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I was just at the Olive Garden today and had these fabulous garlicy breadsticks. I think I could eat a whole meal of them. Not tough to make and really tasty with any kind of italian dinner.

Ingredients
1 Loaf unfrozen bread dough - (if frozen, thaw in bowl at room temp)
Pam or oil
Garlic powder
Dry oregano leaf — rub between fingers

Directions
When dough is soft enough to knead, spray your fingers with Pam
or oil and knead just until you can shape into cigar-sized pieces
(about 8 to 10). Place these 3″ apart on Pam-sprayed cookie sheets.
Let rise in warm place until doubled - about 1-1/2 hours. Then
holding Pam about 8″ from sticks, lightly spray top of each and
then dust with garlic powder and oregano. Bake at 375~ about 20 to
25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on rack to serve
within a day or two.

Olive Garden Breadsticks are just brown and serve soft breadsticks.
Brown in the oven and spread liquid margarine over them, then
sprinkle with garlic salt.

The thick-and-creamy texture and rich taste of Tony Roma’s
best-selling soup can be easily cloned with basic ingredients.
This TSR version is thickened with a little flour, some
half-and-half and, most notably, instant mashed potatoes.
Give yourself an hour to bake the potatoes and around 30
minutes to prepare the soup. Garnish each serving with
shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and green onions and you
will have a home kitchen Tony Roma’s recreation that will
surely impress.

2 medium potatoes (about 2 cups chopped)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced white onion
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 cup half and half

Garnish
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 green onions, chopped (green part only)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes or 1
hour or until done. When potatoes have cooked remove them
from the oven to cool.

2. As potatoes cool prepare soup by melting butter in a large
saucepan, and sauté onion until light brown. Add the flour to
the onions and stir to make a roux.

3. Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to
the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5
minutes.

4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with
a large spoon. Discard skin. Chop baked potato with a large
knife to make chunks that are about 1/2-inch in size.

5. Add chopped baked potato and half-and-half to the saucepan,
bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the soup
for another 15 minutes or until it is thick.

6. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with about
a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, a half tablespoon of
crumbled bacon and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion.
Repeat for remaining servings.

Serves 6 to 8.

Whip out the food processor and fire up the grill
because you’ll need these essential tools to clone
one of the best restaurant salsas in the business.
The key to recreating the flavor of the real deal
is to fire roast the tomatoes and the jalapenos,
and to add a little mesquite-flavored liquid smoke.
The restaurant chain uses a mesquite grill, so these
steps are crucial to getting the same smoky flavor
as the addictive restaurant version. Chevys uses chipotle
peppers, or smoked red jalapeno peppers. But unless you
grow your own jalapenos, it may be difficult to find the
riper red variety in your local supermarket. For this recipe,
the green jalapeno peppers will work fine.

6 medium tomatoes
10 jalapenos (red is best)
1/4 of a medium Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite-flavored liquid smoke

1. Preheat your barbecue grill to high temperature.

2. Remove any stems from the tomatoes, then rub some oil over
each tomato. You can leave the stems on the jalapenos.

3. Place the tomatoes on the grill when it’s hot. After about
10 minutes, place all of the jalapenos onto the grill. In about
10 minutes you can turn the tomatoes and the peppers. When almost
the entire surface of the peppers has charred black you can remove
them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but
when the skin begins to come off they are done. Put the peppers
and tomatoes on a plate and let them cool.

4. When the tomatoes and peppers have cooled, remove most of the
skin from the tomatoes and place them into a food processor.
Pinch the stem end from each of the peppers and place them into
the food processor as well. Toss out the liquid that remains on
the plate.

5. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and puree
on high speed for 5-10 seconds or until the mixture has a smooth
consistency.

6. Place the salsa into a covered container and chill for several
hours or overnight while the flavors develop.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Got one of those cool hand blenders? You know,
the kind of gadget that used to be pitched on
those annoying yet compelling late-night infomercials?
It comes in handy for this recipe, which requires the
split peas to be smashed into a smooth consistency,
just like the original. If you don’t have a hand mixer,
a standard blender works just fine. This soup is very
tasty and very low in fat. And the barley gives it a
special chunky consistency and added flavor that isn’t
found in most pea soups.

2 cups split peas
6 cups water
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth (4 cups)
1/3 cup minced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
dash dried thyme
1/2 cup barley
6 cups water
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 stalk celery, diced (1/4 cup)

Garnish
chopped green onion

1. Rinse and drain the split peas, then add them to a large
pot with 6 cups of water, chicken broth, onion, garlic,
lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, pepper, and thyme. Bring
to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until
the peas are soft.

2. While the peas are cooking, combine the barley with 6 cups
of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and
simmer for 75 minutes or until the barley is soft and most of
the water has been absorbed.

3. When the split pea mixture has become a thick soup, use a
handheld blender to puree the peas until the mixture is smooth.
You may also use a standard blender or food processor for this step,
pureeing the soup in batches. Alternately, if you like, you may
skip this step, keeping the soup rather chunky. It’s still good
this way, just not as smooth as the real thing.

