The Secret Recipe Blog

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1/2 pound pearl onions
1 medium red onion sliced thin
1 medium Vidalia onion sliced thin
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
Salt
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
1/2 pound Angel Hair,
broken in 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley
4 teaspoon grated Romano Cheese

1. Place onion and oil in a large sauce pan over low heat and saute, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes, until onions are soft.
2.Add stock and salt to taste. Sprinkle with hot pepper flakes and simmer for about 1 hour.
3.Add pasta and parsley and cook until pasta is al dente.  Sprinkle with grated Romano cheese.

Serves 6

Out of all the fast food chains, McDonald’s Sweet & Sour sauce is my favorite!  Perfect for dipping chicken fingers, and super easy to make at home.
1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water

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

1 cup uncooked white rice
5 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup Chopped onion
1 cup Chopped carrots
2/3 cup Chopped scallions
3 Tablespoons Sesame seeds
1 extra large Egg
5 Tablespoons Soy sauce
Salt
Pepper

Cook rice according to the instructions on the package. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, carrots and scallions. Sauté until carrots become soft.  Set aside.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place sesame seeds in a shallow pan.
Bake until golden brown (10 to 15 minutes), shaking pan occasionally for even color. Lightly grease another skillet. Beat eggs. Pour into hot skillet.
Cook as you would scrambled eggs. Combine rice, vegetables, sesame seeds and eggs. Add soy sauce. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

8 carrots, cut into chunks
4 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
6 tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 bunch of fresh spinach
handful of parsley
1/2 medium white onion
1 fresh beet, cut into chunks
2 cloves fresh garlic
Using a juicer or high power blender, add all of the ingredients and blend well.  Stir, chill, and serve.

I don’t know Mrs. Fields personally, I just know she makes some good cookies!  Mrs. Fields Cookies was founded by Debbi Fields, born 1956 in Park City, Utah. She and her husband started their business in the late 1970s, opening the first of many retail bakeries in Palo Alto, California. Mrs. Fields cookies are now commonly sold across the country in grocery stores and malls.  Honestly though, they are not that hard to make at home, and anything homemade always tastes better!

1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
2 Cups flour
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Cup creamy peanut butter
3 Eggs
1 Cup softened butter
1 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 Cup dark brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together with a wire whisk. In a large bowl, blend the sugars using an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and mix until it forms paste. Next, add the eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix at medium speed until the batter becomes light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and change the mixer to low speed.  Continue until just mixed.
Drop by tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart. With a fork, gently press a crisscross pattern on top of each cookies. Bake for 10-20 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along the edges. Transfer cookies from the pan immediately with a spatula and allow them to cool.

I never buy those seasoning packages at the store anymore.  Why pay extra for spices I already have at home?  I just mix a batch together and store it in a sealed container for whenever needed.  Feel free to add a little more Cayenne for some extra kick!

1 1/4 Teaspoon Chili powder
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon minced onion
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Ground oregano
1 Tablespoon Flour

Combine all of these dry ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an air tight container.

 Need the instructions for tacos that always comes on the back of the package???

To prepare the meat filling for tacos preheat a large skillet.   Brown 1 pound ground beef; drain the fat.  Add your Taco Seasoning that you prepared previously and 2/3 cup water to the beef; mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve taco filling with warmed taco shells or tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, grated cheddar cheese and chopped tomato or fresh salsa.

This recipe makes enough meat filling for 12 tacos.

Last month they closed down my local Macaroni Grill.  My girlfriend and I loved to dine there!  Once I learned this news I went right to the web and found that the nearest Macaroni Grill is over an hour away!  I’m not worried though, I’ll just recreate my favorite dishes at home at a fraction of the cost of eating out.  I hope you enjoy this copycat recipe for Macaroni Grill’s Penne Rustica

Gratinata Sauce:
2 teaspoon Butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown but do not burn the garlic.
Add marsala wine and then reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume.
Set aside.

Penne Rustica:
1 oz. pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp peeled and deveined
12 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
4 1/2 cups of granita sauce
3 lbs. cooked Penne Pasta
3 teaspoons pimentos, minced
6 oz. butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Saute pancetta until it begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent, you do not want to overcook the shrimp or else it will be rubbery. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until the sauce thickens.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.