I suggest using canned black beans, but note that the sodium levels are going to be very high.  If you have time, it is always best to cook your own beans at home.  If you start soaking them the night before you can have them cooked up and ready to use after about a hour of cooking.  Of course, if you’re pressed for time, you can always use the canned beans.  I know Bush’s offers a reduced sodium black bean that is about half of the salt you get in the regular ones without compromising on the taste.  So, let’s get cooking:

The first thing you absolutely must do, which most people have no clue about, is to brine your turkey.  Brining your food means you’re going to soak it for a good amount of time in a solution with a heavy concentration of salt.  Before you freak out thinking this is going to give you a turkey that’s way to salty, rest assured it doesn’t.  When you make up the brine solution the salt dissolves in the water and slowly penetrates the skin and meat, leaving a perfectly even flavor throughout.  Your turkey will have perfectly seasoned flavor all the way to the bone and you’ll have a nice crisp skin on the outside keeping the juices in the meat, where they belong, not at the bottom of your roasting pan.

The second secret to Chef Pablo’s Restaurant Turkey Recipe is the use of cheesecloth.  I learned of this secret item several years ago and we haven’t departed from it since. This step has you soaking cheesecloth in a special solution and then draping it over your turkey before you put it in the oven.  It stays on the turkey during the entire cooking time and serves a couple of purposes.  First of all, the cheesecloth will be instrumental in helping to self baste the turkey.  Usually when you baste a turkey during the cooking process, 99% of the juices you pour over the top, end up running off and back into the bottom of the pan.  With cheesecloth you have something on top of your turkey which will absorb the juice  and slowly release it as it cooks.  This will give you a much more even basting and require you to open the oven less often.  Cheesecloth also helps protect the skin from overcooking as you wait for the middle of the turkey to finish cooking.

Ok, so let’s get on with the recipe

Ingredients

12-14 lb turkey (if yours is bigger, adjust the above ingredients accordingly)

Brine

• 7 qt of water (I prefer bottled or filtered water in all of my cooking)
• 1 qt apple cider (not apple cider vinegar)
• ¾ cup salt (use kosher salt for best results)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 head of garlic (use the whole head, cut in half)
• 1 handful fresh rosemary (you can use half of a plastic package)
• 1 handful fresh sage (again, just a small handful or half a package)
• 6 bay leaves

Herbed Butter Seasoning

• 3 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 1 handful of fresh rosemary, finely chopped (you’ll need more in the next section too)
• 1 handful of fresh sage, finely chopped (again, you’ll need more for the cheesecloth)
• Kosher salt

Cheesecloth Seasoning

• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups white wine
• ½ handful of sage, finely chopped
• ½ handful of rosemary, finely chopped
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Cheesecloth (use enough to create four layers over the turkey)
• Additional Ingredients
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large onion

Instructions

Brine

1. Combine all of the above brine ingredients in a container large enough to hold it all plus the turkey.  I like to use a large stock pot, but make sure the liquid covers the turkey completely.
2. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
3. Remove the turkey from the brine solution and pat it dry with paper towels.

Herb Butter Seasoning

1. Combine the 3 sticks of butter with the rosemary, sage and season with a bit of the salt. Mix until well blended and smooth.
2. Massage the turkey with the herbed butter mixture, making sure to get it under the skin and into the breasts and thighs.
3. If the legs have a metal hook on them, remove it so you can get the butter all over.  Once you’re done, you can reattach the clip to the legs to hold them together.  Otherwise, using twine, tie the legs together over the cavity.

Cheesecloth Preparation

1. Heat the butter, wine, and herbs in a saucepan over medium until the butter is completely melted.
2. Place the cheesecloth into the butter and wine mixture and let it soak.

