Categories: Cookies, Mimi

Yield: 48 servings

2 1/2 c Flour

1 c Quick oats (not instant)

1/2 ts Salt

1 ts Soda

1 ts Cinnamon

1/4 ts Cloves

2 ts Grated lemon zest

1 c Dark brown sugar, packed

3/4 c Butter

1 lg Egg

1/2 c Unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c Honey

1 c Fresh apple, peeled and

Finely chopped (1 med apple)

1 c Raisins (6 oz)

Topping:

1/2 c Quick oats

Preheat oven to 300*F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, salt, soda, cinnamon,

cloves and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside. Cream sugar and butter

together in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add egg, applesauce

and honey and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour

mixture, fresh apple and raisins, and blend at low speed until just

combined. Dough will be quite soft. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto

ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. If you wish, sprinkle

cookies with oats. Bake 23-25 minutes or until bottoms are golden.

1 46-ounce can tomato juice

4 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons juice from canned jalapenos (nacho slices)

3 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

dash garlic

1. Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher. Store covered

in the refrigerator.

2. Directions for mixing a drink, as per the original mix: “Add

3 parts Mr & Mrs T Rich & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix to 1 part vodka,

gin, rum or tequila, over ice. Mr & Mrs T Rich & Spicy Bloody

Mary Mix is also delicious by itself. Simply pour over ice and

serve.”

Makes 52 ounces.

You might not imagine a tough World War II flying ace would

open a restaurant called “Mimi’s,” but that’s exactly what

happened in the 70’s. Arthur J. Simms flew spy missions over

France during the war and helped liberate a small French town

near Versailles. After the war Arthur ran the commissary at

MGM studios in Hollywood, stuffing the bellies of big-time celebs

like Judy Garland, Clark Gable and Mickey Rooney. He later

joined his son Tom in several restaurant ventures including one

called “French Quarter” in West Hollywood. This was the prototype

for the French-themed Mimi’s Cafe. In 1978, the first Mimi’s

opened in Anaheim, California. Today there’s over 40 Mimi’s in

the chain with a new one opening every other week; all of them

serving this amazing onion soup that can now be part of your

culinary repertoire. Oui!

1/4 cup butter

3 medium white onions, sliced

3 14-ounce cans beef broth (Swanson is best)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons Kraft grated parmesan cheese

6 to 12 slices French bread (baguette)

6 slices Swiss cheese

6 slices mozzarella cheese

6 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

You’ve just cloned a batch of the best onion soup from any chain.

Got spoon?

1. Saut? onions in melted butter in a large soup pot or saucepan

for 15 to 20 minutes or until onions begin to brown and turn

transparent.

2. Add beef broth, salt and garlic powder to onions. Bring mixture

to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Add

the grated parmesan cheese in the last 10 minutes of cooking the

soup.

3. When soup is done, preheat oven to 350 degrees and toast the

French bread slices for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they begin

to brown. When bread is done, set oven to broil.

4. Build each serving of soup by spooning about 1 cup of soup into

an oven-safe bowl. Float a toasted slice or two of bread on top of

the soup, then add a slice of Swiss cheese on top of that. Place a

slice of mozzarella on next and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of shredded

parmesan cheese over the top of the other cheeses.

5. Place the soup bowl on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 6 minutes

or until the cheese begins to brown.

Makes 6 servings.

It’s dark, moist and delicious. And it comes in a bread basket

to your table at this French-themed west coast casual restaurant.

Now the tastiest carrot bread ever can be yours to create at home

with a couple of grated carrots, molasses, raisins and chopped

walnuts. You’ll be baking this one in the oven for at least an

hour. That should be enough time to warm up the house and send

amazing smells wafting through every room. Line the carpet with

newspaper to catch the family drool.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup raisins

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Dark, moist carrot bread is a Mimi’s Cafe specialty. Now it’s yours.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in

a large mixing bowl.

3. In another bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla

with an electric mixer. Add shredded carrot and mix. Add raisins

and walnuts and mix well by hand.

4. Pour flour mixture into the other ingredients and stir until

combined.

5. Pour batter into two ungreased 8-inch loaf pans. Bake for 60

minutes, or until done.

Makes 2 loaves.

This one’s super easy to make, plus it’s low fat and delicious.

The yogurt in the original is very sweet and creamy, like Yoplait.

So that’s the brand that you should use, although any brand of

vanilla yogurt will work fine. If you use Yoplait, you’ll need two

6-ounce containers of the stuff per serving. For the granola,

just look for one that contains mostly oats. It should be crunchy

and sweet (such as “maple” flavor) and can also include puffed

rice bits. You can even make these a day or two ahead of time.

Keep them covered in the fridge, and hold off on the granola

topping until you serve ‘em up or it’ll get mighty soggy.

4 cups vanilla-flavored low-fat yogurt (or 8 6-ounce containers

of Yoplait)

2 10-ounce boxes sliced strawberries with sugar added, thawed

1/3 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

1/2 cup crunchy, sweet granola

1. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt into a parfait cup or tall glass.

2. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries into the glass on top of the yogurt.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of blueberries to the glass.

4. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt over the fruit.

5. Sprinkle granola over the top and serve. Repeat for remaining

3 servings.

Makes 4 servings.

This recipe clones one of those sauces you get with your

order of McNuggets at the world’s largest hamburger outlet.