4. Drain the barley mixture in a sieve or colander and add it to
the split pea mixture. Add the carrots and celery and continue to
simmer the soup for 15 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are
tender. Stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover the soup,
and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish
each serving with a little chopped green onion.

Makes 8 servings.

Once a regular menu item, these sweet, saucy wings are now
added to the KFC menu on a “limited-time-only” basis in many
markets. So how are we to get that sticky sauce all over our
faces and hands during those many months when we’re cruelly
denied our Honey BBQ Wings? Now it’s as easy as whipping up a
clone that re-creates a crispy breading on the chicken wings,
and then slathering those puppies in a tasty knock-off of the
sweet, tangy honey BBQ sauce. “Limited-time-only” signs -
we laugh in your direction!

Sauce
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

6 to 8 cups vegetable shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon MSG
20 chicken wing pieces

1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium
heat. Stir until ingredients are well combined and bring to a boil.
Then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. As sauce is simmering, heat up 6 to 8 cups of shortening in
a deep fryer set to 350 degrees.

3. Combine the beaten egg with the milk in a small bowl.

4. In another small bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and MSG.

5. When shorteningl is hot, dip each wing first in the flour mixture,
then into the milk and egg mixture, and back into the flour. Arrange
wings on a plate until each one is coated with batter.

6. Fry the wings in the shortening for 9 to 12 minutes or until light
golden brown. If you have a small fryer, you may wish to fry 10 of
the wings at a time. Drain on paper towels or a rack.

7. When the sauce is done, brush the entire surface of each wing with
a light coating of sauce. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 to 4 servings (20 wings).

Tidbits
Liquid smoke is a flavoring found near the barbecue sauces and
marinades. Use hickory-flavored liquid smoke if you have a choice.
MSG is monosodium glutamate, the solid form of a natural amino acid
found in many vegetables. It can be found in stores in the spice
sections and as the brand name Accent flavor enhancer. MSG is an
important component of many KFC items.

You might not imagine a tough World War II flying ace would
open a restaurant called “Mimi’s,” but that’s exactly what
happened in the 70’s. Arthur J. Simms flew spy missions over
France during the war and helped liberate a small French town
near Versailles. After the war Arthur ran the commissary at
MGM studios in Hollywood, stuffing the bellies of big-time celebs
like Judy Garland, Clark Gable and Mickey Rooney. He later
joined his son Tom in several restaurant ventures including one
called “French Quarter” in West Hollywood. This was the prototype
for the French-themed Mimi’s Cafe. In 1978, the first Mimi’s
opened in Anaheim, California. Today there’s over 40 Mimi’s in
the chain with a new one opening every other week; all of them
serving this amazing onion soup that can now be part of your
culinary repertoire. Oui!

1/4 cup butter
3 medium white onions, sliced
3 14-ounce cans beef broth (Swanson is best)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons Kraft grated parmesan cheese
6 to 12 slices French bread (baguette)
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

You’ve just cloned a batch of the best onion soup from any chain.
Got spoon?

1. Sauté onions in melted butter in a large soup pot or saucepan
for 15 to 20 minutes or until onions begin to brown and turn
transparent.

2. Add beef broth, salt and garlic powder to onions. Bring mixture
to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Add
the grated parmesan cheese in the last 10 minutes of cooking the
soup.

3. When soup is done, preheat oven to 350 degrees and toast the
French bread slices for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they begin
to brown. When bread is done, set oven to broil.

4. Build each serving of soup by spooning about 1 cup of soup into
an oven-safe bowl. Float a toasted slice or two of bread on top of
the soup, then add a slice of Swiss cheese on top of that. Place a
slice of mozzarella on next and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of shredded
parmesan cheese over the top of the other cheeses.

5. Place the soup bowl on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 6 minutes
or until the cheese begins to brown.

Makes 6 servings.

John Schnatter was only 23 years old when he used 1600 dollars
of start-up money to buy a pizza oven and have it installed in
the broom closet of an Indiana tavern. John started delivering
his hot, fresh pizzas, and in 1984, the first year of his business,
he sold 300 to 400 pizzas a week. One year later, he opened the
first Papa John’s restaurant, and has become an American success
story. Today the company has expanded to over 2600 locations in
49 states and has revenues of 1.7 billion dollars a year. That
puts John’s business in the top three of all restaurant chains
in overall sales growth, and the country’s fastest growing pizza
chain.

John has kept the Papa John’s menu simple. You won’t find
salads or subs or chicken wings on his menu. The company just
sells pizza, with side orders of breadsticks and cheesesticks
made from the same pizza dough recipe. With each order of
breadsticks or cheesesticks comes your choice of dipping sauces.
I’ve got clones here for all three of those tasty sauces. You
can use these easy clones as dips for a variety of products, or
you can simply make your own breadsticks by baking your favorite
pizza dough, then slicing it into sticks. If you want cheesesticks,
just brush some of the Garlic Sauce on the dough, then sprinkle
with mozzarella cheese and bake. Slice the baked dough into sticks
and use the dipping sauce of your choice. It’s a cinch.

