MY 1000TH POST!

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I’ve been mulling it over for awhile what my 1000th post on Yum-O would be. Here I am at my 1000th post, and I STILL have no clue! I want to thank each and every one of you for hanging in there with me. Your support means the world to me. My goal from the beginning was to make Yum-O NOT be just about recipes.I want y’all to see different pieces of me and I hope I have achieved that. Not only do I love to cook, but I am PASSIONATE about all things food. I am also about teaching and having fun. I really enjoy reading and learning about food and food-related things. In fact, I get excited about it! (I guess that really DOES make me a food geek!). And I love being able to help people improve their cooking skills and cooking knowledge. I LOVE when somebody asks me a question about cooking or food in general! If I don’t know the answer,I will find it! I LOVE doing the research! If any of y’all have any thoughts, ideas, questions regarding the content of Yum-O-Licious Recipes, my ear is open! If there is a particular topic you would like me to blog about or a particular recipe you are looking for that I don’t have posted on here, PLEASE feel free to let me know. Chances are pretty darned good that I have a recipe for it somewhere! I know pictures with the recipes would be a HUGE asset, but unfortunately, I really don’t cook that often any more, at least not like that. It’s not that I don’t want to, because believe me, I do! I hope someday that I will once again have opportunities to cook like crazy for others. God has also called me to have a food-related ministry, but He hasn’t given me the specifics yet. I would also like to thank Rachel, my “Web-Genie”. Without Rachel’s expertise, Yum-O would not be. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Rach, for planting the Yum-O seed and doing all the behind-the-scenes work. I REALLY love our Yum-O! And a special thank you to all 231 of you who “Like” Yum-O on Facebook. I love when you stop by, say hi, and comment! Take care, my beautiful friends, and may God rain many blessings down on you and your families.
Love and Best Dishes from my nest to yours…MUAH!!!

HOMEMADE WONTON WRAPPERS

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2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1/2 cup cold water
cornstarch

mix flour and salt in medium-sized bowl.form a hole in the flour and pour an egg into the hole. mix well.

add 1/4 cup water to the bowl and mix completely. continue to add water until dough is firm and slightly sticky. you don’t need to use all of the water. mix with your hands if necessary.

cover dough with a damp cloth. let sit fo 20 minutes.

dust a clean, flat surface with cornstarch. place a golf-sized piece of dough directly on the starched surface and sprinkle with cornstarch.

roll a rolling pin across the dough to thin it until the dough becomes translucent. spread it into a rectangular shape, if possible. add more cornstarch if dough becomes too sticky. cut thin, translucent dough into squares approximately 3″x3″.

continue dusting, rolling and cutting small balls of dough until all the dough has been used.

dust each wrapper with a thick layer of cornstarch. stack on top of each other until ready to use. cover in plastic wrap to contain moisture.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE

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4 cups peeled and sliced apples (4 or 5 medium apples)
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position.

grease or spray the inside of a 9″x13″ cake pan.

peel, core and slice the apples as you would for a pie. place the sliced apples on the bottom of the prepared cake pan.

in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil until they’re thick. the add the sugar and beat it in.

mix in the vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. mix thoroughly.

add the flour in one-cup increments, mixing after each cup.

scrape down the bowl, give a final stir with a spoon, and then drop the batter over the apples in spoonfuls. (DON’T WORRY IF IT DOESN’T COMPLETELY COVER THE APPLES. THE BATTER WILL SPREAD OUT DURING BAKING).

bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. cool the cake in the pan on a cold burner or a wire rack.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE FROSTING

1 (8 oz) pkg softened cream cheese (NOT the whipped kind)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tbs (1/2 stick) melted butter
2 cups 10x sugar (no need to sift unless it’s got big lumps)

if you forgot to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften naturally, unwrap it, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 20 seconds on HIGH. check it to see if it’s soft. if not, give it another 15 seconds or so until it is.

stir the vanilla into your cream cheese. then add the lemon juice and the melted butter. mix until it’s smooth. beat in the 10x sugar in half-cup increments, checking consistency after each addition. when the mixture is the consistency of frosting, stop adding sugar.

BANANA MUFFINS

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1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp drained crushed pineapple
1 cup mashed bananas

combine egg, milk, oil, sugar, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice and vanilla. sift flour with baking powder; stir into egg mixture jus until blended. fold in pineapple and banana. fill greased or lined muffin cups 2/3 full. bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

makes 16

BREADED FISH WITH LEMON BUTTER

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1 cup fine unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 lbs flounder OR sole fillets
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp celery seed
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil

place the bread crumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls or pie plates. break the eggs into another shallow bowl and beat with a fork. one at a time, dip the fillets in the flour, coating both sides. gently shake off the excess and dip into the egg. let the excess drain off and dip the fillet in the bread crumbs, coating both sides. place the fish on a plate, cover, and chill until ready to proceed.

