Swap Shop: Two dishes worth the extra effort

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Mini Blueberry Tarts With Orange Custard

Updated: February 26, 2012 8:01AM

Most of the time we’re glad to have a recipe that can be completed in no time.

This week, recipes for Mini Blueberry Tarts with Orange Custard — in answer to a request for blueberry desserts from S.R.P. of South Bend — and Pastitsio (Greek Macaroni and Cheese) — from Linda Birbilis Gillum for S.W. of Chicago — are worthy of the extra time required.

To make Pastitsio: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large saucepan, boil 1 pound macaroni (as package directs), stirring occasionally. When macaroni is cooked, drain and return to pan; pour ½ stick melted butter over macaroni. Keep macaroni mixture warm by covering with lid or foil.

In separate large pan, saute 1 medium chopped onion in 3 tablespoons olive oil until soft and translucent; add 1½ pounds ground chuck or ground lamb. Stir until meat doesn’t show any pink. Add ½ can tomato paste, ¼ cup water, 1½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon (or more, to taste) ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon (or more, to taste) ground nutmeg, and, optionally (for a spicier dish), a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Grate 8 ounces Cheddar cheese. In bowl, make No. 1 sauce by beating 2 eggs with 1 cup milk. In small saucepan, Make No. 2 sauce by cooking together 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour until mixture is brown. In separate pan, heat 2 cups milk; stir hot milk into flour-butter mixture until thickened. In separate bowl, beat 4 eggs; slowly add eggs to flour-butter-milk mixture; cook on low temperature until thickened.

In greased 15-by-10-by-2-inch Pyrex baking pan, spread half of macaroni. Sprinkle half of grated cheese over macaroni. Spread entire meat mixture over cheese-covered macaroni. Cover with remaining macaroni. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Pour No. 1 sauce over macaroni; gently shake pan to make milk-egg mixture go through to bottom. Top pastitsio with No. 2 sauce, spreading to cover all macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon. Bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Gillum suggests cutting pastitsio into 15 (2½-inch) squares. To freeze leftovers, she wraps squares in plastic wrap and places them in large plastic freezer bags. To defrost, she keeps them in plastic wrap and heats them in microwave on medium level (5) to avoid having the eggs toughen if the pastitsio is reheated too high.

Request

In the late ’80s, I had a Weight Watchers appetizer recipe for an eggplant “pie.” The eggplant was sliced and baked or broiled before being laid in the crust.

M.N., Chicago

Send recipes and requests to: Swap Shop, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans St., 9th Floor, Chicago 60654 or by e-mail, swapshop@suntimes.com. Please include a daytime telephone number.