Johnny Carino's Fish Tacos ~ Copy-Cat Recipe

Johnny Carino's Fish Tacos Copy-Cat Recipe:

YUM! These fish taco's are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb mild, white-fleshed fish, cut on bias to ½" x ½" squares
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tspn minced garlic
• 2 tspn ground cumin
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 flour tortillas
• 12 corn tortillas
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• ½ cup fresh pico de gallo

Cooking Instructions:

1. Marinate the small fish slices in the refrigerator in the olive oil, garlic, cumin, peppers and onions for a minimum of 6 hours.
2. When ready to serve, cook the fish quickly in a hot sautépan, seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Warm the tortillas. Set a flour tortilla on a dish, followed by a corn tortilla. Spoon fish slices onto the tortillas, followed by chopped cilantro and then by shredded cabbage. Top with pico de gallo.

Enjoy!

Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms ~ Joe's Crab Shack Copy Cat

Copy Cat ~ Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms via Joe's Crab Shack

Tender mushrooms loaded with seafood stuffing and topped with Monterey Jack cheese, serve with garlic toast, for dipping.

Ingredients:

16 Large Mushroom Caps
1 1/4 Cup Seafood-Stuffing (see below)
1 Cup Store Bought Alfredo Sauce
1/4 Cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese

Instructions:

1. Place the mushroom caps, stem side up, in a baking dish
2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the hot seafood-stuffing into each cap
3. Pour the alfredo sauce over the stuffed mushrooms
4. Sprinke the Monterey Jack cheese over the top
5. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, until the top is brown.

Enjoy!

How to make the Joe's Crab Shack Seafood Stuffing:

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch celery trimmed and diced
3 large onions, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons margarine, melted
8 ounces pollack fillets
8 ounces small shrimp, peeled and chopped
1 ounce shrimp soup base
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups plain croutons
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
8 ounces crab claw meat

Instructions:

1. Saute the celery, onions, and garlic in the margarine until translucent.
2. Add the pollack and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. The fish is done when it separates into flakes and appears opaque throughout
3. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes
4. Drain most, but not all, of the liquid from the pan.
5. Stir in the shrimp soup base and the cayenne and white peppers.
6. Fold in the croutons and bread crumbs.
7. Fold in the crab meat

Copy Cat ~ Olive Garden Tiramisu

Copy Cat ~ Olive Garden Tiramisu

INGREDIENTS:

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup grandulated sugar
3 cups mascarpone cheese (this is an Italian cream cheese)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 – 24 lady fingers
1/4 cup cold espresso
1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 teaspoons cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over medium/high heat, then reduce heat so that the water is simmering.Whisk egg yolks, milk and sugar together in a medium metal bowl, then place the bowl on top of the saucepan (you can also use a double boiler for this step). Stir the mixture often for ten minutes. After the sugar dissolves the mixture should begin to thicken and turn light yellow. Remove it from the heat to cool.

Use an to combine mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until mostly creamy, but with a few small chunks remaining.

Add egg yolk mixture to the cheese mixture and mix just until well-combined.

Combine espresso and Kahlua in a small bowl. Pour this mixture onto a dinner plate. 

One-by-one touch the bottom of each lady finger in the espresso. The lady finger will quickly soak up the espresso/Kahlua mixture, but you don’t want the lady finger soaked — just a dab will get the job done. The top half of each lady finger should still be dry.

Arrange the soaked lady fingers side-by-side on the bottom of an 8×8-inch serving dish or baking pan.

Spoon about half of the cheese mixture over the lady fingers, then add another layer of soaked lady fingers on top of the cheese mixture.

Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the second layer of lady fingers and spread it evenly.

Put two teaspoons of cocoa powder in a tight-mesh strainer and gently tap the side of the strainer to add an even dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the dessert.

Cover and chill for several hours. To serve, slice the dessert twice across and down creating 9 even portions 

Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana ~ (Olive Garden Copycat)

This is my favorite soup at Olive Garden!! I love making this one at home as well!! 

