Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 (16 page)

BOOK: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2
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CHILI’S
SALSA
This super simple salsa can be made in a pinch with a can of diced tomatoes, some canned jalapenos, fresh lime Juice, onion, spices and a food processor (or blender). Plus you can easily double the recipe by sending in a larger 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, and simply doubling up on all the other ingredients. Use this versatile salsa as a dip for tortilla chips or plop it down onto any dish that needs flavor assistance—from eggs to taco salads to wraps to fish—for that extra special restaurant-style zing. You can adjust the heat level to suit your taste by tweaking the amount of canned jalapenos in the mix.
one 14.5-ounce can diced
tomatoes
3 tablespoons bottled or
canned diced jolapenos
1 tablespoon lime juice
I teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup diced white or yellow onion
1. Combine diced tomatoes, jalapenos, lime juice and spices in a food processor. Run food processor on high speed for just a few moments until the tomatoes have been nearly pureed, yet still chunky. The jalapenos should be chopped into visible minced bits. Be careful not to over-process.
2. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the sliced onion. Stir well, cover and store overnight for the flavors to properly develop.
• MAKES 2 CUPS.
CHILI’S BONELESS
BUFFALO WINGS
MENU DESCRIPTION:
“Breaded chicken breast tossed in spicy wing sauce. Served with cool bleu cheese dressing.”
 
This clone gives us the zesty flavor of traditional Buffalo chicken wings, but the bones and skin are left back in Buffalo. That’s because these “wings” are actually nuggets sliced from chicken breast fillets, then breaded and fried, and smothered with the same type of spicy wing sauce used on traditional wings. If you like the flavor of Buffalo wings, but wish you could use a fork, your spicy dreams have come true. Serve up these puppies with some celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing on the side for dipping.
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 skinless chicken breast fillets
6 to 10 cups vegetable or canola
oil (amount required by your
fryer)
¼ cup Frank’s or Crystal hot
sauce
I tablespoon margarine
ON THE SIDE
bleu cheese dressing (for dipping) celery sticks
1. Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Preheat 6 to 10 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
4. One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
5. When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
6. When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until breading is golden brown.
7. As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and margarine in a small bowl. Microwave sauce for 20 to 30 seconds or just until the margarine is melted, then stir to combine. You can also use a small saucepan for this step. Just combine the hot sauce and margarine in the saucepan over low heat and stir until margarine is melted and ingredients are blended.
8. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple paper towels.
9. Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a Tupperware bowl or large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce. Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.
• Serves 2 TO 4 AS AN APPETIZER.
CHILI’S BONELESS
SHANGHAI WINGS
MENU DESCRIPTION
:
“Crispy breaded chicken breast topped with sweet and spicy ginger-citrus sauce. Served with spicy-cool wasobiranch dressing for dipping.”
 
So you’re into boneless wings but you need a break from the traditional cayenne flavor of the Buffalo style. If fresh ginger-laced sweet-and-sour sauce sounds seducing, here is a variation worth snacking on. Along with the secret sauce recipe is an easy way to fabricate a carbon copy of Chili’s great wasabi-ranch dressing simply by adding a few ingredients to Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. I’ve even suggested a drop of green food coloring to give the dressing the exact same green tint of the original. The wasabi powder won’t really add much color, so this is the trick. By the way, you can find the dry, powdered form of wasabi horseradish in the supermarket aisle with the other Asian foods.
GINGER-CITRUS SAUCE
1
¼
cups water
1
tablespoon cornstarch
¾
cup dark brown sugar
¼
cup soy sauce
2
tablespoons
minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
1
tablespoon lemon juice
¼
teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes
WASABI-RANCH
DRESSING
 
½ cup Hidden Valley Ranch
bottled salad dressing
2 tablespoons buttermilk (or
whole milk)
I teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon powdered wasabi
I drop green food coloring
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 skinless chicken breast fillets
6 to 10 cups vegetable or canola
oil (amount required by your
fryer)
1. Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Preheat 6 to 10 cups of canola oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
4. One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
5. When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
6. As the chicken is resting, make the ginger-citrus sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in the water. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan along with the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool a bit.
7. Make the wasabi-ranch dressing while your ginger-citrus sauce is simmering. Simply whisk together the ranch dressing, buttermilk, prepared horseradish, powdered wasabi, and green food coloring in a small bowl. Cover and chill this until the wings are done.
8. When the chicken has rested and you’re ready to cook, lower the boneless wings into the oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until each piece is browned. Depending on the size of your fryer, you may want to fry the chicken in batches so that the chicken isn’t too crowded in there.
9. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a draining rack or a plate lined with a couple paper towels.
10. When all the chicken is fried, place the pieces into a covered container such as a large jar with a lid. Pour the ginger-citrus sauce over the chicken in the container, cover it up, and then gently shake everything around until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce. Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with wasabi-ranch dressing on the side.
• SERVES 2 TO 4 AS AN APPETIZER.

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