McDonald's Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

This recipe clones one of those sauces you get with your order of McNuggets at the world's largest hamburger outlet. Now, instead of shoving a fistful of the little green packs into your backpack, you can make up a batch of your own to use as a dip for store bought nuggets, chicken fingers, fried shrimp, and tempura. Or you can even use this as a sauce for the traditional Chinese sweet and sour dish (with pineapple, bell pepper, onion, and saut閑d chicken or pork.) It's a simple recipe that requires a food processor or a blender, and the sauce will keep well for some time in the fridge.

1/4 cup peach preserves

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

5 teaspoons white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons water

1. Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor or a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.

2. Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water, stir, and bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for five minutes, stirring often. When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Store sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Hard Rock Cafe Tupelo Style Chicken

The world's most famous theme restaurant pays tribute to the birthplace of Elvis Presley with this chicken finger appetizer dish, and two tasty dipping sauces. It's probably best they chose to name the dish after a city, rather than after the King himself. "Elvis Style Chicken" sounds like a concoction that should include bananas, peanut butter and bacon grease.

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

2 teaspoons honey

pinch paprika

Apricot Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon apricot preserves

2 tablespoons honey
1 cup corn flake crumbs

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

dash garlic

1 egg

1 cup milk1 cup flour

1 pound chicken breast fillets

1. Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.

2. Make the honey mustard dipping sauce by combining the recipe ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Make the apricot dipping sauce by combing those ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate this sauce as well, until your chicken is ready.

3. Prepare the breading by combining the corn flake crumbs, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic in a medium bowl.

4. Beat the egg in a medium bowl, add the 1 cup of milk and stir.

5. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

6. Slice each chicken breast lengthwise into strips approximately 1/2-inch wide.

7. When the oil is hot, bread your chicken by first coating each strip with flour. Dip the chicken into the egg/milk mixture and then back into the flour. Dip each chicken strip back in the egg/milk mixture and then in the corn flake crumb mixture. Be sure to coat each chicken piece thoroughly with the corn flake crumbs.

8. Fry 6 to 8 coated chicken strips at a time in the oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Drain and serve chicken with the dipping sauces on the side.

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer