Recipes by Buddy Hackett: Breakfast Omelet; Chinese Chili; Famous Lunch Salade Nicoise; Whole Chickens Roasted in Covered Barbecue Kettle

Buddy Hackett's Breakfast Omelet

Handful of fresh mushrooms
3 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
Few drops garlic juice
2 tablespoons corn oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Muenster cheese

Clean and chop mushrooms, then saute with onion, green pepper and garlic juice in oil in skillet until vegetables soften. Lift out vegetables and dry on absorbent paper towels to drain off excess fat.

In small mixing bowl, beat together eggs, water, dry milk, salt and pepper to taste. Wipe fluids from pan or use teflon-lined pan sprayed with corn oil. Heat skillet over medium heat; pour in egg-milk mixture. Lower heat and cook until eggs begin to set. Spoon vegetables over eggs. Cover with lid. Cook over low heat until omelet begins to puff. Remove lid; fold, if necessary, to cook on reverse side.

Turn onto heated serving plates. Garnish with cheese, if desired. Makes 2 servings.

Buddy Hackett's Chinese Chili

1 tablespoon safflower oil
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large green pepper, diced
1/2 clove garlic, pressed
2 cubes vegetable broth
1/4 cup boiling water
Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste
About 3 1/2 cups water
1 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
Scant teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced (canned) water chestnuts
Large handful oriental dried mushrooms
Three 1-pound cans Chinese bean sprouts, drained

Heat safflower oil in large skillet. Add beef, onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat stirring until meat turns brown and is crumbly in appearance. Pour off excess fat. Place meat mixture in large, deep stock pot. Dissolve vegetable cubes in boiling water, add to the pot with tomato paste, water, soy sauce, oregano, chili powder, red pepper, salt, white pepper and water chestnuts. Cook over low fire about 45 minutes; stir often to prevent burning. Meanwhile, soak dried mushrooms in lukewarm water about 30 minutes. Drain off water, squeeze out excess fluid, slice mushrooms thinly, add to chili. Gradually add bean sprouts (which have been carefully rinsed in cold water to remove the canned taste). Heat through. Serve at once over steaming mounds of cooked white rice, dry noodles or corn. Serve with tall glasses of cold jasmine tea. Serves 8 generously.

Buddy's Thoughts: "Be sure to add bean sprouts at the end of cooking time as chili gets watery and the sprouts tend to disappear if heated too long. For best results, add seasonings as you go and taste along the way. For leftovers, serve very cold as a dip."

Buddy Hackett's Famous Lunch Salade Nicoise

1 can (1 pound) tiny peas, drained (or frozen tiny peas, barely cooked)
3 green peppers, washed, seeded, cut in strips
1 small can salt-packed anchovies, drained, cut in small pieces
1 large white onion, peeled, thinly sliced
2 pounds ripe tomatoes
2 cans (7 ounces each) water-packed white tuna
Vinaigrette Sauce (recipe below)
2 heads lettuce, washed, crisped
Salt and pepper to taste
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, quartered
2 dozen pitted black olives

Arrange peas, green pepper, anchovies and onion in large salad bowl. Dip tomatoes in boiling water a moment. Slip off skins and cut into thin slices; set aside.

To salad bowl add tuna, flaked into rather small pieces, and mix with vinaigrette sauce. Add lettuce, salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently so you will not break up vegetables. Decorate with tomato slices, hard-cooked eggs and olives. Chill to serve. Makes 8 servings.

Vinaigrette Sauce

4 teaspoons wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons salad oil, preferably olive oil

Add vinegar, salt and pepper to small bowl. Stir with wooden spoon to dissolve salt. Gradually stir in oil to mix. Dressing can be put in small jar with screw-type lid and shaken just before putting on salad greens.

Buddy Hackett's Whole Chickens Roasted in Covered Barbecue Kettle

A large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil
Starter fluid
2 cleaned whole chickens, each weighing 2 1/2 lbs.
Safflower oil
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Prepare to roast chicken in covered barbecue kettle as follows: Tear off large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, which when folded will extend about three inches longer than the chickens placed side by side. Fold over the edge of foil fitting corners to form a drip pan. Place foil drip pan in base of barbecue kettle; arrange 25 briquettes on each side of it. Saturate briquettes with starter fluid and ignite. Place barbecue grill in position. Allow about 30 minutes for briquettes to be ready for roasting. Tie wings and legs. Rub outside skin with oil. Season generously with salt, pepper and paprika (for color). Place chickens directly on cooking grill over foil drip pan. Place lid over kettle and open all dampers in lid and kettle: Allow about 1 1/2 hours to roast. Add eight briquettes after first hour to each side of foil drip pan. When through cooking, close all dampers and briquettes will burn out. Serves 6-8 generously.

Thoughts: Occasionally change the character of the foil by using hickory or apple chips soaked in water for a smoky flavor or by marinating and then basting chicken with sauce made of one cup bottled French oil dressing, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon leaf oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper and 1 cup white wine.