RESTAURANT REPLICAS : READER FAVORITES COME TO LIFE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton and Harriet Part

Reader mail continues to fill our ``in'' basket with requests for interesting creations sampled in restaurants around the Los Angeles area. Today we share two copycat versions of salad dressings along with an Italian chicken dish.

With spring around the corner, two refreshing dressings should be welcome in your recipe repertoire. The first, a raspberry vinaigrette from Bristol Farms restaurant in Woodland Hills, was requested by Lauralee Oster of Chatsworth.

``It's the absolute best I have ever tasted,'' wrote Oster, adding that it's worth every calorie.

You won't believe our replica version is so simple to make. It's just a matter of processing together a package of frozen, thawed raspberries packed in sugar syrup (undrained) with a little red wine vinegar, olive oil, water and a few minced fresh chives in a food processor. It's wonderful.

Serve it over tossed greens with avocado, oranges and red onions, over tossed cut-up fresh fruits, cold steamed vegetables (like beets) or use it as a marinade for chicken or anything else that strikes your fancy. If you have any left or you make it in advance of serving, be sure to store it covered in the refrigerator.

Another dressing worthy of consideration for all kinds of salads, including pasta, tossed greens, tossed vegetables, antipasto style and the like is the tomato vinaigrette or house salad dressing from Marie Callender's. We stopped in at the Fallbrook Mall location and found that the popular house dressing is now available in a 12.5-ounce jar for $2.95 so customers can enjoy it at home.

Lynn Brumley of Northridge and Lana Kuhlen of Woodland Hills requested a copy of the original so they could make it themselves. This is another easy creation to duplicate in a food processor with a can of peeled, diced tomatoes (use either Italian-flavored or those containing green peppers and onions), red wine vinegar, basil, sugar and a little olive oil. If desired, you can toss in a few bacon bits for added flavor, but it's great without them.

Heidi Struthoff wrote requesting Chicken D'Angelo from Bambino's restaurant in Canoga Park. She would like to surprise her parents by making it for their 30th wedding anniversary celebration in her new home.

It's delicious-tasting, and although it requires several steps to complete, it's really not difficult. It involves cooking pasta separately, making a tomato-wine sauce (we've used jarred pasta sauce, canned tomatoes and red wine as the base) on top of the stove, sauteing chicken breasts and cooking fresh mushrooms. Then you simply layer the ingredients in a rectangular baking dish. After a quick oven bake to heat the layers through, top with mozzarella cheese slices and bake until melted. This dish would be great for a buffet any time of year. Accompany with a lavish antipasto salad and garlic bread for a hearty dinner.

RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE

1 box (10 ounces) frozen red raspberries packed in sugar syrup, partially thawed

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 to 4 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients. Process until well-blended (some chives pieces should remain). Store, covered, in refrigerator. Use to dress salads as desired. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

TOMATO HOUSE DRESSING

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) peeled, diced, Italian-style tomatoes OR peeled, diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon bacon bits (optional)

In bowl of food processor, combine undrained tomatoes, red wine, basil, sugar, water and oil. Process with on/off turns until pureed but not completely smooth. Add bacon bits, if desired, and process another few on/off turns. Store, covered, in refrigerator. Use to dress salads as desired. Makes about 2 cups dressing.

CHICKEN D'ANGELO

1 package (8 ounces) curlies, spirals, twists OR rotelle (noodles), cooked, drained and set aside

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garlic pepper

3/4 to 1 pound fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 jar (26 ounces) tomato and basil pasta sauce

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) ready-cut Italian-recipe peeled tomatoes with garlic, oregano and basil, undrained

3/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon dried basil OR 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Seasoned salt to taste

1 package (8 ounces) mozzarella, thinly sliced

Rinse cooked pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute chicken breasts in 1 tablespoon EACH butter and oil over high heat, turning often, until browned on both sides and cooked through. Sprinkle with garlic pepper. Remove to a platter.

In same skillet, over high heat, saute mushrooms in remaining 1 tablespoon butter until crisp-tender and browned. Turn into a bowl.

In same skillet, combine pasta sauce, undrained tomatoes, red wine and basil. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with seasoned salt and garlic pepper.

In a 9x12-inch baking dish, layer some of tomato sauce to cover bottom of dish. Add all pasta, then spoon 1/2 of remaining sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with 1/2 of mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts over mushrooms. Sprinkle remaining mushrooms over chicken. Evenly spoon on remaining sauce.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes. Top evenly with cheese slices. Continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 to 5 servings.