Coconut Cream Pie, German Potato Salad, Zucchini Bread
DEAR SOS: My husband will divorce me if I don’t come up with the recipe for Coconut Meringue Pie from the Red Car Grill in West Hollywood. Please save my marriage.
--JOAN
DEAR JOAN: Divorce court can wait, thanks to the cooperative folks at the Red Car Grill.
RED CAR GRILL
COCONUT CREAM PIE
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2/3 cup canned cream of coconut
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 vanilla bean
Pie Crust
Meringue Topping
2 tablespoons flake coconut
Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt in small amount of milk in saucepan. Stir until smooth. Add remaining milk and cream of coconut. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and stir in beaten egg yolks and vanilla bean. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
Pour hot filling into cooled Pie Crust. Mound Meringue Topping over filling. Place pie in 400-degree oven about 10 minutes until browned. Add coconut flakes during last 5 minutes of browning. Cool to room temperature before serving. Makes 8 servings.
Each serving contains about:
560 calories; 341 mg sodium; 122 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.04 grams fiber.
Pie Crust
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sweetened baker’s coconut
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Melt butter and mix with coconut. Press coconut mixture firmly onto bottom of unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, until coconut is golden brown and crust is completely baked. Set aside to cool.
Meringue Topping
6 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
Place egg whites and sugar in bowl. Place in another bowl filled with warm water and whisk until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whip in mixer until fluffy and stiff peaks form.
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DEAR SOS: I am interested in finding a recipe for German potato salad. It was my husband’s favorite side dish when we were newlyweds. I would love to surprise him.
--VERONICA
DEAR VERONICA: There are numerous versions of this classic Northern European salad. Here’s one we like.
HOT GERMAN POTATO SALAD
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch-long pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
Dash thyme
3 medium-large potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/8 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
1/2 pound knackwurst or kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley
Render bacon in large heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Do not brown. Add butter and garlic and cook 4 minutes.
Stir in green onions, thyme, potatoes and crushed pepper. Mix well. Add knackwurst. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with olive oil and vinegar. Cook 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. Makes 4 servings.
Each serving contains about:
565 calories; 966 mg sodium; 71 mg cholesterol; 47 grams fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 0.43 gram fiber.
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DEAR SOS: Wouldn’t you know it--now that my garden is full of zucchini, I can’t find my recipe for zucchini bread!
--ANN
DEAR ANN: Here’s one from the Cliff House in Playa del Rey, which readers have especially enjoyed over the years.
CLIFF HOUSE ZUCCHINI BREAD
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup oil
3 cups peeled and grated zucchini, drained
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins, optional
1 cup pecans
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
Beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil in large bowl. Stir in zucchini.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins and pecans. Add to zucchini mixture. Add pineapple and mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 55 to 60 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf, or approximately 8 servings.
Each serving contains about:
725 calories; 227 mg sodium; 80 mg cholesterol; 40 grams fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.70 gram fiber.
