Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 (44 page)

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

4. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter

SEASONING

¼
teaspoon salt
¼
teaspoon paprika
pinch ground black pepper
pinch garlic powder
pinch onion powder
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch ground allspice

CILANTRO-RANCH DIPPING SAUCE

cup ranch dressing
1
teaspoon minced fresh cilantro
10 pieces bacon
10 large shrimp

5 fresh jalapeno slices
2 ounces pepper
Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Make the seasoning blend by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Set this aside.

3. Make the dipping sauce by combining the ranch dressing with cilantro in another small bowl.

4. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium/high heat, but don’t cook it all the way to crispy. You want undercooked bacon that, when cool, will easily wrap around the shrimp. Cook the bacon about 3 minutes per side, and don’t let it brown. When the bacon is done lay it on paper towels to drain and cool.

5. Shell the shrimp, leaving the last segment of the shell and the tail. Remove the dark vein from the back of the shrimp, and then cut down into the back of the shrimp, without cutting all the way through, so that the shrimp is nearly butterflied open. This will make a pocket for the pepper and cheese.

6. Pour I cup of water into a small bowl. Add the shrimp and jalapeno peppers and microwave for 90 seconds or until the shrimp has just cooked through and changed color to white. Immediately pour the water out of the bowl, remove the jalapeno slices and pour cold water over the shrimp. Place the shrimp and jalapeno pepper slices onto paper towels to drain off excess water.

7. Build the appetizer by cutting the jalapeno slices in half and removing the seeds. You should now have 10 jalapeno slices. Place one slice into the slit on the back of a shrimp. Cut an inch-long chunk of cheese (about ¼-inch thick), and place it on the jalapeno slice. Wrap a piece of bacon around the shrimp, starting where the cheese is. Start wrapping with the thinnest end of the bacon. Go 1½ times around the shrimp and then cut off the excess bacon and slide a skewer through the shrimp to hold everything in place. Repeat with the remaining shrimp and slide them onto the skewer with the tails facing the same direction. Make two skewers of 5 shrimp each.

8. Put the skewers onto a baking sheet and sprinkle a light coating of the seasoning blend over the shrimp, then bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the bacon browns and the cheese begins to ooze. Serve over a bed of rice if desired. Feed the leftover bacon pieces to the dog while you scarf out on the shrimp.

2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1
¾
cup finely shredded Cheddar
cheese
cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼
teaspoon garlic powder
½
teaspoon dried parsley flakes
cup crabmeat (fresh or canned
lump)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine baking mix, I cup of the Cheddar cheese, milk, and half of the melted butter in a medium bowl. Mix by hand until combined.

3. Pat out the dough into circle approximately 8 inches in diameter, with a slight lip around the edge, like a pizza crust.

4. Sprinkle the parsley over the top of the dough. Be sure the dried parsley flakes are crushed fine. You can easily crush the flakes in a small bowl with your thumb and forefinger

5. Sprinkle the crab over the top of the dough.

6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the crab. Don’t go all of the way to the edge of the dough—leave a margin of a half-inch or so around the edge.

7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the cheese on top begins to brown slightly.

8. Combine the remaining butter with the garlic powder and brush it over the top of the bake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Slice it like a pizza into 8 pieces and serve hot.