pineapple pieces that are the exact size of the stuff they use in the restaurant. Or you can find smaller pineapple chunks in some stores (see Tidbits).
TERIYAKI SAUCE
1¾ cups water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup canned pineapple chunks
(chunks sliced into quarters)
¼ cup juice from can of pineapple
chunks
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
12 chicken tenderloins
12 7-inch flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jock
cheese
4 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
very thin or shredded
1½ cups canned pineapple
chunks, (chunks sliced into
quarters)
1½ cups diced tomatoes (about
2 medium tomatoes)
½ cup chopped green onion
(green part only)
1. Make the teriyaki sauce by whisking cornstarch into the water in a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients, then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes or until thicker. Let sauce cool before you use it for marinating.
2. When the sauce is cool, measure out I cup of sauce and set it aside. Use the remaining sauce to pour over chicken tenders in a medium bowl, Cover chicken and let it marinate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is even better.
3. When chicken has marinated, preheat a large skillet over medium/low heat. Wipe the pan with a little oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (and toss out the marinade) and saute chicken in the pan for 8 to 10 or until chicken is cooked through and browned on both sides. Slice each chicken filet into 3 or 4 pieces and spoon all the chicken into a medium bowl. Microwave the leftover I cup of teriyaki sauce in the oven for 30 to 60 seconds or until it’s hot. Pour the sauce over the sliced chicken in the bowl.
4. When you’re ready to build the tacos, preheat another skillet over medium heat. Toss a tortilla into the pan for a minute, then flip it over and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese across the center of the tortilla. Let the tortilla sit in the pan for about a minute or so (until the cheese starts melting) then remove the tortilla and immediately spoon the equivalent of one chicken tender into the tortilla (3 or 4 chunks of chicken). Spoon about 1½ tablespoons teriyaki sauce from the cooked chicken bowl over the chicken in each taco.
5. Arrange aboutcup shredded lettuce over the chicken in each taco. Follow that up with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pineapple chunks, 1 to 2 tablespoons diced tomato, and a couple pinches of chopped green onion. Repeat process for remaining tacos. The restaurant serves 3 tacos with each order.
• MAKES 12 TACOS (4 SERVINGS).
TIDBITS
If you can find them, Del Monte offers canned pineapple that’s pre-cut into the perfect size for this recipe. And I love the name: They’re called “Tidbits.”
JOE’S CRAB SHACK BLUE CRAB DIP
The number one appetizer on Joe’s menu is called Blue Crab Dip, but you don’t need blue crab to clone it. You don’t even need to use fresh crab, I used some delicious lump crabmeat from Phillips Seafood that comes in 16-ounce cans (you’ll find it at Costco, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and Von’s) and the dip came out amazing. You could also use crabmeat that comes in 6-ounce cans found at practically every supermarket—you’ll need two of them. Just be sure to get the kind that includes leg meat, and don’t forget to drain off the liquid before you toss it in.
one 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese,
softened
2 cups crabmeat (canned is fine)
¼ cup diced green onion
I tablespoon minced mild red chili
pepper
1 tablespoon mild green chili
pepper (Anaheim)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
cheese
GARNISH
paprika
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Combine cream cheese with crab, green onion, chili peppers, salt and white pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine.
3. Spread mixture into the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Use a wide dish for this so that the dip is only about an inch deep in the bottom.
4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the surface of the dip.
5. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese on top begins to brown.
6. Sprinkle paprika over the dip, followed by fresh minced parsley. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers for dipping.
• MAKES APPROX. 2 CUPS (SERVES 4 TO 6 AS AN APPETIZER).
JOE’S CRAB SHACK GARLIC KING CRAB LEGS
These legs from the king of crabs come already cooked at your supermarket (usually previously frozen), so we won’t have to boil them long to finish them off. But we do want to give them a long enough bath to get the flavor of garlic into the meat. To aid in this process we need to poke several holes in the shell along each leg so that the garlic water can seep in. Use the handle end of a nutcracker (the kind that is often served with crab to help crack the shells), or the back end of a wooden spoon to make those holes. This step also makes removing the shells easier when eating the crab. And you don’t have to worry about peeling the garlic cloves. Just pound ‘em flat with a mallet or foil-wrapped brick and toss ’em into the water.
I cup vegetable oil
2 large heads garlic
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 pounds king crab legs
ON THE SIDE
melted butter
1. Fill a large pot halfway with water. Add oil and bring to a boil. Crush all of the unpeeled garlic cloves with a mallet. When the water and oil comes to a boil add the garlic and parsley flakes and boil for 15 minutes.
2. Cut the crab legs in half so that they will fit into the pot. Use the handle end of a thin wooden spoon or nutcracker to poke several holes in the shell of each crab leg. This will allow the flavor of the garlic to seep into the crab. Lower the crab into the pot and boil for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Remove crab legs and drain. Arrange one pound of crab on each plate. Serve with melted butter on the side.
• SERVES 2.
Why waste time chopping up the lettuce when you can just hack a head into four chunks, dress it up and serve? This unique presentation is not only easy to make, but is also a deliciously different way to serve your next salad. The creamy bleu cheese dressing is a breeze to craft from scratch and tastes much better than anything you’ll buy in a store. Add a bit of extra crumbled bleu over the top, some freshly diced tomatoes, and you’re well on your way to a fancy-pants side salad that’ll surely impress.
BLEU CHEESE DRESSING
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
I head iceberg lettuce
I cup crumbled bleu cheese
1 cup diced tomato (1 large
tomato)
1. Use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients for bleu cheese dressing in a medium bowl.
2. Slice a head of iceberg lettuce into quarters through the stem end. Cut the stem off of the wedges and arrange each one on a plate.
