Substituting light meat for dark in recipes

Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your column every week. Always find hints. Well, I have one question I hope you can help me with. Do you know why almost every chicken recipe uses dark meat? I don’t like dark meat. Do I just substitute white for dark and not cook as long? — Lynda R., Oxnard, Calif.

Lynda, there are many recipes using the light meat of chicken, but if you want to substitute the white meat for the dark, please remember that dark meat has more connective tissue, which requires a longer cooking time. Other than that, I see no reason why you shouldn’t use a white meat instead of a dark meat in the chicken recipes you like, as long as you adjust the cooking time.

Oh Fudge!

Dear Heloise: You had a recipe for an easy-to-make fudge that I made last year for the holidays. I don’t remember the name of it, but you used a microwave. It had walnuts and was chocolate. It turned out so well and was a big hit with everyone on Christmas Day. Could you reprint that recipe? This time I’ll cut it out and save it, because it looks like that will be one of our family traditions! — Karen T., Utica, Ind.

Karen, you’re thinking of Matthew’s Microwave Fudge, and it really is delicious! Here it is:

1 pound of powdered sugar 1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

4 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine all the ingredients except the nuts in a microwavebowl. Microwave on high, removing and stirring periodically, until all the ingredients in the mixture are melted and smooth.

When the mixture is smooth, remove from the microwave and stir in the nuts.

Spread the candy into a buttered 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan and allow to cool completely before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

A New Flavor

Dear Heloise: I saw the Italian chicken recipe this week, and it sounded easy to make. We had Italian food already this week, so I decided to use Asian poppy seed and ginger dressing instead, along with the onions, and it was delicious! I served it over rice.

I’m so excited now and plan to use different salad dressings and definitely making the Italian chicken next week. — Arline E., via e-mail

Arline, what a great idea! Isn’t it fun to take a good recipe and experiment with it and discover a flavor from an old favorite?

Fluffy Eggs

Dear Heloise: My secret to fluffy eggs is keeping a low flame. Eggs should be cooked as though you are making a pudding — slowly, over a low flame. Eggs that are cooked too fast lose flavor and end up tasting like plastic.

By the way, I stopped into a local diner for breakfast and ordered an omelet. The cook took the eggs and some milk and whipped it up on a milkshake machine. Now that was fluffy! — Fred J., The Villages, Fla.