Taco Pie

This dish ROCKS and it's so easy! No, it's not Gluten Free. I have to work on making a GF version. Till then, enjoy!

TACO PIE
1 lb very lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
1/2 packet low sodium taco seaoning
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
2 packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup sour cream
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup prepared salsa (I used Pace Mild)

Brown ground beef, turkey or chicken. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 to 1/2 cup (mixture should not be too dry or too wet). Cook over medium heat for approx 5 minutes.

In the meantime, unroll one tube of crescent rolls and place on bottom of 9" x 13" baking dish. Press seams together and sprad out to cover bottom of pan. Bake in 375 degree oven (gas mark 5) untill the rolls just start to brown. Remove from oven.

Cover cooked dough with the meat mixture. Spread sour cream over the meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and scatter salsa over the cheese. Unroll the second tube of crescent roll dough. Carefully spread over the top pinching together seams where possible. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

You can also cut this recipe in half as it does make a lot.

Gluten Free Caribbean Rice with Chicken and Peas

I'm going Gluten Free! So, rest assured unless I've stated otherwise, all my recipes are GF. Leaving gluten behind has been a lot easier than I thought. GF eating is a Low Carb diet on steroids. It's actually fun learning a new way of eating. I've learned that some restaurants have a Gluten Free menu. It is tough eating out, though. I haven't quite mastered that. But, I think I've got the cooking down pat. I learned a lot of the "Zatarains" flavored rice is GF. I've been experimenting with different ones. Here's one we've tried a couple times now. Of course I put my own twist on it. It's GF and, most importantly, it's delicious! Enjoy

Gluten Free Caribbean Rice with Chicken and Peas

I box Zatarain's Caribbean
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cubed
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 1/2 cups water
2 tbs butter

Brown chicken cubes (medium high heat) in a saute pan with tight fitting lid. Use a little olive oil or spray oil if needed. Add rice mix to browned chicken; stir. Add water & butter. Bring to a boil. Add frozen peas. Cover. Lower heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Take off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve

BBQ Lemon Pepper Wings (aka "Lori's Wings")

If you've been to one of our BBQ's, you've most likely had "Lori's Wings". So simple. So delicious. So fun - the ultimate finger food. Slowly cook them on the BBQ on low heat (lid open - turning every 15 minutes or so) for approx 45 minutes.




LEMON PEPPER WINGS (aka "Lori's Wings")

Chicken Wings (organic are the best)
A good brand of Lemon Pepper seasoning

Wash and pat dry the Chicken Wings. Rub each wing with Lemon Pepper. Set aside and let sit for approx 15 minutes. Cook them up and enjoy. You can also cook these in the oven. Just bake in a preheated 425 degree (gas mark 7) oven till done (approx 35 minutes).

Outback Steakhouse: S. Florida Ave, Lakeland, FL

We're not very big on chain restaurants but thought we'd give the Outback a go. It's been ages since we were there. I must say we were pleasantly surprised. We arrived very early (5pm) because our 4 year old starts to melt down around 6pm and it's not a pretty site. We could not believe how busy it was for 5pm. Though it was " a hoppin and a boppin" we had no trouble getting a table. The children's menu has lots of good choices. The regular menu has a great layout, is easy to navigate and understand. Just the right amount of choices so you don't get overwhelmed or confused. I decided on the Filet Wedge Salad. It was "Beauty Mate"! I don't usually get too excited about chain food, but this is one of the best steaks I've ever had. The steak was seasoned perfectly and melted in my mouth. The salad itself was yummy. I have had better wedge salads but I would order this one again. Hubby enjoyed his lamb chops and little girl ate her grilled cheese sandwich and green beans with gusto. Our waitress was not the best but all-in-all we'll be returning to the Outback.

Turkey Burgers

My friend, Cathy (aka Bonnie Lass) sent me a Turkey Burger recipe quite a few years back. I liked the recipe the way it was but over the years I've changed it and tweaked it to make it my own. These burgers are tasty, juicy and healthy. Enjoy!

TURKEY BURGERS

1lb ground turkey
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 TBS dried, minced onions
1/4 TSP powdered onion
1/4 TSP garlic salt
1 TBS Dijon mustard
2 TBS cold water
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place ground turkey, bread crumbs, minced onion, powered onion, garlic salt, Dijon mustard and water in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Divide into 4 equal balls and mold into patties. Place parmesan cheese on a plate. Roll patties in the parmesan cheese. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Fry burgers approx 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Chili Con Corny

The secrets out ! Here's my Chili Con Corny Recipe. I learned to make Chili from my mom (aka Grandmama). She made Chili for her family and now I make it for mine. I've been tweaking moms recipe over the years and I made it my own. I've been making my version for years now. My family loves it. I've even been asked to bring my Chili to functions. Everyone seems to look forward to my Chili. No special secrets. Sometimes, just for fun, I'll add a diced potato or two. Most of the time I make very mild Chili and let spicy lovers add their own heat. Last night while we were sitting down to a bowl of my Chili Con Corny, our 4 year old asked me where Chili comes from. Hmmmm? Good question. I looked it up and this is what I found ... No one seems to know! So, I can truthfully tell her, I don't know. Or, maybe I'll just tell her from Mommy and Grandmama - *Wink, Wink* To serve, I crumble saltines in the bottom of a bowl, add a pat of butter, top with the chili and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Hubby likes to use crumbled tortilla chips on the bottom instead of saltines. Enjoy!

Chili Con Corny

1 lb lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken (I used ground turkey in this batch)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp Olive Oil
Adobo to taste (+/- 1 tsp)
1 packet Chili Seasoning (mild, medium or hot - I use low sodium)
1 - 15 oz can Light Red Kidney Beans; drained
1 - 15 oz can Dark Red Kidney Beans; drained
1 - 8 oz can Baked Beans (I used Bush's Original)
1 - 8 oz can Sweet Corn; drained
1 - 26 oz box Diced Tomatoes (I use Poma brand)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add in chopped onion and meat. Sprinkle with Adobo and cook till the meat is cooked through. Drain if need be. A little liquid is okay as it has lots of flavor. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn it off and leave it till you are ready to eat, then just reheat. The longer you leave it, the better it is. Serve topped with cheddar cheese.

Applebee's: So, Fl Ave in Lakeland, FL

We had a conference at school Tuesday night and didn't get out of there till late. So, we went out to dinner with a very tired little girl. We let her chose the restaurant. Applebee's was her second choice. Her first choice was "Bone Fish Grill" but we knew better than to take her to Bone Fish considering the state she was in. So, Applebee's it was. The place was not crowded so we got right in and seated. I had a club sandwich (pictured), daughter had Mac N Cheese (Kraft Mac N Cheese) with applesauce, hubby had Parmesan Steak w/shrimp. My sandwich was good but the bread was greasy. As you can see by the picture, it shows the sandwich comes on toast. No mention in the description of the sandwich does it say the bread is fried in grease. I would have sent it back but time was of the essence. We were pushing it with little one and we needed to eat and get home. Daughter ate her Mac N Cheese like it was going out of style. Hubby asked for his steak to be cooked medium, it was well done. The waitress confided in us they had a new chef who was training. We just asked her to let the new chef know the steak was well done and not medium. I'm not sure where the shrimp were on his steak. I could not see them from where I was sitting. The food and the wait staff ...all just okay. The price for this "okay" food was not okay. Really they should lower their prices to better represent the standards. I was shocked to see I was charged $2.95 for a glass of seltzer! At Applebee's? For a glass of fizzy water? And a dish of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese nearly $5.00! We came out of there thinking Applebee's is just one step up from fast food but three steps up in price. Not good.