The Magic of Spice Rubs

Spice rubs provide rich deep flavor to many foods.  They can liven things up and make a dish outstanding.  They can range from quite hot and robust to mild and sweet.  There are various versions depending on the kind of meat you use.

The rub acts as a dry marinade and can be made from whole toasted spices or a blend of dried ground herbs and spices.  You can buy commercial blends in supermarkets or specialty food stores, however, they can be too salty for my taste.

Despite what many new cooks may think, spice rubs are easy to make at home.  An added bonus is that they can be stored for about 3 or 4 months.  So make your own magic.  Just make sure you measure out what you need so you do not contaminate the rest.

You can choose just about any herbs and spices for mixing like marjoram, thyme, savory, oregano, paprika, nutmeg, Italian seasoning ginger, sage and garlic powder.  Spice rubs are good on pork chops, duck, roast pork, leg of lamb, beef tenderloin and grilled fish steaks.

Check out the magic of spice rubs.  See what it does for your food. Here is a blend I like especially to add some excitement to a whole chicken or parts:

Spice Rub for Chicken

2 Tbs dried Italian seasoning
1 Tbs dried thyme
2 Tbs dried crushed rosemary
2 Tbs garlic powder
2 Tbs dried parsley flakes
1 Tbs freshly ground peppercorn blend (like Trader Joe's brand)
1 tsp red pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix in a small bowl.  Place in an airtight jar.

Makes about 2/3 cup.

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Dad's Baked Chicken for Sunday Dinner

On many Sundays at home, my dad would cook his specialty; baked chicken.  It was a simple recipe and yet very tasty and comforting.  He just cut up a chicken, put the pieces in a roasting pan and in a short while, they were ready with no fuss. The dish always turned out well.  This is  a whole meal in itself.  Just add green beans or peas or broccoli.

Baked Chicken

Ingredients

! chicken, cut in pieces

Garlic salt and pepper

Garlic powder, optional

1 onion, cut into slices and separate into rings

4-6 carrots, cut into thirds or  large chunks

4-6 potatoes, cut into chunks

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1 cup hot water

About 2 Tbs flour

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sprinkle chicken all over with garlic salt and pepper; add garlic powder.  Sprinkle flour lightly over the tops of the chicken.  Dot butter over all pieces.  Arrange carrots and potatoes around the chicken.  Add seasonings.  Put onion rings over chicken and veggies so flavor will penetrate. . Pour water into pan.  

Bake 30 minutes in the hot oven basting every 5 minutes or so with the remaining water combined with the pan juices.  Remove chicken and vegetables to a platter.  Make gravy from pan juices, if desired.

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Chicken Cheese Sandwich with Diva Chef's Spicy Sauce Day 10

For Day 10 of 30 recipes for 30 days, I'm adding my take on the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich.  I use left-over slices or pieces of rotisserie chicken, because i already has some great spices..  This is not one of the recipes you will find in America's Secret Recipes, however, i is one of my favorites.

Chicken Cheese Sandwich with Spicy Sauce by the Diva Chef

2 slices light-style oatmeal or whole wheat bread
2 small or 1 medium onion, sliced paper-thin
Large handful reduced fat shredded cheese
2-4 slices rotisserie chicken, cut into strips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Tomato slices (Plum tomatoes are great in the winter)
Romaine lettuce
Dried Oregano or Italian seasoning
Garlic salt
Freshly ground pepper
*Diva Chef's Spicy Sauce* (Recipe below)

Toast the bread.  Heat oil in a small heavy skillet  on low to medium heat.  (I use a small cast-iron frying pan I have had for years).   Add onions and cook slowly until soft. about 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally with wooden spoon.

Add chicken to onions, mix well (About 30 seconds).  Sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper to taste. 

Add shredded cheese. Cut off heat and cover with heavy top for about a minute until cheese is melted.  Spread spicy sauce on both slices of toast.  Add tomatoes and lettuce.  Pile chicken mixture onto toast and cover with the other slice. Cut in half.  Enjoy!

*Diva Chef’s Spicy Sauce*
 
1 cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup light or non-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons dill relish
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
Mix well

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Copycat Chicken Salad for Your Super Bowl Party

Surprise your family and friends with the hottest copycat recipes for your Super Bowl party from America's Secret Recipe Cookbooks

Copycat Houston's Grilled Chicken Salad

This unique salad is something a little different for your Super Bowl party.  It is delicious, especially for guests who want a lighter dish.  However, I'll bet all your guests will like this salad.

