Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Grilling season offers the perfect opportunity to lighten up. The Star’s Asian Beef Skewers With Rice Noodle Vegetable Salad is a healthy yet satisfying summer meal.

Shopping tips: Rice sticks are flat rice noodles, similar in shape to linguine. They cook quickly and can become mushy if overcooked. If other shapes or sizes of rice noodles are used, prepare according to package directions. If desired, substitute linguine for rice sticks. For testing, we used Sun Luck Phad Thai Rice Sticks and Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Rice Noodles, as well as A Taste of Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce

Cooking tips: Beef will slice more easily if very cold; freeze beef for about 30 minutes before slicing. Soaking the skewers in water helps prevent the skewers from charring or burning while grilling.

Unpeeled cucumber adds color and fiber.

Serving tip: Beef skewers also make a great appetizer. Prepare as directed, but omit noodle-vegetable salad. Drizzle with any remaining broth-soy mixture just before serving.

ASIAN BEEF SKEWERS WITH RICE NOODLE-VEGETABLE SALAD

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 pounds lean boneless sirloin steak, cut about 3/4-inch thick

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced gingerroot

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

8 ounces uncooked rice sticks

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons peanut or canola oil

Place 18 (8-inch) wooden skewers in water and allow to soak about 30 minutes.

Slice beef into very thin strips, about \-by-3-inches. Place beef strips in a small bowl.

Combine beef broth, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic; stir to blend well.

Pour 1/4 cup of sauce over the beef. Toss to coat meat evenly, cover and refrigerate 15 minutes. Set remaining broth-soy mixture aside.

Combine carrot, cucumber, pepper, red onion and cilantro in a large bowl. Heat a pan of water to boiling. Add rice sticks and boil 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and add to vegetables. Measure out 1/4 cup of reserved broth-soy mixture and combine it with lime juice and oil; drizzle over vegetables and noodles; toss well.

Preheat grill to medium-high or allow coals to burn down to white ash. Drain beef and discard marinade. Thread strips of beef evenly onto skewers. Cook beef skewers over direct, medium-high heat, in an uncovered grill, about 2 minutes per side or until browned and cooked to medium doneness. Brush with remaining broth-soy mixture frequently while cooking. (Do not overcook beef.)

Arrange rice noodle-vegetable salad in a deep platter. Arrange hot beef skewers over salad.

Per (1 cup noodle salad, 3 ounces cooked beef or about 3 skewers) serving: 357 calories (24 percent from fat), 9 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 41 grams carbohydrates, 26 grams protein, 271 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.

Recipe developed for The Star by professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss.

Garlic produces magic in many cuisines. For this quick Chinese Garlic Steak, I added soy sauce and peanuts with the garlic.

Shortcut Tip: To make this meal even faster, buy beef cut for stir-frying at the market.

Asian Peanut Noodles is a cold side dish. I use bottled peanut sauce that can be found in the ethnic section of the supermarket. Look for fresh or steamed Chinese noodles in the produce section.

This meal contains 553 calories with 17 percent of calories from fat.

Helpful Hints:

-Dried Chinese noodles or any thin dried pasta can be substituted for the fresh noodles.

-Minced garlic can be found in jars in the produce section of the market.

-Look for a thick peanut sauce. It works best for this recipe. Or, mix about 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar to make your own peanut sauce. Thin it with 1 tablespoon water.

Countdown:

-Marinate steak.

-Prepare noodles.

-Make steak.

Wine suggestions: A big, garlicky steak cries out for a wine that is full-flavored (to balance the potent garlic) and tannic (to cut through the fatty feel of the steak.) A cabernet sauvignon from California or Australia, or a Rhone wine from France, would go well. I wouldn’t try a softer wine like a merlot or pinot noir, or especially a Beaujolais: The steak would turn them to water.

CHINESE GARLIC STEAK

3/4 pound quick cooking steak (skirt or strip)

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 teaspoons minced garlic

Vegetable oil spray

Remove visible fat from steak and cut into 1-inch strips. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic together in a self-seal plastic bag. Add steak and set aside while making the noodles.

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Spray with vegetable oil spray.

Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Stir-fry steak 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add reserved marinade to the wok. Boil 1minute. Spoon over steak. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 265 calories (21 percent from fat), 6.1 g fat (2.0 g saturated, 2.7 g monounsaturated), 96 mg cholesterol, 41.3 g protein, 12.4 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 1003 mg sodium.

