Easter eats New recipes using puff pastry, wheat germ

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Mar 28, 2001 by LISA M. SODDERS Capital-Journal

By LISA M. SODDERS

The Capital-Journal

With spring (officially) here and Easter just weeks away, now is a good time to try something new in your kitchen.

If you've never worked with puff pastry before, pick up a box of frozen Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. The good folks at Pepperidge Farm have already done the work of preparing it for you so all you have to do is thaw it, and it's a lot easier to handle than phyllo dough. It bakes up crisp, light and delicious and makes even simple meals seem elegant.

Take poached eggs and ham, for example. Pepperidge Farm's web site (www.puffpastry.com) had a recipe in which squares of puff pastry are baked until golden brown, then topped with mustard, two slices of ham and a poached or scrambled egg crowned with a melting slice of Brie. Strawberry Puff Pastry Napoleons --- rectangles of alternating puff pastry, sliced strawberries and whipped cream --- take only 20 minutes to prepare, but look as if you really fussed over them.

Most people panic when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas feast preparations, but Pillsbury is offering online help for Easter at www.pillsbury.com/holidays

The web site, which became available Tuesday offers recipes, hints on entertaining, and tips on how to decorate eggs or organize an Easter egg hunt. There are five dinner plans, along with a feature that allows visitors to customize the recipes for the specific number of guests they're entertaining, and then generate a shopping list.

Gee, what more could you ask for, besides help with the dishes?

Finally, for you competitive cooks out there, there's the 8th annual Kretschmer Wheat Germ "Delicious and Easy" Recipe contest.

Believe it or not, you can make a lot of money and win some pretty nifty prizes creating new recipes, and the Kretschmer contest is no exception. The grand prize is $5,000, which buys an awful lot of wheat germ.

The categories include: Spectacular Main Dish Salads, Magnificent Meatless Main Dishes and Delicious Warm-Weather Desserts. The contest deadline is April 30; for a complete list of rules, mail a self- addressed, stamped envelope to Kretschmer Wheat Germ Recipe Contest, P.O. Box 3305 Chicago IL 60654 or e-mail KWGContest@aol.com or visit the web site at www.kretschmer.com

I currently have two jars of Kretschmer Wheat Germ in my fridge. Besides being an essential ingredient in my homemade granola, I use it to add a little extra fiber to my yogurt smoothees. The following recipe is a good way to experience wheat germ if you've never cooked with it.