Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

One at a time, use tongs to hold the chilies over a gas burner, turning until well charred, about 5 minutes. You also can set the chilies under a broiler for about 10 minutes, turning regularly.

LARRY CROWE Associated Press
Brothers Matt and Ted Lee created a Southern-influenced relish for their burger, using Swiss cheese and banana peppers.

Prep time: 50 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 10 to 12

INGREDIENTS

Crisp topping:

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Filling:

2 pounds rhubarb, washed and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

INSTRUCTIONS

For crisp topping: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor combine flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and the cinnamon. Add the butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. You may need to scrape the container a few times to ensure that all the flour and butter is combined.

Take the mixture out of the processor and add the walnuts.

For filling: Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, 1 cup sugar, and flour in a large bowl, toss together. Let the fruit stand until it is slightly moistened.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour in the filling and sprinkle an even layer of topping over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices bubble thick around the edges.

Per serving based on 12 servings: 309 cal.; 5 g pro.; 47 g carb.; 12 g fat (5 sat., 3 monounsat., 4 polyunsat.); 21 mg chol.; 9 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 31 g sugar; 35 percent calories from fat.

Q: As far back as the late 1950s I remember my Grandma making rhubarb custard. The ingredients were rhubarb, tapioca, sugar and maybe eggs. Sometimes she would add strawberries and maybe bananas. The recipe was in her head, passed down to her from her mother. I guess I wasn’t thinking that she wouldn’t always be around for me to depend on for the recipe, as I never wrote it down. If you could find all the ingredients and amounts I would be forever grateful.

—Barbara Leeson, Gouverneur, N.Y.

A: Rhubarb is so tart that it is usually paired with custard, and I found lots of recipes for rhubarb custard pie. The search for a tapioca pudding with rhubarb sent me to my vintage cookbooks. The recipes I found all used pearl tapioca and required an overnight soak in milk and three hours of stovetop cooking.

I came up with an alternative, cooking the rhubarb separately and folding it into a custard made with granulated tapioca. I hope it tastes like your grandmother’s recipe. The rhubarb sauce is adapted from the 1947 “Modern Family Cook Book” by Meta Givens and the tapioca custard from the directions on the Reese’s Tapioca box.

RHUBARB TAPIOCA CUSTARD

1 pound fresh rhubarb (3 1/2 cups diced)

1 cup sugar (about)

1/2 cup granulated tapioca

3 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped cream (optional)

Discard rhubarb tops and rinse stems. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place in a saucepan with water to cover and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup sugar (and more to taste) to the hot rhubarb, stirring until it is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Combine the tapioca, milk and salt in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until boiling. Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer 2 minutes.

Beat eggs with 1/2 cup sugar. Slowly add a small amount of the warm tapioca mixture to beaten eggs (equalizing the temperatures helps avoid curdling). Add egg mixture to saucepan and continue to cook on lowest heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

Stir in the rhubarb to serve warm, or chill both mixtures separately and layer in trifle bowl with whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 217 calories (18 percent from fat), 4.3 g fat (2.1 g saturated, 1.2 g monounsaturated), 62 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 40.3 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 129 mg sodium.

Q: At a restaurant brunch one of the dishes I really liked was French toast that had cheese and other savory ingredients. Do you have a recipe like this?

—Sandra Castillo

A: This is a recipe I clipped from Good Housekeeping magazine in December, to serve at a Christmas morning brunch. Since then I”ve made it several times with variations. The best was replacing the Gruyere with Monterey jack and the chives with green chiles, but we also were fond of one with Cheddar, diced ham, onions and peppers. The recipe is not only versatile but perfect for entertaining because you prepare it ahead of time.

OVERNIGHT SAVORY FRENCH TOAST

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup snipped chives, plus additional for garnish

1 (9-ounce) loaf French or Cuban bread, preferably day-old, cut into \-inch slices

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

Grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart ceramic baking dish. In bowl, whisk eggs, milk, Dijon, salt and pepper until well blended. Stir in chives.