ASIAN PEANUT NOODLES

1/4 pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles (about 21/4 cups)

1/4 pound fresh snow peas, trimmed (about 11/2 cups)

3 tablespoons peanut sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add the noodles and snow peas. Bring back to a boil and cook 1 minute. Drain. Place in a bowl and add the peanut sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Serve with the steak. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 288 calories (14 percent from fat), 4.5 g fat (1.0 g saturated, 0.7 g monounsaturated), 48 mg cholesterol, 11.9 g protein, 49.9 g carbohydrates, 4.2 g fiber, 481 mg sodium.

SHOPPING LIST

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes. To buy: 3/4 pound quick cooking steak (skirt, strip), 1 bottle low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 pound fresh snow peas, 1 small jar minced garlic, 1/4 pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles and 1 bottle peanut sauce.

Staples: Vegetable oil spray, brown sugar, salt and black peppercorns.

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of 14 cookbooks including her newest, “Mix ‘n Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes,” and “Prevention’s Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes.” Visit Linda on her web page at www.DinnerInMinutes.com or email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.)

When Mr. Tidbit counted the Progresso soups last week, he hadn’t meant to slight Campbell’s, which has zillions more kinds of soup than Progresso.

What particularly impressed Mr. Tidbit when he checked the other day was the number of varieties of Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup now available. Campbell’s makes five kinds: original, 98 percent fat free, Healthy Request, 25 percent less sodium and low sodium.

Mr. Tidbit was baffled. How much fat is in the less-sodium versions? How much sodium in the less-fat version? How much lower is low sodium than 25 percent less sodium? And how healthful is Healthy Request?

Well, here is how they stack up in calories, fat and sodium per serving:

Original: 100 calories, 6 grams fat and 870 milligrams of sodium.

98 percent fat-free: 70 calories, 2.5 grams fat and 630 milligrams of sodium.

25 percent less sodium: 110 calories, 8 grams fat and 650 milligrams of sodium.

Low sodium: 160 calories, 12 grams fat and 65 milligrams of sodium.

Healthy Request: 70 calories, 2 grams fat and 410 milligrams of sodium.

In short, the lower the sodium, the more fat the soup contains. (Apparently Campbell’s feels it needs one or the other.) The most balanced reduction seems to be in Healthy Request, which has less fat than the 98-percent fat-free and less sodium than the 25 percent less sodium.

For the heck of it, Mr. Tidbit dug out his 20-year-old can of Campbell’s regular cream of mushroom soup (don’t ask why he has a 20-year-old can of soup), and found that it had the same calorie count as today’s, but 1 more gram of fat and 50 milligrams less sodium.

No pomegranate?

Mr. Tidbit keeps trying not to mention new flavors of existing products. But he can’t help but feel that this new Pepperidge Farm cookie, by piling on so many new elements, deserves a nod: Soft Baked Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Almond Cherry. Next week, a lower-sodium version?

Dyann Shaver from Madras, Ore., was looking for a recipe she has lost for making a nontraditional type of barbecued chicken that used concentrated lemonade in the sauce. She said she found the recipe in an article about barbecuing in Better Homes and Garden magazine in the 1970s.

Steve Newman from Santa Rosa, Calif., shared his recipe for making barbecued chicken with lemonade concentrate. He said that while concentrated lemonade might seem like a surprising ingredient, this chicken never fails to please. He also said that he sometimes substitutes limeade or orange juice concentrate with equally tasty results.

This simple-to-make chicken has a slightly sweet, lemony fresh flavor that makes an ideal spring or summer supper. Leftovers would be wonderful for a salad or sandwich.

Request: Louise Wolfe from Bend, Ore., is looking for recipe for her friend who is wanting to make a sourdough chocolate cake. She used to have the recipe, and it came from a AAA magazine in the 1950s.

LEMONADE CHICKEN

Makes: 4 servings

4 bone-in chicken breasts halves

1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine lemonade concentrate with soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, lemon zest, paprika and black pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Place chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag. Reserve 1/2 cup of lemonade mixture to use for basting, then pour the remaining mixture over the chicken, mixing to coat the pieces. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill. Remove chicken from bag and discard the marinade. Place chicken on hot grill. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat for 10 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Grill until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 262 calories, 8 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 16 grams carbohydrate, 30 grams protein, 0 grams fiber, 800 milligrams sodium, 82 milligrams cholesterol

Requests: Request: Louise Wolfe from Bend, Ore., is looking for recipe for her friend who is wanting to make a sourdough chocolate cake. She used to have the recipe, and it came from a AAA magazine in the 1950s.

