RECIPE SWAP: A COOL, REFRESHING TREAT AND RECIPES FOR EGG FOO YUNG

I hope each of you had a meaningful Memorial Day holiday weekend. As I paused to reflect on the meaning of the holiday, it felt good to recall fond memories of grandparents, family and friends.

For many this weekend includes family picnics and time spent together. This was the case at our house, except we included the seventh birthday of our son, Ross. It does not seem possible that he could be another year older. I made the recipe for the lemon fluff dessert that Jane Hardeman was looking for, and it was a nice cool refreshing treat after the meal. My mother-in-law enjoys lemon foods also and so it was a treat for her, too.

Lemon Refrigerator Cake

1 (3 ounce) package lemon gelatin

Dash of salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon lemon rind

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 (13 ounce) can evaporated milk, well chilled

2 cups graham cracker crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs

Place gelatin, salt, sugar, water, lemon rind and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir until dissolved. Put in refrigerator to cool. Chill evaporated milk several hours. Whip to consistency of whipped cream. Add gelatin mixture slowly to milk, continuing to whip. Sprinkle crumbs in a 9x13-inch baking casserole dish. Pour in lemon mixture and chill until set. Makes about 10 to 12 servings.

n

A couple of weeks ago we had a request for egg foo yung from Betty Travelstead of Cape Girardeau. We have a couple of great responses for her today that I hope will satisfy her craving.

The first recipe comes from Joan Hale of Cape Girardeau for shrimp egg foo yung. You can easily substitute chopped roast pork for the shrimp if you desire.

Shrimp Egg Foo Yung

1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts

3 to 4 medium mushrooms, diced

1/2 pound shrimp, diced or 1 can tiny shrimp

1/4 cup peanut oil

3 eggs

Sauce:

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold chicken broth

For the sauce: in a small pan bring chicken broth to a boil. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Reduce heat and cook 2 minutes.

For the egg foo yung: set wok or frying pan over high heat and add oil. Swirl about 30 seconds. If using fresh shrimp, stir-fry 1 minute. Beat or whisk eggs. Add shrimp, mushrooms and bean sprouts. Cook as you would pancakes. Makes 6 servings. Serve hot topped with sauce.

Our second recipe today comes from Delores Estes of Cape Girardeau.

Egg Foo Yung

1 no. 2 sized can bean sprouts, drained

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup cooked ham, finely diced

6 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Accent

Heat skillet until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add 6 tablespoons shortening or cooking oil. Meanwhile, blend the ham, bean sprouts and onion mixture into the beaten egg mixture. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time into the skillet forming a patty. Cook until bottom of patty is brown. Turn and brown the other side. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot atop cooked rice. Cover with sauce.

Egg Foo Yung Sauce

1 cup chicken broth, canned broth or made from bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, sugar, and salt. Heat until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and add the broth gradually, stirring constantly. Mix in soy sauce. Cook rapidly, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Cover and keep warm over hot water.

n

A Portageville, Mo., reader shares a recipe for a strawberry dessert that is quick to make when you purchase a ready-made angel food cake to save on time.

Strawberry Delight

1 angel food cake

1 quart fresh strawberries

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Pinch in bite-sized pieces the angel food cake and place in cake pan. Wash and slice strawberries. Mix milk with strawberries. Fold in whipped topping into the strawberry mixture. Pour over angel food cake and chill several hours before serving.

This same reader also shares her favorite chicken recipe with you. She serves it often for company and gets rave reviews.

King Ranch Chicken

1/4 cup margarine

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, diced

2 cups cubes cooked chicken

12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large saucepan, cook pepper and onion in melted margarine until tender, about 5 minutes. Add soups, tomatoes and chicken, stirring until well blended. In a 9x13-inch dish, alternately layer tortillas, soup mixture and cheese, repeating for three layers. Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

n

There are no requests this week, so I will have to close wishing you well and happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan, an administrator at Cape Senior Center, can be reached at Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699. Recipes published are not kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.