Christmas Update!

Christmas is a crazy, crazy time in most of our lives. Between making wreaths, ornaments, buying gifts, preparing meals, and entertaining family, I have been whooped, which explains why I haven't had much time to dedicate to my blog.  I have missed all of you and hope your holidays have been filled with good health, appreciation, and love from family and friends.  

My family went and had Christmas dinner at relative's houses this year, which was quite nice since it's usually at my house.  I got to sit back and relax, sip some eggnog, and enjoy my daughter and fiance's company.  Well mostly. I still did dabble in the kitchen here and there helping Grandma prepare her traditional Christmas meal.  

I'd like to hear how all of you enjoyed your holidays! Comments welcomed!

Also, everyone, this is the beginning of a new chapter for Yum In My Tum.  I have been blessed to have received lots of new, upgraded equipment to improve this blog.  Lots of new recipes from my kitchen will soon be covering these pages.  I invite you to stick by and uncover the art of cooking. 

Until my next food adventure, here's some photos from yesterday. Enjoy!

Gabriel

Table Setting at Gram's

Italian Santa Claus Figurine

Foreign Ornament--Slovenia, maybe? (The Grandparents Travel A Lot!)

Spinach & Artichoke Hummus & Veggies

Feliz Navidad! Santa Hat from Spain

Grandma made a gingerbread choo-choo this year.

Bennington Potters

Lighted Cactus at my Dad's! I love it!

Tammy Town--My stepmom's beautifully done Christmas village!

Cozy stone fireplace hung with stockings and more..at my Dad's! The house I grew up in!

Halloween Dinner Idea: Eyeball Taco Salad

Ingredients

·         2-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
·         3/4 cup water
·         1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
·         1 envelope taco seasoning
·         1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips, crushed
·         2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
·         2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
·         4 cups torn iceberg lettuce
·         1 medium red onion, finely chopped
·         10 slices tomato, halved
·         1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
·         10 whole pitted ripe olives, halved

Directions

·         In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

·         Place tortilla chips in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Spread meat mixture over top; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

·         Top with lettuce and onion. Cut into ten 5-in. x 3-in. pieces. On each piece, arrange two tomato slices for eyes; top each with a dollop of sour cream and an olive half. Yield: 10 servings.

Cheesy Ham & Pepperoni Stromboli

Ingredients

Yields 2 loaves

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast

1 1/3 cups warm water (110° to 115°) 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt 

4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

The quantities below are for 1 Stromboli. Double the amount if you want to make both loaves. 

1/4 lb thinly sliced ham

1/4 lb reduced fat pepperoni

Dried basil

Dried oregano

4 slices provolone cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil, salt and 2 cups flour; fitted with the paddle attachment, beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Switching to the dough hook attachment, knead dough on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. (I froze the second portion for a later date.) Arrange ham slices lengthwise down half of rectangle. Place pepperoni on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of basil and oregano. Arrange provolone slices over the top and then add the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with a little more basil and oregano. Fold plain half of dough over filling and seal ends well. Brush with oil; sprinkle with oregano.

Bake on a baking sheet at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; cut into 1-inch slices.

End of Summer Vegetable Gratin

serves 6-8 as a side, or 4 as a light entree (and can be halved quite easily)

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

1 pound yellow squash, ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (3-4 large), sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thin (about 3 cups)

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 large slice good-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

2 medium shallots, minced (1/4 cup)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.

Toss zucchini and squash slices with 1 teaspoon of salt in a large colander, and allow to drain about 45 minutes, or until they release 3 Tablespoons of liquid.  Arrange slices on a triple layer of paper towels or a dish towel, cover with a clean dish towel, and press firmly to remove as much moisture as possible.

As the squash and zucchini drain, line another dish towel with the tomatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Allow to stand 30 minutes, then using a clean dish towel or paper towels, press firmly to dry the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and dark golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Set aside.

Combine the garlic, 3 Tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  In a large bowl, toss the squash and zucchini with half the garlic-oil mixture.  Arrange in the baking dish, then top with an even layer of the onions.  Slightly overlap the tomato slices in a single layer over the onions, and drizzle with the remaining oil mixture.  Bake until the vegetables are softened and tomatoes are starting to brown around the edges, 40-45 minutes. 

As the vegetables cook, pulse the bread in a food processor until finely ground (You should have about 1 cup of crumbs).  Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, 1 Tablespoon oil, and shallots in a medium bowl. 

Remove the baking dish from the oven and increase the heat to 450.  Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the vegetables, and bake gratin until bubbling and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil.  Allow to sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.