If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request, write Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278. Names must accompany recipes in order for them to be published. Please list the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes.

Q: The Healthy Choice honey ginger chicken frozen dinner has a delicious sauce. I’ve tried many recipes, but none of them come up with a similar sweet and spicy taste.

-Rosalind, Huntsville, Ala.

A: I’m a fan of this line for both its ethnic flavor choices and nutritional value, but it obviously is not an economical way to feed a family. I fiddled with my old recipe for honey garlic chicken to come up with a sauce/marinade recipe I think you’ll like. The bite comes from using fresh ginger liberally; ground dried ginger just doesn’t cut it.

HONEY GINGER CHICKEN STIR-FRY

MARINADE

2/3 cup honey

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup peeled, minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoons lemon juice or rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 to 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (optional)

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken, sliced into \-inch strips

FOR THE STIR-FRY

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 cup shelled raw edamame

1 bell pepper cut in thin strips

2 carrots cut in thin strips

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

TO SERVE

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

2 green onions, green parts only, sliced into thin rings

Combine honey, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and zest in a gallon-size plastic bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag and shake to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight, turning bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil and tilt skillet to coat. Add chicken and stir-fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the edamame, bell pepper and carrots. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate.

Add the reserved marinade to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thick, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more soy sauce if needed. Serve over hot brown rice, garnished as desired with sesame seeds, cilantro and green onion. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 481 calories (18 percent from fat), 9.9 g fat (1.7 g saturated, 3.7 g monounsaturated), 54.8 mg cholesterol, 29.3 g protein, 70.9 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 705.4 mg sodium.

Q: When I retired to Florida I gave away a lot of cookbooks and recipe cards, but I’ve realized I like to cook and bake now that I don’t have to! I’m hoping you can help me replace a recipe I used a lot about 20 years ago for a very good whole wheat bread made with carrots. As I recall, I clipped it from a magazine advertisement.

-G. M., Miami Shores, Fla.

A: I look forward to the day when I can cook because I want to and not because I have to! I believe I’ve unearthed just the recipe you describe, in “Quick & Fancy Breads,” a recipe booklet published by Land O Lakes in 1993. I agree that this whole wheat bread is worth the effort taste-wise, though the proportion of white to whole wheat disqualifies it as a whole grain bread.

WHOLE WHEAT

CARROT BREAD

2 cups milk

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter plus more for brushing

1 ( 1/4 ounce) envelope active dry yeast

5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups (about 3 medium) cooked carrots, mashed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a 1-quart saucepan heat milk until it just comes to a boil; stir in the butter until melted. Cool to warm (105 to 115 degrees).

In a large mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add the milk mixture, 2 cups all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, carrots and salt. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

By hand, stir in enough remaining all-purpose flour to make dough easy to handle, not sticky. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles, about 1 hour. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch down dough; divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Place, seam side down, in 2 greased 8-by-5-inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise until double, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread 35 to 45 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans immediately. Brush tops with butter. Makes 2 loaves, 12 slices each (24 total).

Per slice: 182 calories (16 percent from fat), 3.2 g fat (1.7 g saturated, 0.8 g monounsaturated), 7.1 mg cholesterol, 5.1 g protein, 33.3 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g fiber, 198 mg sodium.

Q: Do you have a good recipe for hot fudge sauce? We are serving sundaes at a PTA function and it would be expensive to buy enough.

-Pat Barclay

A: My recipe is not only good and easy but versatile. This makes a good quantity, but can be halved. Vary the flavor by switching chips – butterscotch, chocolate mint, milk chocolate or even white chocolate. You can use a liqueur rather than the vanilla. The sauce keeps well and is simply to reheat in a microwave.

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2/3 cup whole milk

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Measure the chips and butter into a large, heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until melted. Very gradually whisk in the milk, then the sugar. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftover sauce. Makes about 5 cups or 40 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 130 calories (47 percent from fat), 7.3 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 2.1 g monounsaturated), 12.6 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g protein, 17.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 42.6 mg sodium.