in a medium bowl, beat 1 stick of the butter until well softened. add the lemon juice, celery seed, cloves, salt, and pepper, and beat until blended. transfer the sauce to a small serving bowl.

in a large nonstick skillet, warm the oil with 2 tbs of the butter over medium-high heat. when the butter and oil begin to foam, add the fillets and reduce the heat to medium. cook until the fillets are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. add the remaining 2 tbs butter as necessary. transfer the fillets to paper towels to drain.

arrange the fillets on a serving platter. serve hot with the lemon butter on the side.

serves 4

BELL PEPPERS STUFFED WITH SALSA RICE & BEANS

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4 lg bell peppers
2 1/2 cups cooked white OR brown rice
1 (15 1/2 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup tomato salsa
3 scallions, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar

cut the tops off the bell peppers, save them for later use, and remove and discard the seeds and membranes. arrange the peppers upright in a 5 1/2-6 qt slow cooker.

in a medium mixing bowl, combine the rice, beans, salsa, and scallions and season with salt and pepper to taste. mix well. fill the pepper cavities evenly with the rice mixture, packing it lightly. replace the pepper tops.

in the same bowl, combine the tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and sugar and season with salt and pepper. pour over and around the peppers in the slow cooker. cover and cook on LOW for 4 hour, until the peppers are fork-tender but still hold their shape. serve hot.

serves 4

STRAWBERRY BREAD

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2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted buttter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup crushed fresh strawberries OR 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen strawberries, thawed and drained on a double thickness of paper towels
1/3 cup sliced almonds

preheat the oven to 325 degrees. spray or grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan.

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and almond extract until light, about 2 minutes. beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. mix in the flour mixture alternately with the crushed strawberries.

spoon the batter into the prepared pan. sprinkle the top with the almonds. bake in the center of the oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and turn right side up to cool completely.

makes 1 (9″x5″) loaf

LANCASTER COUNTY WET-BOTTOM SHOOFLY PIE

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SYRUP MIXTURE:

2 lg eggs
2 2/3 cups ole barrel syrup*
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups boiling water

in a small mixing bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until thick. beat in syrup. stir in baking soda. gradually add boiling water, stirring continually until mixed. set aside until completely cool. if in a hurry, set bowl in cold water and stir gently until cool.

*ole barrel syrup will produce the best results. however, if it is unavailable in your area, a thick corn syrup may be substituted.

CRUMBS:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs shortening

pastry for two 9 1/2″ single crust pies

in a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, and salt. cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender. set 1 1/3 cups crumb mixture aside in a small bowl. pour approximately 1 cup syrup mixture into remaining crumb mixture; mix by hand to make a thick, smooth paste. add remaining syrup mixture approximately 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition to keep mixture as smooth as possible.

pour syrup and crumb mixture into pie crusts; sprinkle half of reserved crumbs evenly on each pie. bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes.if center of pie is not set at the end of this time, turn oven off and leave pies in the oven for 5-15 minutes more.

make 2 (9 1/2″) pies

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN ORIGINAL BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

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CRUST:

1/3 cup plus 1 tbs warm water (105-115 degrees)
3/4 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbs olive oil
OR
commercial pizza dough OR dough mix
OR
1 (10″) unbaked commercial crust

TOPPING:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
1/2 cup bullseye original barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated gouda cheese (smoked, if you can find it)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

if you are makig a homemade crust,start the dough one day before you plan to serve the pizza. in a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. let it sit for 5 minutes until the surface of the mixture turns foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, either the yeast was to old – i.e., dead – or the water was too hot – i.e., you killed it. try again.) sift together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. make a depression in the flour and pour in the olive oil and yeast mixture. use a fork to stir the liquid, gradually drawing in more flour as you stir, until all the ingredients are combined. when you can no longer stir with a fork, use your hands to form the dough into a ball. knead the dough with the heels of your hands on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, or until the texture of the dough is smooth. form the dough back into a ball, coat it lightly with oil, and place it into a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. keep the bowl in a warm place for about 2 hours to allow the dough to double in size. punch down the dough and put it back into the covered bowl and into your refrigerator overnight. take the dough from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you plan to build the pizza so that the dough can warm up to room temperature.

if you are using a commercial dough or dough mix, follow the instructions on your package to prepare it. you may have to set some of the dough aside to make a smaller, 10″ crust.

cut the chicken breast into bite-size cubes and marinate it in 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

when the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. heat a small frying pan on your stove with about 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil in it. saute the chicken in the pan for about 3-4 minutes or until done.

form the dough into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until very thin and 10″ in diameter. put your pizza crust onto a baking sheet or pizza pan, and spread the remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce evenly over the pizza crust.

sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and all of the gouda cheese over the sauce.

add the chicken next.

the red onion goes next.

sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella around the center of the pizza.

cilantro goes on top of the mozzarella.

bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is light brown.

when the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and make 4 even cuts across the pie. this will give you 8 slices.

serves 2 as an entree