by Wilbur, Todd
1 teaspoon Hidden Volley Ranch
salad dressing mix (Buttermilk
Recipe)
I cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon coarse grind black
pepper
⅛ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Cover bowl and chill dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• MAKES I ½ CUPS.
TIDBITS
Make sure you are using the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix that says “Buttermilk Recipe.” It’s the one that comes in 0.4 ounce packets. Any other mix won’t work as well forthis clone.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE TANGY TOMATO DRESSING
So many folks expressed interest in a knockoff of this dressing that I couldn’t put it off any longer. Suited up in protective gear and tricked out with safety goggles, I set out to tackle the tangy beast. Now, fresh out of the underground laboratory, comes this simple formula for re-creating Outback’s popular sour/sweet salad topper in your own cozy kitchen. Mix it together, heat it up, cool it down, and store it in the fridge until salad time.
½ cup plus I tablespoon ketchup
cup water
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon coarse grind black
pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
pinch dried thyme
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking often, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Cover the dressing until cool, then pop it in the refrigerator to chill out.
• MAKES I CUP.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE CINNAMON APPLE OBLIVION
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Vanilla ice cream covered in cinnamon apples and pecans topped with caramel sauce.”
Roll a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream in homemade candied pecans. Surround the ice cream with warm cinnamon apples and drizzle caramel over the top. Sprinkle fresh cinnamon-butter croutons on the dessert and you’ve got an irresistible clone that will make your diet cry “uncle!” For the croutons, the restaurant uses leftover Honey Wheat Bushman Bread (clone on page 269). But if you don’t have plans to make that one you can use any sweet bread from the store, such as Hawaiian Sweet Bread or Pillsbury Honey White Bread.
CANDIED PECANS
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
I teaspoon butter
1¼ cups chopped pecans
CINNAMON CROUTONS
2 cups cubed Bushman Bread
(or any sweet bread)
⅓ cup salted butter (⅔ stick)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
CINNAMON APPLES
I 20-ounce can apple pie filling
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
/ quart vanilla ice cream
½ cup caramel topping
(Smucker’s is good)
/ ½ cups whipped cream
4 fresh strawberries
1. For candied pecans, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, I teaspoon butter, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until mixture boils and all sugar granules are dissolved.
2. Add chopped pecans to mixture and stir for 1 to 2 minutes over heat. Be sure that all pecans are well-coated.
3. Pour mixture onto a large plate and continue to stir until mixture hardens and begins to break up. You should be able to separate all of the nuts.
4. For the croutons, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Pour the slice bread cubes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread has turned light brown. Stir halfway through cooking time.
5. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Pour baked croutons into the pan and saute until the bread is coated with butter. Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the croutons while stirring so that the croutons are coated with cinnamon/sugar Remove croutons from the heat and pour them onto a plate to cool.
6. Prepare apples by carefully mixing them with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in a large bowl. You want to be sure you don’t stir hard enough to break up the apples. Microwave the apples for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot.
7. To assemble the dessert, first roll four cup-size scoops of ice cream in the pecan pieces. You can do this step ahead of time if you like, keeping the pecan-covered scoops in your freezer.
8. Place an ice cream scoop onto a small plate, then pour about a tablespoon of caramel over the ice cream. Dribble another tablespoon around the base of the ice cream onto the plate.
9. Spread the hot apples around the base of the ice cream being sure to divide them evenly amongst the four servings.
10. Divide the croutons into four portions and sprinkle them on the apples around the base of the ice cream scoop on each plate.
11. Spread a generous portion of whipped cream onto the top of each scoop of ice cream.
12. Top off each dish with a fresh strawberry
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE SYDNEY’S SINFUL SUNDAE
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Vanilla ice cream rolled in toosted coconut, covered in chocolete sauce and topped with whipped creom.”
Here’s an easy-to-make dessert that will give you a cool way to use the vanilla ice cream that’s calling to you from the freezer. The key to this recipe is to plan ahead just a bit by placing your serving plates into the freezer (give ’em at least 30 minutes). While the plates are chilling out, you toast some coconut flakes in the oven. After that, it’s all about the presentation. You can top your master-piece with canned whipped cream or make your own from the simple recipe included here.
WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 cup shredded coconut
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup fudge topping
8 large, ripe strawberries
1. Put four dinner plates into the freezer
2. Make whipped cream by combining cream with sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer on high speed. It helps if the bowl has been chilled ahead of time. When cream makes stiff peaks, cover and chill until you need it.
3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
4. Spread the coconut over the bottom of the inside of a large oven pan. Shake the pan a little to spread the coconut evenly.
5. Bake the coconut for 25 to 30 minutes or until the coconut is a light, golden brown. You may have to stir or shake the coconut in the last 10 minutes to help it brown evenly. Allow the coconut to cool on a plate or in a large bowl.
6. Heat up the fudge topping for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave. Get the plates out of the freezer and make a circle of fudge on each of the plates.
7. Roll each scoop of ice cream in the coconut until it is well coated. Press down on the ice cream to help the coconut stick. Place a coconut-covered scoop of ice cream onto the center of the plate, then spoon about 2 tablespoons of fudge over the top of the ice cream.
8. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop a large portion of whipped cream and stack it on each of the scoops of ice cream.
9. Cut the stems from the strawberries. Cut four of the strawberries lengthwise into quarters. Position the sliced strawberries around the base of each scoop of ice cream on the ring of fudge. Place a whole strawberry onto the whipped cream on the top of each dessert. Serve with a spoon and a smile.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
P. F. CHANG’S MAI TAI
/>
MENU DESCRIPTION: “It’s our signature recipe.”
Bring the tropical spirit of this drink to your house with a clone of this potent cocktail from the growing Chinese bistro chain. Mai tai is Tahitian for “out of this world,” and P. F. Chang’s recipe is one of the best and most authentic. The secret to a true mai tai is found in the original recipe developed by Trader Vic in 1944: It’s almond-flavored syrup called “orgeat.” You can find the sweet stuff in stores that sell coffee flavorings (Torani is one very popular brand), or from bar supply outlets. Not only can you use the orgeat for making the best cocktails on the planet, but you can also use the syrup to wake up your next cup of Java. If you can’t find orgeat, there’s a clone recipe included in Tidbits.
1½ ounces Bacordi light rum
¾ ounce triple sec
¾ ounce orgeot syrup
3 ounces orange juice
3 ounces pineapple juice
splash Bacardi 151 rum
splash dark rum
GARNISH
pineapple wedge
maraschino cherry
1. Fill a 16-ounce glass with ice.
2. Add the light rum, triple sec, orgeat, orange juice, and pineapple juice; then give the drink a quick stir
3. Splash the 151 and dark rum on top. Do not stir
4. Make a small cut in the pineapple wedge, then stick a toothpick into the pineapple wedge on the opposite edge. Pierce a maraschino cherry onto the toothpick. Slip the pineapple slice onto the rim of the glass (into the cut that you made). Add a straw, and serve.
• MAKES I DRINK.
TIDBITS
You can maker a pretty close version of orgeat syrup from scratch by dissolving ½ cup granulated sugar in ½ cup boiling water. Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract and ¼ teaspoon coconut extract. Cool before using, then measure as you would the real thing.
P. F. CHANG’S CHANG’S SPARE RIBS
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Wok-seared with Chang’s barbecue sauce.”
One of the most popular eats on P. F. Chang’s kickin’ appetizer menu are the spare ribs that arrive slathered with Asian-style barbecue sauce. The Asian flavor comes from the addition of sweet hoisin sauce to a fairly rudimentary barbecue sauce formula. Chang’s menu says these ribs are spare ribs although they appear to be much smaller, more like baby backs. You can certainly use either for this recipe, just be sure to trim the ribs first, since the restaurant version is lean, clean ribs with no extra meat or fat hanging off. There are several ways to cook pork ribs—P. F. Chang’s likes to boil theirs first then move on to a quick deep fry. After that, the ribs are tossed with the sauce in wok and served piping hot. A serving of these ribs at the restaurant is 6 individual ribs, but since a full rack is as many as 12 ribs, this recipe will make twice what you get in a serving at the bustling bistro.
