Vegetable Cutlet, Sweet Potato Casserole, Punch

DEAR SOS: A few years ago my husband and I enjoyed a delicious vegetable cutlet at Kutsher’s Country Club in Monticello, N.Y. I have tried to duplicate the dish at home without success.

--BEATRICE

DEAR BEATRICE: Helen Kutsher came through with a recipe adapted for home preparation. The original recipe calls for one-half ounce of dry scrambled eggs (available at restaurant supply houses). We have substituted a rough equivalent of one egg white for the convenience of home cooks. Be prepared for a slight change in texture and taste, but it will be close to what you remember eating.

KUTSHER’S VEGETABLE CUTLET

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 onion, chopped

1 pound celery, chopped

1 pound carrots, chopped

1 pound parsnips, chopped

1 egg white, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Dash black pepper

Dash garlic powder

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup farina

4 whole eggs

1/4 cup instant mashed potato mix

In skillet melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion, celery, carrots and parsnips. Saute until tender. Stir in egg white. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, bread crumbs, farina, eggs and instant potato mix.

Process mixture in food processor or whip by hand until well mixed. Shape mixture into individual cutlets. Melt and brush remaining butter over cutlets. Place cutlets on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

355 calories; 970 mg sodium; 164 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 3.04 grams fiber.

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DEAR SOS: I have misplaced the recipe for special sweet potato casserole, which is a family favorite at holiday meals. I haven’t seen it reprinted for many, many years. Do you have it on file?

--CATHY

DEAR CATHY: We do. And here it is, just in time for the upcoming holidays.

SPECIAL SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

4 cups hot mashed sweet potatoes or yams

Butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup flake coconut

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons flour

In bowl mix sweet potatoes, 1/3 cup butter and granulated sugar. Beat in eggs and milk. Pour mixture into greased 1 1/2- to 2-quart casserole. Combine pecans, coconut, brown sugar and flour. Stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake at 325 degrees 1 hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

509 calories; 216 mg sodium; 110 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 75 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 2.03 grams fiber.

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DEAR SOS: I am giving a party with a Caribbean theme and would like to serve a rum punch that is not as sweet as most rum punches.

--TERRY

DEAR TERRY: Here’s a rum punch with less sweetness and more punch.

CARIBBEAN RUM PUNCH

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup cranberry juice

1 cup orange juice

1 cup strong tea

1 (750-milliliter) bottle dark rum

12 whole cloves, optional

Ice cubes

Lemon slices

Mix lemon juice, sugar, cranberry juice, orange juice and tea together in punch bowl. Add rum and cloves. Add ice cubes to chill. Decorate with thin lemon slices, if desired. Makes 15 servings.

Each serving contains about:

142 calories; 2 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.02 gram fiber.