Freckle Face Days

DEAR SOS: When I attended La Jolla High School in 1971, the cafeteria served the most wonderful bread made with bulgur. I’m sure it would soon become as much your readers’ favorite as it is mine.

--MC

DEAR MC: Jane M. Boehrer, the food services director of the San Diego City Schools, remembers serving bread made with bulgur (parboiled cracked wheat kernels) many years ago. “We called it Freckle Face Dinner Rolls, and it was a very nutritious product,” Boehrer wrote. She sent us the recipe used in the school cafeterias, and we adapted it for the home cook.

CITY SCHOOL FRECKLE FACE ROLLS

Water

6 tablespoons bulgur

2 tablespoons sugar

7 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing pan

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope dry yeast

1 1/2 cups dry milk powder

3 eggs

1 tablespoon salt

6 cups flour

Pour 3/4 cup boiling water over bulgur and soak 1 hour.

Combine 1 cup warm water, sugar and 3 tablespoons softened butter in mixing bowl. Sprinkle with yeast and let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add dry milk powder, eggs, salt, flour and soaked bulgur. Mix 5 minutes using dough hook or flat beater.

Place dough in greased bowl and cover loosely. Let rise in warm place until dough doubles in volume, about 45 minutes.

Break into pieces and form into balls. Place balls close together on greased 15x10-inch baking sheet. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and brush tops of rolls with half of melted butter. Cover loosely and let rise about 25 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

30 rolls. Each roll:

146 calories; 284 mg sodium; 32 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.09 gram fiber.

Jam to Cry For

DEAR SOS: I love the onion marmalade served with game in French restaurants. Do you have a recipe?

--GABBY

DEAR GABBY: A reader named Gail once sent us a recipe for onion jam (or marmalade) using Spanish onions.

GAIL’S ONION JAM

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup oil

8 cups thinly sliced Spanish or white onions

6 shallots, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup sugar

Melt butter and oil in saucepan. Saute onions and shallots until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in salt and pepper. Cook partly covered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and caramel-colored, about 30 minutes. Do not burn. Stir in sugar and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Serve warm or at room temperature.

3 cups. Each 1-tablespoon serving:

35 calories; 36 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.19 gram fiber.

Layer Pasta and Beans

DEAR SOS: I am looking for a vegetable lasagna recipe. Any chance?

--D.D.C.

DEAR D.D.C.: Here’s one using mushrooms and beans. Actually, any cooked vegetables, such as sliced zucchini or other squash, carrots, peas, celery, spinach or other greens, may be used.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

Salt

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons oil

1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, lightly mashed

3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles in boiling salted water 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Saute onions and garlic in oil until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, oregano, basil, parsley and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and beans.

Place 1 layer noodles in 9-inch-square baking dish. Cover with 1/3 tomato sauce, 1/3 mozzarella, 1/3 ricotta and 1/3 Parmesan. Repeat layers twice, ending with Parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

8 servings. Each serving:

488 calories; 1,493 mg sodium; 69 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 1.50 grams fiber.