Special Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup margarine spread
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Microwave on 1/2 power for 20 seconds. Stir.
Makes 1/2 cup.

Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup Cheez Whiz
2 teaspoon juice from canned jalapeños (nacho slices)

1. Combine cornstarch with milk in a small bowl and stir until
cornstarch has dissolved.
2. Add Cheez Whiz and stir to combine. Microwave on high for
1 minute, then stir until smooth.
3. Add juice from jalapeño slices, and stir.
Makes 1/2 cup.

Pizza Sauce
1 10 3/4-ounce can of tomato puree
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Makes 1 cup.

You’ll find the original version of this delectable
Roadhouse Grill signature item in the “starters”
section of the menu. It’s a variation on the popular
fried cheese sticks appetizers with spicy jalapeno
peppers in the middle, all wrapped in large spring
roll wrappers before frying. The marinara sauce on
the side is perfect for dipping this tasty cheesy
tidbit. To save time — and we all like that –
you can use any of your favorite marinara pasta
sauces (such as Ragu) for dipping so you won’t have
to whip it up from scratch.

8 thin slices monterey jack cheese
8 thin slices cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
4 large spring roll wrappers
1 beaten egg
6 to 10 cups vegetable oil

On the side
Marinara (pasta) sauce
Slice the cheese real thin, add peppers and chives, roll
it all up and give it a good squeeze before wrapping

1. Use a sharp knife to make 8 thin slices each from the
end of standard-size hunks of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses.

2. Arrange 2 slices of cheddar and 2 slices of jack on your hand,
then sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of diced jalapeno on top of the
cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of minced chives on next. Sandwich
the peppers and chives between the cheese and roll it all up.
Fold the cheese and squeeze it all together so that the peppers
and chives are well 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 rolls, then cover them all 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 2 1/2 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.

Serves 2.

Don’t even try to find this one on the menu at Applebee’s,
because it isn’t there; though it’s the most popular soup
served each day at this huge restaurant chain. This is the
first of several big-time soup clones we’ll unveil here in
the next few weeks to help get you through the cold winter
months. And they’re all a cinch to make. Just be sure you
have some oven-safe soup bowls for this one, since we’ll
have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey
melted provolone of the original version you get from A
pplebee’s is a unique round crouton that’s made from bread
similar to a hamburger bun. So that’s exactly what we’ll use
in our clone.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium white onions, sliced
8 cups beef broth (Swanson is best)
1 cup water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 plain hamburger buns
10 slices provolone cheese
10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese

1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan
over medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté
for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start
to become translucent. You don’t want them to brown.

2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and
black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil.
When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for
45 minutes.

3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top
of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness
as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you
should have 10 round pieces of bread — 5 bottom buns, and 5
top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake
for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown
and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.

4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe
bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice
of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon
of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone.

5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the
soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and
starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are
making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional
1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the
soup and serve. Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.
Makes 10 servings.

Menu Description: “Six pot stickers filled with fresh ground turkey
meat seasoned with ginger, water chestnuts, red pepper and green onions.
They are fried and served in a basket with spicy hoisin.”

Here’s a special recipe from one of the most popular theme
restaurant chains. Pot stickers are a popular Asian dumpling that
can be fried, steamed, or simmered in a broth. Planet Hollywood
has customized its version to make them crunchier than the traditional
dish, and it’s a tasty twist that I’m sure you’ll love. Since
hoisin sauce would be very difficult to make from scratch, you
can use a commercial brand found in most stores.

1/4 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced green onion
1 teaspoon minced water chestnuts
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (no seeds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
12 wonton wrappers (3 x 3-inch size)

On the side
Hoisin sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the egg,
wrappers and oil. Add 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg. Save the
rest of the egg for later. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or a deep
saucepan to 375 degrees. Use enough oil to cover the pot stickers
– 1 to 2 inches should be enough.

2. Invert a small bowl or glass with a 3-inch diameter on the center
of a wonton wrapper and cut around it to make a circle. Repeat for
the remaining wrappers.

3. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the turkey filling into the center of one
wrapper. Brush a little beaten egg around half of the edge of the
wrapper and fold the wrapper over the filling. Gather the wrapper as
you seal it so that it is crinkled around the edge. Repeat with the
remaining ingredients.

4. Deep-fry the pot stickers, six at a time in the hot oil for 3 to
5 minutes or until they are brown. Drain on a rack or paper towels.
Serve with hoisin sauce for dipping. If you want some crushed red
pepper or cayenne pepper to the sauce.
Serves 3 to 4 as an appetizer.

Tidbits

If you can’t find wonton wrappers, you can also use eggroll wrappers
for this recipe. Eggroll wrappers are much bigger, so you will be
wasting more of the dough when you trim the wrappers to 3-inch
diameter circles. But in a pinch, this is a quick solution.
Pot sticker wrappers can also be found in some supermarkets, but
I’ve found the wonton wrappers and eggroll wrappers, when fried,
taste more like the restaurant version.