February favorites: recipes from our readers, tested in Sunset's kitchen

Sunset, Feb, 2005 by Christina Schmidhofer

Spiced Oatmeal

LYNN LLOYD, MT. SHASTA, CA

To avoid the packaging of instant oatmeal, Lynn Lloyd experimented until she came up with her own mix, a blend of dried fruit, grains, nuts, and mellow spices. She buys 4- or 7-grain hot-cereal flakes in a health food store. You can also use a coarsely ground hot cereal. The uncooked mixture (complete step 1) will keep, stored airtight, up to a month.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes

MAKES: 9 cups mix; 12 servings

3 cups regular rolled oats
3 cups 4- or 7-grain cereal flakes or coarsely ground hot cereal
1 cup chopped dried dates
1 cup chopped dried apples
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cloves

1. In a large container (at least 2 1/2 qt.) with a lid, combine oats, 4-grain cereal, dates, apples, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and cloves.

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2. For each serving, in a 1- to 2-quart pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil over high heat. (Or, in a microwave oven in a 2- to 3-cup bowl or glass measuring cup, heat 1 cup water on full power [100%] until boiling, about 2 minutes.) Stir in 3/4 cup spiced oatmeal mix. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until it's as thick as you like.

Per serving cooked: 445 cal., 17% (77 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 8.6 g fat (0.8 g sat.); 85 g carbo (5.3 g fiber); 27 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Coconut Curry Chicken

LOIS FRAZEE, GARDNERVILLE, NV

When she needs a quick dinner, Lois Frazee makes this easy and delicious entree. You can vary the sweetness with the type of coconut you choose. It's excellent served with Major Grey chutney.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (1 1/3 lb. total)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sweetened or unsweetened shredded dried coconut
2 teaspoons curry powder
  Salt

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Pour butter into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine coconut and curry powder. Dip chicken in butter to coat, then roll in coconut. Place chicken pieces slightly apart in the baking dish. Pat any remaining coconut mixture on top. Sprinkle with salt.

2. Bake chicken in a 350[degrees] oven until no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 20 to 25 minutes.

Per serving: 333 cal., 46% (153 cal.) from fat; 36 g protein; 17 g fat (11 g sat.); 9.4 g carbo (1.6 g fiber); 234 mg sodium; 111 mg chol.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

JO ANN SCHIRO, SAN JOSE

Jo Ann Schiro enjoys the flavors of roasted vegetables, so when she found a recipe for a marinated salad using frozen vegetables, she got the idea to try it with roasted fresh vegetables instead. Her salad is a big hit at family celebrations; it tastes even better if it's made a day ahead, chilled, then brought to room temperature.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours

MAKES: 8 cups; 8 servings

4 cups peeled, diagonally sliced carrots (1/4 in. thick)
3 cups cauliflower florets (1 1/2 in. pieces; about 11 oz.), rinsed and
  drained
3 cups broccoli florets (1 1/2 in. pieces; about 8 oz.), rinsed and
  drained
1 pound red bell peppers, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1- by 3-
  inch strips
2 jars (about 6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (6 oz.) whole pitted ripe black olives, drained
  Salt and pepper

1. In a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan, combine carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, and artichoke hearts with their marinade.

2. Roast in a 400[degrees] oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until carrots are tender to bite, 50 to 60 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Scrape in vegetables, add olives, and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Per serving: 137 cal., 51% (70 cal.) from fat; 3.6 g protein; 7.8 g fat (0.9 g sat.); 16 g carbo (6.2 g fiber); 338 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Caramel Brownies

CHRIS SCHAEFER, EVERETT, WA

Chris Schaefer started with her grandmother's handwritten brownie recipe, then added caramels. We couldn't decide which we liked better, the crunchy outside pieces or the gooey inside ones. Leftovers are unlikely, but you can store the brownies airtight up to 1 day.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours

MAKES: 35 squares

1 1/2 cups (3/4 lb.) butter
    3 cups sugar
    5 large eggs
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 cup unsweetened cocoa
   14 ounces (40 to 50) square caramel candies such as Kraft or See's,
      unwrapped

1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, melt butter, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in sugar, then eggs and vanilla, until blended. Stir in salt and baking powder. Add flour and cocoa and stir until batter is smooth.