Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

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)

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours, 35 minutes

Serves 6

This dish, served at the Tra Sole e Vigne farmhouse restaurant in the Piedmonte region of Italy, appears in “The Italian Farmer’s Table” (Three Forks, $19.95, 320 pages). You can buy certified Piedmontese beef at Corti Brothers, 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 736-3800. Note: For some variations on this recipe, see Allen Pierleoni’s story on this page.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch half-moon slices

2 medium yellow onions, cut into small dice

2 stalks celery, cut into small dice

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons minced rosemary

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 bottle full-bodied red wine

11/2 cups canned low-sodium beef broth

4 whole cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy casserole pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and rosemary. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse meat and pat dry. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss with cornstarch and add to the vegetables, continuing to cook until the meat starts to turn brown. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes to let the alcohol burns off; reduce the volume of the liquid slightly. Add 1 cup of the broth, the cloves and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pan, reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Add the cinnamon, another 1/2 cup of broth and continue to cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Per serving: 579 cal.; 30 g pro.; 15 g carb.; 35 g fat (13 sat., 17 monounsat., 2 polyunsat., 3 other); 104 mg chol.; 776 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 55 percent calories from fat.

Right, the Les Ecureuils farm in northern Italy; below, traveling authors Melissa Pellegrino, left, and Matthew Scialabba.

“The Italian Farmer’s Table”

Q. I’m in a small town in Puerto Rico and I can’t find powdered sugar. If I put granulated sugar in the food processor, can I grind it into powdered sugar?

A. Just pulsing granulated sugar won’t make it confectioner’s, or powdered, sugar. You’ll get superfine sugar, which is often used in beverages because it dissolves easily in cold liquids.

Confectioner’s sugar is not only ground more finely, it is mixed with a small amount of cornstarch to keep it from clumping.

While it won’t be as fine as the 10X confectioner’s sugar you buy in a supermarket, you can make a substitute by pulsing granulated sugar and cornstarch in a food processor. Try 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch and see if that works.

(E-mail cooking questions to Kathleen Purvis at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com.)

Wisconsin journalist Madeline Scherb is author of a new cookbook “A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns” (Tarcher, $15.95).

It includes this dessert recipe from Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourette, a noted cookbook author from Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery in Lagrangeville, N.Y.

Scherb suggests using caramels from Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa. These caramels can be purchased online at Trappistine.com. But any caramels can be used in the recipe.

BROTHER VICTOR’S PEAR CLAFOUTIS

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: 55 minutes

Makes: 12 servings

This recipe, adapted from “A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns,” is a cross between a custard and a pancake.

4 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

1 to 2 tablespoons Cognac or pear brandy, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ripe Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

12 to 14 vanilla caramels, unwrapped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together eggs, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add milk, Cognac and vanilla; mix until well combined. Pour a thin layer, about 1 cup, of the custard into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking pan, tilting the pan to spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan.

2. Bake until the custard thickens and sets, 7-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; carefully arrange the pears cut side down over the custard. Pour the remaining custard over the fruit; sprinkle nutmeg lightly over the top. Arrange the caramels about 2 inches apart on the top. Bake until the custard is firm and starts to brown around the edges, 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per serving: 156 calories, 17 percent of calories from fat, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 55 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

Apple pie pops

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes 20 pops

INGREDIENTS

2 large apples or 3 small, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice blend

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

one 15-ounce package prepared rolled pie dough (contains 2 pieces)

20 lollipop sticks (cardboard, not plastic)

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, then coat the paper with cooking spray.

In a saucepan over medium-high, combine the apples, 1/2 cup of sugar, lemon juice and apple pie spice. Bring to a boil, then cook for 2 minutes. In a small glass, mix the cornstarch and water; add to apples. Stir and continue cooking until thick.

Remove the apple mixture from the heat and set aside.

One at a time, unfold each sheet of pie dough and run a rolling pin over it several times. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut 10 circles of dough from each. Knead and reroll the scraps as needed. Place a scant tablespoon of apple filling in the center of each circle.

If you have a dumpling press, it works great to seal these. Otherwise, fold each round in half and seal the edges by crimping with a fork.

Poke a lollipop stick into the corner of the crescent and run it up the inside of the fold. Pinch the dough around the stick to anchor it. Arrange the pie pops on the prepared baking sheets.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water, then brush it over the tops of the pops. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the pops.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet.

From the U.S. Apple Association

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

From the U.S. Apple Association.

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

4 green onions, sliced

1/3 pound pea pods

1 small sweet red pepper, cut into strips

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

10 shiitake and/or white mushrooms, sliced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup applesauce, unsweetened

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup chicken broth or water

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat sesame oil in nonstick skillet or wok. Add chicken and cook in hot oil. Remove chicken from skillet. Add vegetables and cook while stirring until tender crisp; sprinkle with pepper.

Combine applesauce, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and chicken broth or water. Add chicken to vegetables, add sauce mixture and cook until sauce is thickened and clear. Serve over steamed brown rice.

Per serving using low sodium chicken broth, without rice: 274 cal.; 39 g pro.; 13 g carb.; 6 g fat (2 sat., 2 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 97 mg chol.; 758 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 23 percent calories from fat.