SLEUTH’S CORNER

Q: I am looking for a recipe for an Italian lamb sausage made with parsley, cheese, salt and pepper called (phonetically spelled) chivelat. We used to get it from Brooklyn, but the butcher retired. There is no fennel or garlic in it.

-Dee

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

HOMEMADE SOUP MIX SLASHES SODIUM CONTENT

Q: I would like to have a recipe for dry onion soup and recipe mix so I could skip the sodium.

A: I wouldn’t think of making my favorite pot roast without an envelope of dry onion soup mix, but had never stopped to think about what was in it before receiving your request. On the packet in my pantry, one serving had 33 percent of the recommended daily intake of sodium!

The remaining ingredients, including rendered beef fat and a chemical stew, weren’t particularly appetizing either. In the leading supermarket brand, the salt was slightly less (25 percent of the recommended daily intake) and there was no beef fat.

Substituting your own mix makes sense both from a nutritional and economic standpoint. The mix I came up with is vegetarian, but you could add a crushed beef or chicken bouillon cube or two for a meatier flavor (make sure it is a low-sodium version if salt is a concern). A little sugar helps tame the intense onion flavor of the dried flakes, but isn’t necessary.

A different blend of herbs, to suit what you are cooking, makes sense – I added cumin for a pork recipe, and would think rosemary and lemon zest would perk up chicken.

The one thing this homemade mix won’t do is enrich the color of your sauces and gravies – that comes from caramel coloring that I wasn’t sure how to duplicate, though the turmeric and paprika add a golden hue.

DRIED ONION SOUP AND RECIPE MIX SUBSTITUTE

If you use soup mix frequently, you may want to make a larger quantity, but remember that even in an airtight jar, the spices will lose some punch after a few months. Figure on 5 tablespoons of mix to equal 1 packet.

3 tablespoons dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 teaspoon paprika

1/3 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar or heat-stable sugar substitute

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste

Shake ingredients together in a jar or plastic bag. Makes the equivalent of 1 (1.25-ounce) packet commercial dried onion soup. Use to boost flavor in stews, roasts and casseroles.

To make sour cream-onion dip, blend mix with 2 cups sour cream, and chill thoroughly.

To use as soup, add 4 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving as soup: 30 calories (2 percent from fat), 0 fat (0 saturated, 0 monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 0.5 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 3 mg sodium.

From Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner

Q: I made your recipe for homemade ranch dressing and it was wonderful! How could I modify it to make a dip?

A: In the adaptation here, I cut back on the liquids for a thicker consistency and added the green onion and dill earlier so that you end up with flecks.

HOMEMADE RANCH DIP

1 large garlic clove, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper

2 green onions, finely sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or more to taste

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Peel the garlic, smash with the flat side of a knife and mash with the salt and pepper in a mortar or with a fork. Place in a blender or food processor with the onion and dill; pulse a few times so the ingredients are finely chopped. Add the buttermilk and mayonnaise; pulse to blend. With machine running, add the lemon juice. Refrigerate at least 2 hours for flavors to mature. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with garlic or onion powder if needed. Makes about 1 1/4 cups, 10 2-tablespoon servings.

Per serving: 60 calories (88 percent from fat), 6 g fat (1 g saturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 0.6 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 0.1 g fiber, 149 mg sodium.

From Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner

Q: I had a booklet that I think came with my Bundt pan that had the best recipes. The one I miss most was for a lemon cake you made with a mix, but then you added fresh berries. Can you help?

A: I found this recipe in Nordic Ware’s “2003 Bundt Classics.” I tested it with chopped strawberries rather than blueberries, since they are so lusciously in season right now.

VERY BERRY LEMON BUNDT CAKE

1 (18.25-ounce) box lemon flavor cake mix

1 (8-ounce) carton plain yogurt or sour cream

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (or other fruit)

Whipped cream for serving

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan. (If using a 10-cup pan, fill 3/4 full and make 3 or 4 cupcakes with the remaining batter.)

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients except the fruit at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in fruit by hand. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream. Makes 16 servings.

Per serving: 193 calories (21 percent from fat), 4.5 g fat (1.7 g saturated, 0.5 g monounsaturated), 54 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates, 1.1 g fiber, 276 mg sodium.

SLEUTH’S CORNER

Q: At a potluck supper recently one of the best things I tasted was called Swiss cheese bread, with hot pepper jelly you could put on top. The woman who brought the bread told me the secret was a can of beer. I’m hoping one of your readers has the recipe.

From Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner

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