Sleuth’s Corner

Q. I hope one of your readers knows the recipe for the Ensalada Francesa that was served at a small Jewish restaurant in Old Havana in the 1940s. Even though I was a small child, I remember that one of the ingredients was beef tongue and also beets. I would like to make it for my 101-year-old mother. Our parents used to take my sister and me there for Sunday lunch when we would go from our home in La Vibora to visit friends in La Habana Vieja.

Raquel Bakalar

Main Dish

Beverly’s Mango Chicken

1/3 cup oil (or less)

1 medium frying chicken, cut up

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup ripe mango slices

Heat oil in frying pan and brown chicken on both sides. Pour off all fat and add soy sauce, garlic and salt and pepper to taste, turning chicken to coat. Cover and cook on low until almost tender (about 45 minutes). Add mangoes and cook 10 minutes more. Serve hot with rice. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 516 calories, 45 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat, 59 percent of calories as fat, 0.7 g fiber, 136 mg cholesterol, 1,148 mg sodium.

Dessert

Willard Scott’s Brown Sugar Pound Cake

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup shortening, such as Crisco

5 eggs, at room temperature

1 pound plus 1 cup light brown sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

For the frosting:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 stick butter

1 pound confectioners’ sugar

Milk to thin

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan.

Beat butter with shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in brown sugar.

Sift or whisk together flour and baking powder. Beat into butter mixture alternately with milk.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until cake tests done. Let cool on wire racks before frosting.

To make frosting, toast pecans in butter in a thick broiler pan in oven until they brown well. Let cool a little. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in confectioners’ sugar. Add enough milk to make a spreading consistency. Spread on top of cake and let it drip down sides. Makes 16 servings.

Per serving: 638 calories (42 percent from fat), 30.4 g fat (13.6 g saturated, 9 g monounsaturated), 105 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 87 g carbohydrates, 1.4 g fiber, 200 mg sodium.

Dessert sauce

Praline Sauce

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans, toasted (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, half-and-half and salt to a boil. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add pecans and vanilla, mixing well. Pour on top of cake. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce.

Per 1/4 cup: 207 calories (74 percent from fat), 17.6 g fat (11 g saturated, 4.6 g monounsaturated), 48 mg cholesterol, .7 g protein, 12.7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 110 mg sodium.

Main Dish

Atkins Beef and Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips

1/3 cup tamari

1 tablespoon unsweetened rice wine or dry sherry

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon peeled, minced ginger

1 teaspoon sugar substitute

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced

8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained

8 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed and halved diagonally

2 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons dark (toasted) sesame oil

Combine steak, tamari, wine, garlic, ginger and sugar substitute in a sealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 3 and up to 12 hours.

Remove meat from marinade, shaking off extra liquid; reserve marinade.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until oil shimmers. Add meat and stir-fry until slightly colored, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add bamboo shoots and peas and stir-fry until just soft, about 1 minute. Add scallions and stir-fry 1 minute longer. Transfer beef and vegetables to serving bowl.

Add reserved marinade to wok; boil until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sesame oil. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 370 calories (53 percent from fat), 22 g fat (4.6 g saturated, 12.2 g monounsaturated), 75 mg cholesterol, 29 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fiber, 1,215 mg sodium.