Open-Faced Crab Salad Sandwiches

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 8-ounce package imitation crabmeat, chopped

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 loaf (8 ounces) unsliced French bread, halved lengthwise

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stir in the crab, cheese, red pepper, onions and celery. Spoon over bread halves. Place on a baking sheet; broil 5 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned watching closely for desired doneness. If using the entire loaf of bread slice into 3-inch pieces.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Spirit of Peace, adapted from Light and Tasty Apr./May 2005

Lunch-Crab Salad et. al.

crab salad on 2 crustless white bread

kale chips blended with the remaining M80 butter (M80 is a local restaurant)

licked my left finger

a small glass of cranberry pomegranate juice. 

Put sandwich on med plate on breakfast's placemat along with cpj. Enjoyed lunch.

-Cathy

This lunch can be served to a medium group depending on how much crab salad and bread you have available.

Red Tomato Rice and Black Beans

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ medium onion, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup of long-grain white rice, like basmati

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water, approximately

1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed.

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

Some diced ham (optional)

¼ of a bunch of cilantro, chopped 

Open the can of stewed tomatoes and chop the tomatoes with a pair of scissors. Drain the tomato liquid from the tomatoes into a quart measuring cup and add enough stock or water to make 1 and 3/4 cups of liquid.

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add the onion and bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the stock and tomato liquid in the microwave for 3 minutes.

To the onions, add garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and stir until garlic is fragrant. Add rice and stir well to coat the rice with the oil. Add the heated stock, and bring to a boil, reduce heat to warm, cover with a lid, and heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, check to see if the rice needs a little more liquid, add 2 tablespoons at a time until the desired doneness. Remove from heat and let steam for 5 minutes more.

While the rice is cooking in a separate medium saucepan, heat over low, the stewed tomatoes, black beans, and ham, if using. Remove the lid from the rice and fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the tomato paste and sugar. Next, stir the bean mixture and the cilantro into the rice. Serve as a side, into individual bowls as a main dish, or into tortillas for burritos. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, inspired by a dish my Costa Rican roommate made while in grad school.

After a little research on the internet, the Costa Rican version is called Gallo Pinto. I tried it and the flavors here are similar.

Liquid Smoked Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

2 large portabella mushrooms, chopped

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid hickory or mesquite flavored smoke

gorgonzola cheese or other blue cheese, crumbled

Add oil to a nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and red pepper, and cook until the onions are transparent. Add the mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms begin to shrink in size and sweat. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir until the mushrooms absorb the liquid, then add the hickory smoke and stir until the liquid is absorbed.

There are a number of ways to serve this. Either open-faced on a slice of focaccia bread, or inside a hamburger bun or as a bowl on top of some cooked grits. How ever you decide to serve it, top it with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and enjoy. Makes two to three servings.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community