Rides, non-existent printers, scripts as recipes, Mike, Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken

Eric got on MSN earlier to ask whether I had a ride to grad banquet tonight: good ol' Sam will drive me there, thank goodness! (I figure my sibs had better drive me home, or else!) Then he asked whether I had a printer... nope! (there are no real printers compatible with 486 computers, and I never got one when I had my computer upgrade) When I asked him why he needed a printer, he told me that he needed it for printing... NO DUH?! So then I specified... he needed it to print out the script (or should he say "recipe" for it? mwahahaha!) for Jon's roast tonight. I figured that the printers at work probably shouldn't be used for that sort of thing. Not really, but he'll print out a couple of copies if need be anyhow. (good thing, since I don't know how he'd use my hypothetical printer even if the banquet starts at 6:30 Chinese Time!) But when he said that the script should be termed "a recipe," I told him that I'd just posted a recipe... what a coincidence, haha. :D

Mike (stoneditaliano) responded to my previous rant about old men that I posted as a Myspace bulletin... he says I shouldn't let them get me down. That reminds me of this postcard I got in Alaska, which said "Non Illegitimi Carborundum Est: Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down!" It had a rather hilarious picture on the front, too. He also says I'm his favorite LJ friend (aww, that's cool even though he never really commented), and that he reads all the Myspace bulletins I post because they're really interesting. Heh... I guess some of them would be. But yeah... I go for the quirky, and try not to repost surveys and such as bulletins. (that's what the blog feature is for, haha)

Now I'm off to take a shower and get ready for tonight!


Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken

It's one of Applebee's top-selling signature dishes. This tasty dish combines the tangy flavor of the tequila lime marinade with creamy southwestern-style dressing, and tops it all off with a melted cheese blend. Just be sure you don't marinate the chicken longer than 3 to 4 hours, or the citric acid in the lime juice may toughen the chicken. The bed of crispy corn tortilla strips can be easily cloned with crumbled store-bought corn chips, but if you want strips like those served at the restaurant, just follow the "tidbits" below. Serve this dish with your choice of rice (Spanish rice is recommended), along with some pico de gallo or salsa on the side.

Marinade
1 cup water
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon tequila
4 chicken breast fillets

Mexi-Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons minced tomato
1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon minced canned jalapeno slices (nacho slices)
1 teaspoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
Dash garlic powder
Dash ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar / Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 cups crumbled corn chips or fried tortilla strips (see tidbits)

1. Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover, and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Make the Mexi-ranch dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then cover dressing and chill it until needed.

3. When you are ready to prepare the entree, preheat the oven to high broil. Also, preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat. When the grill is hot, cook the marinated chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until they're done.

4. Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan. Spread a layer of Mexi-ranch dressing over each piece of chicken (you'll have plenty left over), followed by 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese blend. Broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.

5. Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of the tortilla strips or crumbled corn chips on each of four plates. Slide a chicken breast onto the chips on each plate and serve with your choice of rice and pico de gallo or salsa. Serves 4.

Tidbits
Crumbling store-bought tortilla chips is the easy way to make the bed of crunchy chips that the tequila lime chicken rests on. But, you can make tortilla strips like those served at the restaurant by cutting a stack of eight 6-inch corn tortillas in half. Stack the halves on top of each other and slice the tortillas into thin strips. Fry the tortilla strips in 2 cups of oil preheated in a large skillet for 3-5 minutes or until crispy. Salt lightly and cool on paper towels to drain.