1 bag mixed salad greens
1 large carrot, julienne cut
2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
thin tortilla strips

Lime Dressing:
1/2 cup lime juice
7 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons honey mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peanut Sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons hot water
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground ginger

In a small bowl, combine the lime dressing ingredients and mix
well.  In a large bowl, combine the salad greens, carrots, sliced
chicken and tortilla strips.   Pour the lime dressing over the
salad and toss to combine.  Transfer the salad to 4 salad plates.
In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the peanut sauce and
mix well.  Drizzle each salad with the peanut sauce and serve.

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Secret Recipes from Your Favorite Restaurants: Review

I love food and cooking. I am a big collector of cookbooks, old and new. I have hundreds of them and have to give some away from time to time to make room for more.

There is a series of e-cookbooks that I will not give away, however. They contain some really neat recipes from some of the most popular and well-known restaurants in the US. If you are economizing, you eill lovre the fact that there are several diffent cookbooks

I have tried many of these recipes myself. Frankly, there are so many, I haven't gotten to all of them. I continue to make my favorites. And, those that I know my guests love.

The instructions are very simple and easy to follow. Even if you are an amateur cook or totally challenged in the kitchen, most of these recipes are set out for ease of cooking and preparing.

If you like Olive Garden and you also like chicken, you will enjoy the recipes here. One of my favorites is the Olive Garden™ Chicken Marsala. The fruity taste of the brandy-infused wine gives this dish a really rich flavor.

You will probably find recipes from your favorite resurants, too. Some of the featured resaurants include: Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Outback Steak House, TGI Fridays and Red Lobster. You really will get reveiws as if you were a gourmet chef. Don't tell them your secret.

America's Secret Recipes

Anchovies: A Mediterranean Essential

Many people turn up their noses at the thought of anchovies. Either they have had a bad experiences with the fishy taste or someone did not know how to use them to bring out their delicious flavor.

I am an anchovy lover from way back. The first time I had them was when I was in college and had them on a pizza. I thought the taste was pretty weird at first. However, I tried them again and just loved them.

They add so much flavor to meats and poultry. They are just great in mashed potatoes and in sauces. They are extremely popular in Mediterranean cooking and especially in Italian and Spanish cooking and recipes.

Here is a delicious recipe from the cookbook, Mediterranean, published by Hermes House

Olive and Anchovy Bites

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chilled butter
1 cup finely grated cheese, such as
Manchego or Gruyere
2-ounce can anchovy fillets in oil,
drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt

Makes 40-45

1. Place the flour, butter, cheese, anchovies, olives and cayenne pepper in a food processor.
2. Wrap the dough loosely in plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured surface.
4. Cut the dough into 2-inch-wide strips, then cut across each strip diagonally, in alternate directions, to make triangles. Place on baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Discover the secret recipes from your FAVORITE restaurant and easily cook them yourself in Your Own Kitchen!

3 Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwiches

You do not have to always follow a recipe exactly. There are times when I want to try out a recipe, yet, there are ingredients I do not have on hand. So, I improvise, because there is a certain taste I want. ( I rarely do this with baking unless I am just testing)

For example: When I have smoked Salmon available and I do not have bagels, I use what I have. I mix up a Dijon dressing or I may use store-bought creamy Horseradish sauce.

So, for breakfast this morning, I had this smoked Salmon sandwich:

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich #1

Smoked Salmon pieces or slices.
Sliced tomatoes
Laughing Cow Swiss
A fried egg
A Dijon mustard dressing (See below)

Toast the bread
Spread one slice with Laughing Cow Light Swiss
Pile on Salmon pieces
Add sliced tomatoes
Fry an egg in olive oil
Add to sandwich
Slather Dijon dressing on remaining slice of bread
Cut in half
Enjoy!

Dijon Dressing

3 TB Light or Low Fat Mayonaise
2 TB Dijon Mustard (More or less to taste)
Mix until smooth

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich #2

Whole Wheat Mini Bagels
Smoked Salmon pieces
Brie cheese

This one is so easy. For budget concerns, use Trader Joe's Smoked Salmon pieces and Trader Joe's brand Brie. They also have packages of wheat and white mini bagels. This little sandwich is also a simple lunch to carry to work or to a pot-luck brunch. Guests devour them!

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich #3

Bagel or Whole Wheat Toast
Smoked Salmon
Brie or Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Cheese
Thin slice onion
Tomato slice
Dijon Dressing (See above)

Try These Famous Restaurant Recipe Secrets

Fast Chinese Food Inspired by 2008 Beijing Olympics

Think Chinese Cooking is Complicated and Takes Too
Long?

Not so!
Many Chinese recipes are quick and easy.
And, delicious, too.
Chinese cooks have families, jobs, and
other things to do besides stay in the
kitchen all day--just like you.
Take a break from ordinary fast food.
You will and your family will love it !!

Learn the Step by Step Instructions for Making
Specific World Famous Restaurant Dishes in YourOwn Kitchen!