Sloppy Joes

I still have traumatic flashbacks about these horrifically awful sloppy joes that a babysitter of mine used to make for me when I was in elementary school. She served them to us all the time with canned mandarin oranges. They basically consisted of ground beef, lots of ketchup and soggy buns.  Or there was that one time that my grandma put raw beef onto hamburger buns, squirted them with ketchup, broiled them in the oven and then called them sloppy joes. They were really just bloody, ketchup covered, piles of goo. Sounds good right? Gag. Cringe. Puke. She doesn't have the internet so I can call her out like that. . .sorry Gram.

Needless to say sloppy joes needed to be redeemed for me in a major way. I found this recipe in my "Skillet Suppers" magazine put out by Cook's Illustrated. After I got past the initial feelings of dread and horror that I usually associate with this meal I decided to give them a try. They were so good and so easy that I now feed them to my family on a regular basis. I hope that they have more positive memories about sloppy joes than I do. :)

You can modify this recipe however you like. If you want a lower fat version then you can substitute ground turkey for beef. If you like things spicy (Sloppy Joses) then increase the chili powder to 1 T, add 2 T of ground cumin and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper with the spices and 1 chipotle chile, seeded and minced and a can of black beans after you cook the meat. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1/2 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 lb 85 percent lean ground beef (I use grass-fed)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp brown sugar

1 cup tomato puree (I use Bionaturae Organic Strained Tomatoes)

1/2 cup ketchup (I use Organic Ketchup from Trader Joes)

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

hamburger buns

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt and stir until coated with oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes. Add pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, and hot sauce. Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon onto hamburger buns. Serve with sweet potato fries or chips.

Sausage, Red Potato and Kale Soup

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe and it is similar to the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden. Her directions left a few details out so I just wrote it down the way I made it.  It is very filling and perfect for cold weather. If you are afraid of kale then this is a great way to try it. :) Make sure you invite the neighbors over because it makes a huge batch. I'm not sure if it would freeze well because of the kale and it is a cream base but you could give it a shot. It made 12-15 servings.

Sausage, Red Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches kale, rinsed, tough stalks removed and torn into bite sized pieces
• 10-12 small-medium sized, whole red potatoes, sliced thin
• 1 whole large onion, finely chopped
• 1-½ pound Italian Sausage
• ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes (more to taste)
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 cups half-and-half
• Splash of heavy cream
• Fresh or dried oregano to taste
• Black Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions:

Prepare the kale and set it aside.

In a medium pot boil sliced potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage. Add onions and cook until soft. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve with crusty bread.

Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower

My kids (and husband) love mac n' cheese so I thought this was a fun and healthy twist to an old favorite. The little bits of cauliflower add fiber and vitamin C. This recipe makes a massive amount, so be warned. This is another great vegetarian meal if you are cooking on a budget.

Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower

Ingredients:

12 ounces of multigrain elbow macaroni

1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped into small pieces

4 slices of multigrain bread, torn (I used Trader Joe's Sprouted Multigrain Bread)

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

3 T olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded or grated extra-sharp cheddar

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 T dijon mustard ( I like Grey Poupon)

Butter for greasing the baking dish

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Cook the pasta in a large pot (you will use the pot again later) according to the package directions, adding the chopped cauliflower during the last 3 minutes or cooking time; drain.

While the pasta is cooking pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 T of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Pulse to combine and then set aside.

Return the pot that you cooked the pasta in to medium heat and add the remaining 1 T of olive oil. Add the onion, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook until the onion is soft, 5-7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk and mustard. 

Transfer to a shallow 3-quart, greased baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture, and bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

Serve with greens or green beans. :)

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

I got this recipe from my friend Amanda a long time ago and since we end up cooking it almost every other week I thought I'd share. I try to cook vegetarian meals once or twice a week to save money and this one keeps popping up on our menu board. I cook both the sweet potatoes and the black beans ahead of time in the crock pot so the burritos are very easy to assemble. Here's what I do- one day I'll chop, cook (in the crock pot w/a little bit of water) and freeze the sweet potato.  Then that same night I soak the black beans in water over night, drain that water, rinse and fill with fresh water and then cook in the crock pot all day the following day. Then you just have to saute the onion in the olive oil and add the sweet potato, beans and spices.  You can also just use canned black beans. I just prefer the taste of fresh cooked beans. This makes 10 burritos which is way too many for our family to consume in one sitting so I bake half of them and then freeze the other half to bake on a different night. You can also freeze them individually for easy lunches. 

