Stepp Up to Pea Salad

DEAR SOS: We have enjoyed the pea salad at Stepps restaurant in the Wells Fargo Building in Los Angeles. Do you think you can get the recipe?

--SANDY

DEAR SANDY: We like the idea of combining snow peas and baby peas with mint. What a refreshing picnic salad. For safety’s sake during hot weather, keep any salad made with mayonnaise cold until ready to serve.

STEPPS SNOW PEA SALAD

1/4 pound bacon

1/4 pound snow peas, buds and strings removed

2 pounds frozen baby peas, thawed but not cooked

1 small red onion, diced 1/4-inch

1/8 pound jicama, cut in 1/4-inch slices

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon minced fresh mint

Pinch nutmeg

Chop bacon in strips 1/4 inch wide and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Combine snow peas, baby peas, red onion, bacon and jicama in bowl.

In separate bowl, blend together mayonnaise, sour cream, pepper, salt, mint and nutmeg. Pour over pea mixture and toss to mix well.

Note: Peas should be thawed in refrigerator for best results. To remove excess moisture, place thawed peas on paper towel and let stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes to dry. If not dry, peas will dilute dressing.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains:

286 calories; 422 mg sodium; 18 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 3.72 grams fiber.

It’s All in the Glaze

DEAR SOS: Help, before strawberry season is over. I’d love the Marie Callender strawberry pie recipe or one similar. The sauce makes the pie exceptional.

--OLIVIA

DEAR OLIVIA: We have a recipe that is close in looks and texture to the pie you describe. It has a bright red glaze too. Want to give it a try?

GLAZED STRAWBERRY PIE

5 to 6 cups strawberries, washed and hulled

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 (9-inch) baked pastry shell

Whipped cream, optional

Mash 2 cups strawberries.

Mix sugar and cornstarch in 3-quart saucepan. Stir in water and mashed berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool. Fold remaining berries into cooled mixture. Pile into pastry shell. Chill. Serve with whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving, without whipped cream, contains about:

439 calories; 101 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.75 gram fiber.

A Zucchini Classic

DEAR SOS: When I was in college in the early 1970s, you printed a recipe for zucchini lasagna. Unfortunately, I lost the recipe for this fantastic dish and was wondering if you happened to have it.

--MICHAEL

DEAR MICHAEL: The recipe certainly was popular in the ‘70s, during the health food movement when zucchini appeared in everything from soup to dessert. And, yes, we still have and use the recipe.

ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

6 to 8 large zucchini

1 quart thick marinara sauce

1 pound ricotta cheese

1 large onion, sliced

1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon ground oregano

1 tablespoon basil

Salt, pepper

1 pound mozzarella, sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Toasted sunflower seeds, optional

Slice zucchini lengthwise 1/2-inch thick. Spread thick layer of marinara sauce in 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with layer of zucchini slices, then layer of ricotta. Top with half of onion and mushrooms, then sprinkle with half of oregano and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with layer of mozzarella slices.

Cover with second layer of sauce and repeat layering process, ending with mozzarella. Top with Parmesan and garnish with sunflower seeds and a few slices zucchini or mushrooms, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees until zucchini is cooked but not mushy, about 45 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

748 calories; 1,916 mg sodium; 104 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 39 grams protein; 0.93 gram fiber.

Send requests to Culinary SOS, Food Section, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.

To order Dosti’s “DEAR SOS: Thirty Years of Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times,” send check for $15.95 plus $3 shipping and handling to Dear SOS, Los Angeles Times, Department FS, P.O. Box 2348, Chatsworth, CA 91313-9799. Or call (800) 246-4042, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday to use Visa or MasterCard.