by Wilbur, Todd
3. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of light olive oil, 2 tablespoons of butter, and ½ teaspoon of lemon juice in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breast pieces, four at a time, to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is light brown. Place finished chicken on a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven until you are ready to assemble your dish.
4. Rinse out the skillet and place it back over medium heat. Add I tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. When the oil is hot add the mushrooms, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, and capers and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or just until you see some slight browning on the mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Pourthe lemon butter sauce into the skillet and remove it from the heat.
5. Prepare each dish by piling pasta on one side of the plate. Sprinkle fresh parsley over the pasta. Arrange 2 chicken pieces on each plate then spoon the mushroom/artichoke sauce over the chicken pieces and serve.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
TIDBITS
If you can’t find smoked prosciutto, any prosciutto will do. If you can, have your deli slice it about ⅛-inch thick.
ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL PENNE RUSTICA
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Shrimp, grilled chicken & smoked prosciutto and Parmesan baked in a creamy cheese sauce.”
Romano’s top-requested item is so popular they’ve even trademarked the name. Grilled chicken, shrimp, prosciutto, and penne pasta bathed in a creamy gratinata sauce is topped with cheese and paprika, and baked until the top is a crispy brown. There’s a distinct smoky flavor that comes from the smoked prosciutto used by the chain, and you might have a hard time finding such a unique item at your deli. No big deal. Just use regular prosciutto, and have the deli cut it pretty thick—⅛-inch will do. The dish will still work since you’ll get smoky hints from the grilled chicken and shrimp. The chain serves up the entree in a wide, shallow baking dish that comes to you straight from the salamander (overhead oven/broiler). If you don’t have any baking dishes like that, try using 9-inch glass pie dishes. These make for a great presentation, especially when served hot right to the table, garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a few sliced pimentos on top. Be sure to get the sliced pimentos, not diced. You want long pieces just like those they use at the restaurant.
GRATINATA SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons Marsala wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup milk
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon
mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh
rosemary
1. teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
1 pound penne rigate pasta
12 medium shrimp, peeled and
deveined
2 skinless chicken breast fillets
½ cup (about 2 ounces) thick-
sliced smoked prosciutto,
chopped
TOPPING
3 tablespoon grated Parmesan
cheese
1½ teaspoons paprika
GARNISH
12 slices pimentos
4 sprigs rosemary
1. Preheat barbecue grill to high.
2. Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of butter over medium/low heat in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn’t brown. Add the Marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk well until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it’s thick. Cover sauce and remove it from the heat.
3. Cook pasta following directions on the package (7 to 9 minutes in boiling water). You want the pasta tender, but not mushy (al dente). Drain pasta and set it aside when it’s done.
4. Pound the thick end of your chicken breasts a bit with a kitchen mallet to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper Spear the shrimp on skewers (6 per skewer should work fine), then rub them with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips.
6. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Build each dish in a large, shallow baking dish. Or you can use a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Load 3 cups of pasta into each baking dish. Add one-quarter of the chicken, 3 shrimp and 2 tablespoons of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon ¾ of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese with 1½ teaspoons paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of this mixture over the top of each serving. Bake the dishes for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Arrange three pimento slices on the top of each serving, then jab a sprig of rosemary into the center and serve.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
RUBY TUESDAY CREAMY MASHED CAULIFLOWER
The low-carb craze is influencing menus of America’s restaurant chains, but no chain has embraced the trend as enthusiastically as Ruby Tuesday. Notion’s Restaurant News awarded the chain “Best Healthy Choice Menu Selection for 2004,” based on more than 30 new low-carb dishes added to the menu, including low-carb cheesecake, burgers in high-fiber tortilla wraps, and other low-carb stand-ins such as Creamy Mashed Cauliflower. This most talked-about of the new selections is a side dish stunt double for mashed potatoes, with a carb count coming in at a measly 9 net carbs per ¾-cup serving, according to the menu. The spices and cream that are added to steamed and pureed cauliflower give this dish the taste, texture and appearance of America’s favorite side. Serve this up with any entrée that goes well with mashed potatoes, and you’ll never miss the spuds,
1 head cauliflower
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
1. Divide a head of cauliflower into florets that are all roughly the same size. Steam cauliflower pieces over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Drain the cauliflower and toss it in a bowl of ice water to bring the cooking process to a screeching halt.
