Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

D. ROSS CAMERON Contra Costa Times

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves 4

From “Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors To Crave With Wines To Match” (Clarkson Potter, $27.50, 208 pages) by Cathy and Tony Mantuano.

Mejadra is a biblical dish made with lentils, spices and, typically, rice. Cathy Mantuano suggests serving this with a Palo Cortado Viejo, Hidalgo or Palo Cortado “Peninsula” Emilio Lustau.

Note: The cook time for the rice overlaps the cook time for the lentils.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup dried lentils

1/2 cup long-grain rice

Small pinch saffron threads

Sea salt, fresh black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons minced jalapeño

Four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lentils and enough water to cover by an inch to a boil. Cook until just tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In another saucepan, bring the rice, saffron, 1 cup water and a pinch salt to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and nearly all the liquid has been absorbed, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and jalapeño and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and rice to pan, tossing to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan, preferably nonstick, over high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and, when the oil is hot, add it to the pan. Cook until the bottom has a toasted brown crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and brush the fillets with a generous amount of molasses.

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the fish is opaque throughout when prodded with the tip of a knife, about 4 minutes.

Divide the lentils and rice among four warm plates, top with a salmon fillet and serve immediately.

Per serving: 623 cal.; 41 g pro.; 43 g carb.; 31 g fat (5 sat., 19 monounsat., 7 polyunsat.); 93 mg chol.; 232 mg sod.; 6 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 46 percent calories from fat.

D. ROSS CAMERON Contra Costa Times

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves 4

From “Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors To Crave With Wines To Match” (Clarkson Potter, $27.50, 208 pages) by Cathy and Tony Mantuano.

Mejadra is a biblical dish made with lentils, spices and, typically, rice. Cathy Mantuano suggests serving this with a Palo Cortado Viejo, Hidalgo or Palo Cortado “Peninsula” Emilio Lustau.

Note: The cook time for the rice overlaps the cook time for the lentils.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup dried lentils

1/2 cup long-grain rice

Small pinch saffron threads

Sea salt, fresh black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons minced jalapeño

Four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lentils and enough water to cover by an inch to a boil. Cook until just tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In another saucepan, bring the rice, saffron, 1 cup water and a pinch salt to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and nearly all the liquid has been absorbed, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and jalapeño and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and rice to pan, tossing to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan, preferably nonstick, over high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and, when the oil is hot, add it to the pan. Cook until the bottom has a toasted brown crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and brush the fillets with a generous amount of molasses.

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the fish is opaque throughout when prodded with the tip of a knife, about 4 minutes.

Divide the lentils and rice among four warm plates, top with a salmon fillet and serve immediately.

Per serving: 623 cal.; 41 g pro.; 43 g carb.; 31 g fat (5 sat., 19 monounsat., 7 polyunsat.); 93 mg chol.; 232 mg sod.; 6 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 46 percent calories from fat.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves 6

Adapted from “Bon Appetit, Y’All” by Virginia Willis (Ten Speed, $32.50, 312 pages). The original recipe calls for tasso, a Cajun-style spiced ham, rather than sausage. Feel free to use it if you can find it.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 pound chopped andouille sausage

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 3 boneless, skinless thighs (about 1 pound total), cut into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon homemade or purchased Creole seasoning (see note below)

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

One 4-ounce can tomato sauce

2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-sodium broth

Coarse salt and ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil and butter over high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and sprinkle the Creole seasoning over all. Continue cooking over high heat until the chicken just begins to color, about 3 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the skillet and cook until they start to color, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat. Stir in the tomato sauce and stock, and bring to a boil.

Return the chicken and sausage to the skillet and stir to combine. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, stirring once, until the rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Let the jambalaya cool slightly and adjust seasoning to taste before serving.

Note: To make 1/4 cup Creole seasoning, combine 4 teaspoons cayenne, 1 tablespoon each coarse salt and white pepper, 2 1/4 teaspoons each dried thyme and freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dried sage and 1/4 teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

Per serving: 400 cal.; 22 g pro.; 47 g carb.; 13 g fat (4 sat., 6 monounsat.); 48 mg chol.; 770 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 30 percent calories from fat.

Thanks to helpful readers, we’ve found just the recipe for M.W., whose Pakistani son-in-law wished to taste again a dish his late mother made for breakfast with rice, milk, carrots, raisins and pistachios.

“This sounds like carrot halavah, which I first met in India in the ’50s,” wrote Kay Carpenter of Cudjoe Key. “We ate it as a dessert but why not breakfast, too?”

A reader named Pam contacted a friend in Pakistan who identified the dish as gajraila, and said it can also be served as dessert. Basmati rice, carrots, milk, cardamom pods and sugar are cooked until very soft. Just before serving a few drops of warm rose essence (kewra) are added along with grated almonds, coconut and pistachios.

The recipe here was recommended by K. Ghouri, who said he happened upon it while trying to find Americanized versions of Pakistani dishes for friends. It’s from “Endangered Recipes” by Lari Robling (Stewart, Taboori & Chang, $17.95). The cookbook, by the way, is a personal favorite among this year’s offerings, showcasing nearly forgotten recipes dishes such as Welsh rarebit, Parker House rolls and green goddess dressing.

I liked this best warm. I grated the carrots very fine with a food processor, and found the pudding got thick without extra mashing.