Olive Garden Copy Cat ~ Zuppa Toscana 


Ingredients:


4 slices bacon, cut into a small dice
1 pound hot Italian sausage, ground or links with casings removed
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth or stock
3 cups Russet potatoes, cubed
sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper
2 loose packed cups kale, in bite size pieces
1 cup heavy cream or 14 ounce can evaporated milk
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving


Preparation:


1. In a large soup pot or sauce pan cook bacon over medium until crispy. Add sausage and break it apart as it cooks. Once sausage is browned and crumbled drain off the grease leaving a tablespoon or two to saute onion.

2. Push the sausage to the edges of the pot and add onion to center; saute until translucent; add garlic; saute until fragrant. 

3. Stir in broth and potatoes, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, simmer for about 20 minute or until potatoes are tender.

4. Add kale and heavy cream or evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer. 

Crab Linguine Alfredo ~ (Red Lobster Copy Cat)

Red Lobster Copy Cat - Crab Linguine Alfredo (Serves 1)

Sweet crabmeat tossed in Parmesan cream sauce with linguine. A pinch of cayenne pepper gives this dish a little extra zip.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup half-and-half, plus more as needed

6 ounces snow crab meat, cut into chunks

3 tables spoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Sal and white pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 ounces linguine pasta

Preparation: 

In a small sauce, melt the butter and whisk in the flour, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Add the half-and-half and simmer for about 5 minutes

Add the crabmeat and the 2 tablespoons Parmesan and stir to combine well. Season with salt and white pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Stir and let simmer for 2 minutes. If the sauce get to think, thin it with a little more half-and-half.

Toss the cooked pasta with the crab sauce. Serve the pasta in a warmed bowl and finish with a little more Parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!!

P.S. ~ If you have some great ideas for improving this recipe or adding to it please comment! Thanks!

El Nino Margarita ~ (Chili's Copy Cat)

Time for a refreshing El Nino Margarita from Chili's!!

Recipe:

1 1/2 oz. Herradura Reposado Tequila
3/4 oz. Patron Citronge Liqueur
3/4 oz. Gran Gala Italian Liqueur
3 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
1 Lime Squeezed
1/8 Orange Squeezed

Combine all ingredients and flash blend (10 seconds)


Pour over ice in a salted 18 oz. Margarita Martini Glass


Garnish with an inverted orange wedge!!

Enjoy!!

Bourbon Street Steak ~ (Applebee's Copy Cat)

Applebee's Copy Cat - Bourbon Street Steak (Serves 4)

A juicy tender steak with the zing of Cajun spices, topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup steak sauce

1/4 cup bourbon

2 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (extra as needed)

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

4 - 10 oz beef rib steaks, round steaks or chuck steaks

Sauteed mushrooms and onion, for steak topping

Preparation:

Make a marinade by mixing the steak sauce, bourbon, the 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, the honey and mustard. A1 is the usual favorite for steak sauce, and you can use whiskey or brandy in place of the bourbon if you prefer. Put the steaks in a resealable bag with the marinade and give them a quick massage, making sure the marinade is evenly distributed. Let the steaks sit for at least 4 hours in the fridge (marinating overnight will enhance the flavors and tenderize the meat).

When you are ready to cook the steaks, preheat the broiler or light a charcoal grill. Line the broiler pan with foil or put a drip pan under the grate to catch the juices.

Remove the steaks from the marinade and drain them well. Season both sides of the meat with Cajun seasoning and discard the marinade. Broil or grill at medium-high heat until the steaks are lightly charred on one side, then turn over and finish cooking. Remove the steak to a warmed platter and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to save an juices that collect on the platter to pour over the steaks.

Serve your steaks topped with the sauteed mushrooms and onion, plus any reserved juices from the steak platter.

Bon Appetit!!


P.S. ~ If you have some great ideas for improving this recipe or adding to it please comment! Thanks!