2. When the cauliflower has cooled, put the florets in a food processor along with ½ cup of water. Puree the cauliflower on high speed until smooth, but with some very small pieces of cauliflower remaining in the mix for just a bit of texture.
3. Pour all of the pureed cauliflower into a medium saucepan. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining ¼ cup of water and add the solution to the cauliflower.
4. Add the cream, sugar, salt, white pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to the cauliflower and stir. Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thick.
• MAKES THREE ¾-CUP SERVINGS.
TGI FRIDAY’S BLACK BEAN SOUP
If you start making black bean soup in the morning using other recipes out there, you’re lucky to be slurping soup by lunchtime. That’s because most recipes require dry beans that have to rehydrate for at least a couple hours, and many recipes say “overnight.” But you know, tomorrow’s just too far away when you’re craving soup right now. So, for this often requested clone recipe, I sped up the process by incorporating canned black beans, rather than the dry ones. That way, once you get all the veggies chopped, you’ll be souped up in less than an hour Friday’s version of this soup has a slightly smoky flavor that’s easily duplicated here with just a little bit of concentrated liquid smoke flavoring found in most markets. Just be sure to get the kind that says “hickory flavor.”
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cu
p diced white onion
¾ cup diced celery
½ cup diced carrot
¼ cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 15-ounce cans black beans
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon liquid hickory smoke
GARNISH
shredded CheddarlMonterey
Jack cheese blend
chopped green onion
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium/ low heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly (sweat) for 15 minutes or until the onions are practically clear. Keep the heat low enough that the veggies don’t brown.
2. While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and rinse them under cold water
3. Measure 3 cups of the drained and rinsed beans into a food processor with I cup of chicken broth. Puree on high speed until smooth.
4. When the veggies are ready, pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken broth, and every other ingredient in the list (down to the liquid smoke), to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until soup has thickened and all the ingredients are tender. Serve the soup topped with a couple tablespoons of the cheese blend and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion.
• MAKES SIX 1 -CUP SERVINGS.
T.G.I. FRIDAY’S BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
So good, and yet so easy. Now you can re-create this one at home just by tossing a few ingredients into a saucepan. Try to find one of the large 32-ounce cartons of chicken broth from Swanson—there’s four cups in there, so it’s perfect for this recipe. One big head of broccoli should provide enough florets to get you set. Use only the florets and ditch the stem, but be sure to cut the florets into bite-size pieces before dropping them in.
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
I cup half-and-half
4 slices Kraft Cheddar Singles
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried minced onion
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups broccoli florets (bite-size
pieces)
GARNISH
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1. Combine chicken broth, water, half-and-half, cheese, flour, onion and pepper in a large saucepan. Whisk to combine and to break up any lumps of flour, then turn heat to medium/ high.
2. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
3. Add broccoli to soup and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender but not soft.
4. For each serving spoon one cup of soup into a bowl and garnish with a tablespoon of shredded cheese and a pinch of parsley.
• MAKES 6 SERVINGS.
T.G.I. FRIDAY’S PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN SALAD
MENU DESCRIPTION: “Pecan-crusted chicken, served sliced and chilled on salad greens tossed with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, topped with mandarin oranges, sweet-glazed pecans, celery, dried cranberries and Bleu cheese.”
With dried cranberries, mandarin orange wedges, bleu cheese, pecan-crusted chicken breast, and a delicious sweet and sour balsamic vinaigrette, it’s no wonder this salad is the top pick at one of America’s first casual dining chains. And don’t be intimidated by all the ingredients here. The dressing is a cakewalk since you just pour everything (except the garlic) into a blender. The pecan-crusted chicken is a simple breading procedure, and the chicken cooks up in a snap. You’ll be spending most of your time at the chopping block as you hack pecans into little pieces and get the lettuce, garlic and celery ready. I’ve made this recipe to serve four, but if there are only two of you, you can easily cut it in half.
PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup corn flake crumbs
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup canola oil
BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
1 cup canola oil
cup balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons Grey Poupon Dijon
mustard
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
(2 cloves)
I cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ cup finely chopped pecans
12 cups chopped romaine lettuce
(2 heads)
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
2 11 -ounce cans mandarin
orange segments, drained
½ cup crumbled bleu cheese
1. We’ll make the pecan-crusted chicken first since it is served cold. Pound each chicken fillet to about ½-inch thick. You can do this easily by covering each chicken breast in plastic wrap, and pounding away with a kitchen mallet. Combine ½ cup finely chopped pecans, corn flake crumbs, and ¾ teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. Combine milk with beaten eggs in another shallow bowl. Dump the flour into another shallow bowl. Bread each chicken breast by coating each with flour. Dip the flour-dusted chicken into the egg mixture, and then coat the chicken with a thick coating of the pecans and corn flake crumbs. Preheat ½ cup of canola oil in a large skillet over medium/low heat. When the oil is hot, saute the chicken fillets for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Cool chicken on a rack or paper towels. When you can handle the chicken, cover it and refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. As the chicken chills, you can make the balsamic vinaigrette by combining I cup canola oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend on low speed for just a few seconds, or until the dressing begins to thicken. Don’t blend too long or your vinaigrette will get too thick, like mayonnaise. Pour vinaigrette into a small bowl and mix in minced garlic. Chill this until you’re ready to use it.
3. When you’re ready to build your salads, toss lettuce and celery with about ¾ cup of the balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Arrange the lettuce on four plates, then sprinkle the cranberries over the lettuce (about ¼ cup per serving).
5. Combine the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar with ½ cup finely chopped pecans. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of this mixture on each salad.
6. Sprinkle about ½ can of drained mandarin segments over each salad, followed by about 2 tablespoons of crumbled bleu cheese.
7. Sliced each chicken fillet into thin strips. Arrange one sliced chicken fillet on top of each salad and serve.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
T.G.I. FRIDAY’S SIZZLING SHRIMP
The TG.I. Friday’s chain engineered a system-wide rejuvenation by upgrading the look of the restaurants and replacing many old menu items with new, creative dishes including several Atkinsapproved low-carb selections. Though not low-carb (because of the potatoes) this new menu addition is still a healthy entree choice, and the presentation is very cool with the dish coming to your table in a sizzling iron skillet just like fajitas. This clone recreates that same sizzling presentation in a large serving for two (if you want to serve more, simply add another 8 to 10 shrimp to the dish—there are plenty of peppers and other stuff in there so the recipe still works). All you have to do is pop an oven-safe skillet into the oven as the potatoes are baking. This way, when the dish is ready to serve, you simply transfer it to this blazing hot pan before bringing it to the table. Ah, nice sizzle, Since this pan will be heating up in a very hot oven, be sure not to use a skillet with a plastic handle that could melt. A large cast-iron skillet is the best choice, if you’ve got one. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, you can always heat up your skillet on the stovetop.
POTATOE
S
2 medium red potatoes
2 teaspoons light olive oil
2 pinches salt
2 pinches ground black pepper
2 pinches minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
½ Spanish onion, sliced
I teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
(herb blend)
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
I 14.5-ounce can diced
tomatoes
24 to 28 medium shrimp, peeled
and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
(2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon lime juice
GARNISH
½ cup crumbled ranchero or cotija
cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Make sure your oven has two racks so that you have room to heat up the serving skillet. Place a large cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe skillet (that does not have plastic handles) on the lower rack of the oven. This is the pan that will make the shrimp sizzling hot. Slice each of the potatoes lengthwise into 8 wedges. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus a couple pinches each of salt, ground black pepper and minced parsley. Arrange the potato wedges in a nonstick baking pan (or in a pan lined with parchment paper), and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes turn golden brown. When the potatoes are done, take them out and turn off the oven. Keep the empty skillet in there on the lower rack. We’ll use that at the end.