Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 (48 page)

2. Arrange 2 slices of Cheddar and 2 slices of Jack on your hand, then sprinkle about I teaspoon of diced jalapeno on top of the cheese. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of diced green onion on next. Sandwich the peppers and green onion between the cheeses and roll it all up. Fold the cheese and squeeze it all together so that the peppers and green onion are sealed into the middle of the cheeses.

3. Lay a spring roll wrapper with one corner pointing away from you. Arrange the cheese lengthwise on the center of the wrapper.

4. Fold one of the side corners over the cheese filling. Brush a little beaten egg on the tip of the other side corner and fold it over the first corner so that it sticks. Brush some beaten egg on the corner pointing away from you. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling. Roll the wrapper up, keeping it tight, until it rolls over the top corner with the egg on it. It should stick. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then cover all the wraps and chill for at least 30 minutes. This will be long enough to heat up the oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees.

5. When the oil is hot, fry the rolls for 2½ to 3 minutes or until the outside is golden brown. Drain the rolls on a rack or paper towels for 2 minutes before serving with your favorite marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

2 large racks of pork baby back
ribs
salt
coarse ground black pepper

SAUCE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼
cup minced fresh onion
1½ cups water
½ cup tomato paste
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
I tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ¾ teaspoon salt
I teaspoon liquid mesquite smoke
I teaspoon Jim Beam whiskey
¼
teaspoon coarse ground black
pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛
teaspoon paprika

1. To make the ribs, cut each large rack of ribs in half so that you have 4 half-racks. Sprinkle a light coating of salt and a more generous portion of coarse pepper over the top and bottom of each rack. Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for 2½ hours.

2. As the ribs cook, make the sauce by heating the oil in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Saute the onions for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. Add the remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1¼ hours, uncovered, or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until the ribs are ready. Preheat your barbecue grill.

3. When ribs are finished in the oven, the meat should have pull back about ½-inch from the cut ends of the bones. Remove the ribs from the oven, let them sit for 10 minutes or so, then remove the racks from the foil and put them on the grill. Grill the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes per side. They should be slightly charred in a few spots when they’re finished. Brush barbecue sauce on the ribs while they’re grilling, just before you serve them. Don’t add the sauce too early or it may burn.

DEMI GLACE

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups beef broth
2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons chopped fresh
rosemary
½
teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼
teaspoon ground black pepper

ORZO PASTA

I pound orzo pasta
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
(4 cloves)
¾
cup diced red bell pepper
(½ pepper)
I cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
(½
stick)
I teaspoon salt
½
teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups julienned fresh spinach

 

4 skinless chicken breast fillets,
halved (or 8 small fillets)
8 slices smoked mozzarella cheese

 

8 teaspoons stone ground mustard (such as Inglehoffer)

1. Preheat your grill to high. Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and brush the caps with a coating of olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the underside of each cap, then grill for about 3 minutes per side. Remove the mushroom caps from the grill to cool for about 5 minutes. Slice the mushrooms at an extreme angle with a very sharp knife so that you get very wide slices. You want the knife almost parallel to the cutting surface so that your slices will cover the chicken breast. Take 8 of the biggest slices, cover them, then chop up the left over mushroom to use in the sauce.

2. Prepare the demi glace sauce by heating I tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Crush 6 cloves of garlic with the palm of your hand and toss them into the oil along with the chopped mushroom pieces. Sweat the garlic and mushroom (slowly cook without browning) for 10 minutes. Add beef broth and chicken broth, then whisk in cornstarch. Add rosemary, thyme and black pepper and simmer for 40 minutes, then remove sauce from heat and cover it.

3. Prepare the orzo pasta by boiling it in a large pot of water You want it al dente, which means it should be slightly tough (we’ll be cooking it more later). That should take about 7 minutes. Drain pasta.

4. Heat up I tablespoon of oil in a large stockpot or use the same pot you used for cooking the pasta. Add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and the diced red bell pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the drained orzo pasta, I cup chicken broth, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

5. Pound the chicken breasts a bit so that they are uniform in thickness. Rub ½ teaspoon stone ground mustard on each side of each chicken piece, then rub each with some oil. Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. About 2 minutes before the chicken is done lay a slice of portobello mushroom on each piece. Lay a slice of mozzarella on the mushroom on each breast and finish grilling the chicken. When the cheese is melted, remove the chicken from the grill.

6. To serve dish, stir spinach into orzo and immediately spoon an equal helping onto each of four plates. Arrange two chicken pieces on each of the plates, then spoon the demi glace over the chicken and serve.

SAUCE

1 tablespoon white wine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
⅓ cup heavy cream

 

1 pound angel hair pasta (or
pasta of your choice)
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
½
cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons light olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
½
teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1½ cups canned artichoke
hearts, sliced
(
1 14-ounce can)
⅓ cup thick-sliced smoked
prosciutto, chopped (about
1
½
ounces)
2 tablespoons capers