Kate Lawson: Simply the Best

Pop a pan of popovers in the oven

Sunday is the perfect day for making stew. I can chop up everything and either put it in the Dutch oven or slow cooker to simmer while I go on my merry way. It sure makes a Sunday drive to the country or a visit to a flea market or antiques show a lot more relaxing and enjoyable knowing dinner's ready when I get home.

Last week, I did just that, putting together a pot of beef stew before heading out the door. When I got home, laden with fresh arugula, tomatoes and peppers, I felt so smug and really looked forward to dinner instead of having to worry about the execution.

And in fact, the luxury of having dinner ready meant that I could make some fresh biscuits or a quick bread for sopping up all the great juices.

That's when popovers popped into my mind. I love those light rolls that rise like top hats out of the pan. They are light and fun, and I even purchased a special popover pan so I could make them whenever the mood inspired me.

You don't need a special pan for these popovers; a regular muffin tin will do just fine. I just keep mine around to remind me that I can whip them up in minutes and prepare the rest of the meal while they bake.

Serve popovers with stew or soup or even a simple salad. Your family will think you fussed -- just keep it our little secret.

Garlic Cheese Popovers

2 large eggs

3/4 cup low-fat milk

1/4 cup water

1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large garlic clove

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease six 2/3 -cup popover tins or nine half-cup muffin tins.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and water. Add flour, and whisk mixture until well-combined but still slightly lumpy.

Mince garlic and mash with salt. Whisk garlic paste into batter and divide half of batter among tins.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan over batter in tins and divide remaining batter among tins.

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over popovers and bake in lower third of oven 45 minutes or until puffed and perfectly brown.

Cut a slit about 1/2 inch long on top of each popover with a small sharp knife and bake 10 minutes more. (Popovers will not rise much because of Parmesan.)

Makes 6 large popovers.

Per serving: 137 calories; 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 26 percent calories from fat); 16 g carbohydrates; 75 mg cholesterol; 362 mg sodium; 8 g protein; 0.5 g fiber.

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