3. Spoon about ¼ cup of bleu cheese dressing over each lettuce wedge.
4. Sprinkle ¼ cup of crumbled bleu cheese over the dressing.
5. Sprinkle ¼ cup of diced tomato over the top and serve.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
LONE STAR STEAKHOUSE BAKED SWEET POTATO
Sweet potatoes are not related to the more common russet potatoes and are often confused with yams in the grocery store and on menus (the yam is actually starchier and less flavorful). just be sure you’re buying sweet potatoes when you get to the produce section—even the produce stockers get mixed up! Although these puppies are not really potatoes, the baking times are the same. And when you spoon on some butter and sprinkle cinnamon /sugar over the top, you’ve got a treat that tastes more like dessert than a versatile side dish.
4 sweet potatoes
vegetable oil
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup whipped butter
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a little oil on the skin of the sweet potato and bake it for 45 to 75 minutes (bigger sweet potatoes take longer to cook). When they are done, the outside will have darkened and the inside will be soft. You may see liquid from the sweet potato oozing out when it’s close to done.
2. As potatoes bake, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. To serve, slice a sweet potato down the center. Add two tablespoons of whipped butter, and sprinkle some cinnamon/ sugar over the top.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
LONE STAR STEAKHOUSE LONE STAR CHILI
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Meaty and spicy, served piping-hot with chopped onions, shredded cheddar, and a whole jalapeno.”
This chain makes a tasty chili that warms the bones on a nippy day. This clone recipe is easy to make, low in fat, and delicious. And if it’s super brisk outside, you might want to add an additional tablespoon of diced jalapeno to the pot to aggressively stoke those internal flames.
1 pound ground beef
1 diced onion
1 tablespoon diced fresh jalapeno
pepper
1 15-ounce can kidney beans with
liquid
1 14.5-ounce can peeled diced
tomatoes
I 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
I teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
GARNISH
grated Cheddar cheese
diced onion
canned whole jalapeno
chili peppers
1. Brown ground beef in a large saucepan over medium heat. Drain fat.
2. Add onion and pepper and saute for about two minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve one cup in a bowl with the optional cheese, diced onion and whole jalapeno garnish on top.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
MARGARITAVILLE CRAB, SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM DIP
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Our signature appetizer ... jumbo lump blue crab meat, gulf shrimp and mushrooms, simmered in a Cajun cream sauce and served with toasted garlic bread. We make it here so you know it’s good!”
This dips rocks, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. According to the Margaritaville menu, it’s the theme chain’s signature appetizer And what’s not to like: Delicious blue crab, little bay shrimp and sliced mushrooms are all swimming in a Cajun-style cream sauce, topped with melted Cheddar and Jack cheeses, and broiled until the cheese melts ... oh, hold me back. Serve up your clone with slices of freshly toasted buttery garlic bread and you’ve got a great party snack. The restaurant version is a tiny little serving that’s barely enough for two, so I’ve supersized this clone recipe to make enough dip to satisfy the Brady Bunch—if Alice sits out.
DIP
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup minced white onion
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes
2 cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups sliced white mushrooms
I cup blue crab
I cup bay shrimp, cooked
(smallest shrimp)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
cheese
2 green onions, sliced
BREAD
2 loaves Italian bread
½ cup butter, melted (1 stick)
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add celery, white onion and red pepper flakes and simmer slowly (sweat) the ingredients over low heat for 20 minutes. You don’t want the ingredients to turn brown; rather, you want them to cook slowly until the celery softens and the onion begins to turn translucent.
2. Add cream, mushrooms, crab, shrimp and salt to the pan. Turn the heat up a bit until the liquid begins to bubble, then bring the heat back down and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes or until it reduces to about ½ the volume and becomes thick. Watch the saucepan carefully to make sure the mixture doesn’t bubble over. In the meantime, crank your oven up to broil.
3. Prepare the bread by cutting the loaves into ½-inch thick slices. Combine the dried parsley flakes and garlic powder with a stick of melted butter in a small bowl. Brush some of this garlic butter on each side of each bread slice and toast the bread under the hot broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until the bread is toasted to a light brown.
4. When the dip has thickened pour it into an 8x8-inch casserole dish. Combine the shredded Cheddar and Jack cheese and sprinkle the cheese mixture over the dip. Broil the dip for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle sliced green onions over the top and serve hot with the garlic toast on the side, and some spoons or forks for spreading the dip onto the toast.
• MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS.
MARGARITAVILLE JAMAICA MISTAICA WINGS
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Come back to Jamaica! Our wings tossed in habanero-honey wing sauce with cucumber sticks and house-made mango ranch dipping sauce.”
Oh, wings. You gotta love those flavorful little non-functioning chicken parts. When they’re good, they’re real good. And these little guys from Jimmy Buffett’s chain of island-themed restaurants rock my tiny inflatable boat. The preparation is no big secret: fry the wings, add the sauce. But it’s that habanero honey sauce recipe that makes these suckers so addicting. Add to that an easy-to-make mango ranch dipping sauce and you’re off on a nonstop cruise to chicken wing paradise. The restaurant serving size is
for 10 wings, but these Top Secret sauces will be enough for 30 wings, and you’ll need it! If I have one word of caution it’s to be very careful mincing that habanero. You may even want to use rubber gloves to handle it. This is the hottest pepper in the world, folks, so if you touch the minced pieces with your bare fingers, and then proceed to touch a crucial and sensitive body part, you’ll discover one big “mistaica” real fast.