Turkey Roasting

1. Preheat the oven to 450
2. Place the turkey into a roasting pan breast side up and pour in the chicken broth and apple cider.
3. Cut the carrot into approx 3 inch pieces and quarter the onion.  Place both of these into the cavity of the turkey.
4. Remove the cheesecloth from the butter and wine mixture and, without loosing too much of the liquids, drape it over the turkey, covering it completely.
5. Place the turkey in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. The cheesecloth will get very dark, but that’s fine.
6. Reduce the oven temp to 350.
7. Baste with some of the remaining butter wine mixture and return the turkey to the oven.
8. Baste every 30 minutes with the butter and wine mixture until it’s gone then start using the juices in the bottom of the pan.
9. Approximately 1 hour before your turkey should be done, remove the cheesecloth and baste again.  Return to the oven.  Baste again after 30 minutes.
10. When the temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 165, the turkey is done.  Do not rely on the little plastic pop up thing.
11. Remove the turkey and place onto a cutting board and let sit for 30 minutes before you cut into it.
12. Carve the turkey and transfer to a serving dish.

They say you haven’t been to England until you’ve had an order of fish and chips from a local shop.  The whole idea started back in the late 1800’s with actual chips of potatoes fried along with the fish. Today, those chips look more like thick steak fries to us Americans.  The fish is almost always made with a nice cod fillet and dunked in a wonderful beer batter.  Some places will coat the fish in crumbs, but the traditionalists love the actually batter coating.  Now you can recreate these wonderful restaurant recipes at home.  Make sure you pick up a newspaper so you can serve them the way the Britts do.

Ingredients

• 1 lb white cod fillet
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 egg
• 5 oz milk
• 5 oz of good amber beer that’s sat out and gone stale
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 medium sized Idaho potatoes
• Enough oil to deep fry the fish and chips
• Malt vinegar

Instructions

1. Combine the salt and flour in a bowl
2. Mix the egg and milk in a separate bowl, being careful to not mix too much
3. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt and mix until you’ve introduced a good number of bubbles.
4. Eat your oil (preferably in an electric skillet) to 375 degrees.
5. Cut the fish fillets into 2-3” strips and try to remove any small bones.
6. Once the oil is hot enough, you can pour the beer into the batter mix and stir to combine.
7. Pick up the fish with a fork or tongs and completely coat each piece with batter before gently lowering it into the oil. Be careful to not add too much at one time. You risk having the oil overflow and you’ll cool the oil too much.
8. Fry the fish until it reaches a nice light golden brown coloring.  You should turn the pieces only once while cooking.
9. Remove the fish from the oil and let it drain on a paper towel.  Depending on how much fish you need to cook, you can keep your pieces hot and crispy in a 300 degree oven.
10. Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into ½” strips.
11. Rinse the potatoes thoroughly to help remove the white starchy residue and then pat dry with a paper towel.
12. Place the chips into the hot oil, being sure to avoid splattering or overflowing the fryer.
13. If you have to cook the fries in batches, you can keep them warm and crisp in the oven along with the fish.
14. Take a piece of newspaper and roll up diagonally to make a cone. Place a good amount of chips inside, and sprinkle with some salt.  Place a few pieces of fish on top and sprinkle with malt vinegar and salt to your liking.

Pour yourself a nice pint of good dark beer and enjoy your English tradition.  It helps if you do this on an overcast and dreary day, as it helps lend to the authenticity of the moment.  Cheers!

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• 1 ½ cups of heavy cream or half and half (I prefer the cream)
• 3/8 tsp salt
• Dash White Pepper
• 6 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
• 4 oz Swiss Cheese (grated)
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 pie crust (9” frozen works)
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Crack TWO of the eggs into a bowl and then use only the yolks of the other two eggs.  You’ll end up with 4 yolks and 2 egg whites.
2. Add the cream, salt, and pepper into the eggs and mix VERY well.  You may want to use a hand mixer for this, but don’t over mix them.
3. Lay the pie crust out on a sheet of wax paper and brush the crust with the Dijon mustard
4. Place the pie shell into a quiche pan or standard pie pan.
5. Using some of the bacon (about 1/3 at a time) layer it on the pie crust with an equal amount of grated cheese.  Continue this until it’s all used.
6. Top with the chopped onion.
7. Pour the egg mixture over the bacon and cheese layers.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is just starting to brown.
9. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes and cut into slices as you would a pie.
10. Serve and enjoy.