PAKISTANI CARROT PUDDING (Gajraila)

1 (4 cups) quart milk

1/4 cup basmati or Carolina long-grain rice

1 pound carrots, scrubbed and grated

1/2 cup sugar (or more, depending on sweetness of the carrots)

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

Combine milk and rice in a medium saucepan, and set aside 30 minutes to soak. Add grated carrots, sugar and cardamom, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, scraping down the sides of the pan and stirring occasionally to keep rice from sticking. If a thick pudding is desired, mash some of the mixture with a potato masher or immersion blender. Add raisins and taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if desired. Cook 30 minutes longer, stirring every so often. When pudding is done, transfer to a 1-quart serving dish or individual ramekins and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 3 cups, 6 servings.

Per serving: 293 calories (23 percent from fat), 7.9 g fat (3.4 g saturated, 2.6 g monounsaturated), 6.3 mg cholesterol, 8.1 g protein, 50.1 g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fiber, 119.2 mg sodium.

BAKE-OFF FAVES

In another installment of our Pillsbury Bake-Off showcase, Karen Lanzer of Kure Beach, N.C., shared a the wonderful, short-cut caramel-roll recipe here. Very similar to monkey bread, it the grand prize winner in the 1976 Bake-Off.

CRESCENT CARAMEL SWIRL

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small (1-quart) saucepan. Coat bottom and sides of a 12-cup bundt pan with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of the nuts. Add remaining nuts, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water to the saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove dough from cans; do not unroll. Cut each long roll into 4 slices (for a total of 16 slices). Arrange 8 slices, cut side down, in the nut-lined pan. Separate each pinwheel slightly. Spoon half the brown sugar mix over dough. Place remaining dough slices over bottom layer and spoon on remaining brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 to 33 minutes.

Cool for 3 minutes and invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Per roll: 283 calories (43 percent from fat), 13.9 g fat (5.8 g saturated, 3.9 g monounsaturated), 20.3 mg cholesterol, 4.9 g protein, 36.2 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 221.6 mg sodium.

Q: I would like to get the recipe for the tangy tomato salad dressing that Outback restaurants serve. I have tried to duplicate it without success.

-Robin, Key West, Fla.

A: The Outback does not release its proprietary recipes. An Internet search turned up lots of copycat versions, but they all seemed to start with ketchup, onion powder and a lot of sugar or corn syrup and in some cases a lot of oil. Since this is billed as a fat-free, low-calorie dressing, I knew those were off the mark, so I experimented and came up with the one here – a zesty, fat-free take on Catalina-style dressing. You may use a sugar substitute as long as it is heat stable.

SLEUTH’S CORNER

Q: When I was a child my mother would buy the most amazing chocolate cakes that were decorated with pecans around the edge from a bakery that was in the Town and Country shopping center on Kendall Drive in Miami. I was wondering if there is any way of finding the recipe and if anyone remembers the name of the bakery.

-Annie R., Miami

TANGY TOMATO SALAD DRESSING

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion

1/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup lemon juice

Salt and additional lemon juice to taste

Puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to mix thoroughly. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, until dressing thickens. Remove from heat, taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, sugar and/or lemon juice as desired. (I added a teaspoon of horseradish for extra kick.) Chill. Makes about 1 1/2 cups, 12 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Per tablespoon: 28 calories (3 percent from fat), 0.1 g fat (0 saturated, 0 monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 0.4 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 78 mg sodium.

There’s something about rice pudding that says cozy.

As far as comfort items go, it’s right up there with your softest blanket, oldest sweater and fuzziest slippers.

But to be truly comforting, it must be the right kind of rice pudding. No fancy rice, no coconut milk, certainly no bananas or chocolate.

Yes, it’s true. People do put all these things and more into rice pudding. I ran across one recipe that even included lavender. That’s a little too – uh – interesting for me.

I like my rice pudding plain, so I chose one of the simplest recipes I could find. It’s from The Food Network, and while it is basic, it does include citrus zest and golden raisins – twists I thought would be yummy.

Shopping was easy. You should find everything you need at your regular grocery store if you don’t have it in your pantry already.

Prep went smoothly. I cooked the rice the night before and brought it to room temperature while I made breakfast for the kids on a Sunday morning. Cook the rice mixture while you zest the lemon and orange – this will save a bit of time.

I have to admit I omitted the fennel. I’m not opposed to being an adventurous eater, but I can’t see how this particular spice could ever complement rice pudding. Besides, I don’t have a spice grinder, and the only fennel seeds I could find at the store came whole.

I cooked the pudding as directed, but after about a half an hour, a spoon wouldn’t stand up in the mixture as the recipe indicated. Still, it seemed thick enough, so I served it.

It was everything I hoped for and more – creamy and comforting, with a touch of citrus zing. I especially liked the crunch from the slivered almonds.

This recipe is a keeper. Just like my fuzzy slippers.

RICE PUDDING

This recipe, from Emeril Lagasse, is from www.foodtv.com.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 cup boiling water

1/3 cup slivered almonds

31/2 cups cooked medium- or long-grain rice, at room temperature

21/2 cups milk

21/2 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

Pinch salt

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

11/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

Instructions:

In a bowl, place the raisins and cover with the water. Let sit until plumped, five minutes. Drain. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden and fragrant, three to five minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large saucepan, combine the rice, milk, cream, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring, over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a low simmer and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 30 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking, until a spoon is just able to stand up in the pudding, about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins, almonds and remaining ingredients.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes Serves 10

This side dish from Janice Thornton can be used with any Mexican or East Indian meal.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups long grain rice, dry

4 cups water

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

Put all ingredients into a heavy-bottom pot, stir well, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook over low heat until rice has absorbed water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard garlic and bay leaf. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Per serving: 100 cal.; 2 g pro.; 22 g carb.; trace g fat; 0 mg chol.; 191 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 2 percent calories from fat.