Roasted Chicken, Pumpkin Bread, Swamp Dip

DEAR SOS: Delmonico’s restaurant in West Los Angeles has a great Sicilian herb-roasted chicken dish I would very much like to prepare at home. What’s the chance of a recipe?

--MORA

DEAR MORA: Pretty good. Delmonico’s was ready with a recipe when we were.

DELMONICO’S SICILIAN HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN 1 1/2 large onions, diced 1 1/2 oranges, peeled and diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken 1/2 tablespoon ground dried rosemary 1/2 tablespoon ground dried sage 1/2 tablespoon crushed bay leaf 1/2 tablespoon ground fennel seed 1 tablespoon dried, crushed thyme 1/2 tablespoon white peppercorns 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine onions, oranges, garlic, fresh rosemary, basil, parsley, thyme and oregano in bowl. Mix and stuff into chicken cavity. Truss and let chicken marinate 24 hours in refrigerator.

Combine ground rosemary, sage, bay leaf, fennel seed, thyme, white pepper, black pepper and salt in small bowl. Rub chicken all over with 3 tablespoons dry seasoning mixture. (Reserve any remaining seasoning mix for another use.) Bake chicken at 400 degrees 50 to 55 minutes. Cut chicken into quarters or halves to serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 640 calories, 1,080 mg sodium, 204 mg cholesterol, 41 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, 52 grams protein, 1 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: Last year you printed a recipe for pumpkin bread. It was the most moist, flavorful bread I’ve ever tasted, but now I can’t find the recipe. Please help.

--CLAIRE

DEAR CLAIRE: The Monastery of the Angels in Hollywood produced this outstanding bread. The recipe has been a year-round favorite with our readers.

MONASTERY PUMPKIN BREAD 3 1/2 cups sifted flour 3 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup oil 2/3 cup water 2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin Walnut halves

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Combine eggs, oil, water and pumpkin and mix well. Stir into dry ingredients. Turn into 3 greased 8x4-inch loaf pans and top with few walnut halves. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour, or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. (Tastes best slightly warm, spread with butter.) Makes 3 loaves or 18 to 20 servings. DEAR SOS: Recently I attended a party given by a couple in Louisiana. Among the appetizers they served was Swamp Dip. Its main components seem to be spinach, sour cream and onion, but the remaining ingredients remain a mystery. Can you help?

--MARY LOU

DEAR MARY LOU: We’re not sure if we can help with the exact recipe used by your friends, but here is a version that might do.

SWAMP DIP 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese 1/2 cup sour cream or mayonnaise 1/2 cup minced green onions 1/2 cup minced parsley 1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, optional

Drain spinach. Combine with cottage cheese, sour cream, green onions, parsley, dill and hot sauce in blender or food processor, using steel blade. Process until creamy. Refrigerate overnight. Makes about 2 1/2 cups dip.

Each tablespoon dip contains about: 10 calories; 25 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.09 gram fiber.