Helen's Kitchen

Bacon Quiche

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded natural Swiss cheese

1/3 cup onion, chopped

2 cups milk

1 cup Bisquick baking mix

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Lightly grease a 10-inch pie plate. Sprinkle cooked bacon, cheese and onion in pie plate. Beat milk, Bisquick, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl with electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into pie plate. Bake at 375° or until top is golden brown and knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Refrigerate remaining leftovers, if any. Yields: 8-10 servings.

Dilled Salmon and Potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup low-fat yogurt

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons dill

Dash of salt and black pepper

1-1/2 pounds new potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

10 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed, washed and chopped

4 salmon fillets (4-ounces each)

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard (1 teaspoon per fillet)

Dash salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon dill

1 teaspoon olive oil

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, yogurt, mustard, dill, salt and pepper; set aside. In a large pot of boiling water, cook sliced potatoes for 10 minutes. Add spinach and cook an additional 2 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain well. Add drained potatoes and spinach to sour cream dressing in bowl and fold together; set aside.

To prepare salmon: Heat oven broiler. Spread salmon fillets with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard on each fillet; sprinkle with salt, pepper, dill and olive oil. Broil salmon 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat; let stand 3 minutes. Serve with dilled potatoes. Yield: 4 servings.

Golden Chicken Nuggets

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each cut into quarters

3/4 cup corn bread stuffing, crushed

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Combine in bowl the first 6 ingredients. Coat chicken breast quarters with this yogurt-mustard mixture. Combine crushed corn-bread stuffing with chili powder in a pie plate. Place coated chicken on waxed paper and sprinkle it with half the crushed corn bread mixture on one side, pressing it firmly to stick to chicken. Turn over and sprinkle with remaining corn bread mixture on other side. Place in lightly oiled baking pan. Coat chicken lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven at 350°, turning once, for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Yield: 4 servings.

Oven-Baked "Fries"

2 unpeeled medium-size potatoes, scrubbed

2 unpeeled medium-size sweet potatoes, scrubbed

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of black pepper

1/3 cup corn-bread stuffing, crushed

Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut the 4 potatoes into thin wedges. Beat egg white in medium-size bowl; then stir in tarragon, salt and pepper. Add potatoes to seasoned mixture and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle potatoes with crushed corn-bread stuffing. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are crisp and golden. Yield: 6 servings.

Lemon-Sour Cream Pie

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup milk

Yolks from 3 large eggs

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 stick butter

1 cup sour cream

1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked and cooled

Garnish: sweetened whipped cream

In medium-size saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk until smooth; then yolks until blended. Stir in lemon peel and juice; add butter or margarine. Whisk constantly over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes until thick. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in sour cream until well blended; pour into pie shell. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings.

Rich Coconut Cake

3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Whites from 6 large eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1-1/3 cups butter or margarine

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel

Seven-Minute Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9-inch round) layer-cake pans; line bottoms with waxed paper. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg whites in small bowl of electric mixer until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar just until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. DO NOT OVERBEAT. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup remaining sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in untinted coconut and lemon peel, then a heaping spoonful of the beaten egg whites to lighten batter. Fold in remaining egg whites until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until tops are golden brown and a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Invert onto rack, remove pans and peel off waxed paper. Cool completely. Fill and frost tops and sides with Seven-Minute Frosting. Yield: 12 servings.

To make seven-minute frosting:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

Whites from 2 large eggs

1/4 cup cold water

2 teaspoons vanilla

Put all ingredients, except vanilla in top of double boiler or 2-quart heatproof bowl. Place over simmering water over low heat. Beat rapidly with rotary beater or hand-held electric mixer 5 to 7 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form when beaters are lifted. Remove from water; beat in vanilla. Cool 1 or 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes enough to frost tops and sides of two (9-inch) layers.

Any comments, questions or favorite recipes? I would like to hear from you. Please e-mail me at helenkitchen@msn.com. Please write "Helen's Kitchen Request" or "Helen's Kitchen Recipe Exchange" in the subject line to make sure that I receive your e-mail requests!

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