Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 (21 page)

POTATOCAKES

4 medium red potatoes, with skin
(about I pound)
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack
cheese
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
cheese
I green onion, chopped
½ teaspoon minced fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

BREADING

⅔ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
(Progresso is good)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
I egg, beaten
1 cup milk

 

2 to 3 cups vegetable shortening

GARNISH

fresh cut chives

1. Boil potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes or until mostly soft, but still slightly firm. Be careful not to overcook those boys. Your potatocakes will hold together best when the potatoes aren’t too mushy.

2. As the potatoes boil make your herbed ranch salsa by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill this sauce until you need it.

3. Drain the potatoes and mash them with the skin on in a medium bowl. You don’t need a completely smooth consistency for the potatoes. There should be some small chunks of potato in there. Add the remaining ingredients for the potatocakes and mix well.

4. Combine breadcrumbs with flour and ½ teaspoon dill in a large bowl. Combine beaten egg and milk in another large bowl. Measure about ⅓ cup of the potato mixture into your hands and shape it into a patty about the size of a hamburger patty. Drop the potato mixture into the breading mixture, then into the egg and milk, then back into the breading, being sure to cover the entire surface of the potatocake with the breading. Arrange the potatocake on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining potato mixture. Cover and chill the potatocakes for about I hour, so that they’ll be sure to stick together when fried.

5. Heat up the shortening in a skillet over medium/low heat. You should have about I inch of shortening in the pan. Fry the potatocakes for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, then drain on a rack or paper towels.

6. Serve potatocakes with a bit of ranch salsa poured over the top and sprinkle with fresh cut chives.

DRESSING

⅓ cup rice vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chili paste
(sambal)
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons canola oil
½ teaspoon salt

2 ounces soba noodles, cooked
(1½ cups)
10 cups thinly sliced napa
cabbage (approx. I head)
2 cups mixed baby greens
I ½ cups julienned carrot (approx.
I carrot)
1 cup Julienned zucchini, (approx.
½ zucchini)
I cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup dry roasted unsalted
peanuts
½ cup sliced almonds

1. Prepare the dressing first by combining the ingredients in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Heat up this mixture in the microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds or until dressing is hot, but not boiling. This will help to dissolve the sugar and salt. Stir the dressing well and set it aside to cool.

2. Cook 2 ounces of soba noodles following the directions on the package (the directions will say something like: “Cook noodles for 5 minutes in rapidly boiling water”). Drain the soba noodles, run cold water over them and let them sit to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Use a large sharp knife to thinly slice a medium head of napa cabbage. You can also use a mandoline to slice the cabbage into thin, uniform strips so that you have 10 cups of sliced cabbage. You can use a mandoline with a julienne attachment for slicing the carrots and zucchini as well. Make sure to chop the julienne slices into bite-size strips.

4. Chop the soba noodles into bite-size pieces, then combine them with the cabbage, baby greens, carrot, zucchini, cilantro, and nuts in a large bowl. Toss everything around real well while adding the dressing, then cover and chill the bowl for at least 4 hours. If you have the patience, wait overnight for it, because the cole slaw will taste even better. Your slaw should last for up to a week covered in the fridge.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
I green onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced green bell
pepper
2 tablespoons grated carrot
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
I ½ pounds ground chuck
¾ pound ground pork
I cup breadcrumbs (such as
Progresso)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup ketchup plus on additional
¼ cup ketchup (for top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute green onion, garlic, green pepper, and carrot in vegetable oil over medium heat for a couple minutes.

3. Combine beaten eggs with milk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium bowl.

4. In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs and flour into ground chuck and ground pork with your hands. Add egg and milk mixture, sautéed veggies, ¼ cup ketchup and mix it up using your hands. Get in there and squish it all around for a while. Enjoy yourself.

5. Press the mixture into a meatloaf pan (the kind of pan with drainage holes in the bottom) or a large loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then spread ¼ cup of ketchup over the top of the meatloaf and bake it for another hour. Let it sit for a bit after you remove it from the oven before you slice it to serve.

4 eggs
cup whole milk
cup all-purpose flour
cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 slices thick bread (such as Texas
toast)
3 tablespoons butter