In Mexico, barbacoa is traditionally cooked in a pit and buried for hours with moist dirt.  It’s often part of a wedding celebration and will be made with goat meat.  If you want a nice twist on one of my favorite restaurant recipes, substitute pork roast for the beef.  You can actually make them at the same time and offer up a nice variety.

Ingredients

Barbacoa

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 3-4 chipotle peppers – canned
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp oregano – dried Mexican variety is best
• 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground clove
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4-5 lbs beef roast (chuck roast is fine)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves

Pico de Gallo – I always have a bowl of this in the fridge

• 4 tomatoes – diced
• ½ cup red onion – diced
• ¼ cup cilantro – diced
• 2 Tbsp jalapenos – diced
• 2 Tbs lime juice – or just squeeze some lime over until it’s flavored right.
• ¼ tsp salt

Pinto Beans

• 3 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans – canned are fine or make some fresh.
• 3 Tbs bacon fat – cook up about 4 pieces of bacon and you should have enough.
• ½ tsp oregano – dried Mexican variety is best.

Rice – Cilantro Lime Flavored

• 3 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cilantro – chipped
• 2 Tbsp lime juice

Burrito

• 8 Flour Tortillas – 12″
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• guacamole – if desired
• sour cream – if desired

Instructions

1. Combine the lime juice, vinegar, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and clove in a blender (you can also use a food processor) and blend at the highest speed until it’s smooth and creamy.
2. Cut the roast up into several smaller pieces and remove any excess fat.
3. In a large dutch oven, heat approximately 2 tbsp of oil and cook each side of the pieces of meat until lightly browned.
4. Pour the adobo sauce sauce over the meat and ad in the chicken broth and bay leaves.
5. Cover and let simmer for about 4 hours, turning every 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Uncover and cook an additional 1 to 2 hours until the meat is easily pulled apart.
7. While the baracoa is cooking, prepare the pico de gallo by combining all of the listed ingredients in a large bowl.
8. Let this chill in the refrigerator until everything is ready to serve.
9. In a medium pan heat the bacon fat over a medium to medium low heat and add in the pinto beans and oregano.
10. Simmer for 45 minutes stirring periodically.  Cover and lit sit until you’re ready to assemble the burritos.
11. In another large sauce pan prepare the rice. Combine the water, rice, salt and butter.
12. Bring the water and rice to a boil and then cover.
13. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
14. Remove the cover and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.  Cover and let sit until you’re ready to make your burritos.
15. To make your burrito, start with a warmed flour tortilla.  This is best done on a dry skillet or in a ziplock bag in the microwave.  It shouldn’t take more than a minute, but keep an eye it so you don’t overheat them.
16. Place a good pile of the barbacoa in the middle of the burrito. Next put a few spoons of the rice, beans and then the pico de gallo.  If you’d like cheese, guacamole and/or sour cream, place that on top.
17. Fold in both sides of the tortilla and then roll up as tight as possible from bottom to top, keeping the sides closed in as you go.  There’s a bit of an art to it, so you may have to practice some.  If you mess up, start over.  Or enjoy it in bowl.

Many readers of this site have purchased the book and nobody has asked for a refund.  In fact, based on emails, all are very happy with the results. Here’s just one of many email comments:

Greetings:

I would like to thank you very much for the “America’s Secret Recipes” that I received in the mail a few days ago. I’m looking forward to trying out some of these recipes, especially the ‘Chili’s Southwestern egg rolls and ‘Hooter’s Buffalo Wings’. These always go over great for football games, especially the Super Bowl.

Thanks again for putting together this wonderful cook book of yours.

Mary McLuckie

Why A Cookbook?

I’ll be completely honest, I’m not the worlds biggest fan of cookbooks.  With the internet, I’m able to find just about any recipe I want.  I then bookmark it and keep my recipe bookmarks sorted in category headings you would find in any cookbook.  Appetizers, Side Dishes, Main Dishes and more.  It’s my virtual cookbook that is always changing and expanding.

So, what changed my mind on this book? The problem with most internet recipes is, you don’t know if they’re good.  Has anyone ever actually tried the recipe or is this just the best guess of the author?  I’ve made some dishes I found online and was extremely disappointed.  I actually wondered if the author ever tried the recipe.

