Recipes and requests: Standby was lost in the move

Years ago, I saved recipes from The Bee for tamales and enchilada gravy. They were fantastic. I lost these recipes in a move. It would be great if someone had the recipes and would be willing to share. Thanks.

— Sandra Schirmer,Citrus Heights

Does anyone have Mary's dressing recipe?: I'm looking for the recipe for the house Italian dressing served at Mary's Pizza Shack (locations throughout Northern California).

Thank you.

— Dale Stopp, Folsom

Watson is a Sacramento home economist who has been a nutrition consultant and cooking instructor for nearly 20 years. She is a member of the American Association of Family and Consumer Science. Write: Teri Watson, Taste, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento 95852. Fax: 916-556-5625. E-mail: twatson@sacbee.com. Include your full name, phone number and city.

Danish fish with blue cheese

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves 2

Gina Yancey of Sacramento was looking for different ways to prepare halibut.

Johanna Griswold of South Lake Tahoe shares this very quick recipe and says it is her favorite way to prepare halibut.

She's been using this recipe about 40 years.

Ingredients:

2 slices fresh halibut, not too thick

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, divided use

½ cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 wedges of lemon

2 sprigs parsley

Instructions:

Turn broiler flame on high. Wash fish. Blot with paper towel. Rub fish with salt. Place several small pieces of butter in the broiling dish. Place fish in broiling dish. Put under broiler flame.

In a skillet, melt the remaining butter. Stir in blue cheese and lemon juice. Baste fish with this mixture. Continue cooking until fish flakes when pricked with a fork, about 7 minutes.

Garnish fish with lemon wedges and sprigs of parsley. Serve hot.

Per serving: 460 calories; 35 grams protein; 1 gram carbohydrates; 34 grams fat (22 saturated, 10 mono- unsaturated, 2 poly- unsaturated); 160 milligrams cholesterol; 1,157 milligrams sodium; 0 grams fiber; 68 percent calories from fat.

Mushrooms and beef

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Serves 6

Peggy Butler of Granite Bay was looking for an old-fashioned recipe for sirloin tips and noodles. She prefers recipes that include mushrooms and make a rich, brown gravy or sauce. This recipe, from Carol Rose of Woodland, comes from "California Cooking: Favorite Recipes of 4-H Families," and sounds like a match for Butler.

Ingredients:

2 pounds sirloin steak

2 tablespoons oil

½ cup chopped onion

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup soy sauce

1 (4-ounce) can mushroom pieces, with liquid

2 beef bouillon cubes

½ teaspoon salt and dash of pepper

2½ cups water, divided use

¼ cup cornstarch

Noodles or rice

Instructions:

Cut steak into thin 4-inch strips. Brown in oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic powder. Cook until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add soy sauce, mushrooms, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and 2 cups of the water. Simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until steak is tender. Blend cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup of water. Stir into skillet. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Serve over noodles or rice.

Per serving, without noodles or rice: 366 calories; 33 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams fat (8 saturated, 9 monounsaturated, 4 polyunsaturated); 109 milligrams cholesterol; 1,425 milligrams sodium; 0 grams fiber; 54 percent calories from fat.