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

Ingredients:
3 cups sweet potatoes, diced
1 onion diced or chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups cooked black beans
2 tsp ground cumin
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 T brown sugar or sucanat (or 3 T if you like it sweet like my hubs & kids)
10 tortillas (I use whole wheat or ezekiel sprouted wheat)
12 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream & salsa

Directions:
Sauté sweet potatoes until tender (Or cook in a little water in the crock pot ahead of time).  Add black beans, onion, cumin, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar/sucanat; cook until heated through.  

Divide bean mixture among tortillas, give a healthy sprinkling of shredded cheddar and roll up.   I usually secure each burrito with a tooth pick so they stay rolled up. Place in a 9x13 pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Remove foil and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or avocado.  Garnish with cilantro. Also great with mexican rice and corn on the cob!

Chili Pie

This is a great use for leftover chili and you can modify if however you like to meet your tastes. It takes literally 5 minutes to pull together and about a half an hour to cook. Good meal for a busy week night. I just sort of made it up as I went so you may have to adjust a few things. :)

Chili Pie

Ingredients:
4 cups left-over chili
1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
6-8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
1 egg
3/4 cup whole milk
1 box of Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix or 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
Butter

Directions:
Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a large corning ware dish with butter. Stir together the chili and corn. Spread mixture in the bottom of the greased dish and sprinkle with the cheese. In a separate dish stir together egg, milk and cornbread mix. Pour over top of the cheese and chili. Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.  Scoop into bowls and serve with sour cream.

Swedish Meatballs

Have you ever made Swedish meatballs? If not, you should. They are probably one of the best foods EVER. They are a bit time consuming but they'll last you a few meals and you could even make a double batch because they freeze and reheat really well. It takes me about 2 hours start to finish so allow yourself some time for this one. Now you are saying "Two hours!? No way. Who has that time?" but I promise, IT IS WORTH IT. I made these on Christmas Eve and just did bits and pieces at a time throughout the morning.  This will be your family's new favorite meal. :) 

This is where the original recipe is from: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/swedish_meatballs/

Swedish Meatballs 

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:

·       1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, grated (through a cheese grater) or finely chopped

·       2 Tbsp butter

·       2/3 cup whole milk

·       4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, cut into pieces (My dad uses crushed swedish hardtack which is also really good. I use sprouted wheat bread)

·       2 eggs

·       1 pound ground pork

·       1 1/2 pounds ground beef

·       2 teaspoons sea salt

·       1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·       1 teaspoon ground cardamom

·       2 teaspoons black pepper

Sauce:

·       6 Tbsp butter

·       1/3 cup flour

·       1 quart beef stock

·       Lingonberry jelly

Directions:

1 Sauté the onion in the 2 Tbsp of butter over medium-high heat until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2 In a medium bowl, mix the bread pieces with the milk. Set aside until the bread soaks up all the milk. When it does, pulverize the bread in a food processor and pour it into a large bowl.

3 Add the cooled onions to the bowl of milk and bread. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients—eggs, ground pork, ground beef, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper. Using your hands, mix well for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are well combined.

4 Use a tablespoon to measure out the meat for the meatballs. As you form the meatballs, set each one aside on a sheet pan or plate. You should get 40 to 50 meatballs.

5 Heat 6 tablespoons of butter for the sauce in the same sauté pan you previously cooked the onion in over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the meatballs. You will probably be able to fit 12-15 meatballs at a time. Do not crowd the pan. Work in batches, using tongs, browning them slowly on all sides. Be gentle when you turn them so they don't break apart. Do not cook the meatballs all the way through, only brown them at this stage. It takes about 10 minutes per batch. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, setting them aside so you can make the sauce with the remaining pan butter.

6 Start the sauce slowly whisk the flour into the pan butter. Stirring often, let the flour cook until it is the color of coffee-with-cream; this is a classic roux.

7 As the roux is cooking, heat the beef stock in another pot until it simmers. When the roux has cooked until the color of coffee-with-cream, slowly add the hot beef stock a little at a time. Everything will sputter at first, and the sauce will seize up and solidify. Keep stirring and adding stock slowly, and it will loosen up and become silky.

8 Add the meatballs to the sauce (again in batches) and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and store in a serving bowl until all of the meatballs are finished cooking.

9 When finished, move the meatballs to a serving dish and pour the sauce over top.  Serve the lingonberry jelly on the side.