SAUCE
I cup ketchup
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup hoisin sauce
½ cup water
⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons minced onion
I tablespoon rice vinegar
I rack pork spare ribs
4 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
I tablespoon diced green onion
1. Make the sauce by combining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until thick. Cool.
2. To cook the ribs the P. F. Chang’s way, you will need to first boil them in water Heat up 12 to 16 cups of water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water As water boils, trim the excess fat and meat off the ribs. Slice between the bones of each rib to separate the ribs. When the water is boiling, toss the ribs in, bring the water back to a boil and boil the ribs for 12 to 14 minutes. No pink will show when they are done. Remove ribs to a plate to cool.
3. When the ribs have cooled you can either store them in an airtight bag in the refrigerator until you are ready for the final cooking step, or you can move on to that step now by heating up 4 cups of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. The oil should be about 375 degrees. You can also use a deep fryer for this step, but your fryer will likely require more oil.
4. When the oil is hot, drop 4 to 6 ribs at a time into the oil. Fry for 2 to 4 minutes or until the meat browns. Drain off the ribs on a rack or paper towels. Fry all the ribs before moving on to the next step.
5. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, toss in all the ribs and coat with the sauce. Simmer the ribs in the sauce for about a minute while stirring and dump the ribs onto a serving plate when they are all coated with sauce.
6. Sprinkle the ribs with sesame seeds and about a tablespoon of diced green onion, and serve with a pile of napkins.
• SERVES 2 TO 4 AS AN APPETIZER.
P. F. CHANG’S CHICKEN IN SOOTHING LETTUCE WRAPS
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Quickly cooked spiced chicken served with cool lettuce cups.”
Throw in a few initials with a little twist on the last part, and you have the name of Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang’s Chinese bistro creation, P. F. Chang’s. Since the first location opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1993, over 124 new ones have sprouted up across the country—in more than 33 states. No matter the location, it’s this dish that gets first raves. Like the very-dead McDonald’s McD.L.T hamburger, which disappeared around the time the first P F. Chang’s opened, the contrasting textures of the cool crispy lettuce and the hot meat filling come together in your mouth for a tasty oral dance party. According to waiters, those little dark bits in the chicken filling mix are “black mushrooms,” and there’s a good chance your local supermarket doesn’t stock them. But a great alternative can be found in the Asian food section—canned straw mushrooms. Just remember to chop the chicken, water chestnuts and mushrooms up real good for the final saute. Slip this filling into a lettuce cup, fold it up like a taco, add a little “special sauce,” get down tonight.
SPECIAL SAUCE
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
I tablespoon lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon sesame oil
I tablespoon Chinese hot mustard
powder (see Tidbits)
2 teaspoons water
I to 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
STIR FRY SAUCE
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 cup diced canned water
chestnuts (1 8-ounce can)
cup diced canned straw
mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I clove)
I cup fried maifun rice sticks (see
Tidbits)
4 to 5 iceberg lettuce cups
1. Make the special sauce (for spooning over your lettuce wraps) by dissolving the ¼cup sugar in ½ cup water in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ⅛ teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you’re ready to serve the lettuce wraps. Combine the 2 teaspoons water with the Chinese hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually you will add your desired measurement of Chinese mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over your lettuce wraps. In the restaurant chain, waiters prepare the sauce at your table the same way, depending on your desired heat level. I’ll talk more about that later.
2. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
3. To prepare the filling for your lettuce wraps, bring 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute the chicken breas
ts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan to cool. Keep the oil in the pan.
4. As the chicken cools be sure your water chestnuts and mushrooms have been diced to about the size of small peas.
5. When you can handle the chicken, hack it up with a sharp knife so that no piece is bigger than a dime. With the wok or pan on high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, green onion, and garlic to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then spoon it into a dish lined with a bed of fried rice noodles (maifun).
6. Serve chicken with a side of lettuce cups. Make these lettuce cups by slicing the top off of a head of iceberg lettuce right through the middle of the head. Pull your lettuce cups off of the outside of this slice.