Arrange half the bread in the prepared baking dish, overlapping slices to fit. Pour half the egg mixture over the bread and sprinkle with two-thirds of the Gruyere. Cover with remaining bread, overlapping slices. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread; gently press down to help it absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Gruyere. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed and golden, covering top during last 15 minutes if browning too quickly. Let stand 10 minutes to set custard before serving. Sprinkle with snipped chives. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 272 calories (44 percent from fat), 13.3 g fat (6.5 g saturated, 4.2 g monounsaturated), 188 mg cholesterol, 16.9 g protein, 21.3 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g fiber, 379 mg sodium.

NEW COOKBOOK

Just in time for barbecue season, “The Big Book of BBQ” by the editors of Southern Living (Oxmoor, $24.95) is a definitive look at the recipes and mores of “the barbecue belt.” This is one of those cookbooks that is downright fun to read, with lots of enticing recipes for both barbecue and sides (Cilantro Pesto, Gouda Grits and Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Trifle are just a sampling of the ones I’m going to try). There are also wonderful photos, Southern lore and discussions of regional barbecue disputes (sweet vs. vinegar sauce, slow smoke vs. speed grill and more).

The Grilled Maple Chipotle Pork Chops recipe here was a finalist in a Southern Living cook-off. I love the blend of sweet and spicy – and the fact that you can have this on the table in about half an hour.

GRILLED MAPLE-CHIPOTLE PORK CHOPS

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can

6 (1 \-inch thick) bone-in pork chops

Salt and pepper

Heat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high). Whisk together the barbecue sauce, maple syrup, chipotle peppers and adobo. Set aside. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.

Grill, covered, 20 minutes, or until thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155 degrees, turning once. Baste with half the barbecue sauce mixture during the last 5 minutes of cooking or when thermometer reaches 145 degrees. Serve over grits or rice, with remaining sauce drizzled on top. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 338 calories (41 percent from fat), 15.3 g fat (5.2 g saturated, 6.4 g monounsaturated), 77.1 mg cholesterol, 27.5 g protein, 21.5 g carbohydrates, 0.7 g fiber, 402 mg sodium.

SLEUTH’S CORNER

Q: I’m looking for an old-time recipe that my Scots mother made, a biscuit she made with leftover rice and baked in cupcake pans. These biscuits and a bowl of tomato soup were a favorite meal.

-Robert Murphy

(Contact Linda Cicero: lcicero(AT)MiamiHerald.com)

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 9 minutes

Serves 4

This recipe is courtesy of Red Lobster.

Note: The prep time does not include the 2- to 3-hour soak time for the skewers or the 3- to 4-hour chill time for the shrimp.

INGREDIENTS

12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 French baguette

1/4 cup melted butter

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

2 large, fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 2 teaspoons prepared fresh basil)

2 tablespoons diced red onions

1/4 cup balsamic dressing (use your favorite or substitute equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Nonstick cooking spray, as needed

4 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 2 to 3 hours)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place 3 shrimp on each skewer, all facing the same direction. Push shrimp together tightly to hold together.

Brush shrimp skewers with canola oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Prepare the grill by spraying the grates with nonstick cooking spray. Turn grill to high.

Grill skewers for approximately 2 minutes per side, until shrimp are opaque and firm. Remove skewers from grill and chill in refrigerator for 3-4 hours (shrimp skewers can be made one day ahead).

Slice French baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Brush with melted butter and season with garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Toast baguette slices in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and hold at room temperature.

Combine tomatoes, basil, onion and balsamic dressing in small bowl; toss gently to incorporate dressing.

Remove shrimp from skewers and toss with tomato mixture.

Top toasted baguette slices with shrimp mixture.

Per serving: 300 cal.; 5 g pro.; 12 g carb.; 26 g fat (9 sat., 13 monounsat., 4 polyunsat.); 58 mg chol.; 378 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 78 percent calories from fat.

Jerusalem artichokes, beets, sweet potatoes – all make great alternatives to potatoes in side dishes. Or you can try them in desserts, such as the sweet potato custard offered here.