Now, instead of shoving a fistful of the little green packs

into your backpack, you can make up a batch of your own to

use as a dip for store bought nuggets, chicken fingers, fried

shrimp, and tempura. Or you can even use this as a sauce

for the traditional Chinese sweet and sour dish (with pineapple,

bell pepper, onion, and saut?ed chicken or pork.) It’s a

simple recipe that requires a food processor or a blender,

and the sauce will keep well for some time in the fridge.

1/4 cup peach preserves

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

5 teaspoons white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons water

1. Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor

or a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.

2. Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water,

stir, and bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for five

minutes, stirring often. When the sauce has thickened, remove

it from the heat and let it cool. Store sauce in a covered

container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Steak & Egg Bagel

Sauce

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 slice of white onion, quartered

1 14-ounce pkg. Steak-Umm chopped steak (7 steaks)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon butter

salt

ground black pepper

4 plain bagels

8 slices Kraft Singles American cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise with

the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside until you

are ready to use it.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over

medium heat. Separate the onion slices and saut? in the oil until

light brown.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Break up the sandwich

steak into the hot pan and cook until brown. Drain off fat. Add the

grilled onions to the meat and stir.

4. To make the eggs it’s best to make one at a time in a small 6-inch

skillet. If you have more than one of these small pans, you can save

a little time.

5. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth, but

not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Heat a small

6-inch skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter to the pan.

When the butter has melted add the egg to the pan. Swirl the pan so

that the egg spreads evenly. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula

to pull in a couple of the edges so that raw egg flows from the top

onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the

edges of the egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch.

Fold the opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges

over, creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelet. Flip the

little omelet over and turn off the heat.

6. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking

sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven, set on

broil, until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this

step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small

baking sheet or on aluminum foil.

7. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the

sauce onto the face of the top bagel half.

8. Place a slice of cheese onto the face of each bagel half.

9. Divide the meat into four portions and stack one portion onto the

cheese on the bottom bagel half.

10. Place the finished omelet onto the meat on the bottom half of the

sandwich.

11. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the

bottom. Heat for 15 seconds in microwave if needed to warm.

Makes 4 servings.

Spanish Omelet Bagel

Sauce

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

2 teaspoons minced green pepper

2 teaspoons minced white onion

4 eggs

1 teaspoon butter

salt

ground black pepper

8 ounces breakfast sausage

4 plain bagels

4 slices Kraft Singles American cheese

4 slices Kraft Singles Monterey Jack cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise

with the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside

until you are ready to use it.

2. To prepare the eggs it’s best to make one at a time

in a small 6-inch skillet. If you have more than one of

these small pans, you can save a little time.

3. First preheat pan over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced green pepper along with 1/2 teaspoon

minced white onion to the pan and saut? for a couple minutes,

or until soft.

4. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth,

but not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Add the

egg to the pan with the vegetables. Swirl the pan so that the egg

spreads out. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula to pull in a

couple of the edges so that raw egg flows from the top onto the hot

pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the edges of the

egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch. Fold the

opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges over,

creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelet. Flip the little

omelets over and turn off the heat.

5. Press the sausage into four 2-ounce patties approximately the size

of the bagel. Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat

until brown. Drain when done.

6. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking

sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven, set on

broil, until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this

step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small

baking sheet or on aluminum foil.

7. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the

sauce onto the face of the bottom bagel half.

8. Place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese onto the face of the bottom

bagel half.

9. Place a sausage patty on the cheese on the Jack cheese.

10. Place the finished omelet onto the sausage and then place the

American cheese on the omelet.

11. Finish the sandwich with the bagel top and heat for 15 seconds

in the microwave if needed to warm. Repeat for remaining servings.

Makes 4 servings.

All right, it’s the middle of summer and it’s dang hot out.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could whip up a little something

to help keep those beads of sweat from rollin’? Check out

how simple it is to recreate any of the three flavors of

McDonald’s thick shakes from scratch. Just three ingredients

to each clone. And the secret ingredient for the chocolate

and strawberry flavors is Nesquik mix. How McEasy is that?

Throw everything in a blender and press a button — the one

on the right. And if you want your shake thicker, just put

it in the freezer for a while. That’s it!

Vanilla Shake

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 1/4 cups low fat milk

3 tablespoons sugar

Chocolate Shake

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 1/4 cups low fat milk

2 tablespoons chocolate flavor Nesquik mix

Strawberry Shake

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 1/4 cups low fat milk

3 tablespoons strawberry flavor Nesquik mix

1. Combine all ingredients for the shake flavor of your choice

in a blender and mix on high speed until smooth. Stop blender,

stir and blend again, if necessary to combine ingredients.

2. Pour into two 12-ounce cups.

Serves 2.

Yes, this actually exists. On an excursion through some New

England states I practically drove off the road when I first

saw a sign advertising lobster at this fast food chain. I just

had to get a closer look. That’s when I discovered that this

unique sandwich is served only at select McDonald’s locations,

mostly in Maine, for a limited time only during the summer months.

It’s basically a lobster salad served on a hoagie roll with some

lettuce, but with fresh Maine lobster, is quite tasty.

Since you can’t get this anywhere else, I figured this sandwich

was a prime candidate for kitchen cloning. Here’s a recipe to

make a version of your own that has never before been published.

1\2 cup cooked Maine Lobster (fresh is best)

1\2 tablespoon mayonnaise

pinch salt

1 lettuce leaf

small hoagie roll

1. Mix together lobster, mayonnaise and salt.

2. Slice hoagie roll length wise, and spread the lettuce leaf on

the bottom half.

3. Spread lobster over lettuce. Top off sandwich with top half of

the roll.

Makes 1 sandwich.