Driven by the Soup

DEAR SOS: I am hoping you can obtain the recipe for the beef stroganoff soup served at Sidewinder Grill in Desert Hot Springs. It’s worth the drive just for a bowl.

--TANYA

DEAR TANYA: It’s like no other stroganoff soup we’ve met, but definitely tasty.

SIDEWINDER GRILL STROGANOFF SOUP

1 pound broccoli stems, sliced into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons beef base

1 tablespoon chicken base

1/2 gallon water

1/8 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons flour

7 ounces diced cooked roast beef

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 pound fettuccine, cooked and chopped

Combine broccoli stems, beef and chicken bases, water, curry powder and white pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until stems are soft, adding water as needed to maintain 1/2 gallon. Strain. Set broth aside.

In a soup pot, saute celery and onion in butter until onion is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add relish, sour cream and mustard. Add flour and cook over low heat, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add strained broth. Simmer 5 minutes. Add roast beef, whipping cream and fettuccine. Simmer 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

638 calories; 1,504 mg sodium; 163 mg cholesterol; 43 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 1.07 grams fiber.

A Peach of a Dish

DEAR SOS: My aunt lost a favorite family recipe for a gelatin salad with a topping, published in The Times about 20 years ago. Can you help?

--PAMELA MAE

DEAR PAMELA MAE: This may not be the exact recipe, but it is festive and fun to make.

GELATIN SALAD MOLD

1 (6-ounce) package lemon gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

6 canned or fresh pear or peach halves

Pecan halves

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water, lemon peel and juice. Chill until gelatin mounds on spoon.

Blend cheese, mayonnaise and ginger. Spoon cheese mixture into hollows of pear halves. Arrange fruit in individual molds, then garnish with pecans. Pour gelatin over fruit and chill until firm. Unmold onto serving dish.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

111 calories; 65 mg sodium; 17 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.29 gram fiber.

Too Good to Lose

DEAR SOS: I have lost my Chiles Rellenos Casserole recipe. Would you kindly print another for me?

--S.R.

DEAR S.R.: With pleasure. It’s a classic California recipe we don’t want to lose.

CHILES RELLENOS CASSEROLE

3 (7-ounce) cans whole green chiles

1 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pound Jack cheese, shredded

4 eggs, separated

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tomato slices

Rinse chiles, slit open and remove any seeds. In 13x9-inch baking dish, alternate chiles with cheeses to make two or three layers.

Beat egg whites in bowl until stiff. In another bowl, beat yolks until foamy. Beat in evaporated milk, flour, sugar and salt. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Pour over chiles and cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees 25 minutes. Arrange tomato slices on top. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes longer.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

708 calories; 1206 mg sodium; 296 mg cholesterol; 53 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 45 grams protein; 0.07 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: Dessert Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times,” send check for $15.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling to SOS Desserts, Los Angeles Times, Department FS, Box 2348, Chatsworth, CA 91313-9799. Or call (800) 246-4042, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday to use Visa or MasterCard. The original “DEAR SOS” cookbook can be ordered in the same manner for the same price.

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Kitchen Tip

Chicken stock base and beef stock base are bottled flavoring concentrates in paste form that are used for making stocks and flavoring sauces. One teaspoon chicken or beef stock base is the equivalent of 1 bouillon cube. They are usually found in the soup section or refrigerated deli section of your supermarket.