ROASTED JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE BISQUE WITH SPROUTS

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Makes: 7-8 cups

In “Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison’s Kitchen,” Madison writes: “These knobby tubers, which grow in copious amounts, are in the sunflower family, so I like to keep them with their relatives, using sunflower seed oil for roasting and nutty flavored sunflower spouts as a garnish.”

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed, cut into 1/3-inch slices

1 potato, peeled, sliced

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 small onion or leek, thinly sliced

5 cups water

1/4 cup whipping cream

Sunflower seed sprouts or micro greens, optional

-Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the tubers, potato and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a 13- by -9-inch baking dish; roast until the tubers are browned in places, 45 minutes. Remove garlic skins.

-Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a soup pot over medium heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 cup of the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Stir in remaining water; scrape up any browned bits. Reduce heat to simmer; cover. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

-Puree the soup in small batches in blender or food processor. Stir in the cream; season to taste. Serve in wide bowls; garnish with sprouts.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 123 calories, 57 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 151 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

THREE BEET CAVIAR WITH ENDIVE AND GOAT CHEESE

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmers Markets.” If your market offers the opportunity to make three different caviars using golden beets in one, red in another, and Chioggia in the third, go ahead and use all three kinds. They look like jewels. Serve them in separate mounds, along with a mound of chopped endive and another of goat cheese, but encourage people to mix everything together at the table. Mixed beforehand, the red beets will stain the salad red.

6 beets, 2 golden, 2 Chioggia, 2 red, or all one color

1 small red onion, finely diced

4 tablespoons white wine or rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped parsley or chervil

1/2 teaspoon each: salt, sugar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 heads Belgian endive, sliced

4 ounces fresh goat cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed

-Trim beet stems down to 1 inch; leave roots on. Place beets in a steamer over boiling water; cover. (Do each color of beet separately.) Steam until tender-firm when pierced with a knife, 25-45 minutes, depending on their size. Cool; slip off the skins. Cut beets into chunks. Place in food processor; pulse 6-8 times until finely chopped, but not pureed (or, dice them by hand).

-Meanwhile, mix the onion, vinegar, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, sugar and pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss each of the three types of beets with a third of the onion mixture in separate bowls. Chill.

-Arrange mounds of the beets, a mound of endive, and a smaller one of goat cheese on each plate. Drizzle a little olive oil over the endive and cheese. Toss everything together before eating.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 133 calories, 53 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 357 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

SWEET POTATO AND COCONUT CUSTARD WITH TOASTED COCONUT

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from “Seasonal Fruit Desserts From Orchard, Farm and Market,” to be published in April. True, sweet potatoes aren’t fruit, but they make a lovely pudding when few fruits are available. Use muscovado sugar, if possible, which has a delicious note of molasses that’s just right with the sweet potato. For sweet potatoes, use the orange-fleshed varieties, like Jewel and Garnet.

1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato

3/4 cup light brown or muscovado sugar

3 eggs

1 can (15 ounces) coconut milk plus milk to make 2 cups

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup wide strips of coconut

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon rum, or to taste

-Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potato in medium bowl; mix in sugar. Beat in eggs. Beat in coconut milk mixture, vanilla and salt. Pour the pudding mixture into a 6-cup baking dish. Put the dish in a larger pan; pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until set, 1 hour, 30 minutes. Cool.

-Put the coconut shavings on a baking sheet; toast until crisp and browned, about 2 minutes. Whip cream in medium bowl to soft peaks; add rum. Whip to stiff peaks. Serve pudding with whipped cream; garnish with toasted coconut.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 461 calories, 57 percent of calories from fat, 30 g fat, 23 g saturated fat, 136 mg cholesterol, 43 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 208 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America’s “Gourmet Meals in Minutes” cookbook and downloaded from its Web site.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the potatoes, milk, heavy cream, garlic, salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Simmer until the potatoes are three- quarters cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Gruyère.

Pour the potatoes into a small, shallow pan. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan, and scatter evenly over the potatoes. Bake in a 350-degree oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow the potatoes to set for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing.

Per serving: 279 cal.; 9 g pro.; 19 g carb.; 20 g fat (13 sat., 6 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 72 mg chol.; 416 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 62 percent calories from fat.