Devilishly Stuffed

DEAR SOS: I would love the recipe for the wonderful Lighthouse Shrimp Diablo at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse on Harbor Island in San Diego.

--C.B.

DEAR C.B.: Here’s the recipe developed by Cleto Gutierrez, the Lighthouse chef of 23 years. The stuffed shrimp can be served as a cocktail appetizer or as a first course or main dish.

LIGHTHOUSE SHRIMP DIABLO

24 extra-large or jumbo raw shrimp, peeled with tails intact

1/2 onion

1/2 bunch watercress

2 cloves garlic

2/3 cup crushed soda crackers

1/2 cup butter, melted

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 teaspoon steak sauce, preferably A-1 Sauce

12 strips bacon

Cut slit down back of shrimp 1 inch long and about 1/2 inch deep. Set aside.

Chop onion, watercress and garlic and place in bowl. Add crackers, butter, lemon juice and steak sauce. Cut bacon strips in half. Place stuffing into slit on shrimp and wrap tightly with bacon strip. Place in baking pan and bake at 350 degrees until bacon is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Serve as appetizer with spicy cocktail sauce and lemon wedge.

Makes 24 stuffed shrimp.

Each shrimp contains about:

96 calories; 129 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.05 gram fiber.

Snickerdoodles Again

DEAR SOS: I’ve misplaced my favorite recipe for Snickerdoodles and would love to have it again. Do you still have the recipe?

--LORIE

DEAR LORIE: These old-time cookies are great to bake in several batches and pass around or give as gifts.

SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup shortening

Sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cream together shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and stir into creamed mixture. Chill dough thoroughly, then roll into walnut size balls. Roll in mixture of 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees 5 to 10 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

72 calories; 29 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

Sweet Tater Time

DEAR SOS: I remember using a recipe for Orange Sweet Potato Casserole, and now I can’t find it. Would you please reprint the recipe?

--TERRY

DEAR TERRY: Happy to print the recipe again. You don’t want to lose this one.

ORANGE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

3 pounds sweet potatoes

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water to cover until tender. Peel potatoes, mash and measure. There should be about 5 cups. Add salt, sugar, butter, orange juice and zest and lemon zest. Mix well. Turn into greased 1-quart casserole. Bake at 400 degrees until top begins to brown, about 1 hour.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

359 calories; 425 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.79 grams fiber.