Crusties (cross between Salmon Patties & Crab Cakes)

Crusties were created by borrowing the recipe for Happy Hearts Crab Cakes from Sweet Potato Soul by Jenne Claiborne.  Her recipe is perfect - but you know me I seem to never follow a recipe exactly!  But if you have those items - by all means try it!!!  Oh and buy her cookbook on Amazon - it is really good!

Crusties

In a blender - blend until just slightly pulsed.  You want some texture to remain - blend:
2 drained cans of hearts of palm
1 drained can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Mix together:
Blended hearts of palm & beans
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/4 cup Just mayo
2 T of apple cider vinegar
1 T Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
2 T lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Make patties - coat with bread crumbs & "fry" in an air fryer for about 10 minutes.  So wonderful on top of a salad with Just Thousand and Just Ranch!

Have you ever cooked with Hearts of Palm - a first for me and they are perfect!

Coat patty with more bread crumbs

Serve on top of salad with Just Thousand & Just Ranch

Add a glass a wine and you are set!

Love.Pray.It Will.Be Okay

Burrito Bowl - Our Way

Cilantro Lime Rice (see below)
Chicken - cooked & cubed (we used thighs)
Green Bell Pepper
Onion
Extra toppings - sour cream, cheese, avocado, hot sauce, lettuce, tomatoes

Cilantro Lime Rice
Honestly I "borrowed" the recipe from another blog (see end of this entry).  We did a couple of things differently but either one will work just fine!

Cook in an instant pot on manual setting for 22 minutes:
2 cups of Basmati Rice with
2 1/2 cups of water (or 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth)
Let the rice release steam naturally while you are getting other parts finished

Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice green bell pepper and onion and put in an iron skillet and roast in the oven with some olive oil and sea salt.  If you cooked your chicken on Sunday to have throughout the week - add it to the vegetables when they have cooked - just long enough to heat the chicken.   You could also splash some chicken broth in the skillet too.

Cilantro Lime Rice - continued

In the food processor - combine
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 bunch of cilantro,
juice of 2 limes, and about
2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
Cumin seasoning (about 1 tsp - I just sprinkled over the top)
Combine long enough that is smooth and will pour into your rice.  You could add olive oil if needed - but I did not have to.

After the rice is finished and has let off some of the steam - combine rice with the sauce.  Add some more cumin and stir together.  Your rice will be green!

To make the bowl - we had rice on the bottom with the chicken & veggies on top then added the other toppings.

Easy - and will compete with Chipotle any day!!!

Mimi & Pop's Burrito Bowl with Chicken & Cilantro Lime Rice

Instant Pot setting on Manual for 22 minutes - I LOVE to cook rice in the Instant Pot!!!

Yes the Rice will be green!  It is a great way to get more vegetables into your diet!!

Here is a link to the original recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice.

Go and eat your bread in happiness. Drink your wine with a happy heart. For God has already been pleased with your works.

Ecclesiastes 9:7

One of my Favorite wines (today...) - from my friends at Times Ten Cellars in Dallas - link below....

Times Ten Cellars - one of the BEST parts is that they will ship directly to you!  The Sangiovese is amazing!

Pasta Primavera - GF & DF

This recipe is in a gluten free & diary free translation but of course it can be made the other way too! Very easy recipe and quick too.  Feel free to add other vegetables - mushrooms would be good as well as other colors of bell peppers.

Roast at 400 degrees in an iron skillet about 10 minutes:

Sliced carrots (small bag of the mini peeled but in half)

Then add the following for about 5 minutes:

Coarsely chopped bell pepper (one large green pepper)
Coarsely chopped onion (one onion)

Then finally:

Sliced squash & zucchini (one of each)

Meanwhile - cook your noodles.  We had a GF corn pasta from HEB.  Any bow tie or egg noodle pasta will work.

As for sauce - I created a light sauce with chicken broth & corn starch.  Cream cheese would be awesome in a non dairy free world!  As for the corn starch sauce - just follow the directions on a can of corn starch for a white type gravy and make it a little thinner.

The reason I cooked the vegetables in stages was to get them all cooked just right.  Carrots will take the longest - plus I was prepping the other vegetables as I cooked the others in stages.

We added cooked chicken to our pasta dish too.

Enjoy!

Pop's Crusted Tilapia

This is so easy and good!

Pop's Crusted Tilapia

Tilapia filets (see below - we buy a Walmart!)
Wavy Lays or Ruffle Potato Chips
Mayo
Seasonings

Pre heat an iron skillet in a 400 degree oven.  When it is hot - add grape seed oil - or olive oil.

Add a single layer of tilapia filets.  We had 4 to a small iron skillet.

Crush chips with food processor - add seasonings - we prefer Jane's Crazy Salt and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasonings.

Smear mayonnaise on the top of the filets (we used Duke's).  The mayo holds the chips in place.

Pour chips on top of the fish.  Lightly pat to secure.

Bake at 400 degrees until chips are browning.  We baked ours for about 10 minutes (I think - I did not watch the clock!).

Really great served with black beans & rice.

Bag of Tilapia

Wavy Lays - processed into crumbs for the crust.

Duke's Jane's Crazy Salt, and Tony's

Oops!!! I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!  But we sure enjoyed the dinner!!!

"God's name is a place of protection - good people can run there and be safe."

Proverbs 18:10 MSG

Enchilada Casserole

One of my favorite memories is enchilada casserole at my grandma's house.  However I have never been able to replicate the recipe - until now.....I really don't even know if she was the one who made it - I suspect she wasn't but it was at her home that I remember eating the casserole!

Grandma Cannon's Enchilada Casserole 
ground beef - browned with steak seasoning*
diced onion (if you want - I actually forgot this part)
Mix together with:
Can of cream of mushroom soup (I use gluten free)
About 8 ounces of sour cream
1 can Rotel tomatoes
Shredded cheese

On the bottom of the pan layer crushed tortilla chips - and thin restaurant style ones are the best.  Mine were from Dos Chiles restaurant.  Pour beef mixture on top, add more crushed chips and then another layer of shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 until bubbling - about 20 - 30 minutes.

*Pop makes his own steak seasoning - but any kind of seasoning that is for beef will work.

Soup & Rotel to add to the Ground Beef

Oops - almost forgot to get a picture!  Finished casserole.

... in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ~ Ephesians 2:7