Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Here's a clone for the instant dressing mix you buy in the little .7-ounce packets. When added to vinegar, water, and oil, you get one of the best-tasting instant salad dressings around. But what if you can't find the stuff, or it is no longer sold in your area, as I've heard from so many? Or maybe you want to save some money and make a bunch of your own? Just use the recipe below to make as much dry mix as you want, and save it for when you need instant salad satisfaction.

I've used McCormick lemon pepper in the recipe here because it contains lemon juice solids that help duplicate the taste of the sodium citrate and citric acid in the real thing. The dry pectin, which can be found near the canning supplies in your supermarket, is used as a thickener, much like the xanthan gum in the original product.

Recipe Ingredient
1 teaspoon carrot, grated and finely chopped

1 teaspoon red bell pepper, finely minced

3/4 teaspoon McCormick lemon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons dry pectin pinch ground oregano

1. Place the carrot and bell pepper on a baking pan in an oven set on 250 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until all of the small pieces are completely dry, but not browned.

2. Combine the dried carrot and bell pepper with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Mix can be stored in a sealed container indefinitely until needed.

3. When ready to use, pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a cruet or jar. Add 3 tablespoons of water, then the dressing mix. Seal and shake vigorously. Add 1/2 cup of oil and shake until well blended.

Serves 8 to10.

Good Reasons Italian Dressing

Serving Size : 1
Categories : Dressings

Recipe
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Tbls Garlic Salt
1 Tbls Onion Powder
1 Tbls Sugar
2 Tbls Oregano
1 Tsp Pepper
1/4 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Basil
1 Tbls Parsley
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
2 Tbls Salt
1 Env. Cup Of Soup Cream Of Chicken Mix
1/4 C Cider Vinegar
2 Tbls Water
2/3 c Oil

Combine all dry ingr. Store covered at room temp. For dressing: Mix vinegar, water, oil and 2 oz of the dry mix. Shake well. From: GLORIA PITZER "EATING OUT AT HOME" (CB018) *Also good as a italian spice blend

EL TORITO CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

Categories: Soups, Mexican
Yield: 4 servings


Recipe Ingredient
1 qt Chicken stock
1 c Julienne-cut tomatoes
2 Limes; (just the juice)
1/2 c Julienne-cut red onion
1 t Dried Mexican oregano
1 T Minced cilantro
1 t Dried basil
4 oz Jalapeno Jack cheese; cubed
1 t Pureed chipotle chile
2 Corn tortillas;cut in strips
1 Bay leaf
1 Avocado*
Salt & White pepper
4 Lime slices
2 Chicken breast halves*
4 Cilantro sprigs

*Note- Chicken breasts should be cooked and shredded. Avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced. Combine stock, lime juice, oregano, basil, pureed chipotle and bay leaf in stockpot. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Add shredded chicken, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle very hot soup into warm soup bowls. Drop in cheese cubes. Garnish each serving with a few tortilla strips, avocado slices, lime slice and cilantro sprig.

Makes about 1 quart.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic

Louisianna chef Paul Prudhomme, America's number one Dom DeLuise look a like, hit it big in supermarkets with his magical brand of Cajun spice blends. Chef Paul developed his seasonings after years of making little batches and passing them out to customers in the restaurants where he worked.

Now his Magic Seasoning Blends come in several varieties and are produced in a whopping 30,000- square-foot plant by 38 employees. Fortunately, it'll take only one of you in a small kitchen to make a clone of one of the most popular versions of the blend.

Use it when you barbecue, roast, grill, or saute your favorite chicken, turkey, duck, or Cornish game hens.

Recipe's Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

dash cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in a covered container. Sprinkle on any poultry to taste.

Makes 4 teaspoons.

Burger King BK Broiler

This grilled chicken sandwich was introduced byAmerica's number-two burger chain in 1990, and soon after the launch the BK Broiler was selling at a rate of over a million a day. Not good news for chickens.

This one's easy to duplicate at home. To clone the shape of the chicken served at the burger giant, you'll simply slice the chicken breasts in half, and pound each piece flat with a mallet. Pounding things is fun. Let the chicken marinate and then fire up the grill. The recipe makes four sandwiches and can be easily doubled if necessary for a king-size munch fest.

Recipe for Marinade

3/4 cup water

2 teaspoons ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon oregano

dash onion powder

dash parsley

2 chicken breast fillets

4 sesame seed hamburger buns

1 1/3 cups chopped lettuce

1/4 cup mayonnaise

8 tomato slices

1. Make the marinade by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl.

2. Prepare the chicken by cutting each breast in half. Fold a piece of plastic wrap around each piece of chicken and pound the meat with a tenderizing mallet until it is about 1/4 - inch thick and about the same diameter as the hamburger buns. Place the chicken into the marinade, cover it, and chill for at least four hours. Overnight is even better.

3. Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat. Grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done.

4. Toast the faces of the hamburger buns in a pan or griddle, in a toaster oven, or facedown on the grill. Watch the buns closely to be certain that the faces turn only light brown and do not burn.
5. Build each sandwich from the top down by first spreading about a tablespoon of the mayonnaise on the toasted face of a top bun.

6. Spread about 1/3 cup of chopped lettuce over the mayonnaise.

7. Arrange two tomato slices on the lettuce.

8. Place a chicken breast on the toasted face of the bottom bun.

9. Flip the top part of the sandwich over onto the bottom and scarf out.

Serves 4.
Tidbits

Liquid smoke is a flavoring found near the barbecue sauces and marinades. Use hickory-flavored liquid smoke if you have a choice.