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

Sunset, June, 2004 by James Carrier

Crispy Salmon Strips

ANNE AUSDERAU, ALBUQUERQUE

Anne Ausderau serves these baked pieces of salmon with malt vinegar and oven fries for healthier fish and chips. If you don't have lemon pepper, substitute 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

PREP AND COOK TIME: 25 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

      Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
    2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons low-fat (2%) milk
  1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs
    1 teaspoon dried dill weed
  1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon lemon pepper
      (see note above)
1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned salmon fillet, rinsed, patted dry, and cut
      into 2- to 3-inch pieces

1. Spray a nonstick 10- by 15-inch baking sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk mayonnaise and milk. In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, dill, salt, and lemon pepper.

2. Dip each piece of salmon into mayonnaise mixture, turning to coat, then roll in bread-crumb mixture, turning to coat. Place pieces slightly apart on baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray.

3. Bake on the top rack of a 475[degrees] oven until surface is browned and salmon is opaque but still moist-looking in the center (cut to test), 12 to 14 minutes.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Per serving: 388 cal., 49% (189 cal.) from fat; 36 g protein; 21 g fat (4.2 g sat.); 11 g carbo (0.6 g fiber); 681 mg sodium; 101 mg chol.

Blueberry Cornbread

DOUG CASE, PORTLAND

Doug Case calls this cakelike cornbread with blueberries "easy comfort food," and we had to agree. If you don't have masa flour, increase the cornmeal to 1 1/3 cups.

PREP AND COOK TIME: 40 minutes

MAKES: 9 servings

    2 large eggs
    1 cup buttermilk
  1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, melted
  2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
  2/3 cup dehydrated masa flour (see note above)
  1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

1. In a bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk, and butter to blend. In another bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, masa, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently stir in berries. Spread level in a buttered 8-inch square pan.

3. Bake in a 375[degrees] oven until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then cut into 9 squares.

Per piece: 206 cal., 31% (64 cal.) from fat; 5 g protein; 7.1 g fat (3.7 g sat.); 31 g carbo (1.8 g fiber); 307 mg sodium; 62 mg chol.

Tabbouleh Scramble

SONYA BAVVAI, PALO ALTO, CA

Sonya Bavvai makes this dish for weekend brunch or Sunday-night dinner and serves it with toasted pita bread. Buy prepared tabbouleh salad at a deli, or make it using your favorite recipe or a boxed mix.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

  8 large eggs
  2 tablespoons diced drained oil-packed dried tomatoes (reserve 1
    teaspoon oil)
3/4 cup prepared tabbouleh (see note above) Salt and pepper
  2 to 4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

1. In a bowl, beat eggs lightly to blend.

2. Set a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add tomatoes and the reserved oil, then add eggs and tabbouleh.

3. Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are as done as you like them. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon onto plates and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Per serving: 222 cal., 61% (135 cal.) from fat; 14 g protein; 15 g fat (4.3 g sat.); 8 g carbo (1.4 g fiber); 403 mg sodium; 429 mg chol.

Butter Toffee Ice Cream Pie

TRISHA KRUSE, BOISE

Trisha Kruse came up with this creamy, crunchy ice cream pie when she had toffee peanuts and was looking for a way to avoid eating them all herself!

PREP TIME: 15 minutes, plus at least 3 hours to freeze

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

3/4 cup toffee peanuts
1/2 gallon butter pecan or vanilla ice cream
  1 prepared 9-inch graham cracker crust (9 oz.)
  1 jar (12 oz.) butterscotch topping

1. Coarsely chop peanuts. Soften ice cream in carton in a microwave oven on medium power (50%) at 5-second intervals, 15 to 25 seconds.

2. Spread half the ice cream into crust, packing firmly. Sprinkle half the peanuts over ice cream. Drizzle about half the butterscotch topping over peanuts. Spread remaining ice cream onto pie, mounding in center. Top with remaining peanuts and butterscotch topping. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours, or cover loosely and freeze up to 2 days.

3. To serve, let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes to soften before slicing into wedges.

Per serving: 502 cal., 36% (180 cal.) from fat; 6.3 g protein; 20 g fat (8.7 g sat.); 73 g carbo (2 g fiber); 345 mg sodium; 46 mg chol.

Have you created or adapted a recipe you'd like to share with other readers? Send it to us, with the story behind the recipe, and you'll receive $100 and a "Great Cook" certificate for each recipe published. Go to www.sunset.com/submitrecipe. html or write to Reader Recipes, Sunset Magazine, 80 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025. (All recipes published become the property of Sunset and may be reused for other purposes.)