Oat-Bran Fans Enjoy Muffins Made Without Egg

DEAR SOS: The reader who is looking for a low cholesterol recipe for bran muffins will probably prefer this one made without eggs. Oat bran can be purchased at any grocery store. A Quaker Oats bran cereal recipe follows.

--EVELYN

DEAR EVELYN: Thanks for calling our attention to the recipe. It doesn’t have the richness of standard bran muffins but it is a good alternative for muffins made without eggs.

DARK OAT BRAN MUFFIN

2 cups oat bran

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup 2% low-fat milk

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/4 cup honey or molasses

2 tablespoons oil

Combine oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix milk with eggs, molasses and oil in separate bowl, then gradually mix in oat bran mixture. Pour into 12 well-greased muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. Makes 12 muffins.

DEAR SOS: Sometime ago you published a recipe for b’stilla, a Moroccan dish made with chicken, filo dough and powdered sugar. I have misplaced this recipe.

--RAE

DEAR RAE: B’stilla or bastilla, as it is sometimes spelled, is a terrific party dish that can be made early in the day or the night before.

Filo dough is not as fragile as one might think. Don’t hesitate to handle the dough. Tears can be patched, provided the dough does not dry up.

To prevent drying, always keep filo dough covered with a damp-dry towel and use as soon after purchase as possible. Frozen filo dough should be thawed in the refrigerator.

Here is the recipe from the Marrakesh Restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif.

MARRAKESH B’STILLA

1 (2-pound) chicken, cut up

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup unsalted butter

Dash saffron

2 cups water

Salt, pepper

5 eggs, beaten

2 cups toasted ground almonds

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Melted butter

4 sheets filo dough

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Combine chicken pieces, onions, parsley, unsalted butter, saffron, water and salt and pepper to taste in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from pan and cool. Reserve broth. Remove meat from bones and dice. Set aside.

Place reserved chicken broth in skillet. Bring to simmer. Add eggs. Cook, stirring constantly 7 to 10 minutes until eggs are cooked to scramble. Set aside. Combine almonds, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. Above mixtures may be prepared ahead and refrigerated.

When ready to assemble dish about 1 hour before serving, brush 12-inch oven proof frying pan with rounded sides with melted butter. Layer 3 sheets filo in skillet, brushing each sheet with butter. About 5 inches of dough should hang over edge of pan.

Sprinkle 1/3 of almond mixture and 1/3 of chicken mixture over dough. Top with another 1/3 of almond mixture and 1/3 of egg mixture. Repeat layers until ingredients are used. Fold bottom sheets of filo over filling. Brush with butter. Top with remaining filo sheet, tucking ends underneath. Brush with butter.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly, then invert onto serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Decorate with remaining cinnamon. Makes 6 servings.

DEAR SOS: I had a good recipe for a strawberry glaze to put over my fresh strawberry pie and now I can’t find it. Please help.

--NORMAN

DEAR NORMAN: Pucker up. Here’s a strawberry pie glaze made with gelatin.

GLAZED STRAWBERRY PIE

1 (3 1/4-ounce) package vanilla pudding and pie filling mix

1 baked (9-or 10-inch) pie shell

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup cold water

2 cups sweetened sliced fresh strawberries

Prepare mix as directed on package for pie filling. Pour into cooled pie shell. Chill 1 hour.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water. Chill until slightly thickened.

Add strawberries and spoon carefully over pie filling. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours. Makes 1 (9- or 10-inch) pie.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Please include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send your letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.