All of the restaurant recipes you’ll find in Ron Douglas’ America’s Secret Recipes have been run through their paces on his cooking website by over 45,000 discerning cooks. It’s not until the recipe receives the approval of those users that it makes it’s way into one of Rons books.  It’s almost like an online testing lab with very honest researchers. Add a bit more salt, less sugar, cook this at a higher temperature and other modifications have perfected these recipes.

Will I Like The Recipes?

OK, I knew the recipes would at least be good.  But, what if there wasn’t anything I liked?  Well, a quick glance at the recipes in volumes one and two convinced me.  PF Chang Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Olive Garden Lasagna, Boston Market Macaroni and Cheese, Cracker Barrel Fried Apples, and even Wendy’s Chili.  There’s hundreds of other recipes from restaurants like Red Lobster, Sizzler, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, KFC, IHOP, Cheesecake Factory, Applebee’s, Chili’s, TGI Fridays, Starbucks and more.

Was It A Smooth Transaction?

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t impressed with the site offering the book.  I thought it seemed too basic and too much of a sales pitch.  It made me a little apprehensive about ordering.  But, I did and I was very pleasantly surprised.  The book was instantly available to me and I was cooking from it that same day.  Everything is well organized in the books and I could print out my recipes and bring them into the kitchen while I cooked.

I was surprised nobody tried to sell me up to a higher level.  When you buy the book, you get volume 1 and 2 as well as several other cookbooks on sauces, comfort foods, grilling, special occasion foods, diabetic recipes, and even one with kid-friendly recipes.  These all came with my initial purchase.  Nobody tried to bump me up to a different price for the extras.  That’s commendable.

Things I Didn’t Like

Was there anything I didn’t like? Well, yes, there are a couple of recipes I thought needed a bit more explanation.  Should I cook the lasagna noodles before hand?  How thick should this patty be before I cook it?  I could have guessed and probably been OK, but instead, I went over to Ron’s website forum and found the answers among the 45,000 other users.  It’s like a community of people just like me who love to cook.  A lifetime membership to the website is included when you purchase the book.

My Recommendation

All in all, I highly recommend the book.  Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll be very happy.  I’m a pretty tough customer to please with stuff like this.  If, for some reason you get the book, review it and aren’t happy, you have 60 days to ask for a refund.  All orders are processed through a third-party company called Clickbank.  They’ll make sure you get your refund if you’re not happy.

Over 700 recipes and membership to an exclusive community of other folks just like you for less than the price of a typical meal at one of these restaurants.  I’d say that’s a bargain.

Here’s where you can get the Americas Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas. I hope you love it as much as I do.

When making this pasta from The Cheesecake Factory™, don’t just buy any Madeira wine you find.  Make sure you’re using the deep red Madeira wine which has a nice sweet flavor to it.  There are some pink and white Madeira wines with a completely different flavor.  Don’t make the mistake of using those in this pasta dish.  You’ll definitely be disappointed.

Many cooks have experimented with this recipe and I believe I’ve brought together the best of all of them to create a very close copycat of the restaurant recipe. Please comment below if you think this is missing something or could use some improvement.

Ingredients

• Penne Pasta – Enough for 2 servings according to the box
• 1/4 Red Onion – Chopped
• 1/2 cup Button Mushrooms – quartered
• 1 tsp Garlic – chopped, not minced or crushed
• 1/2 lb Chicken Breast – Cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Madeira wine (red)
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
• 1 Tbsp Parsley

Directions

1. Follow the directions on the box for the pasta.  Make sure you cook them “al dente”.
2. Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in 1 Tbsp of the butter until tender.
3. Remove the onions, mushrooms and garlic and set them aside until later.
4. In the same pan, cook the chicken, stirring frequently.
5. Remove the chicken and it aside until later.
6. To the same pan, add 2 Tbsp butter and melt over a low-medium heat.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir to make a roux.
8. Slowly add in the wine, water and heavy cream, stirring constantly.
9. Cook over a medium-high heat until thickened – Stirring often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
10. Add the parsley and let simmer for a few minutes.
11. Add the chicken, mushrooms, garlic and onions back in and simmer for 2 more minutes.
12. Pour over the pasta and server with Parmesan cheese.

Grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, honey mustard sauce, sautéed mushrooms, Monterrey Jack and Cheddar. Normally served with Aussie Chips.

You can also turn this into their delicious Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla.  Simply slice thin and place inside of a flour tortilla along some bacon, honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms and Mexican cheese blend.  Grill until crisp and serve with some additional honey mustard sauce.

Recipe

• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 12 slices cooked bacon
• 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Combine the mustard honey and 1 tablespoon of the oil along with the lemon juice and mix. Mix vigorously .
2. Place the chicken in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag and pour half of the mixture on top. Refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
3. Save and chill the remaining marinade to serve later with the chicken.

After the chicken has marinated:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. Place the remaining oil in a frying pan, heat and sear chicken on both sides.
3. Put the chicken in an oven safe pan and brush liberally with the marinade.
4. In the same frying pan and add the butter and sauté the mushrooms.
5. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
6. Place bacon strips across each breast, spoon mushrooms on top, and then add approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of a cup of cheese on each backspace.
7. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 7 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with honey mustard marinade.

This is an amazing blend of sauteed chicken topped with asparagus and melted cheese.  This is all topped with mushrooms in a Madeira wine sauce.  The Cheesecake Factory™ serves this with a generous portion of mashed potatoes.

Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless chicken breast
8 asparagus spears
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
3 cups Madeira wine
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cover chicken breast with plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thick.
2. Sprinkle each filet with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Saute fillets 4-6 minutes per side until done and browned just a bit.
5. Remove from pan and wrap in foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.
6. In chicken pan add olive oil and sliced mushrooms; saute for about 2 minutes.
7. Add Madeira wine, beef stock, butter, and pepper.
8. Bring to boil then reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes until reduced to about 1/2 original volume. When sauce is done it will be thick, and brown.
9. While sauce is reducing, bring a pan of water to boil.
10. Add salt to water at boil; blanch asparagus (3-5 minutes). Drop asparagus in ice water to halt cooking.
11. Set oven to broil.
12. In baking dish arrange chicken, cross 2 asparagus stems over each piece of chicken and top with a slice of cheese.
13. Broil until cheese melts.
14. Put chicken on plate.
15. To serve, top with 3-4 tablespoons sauce on each piece.

This all started in the little town of “Corbin, Kentucky”.  That’s where Harland Sanders opened up Sanders Cafe, which eventually became Kentucky Fried Chicken™.  For a time in the 90′s they started branding the initials KFC™.  The company has now returned to Kentucky Fried Chicken™, but most people still call it KFC™.

It’s not too tough to recreate the taste of that special coating, but it is difficult to match the juiciness of the chicken.  That’s because Kentucky Fried Chicken™ uses pressure cookers to fry their chicken.  This cooks the chicken fast, reducing the “greasiness” as well as locking in the juice from the chicken.

The recipe below is as close as you’ll ever get at home.  Obviously Harland Sanders didn’t use Italian Dressing or tomato soup packets in his original recipe, but this will give you the exact same flavor.

RECIPE:

• 2 envelopes dry tomato soup mix (Lipton cup-o-soup works perfect)
• 2 envelopes Italian dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried chervil (it’s a lot like parsley, but don’t try to substitute)
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups pancake mix, (Bisquick works well)
• 3 cups buttermilk (enough to soak the chicken)
• 4 cups oil (southerners love using lard but you may want to substitute)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend all of the dry ingredients for the coating in a blender.
2. Soak the chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
3. Remove chicken from buttermilk and roll in the chicken coating mixture above.
4. Let chicken sit at room temperature while waiting for the oil to get hot.
5. Use a deep fryer if possible for the most authentic copy of the original Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe. If that is not possible, use a cast iron skillet. Do not crowd the chicken when placing into the skillet.
6. Brown the chicken in the skillet on high heat. Then turn down the heat and cover the pan. Cook until the fried chicken is done, about 30 minutes.
7. During the last 5 or 10 minutes, uncover the pan and turn up the heat. This will crisp up the fried chicken. Be careful not to burn the chicken during this last step.
8. Remove the fried chicken and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.