Homemade Sloppy Joes

I know it is so easy to make these from a can, but I promise these are worth the effort to make from scratch!  To boot, they are low calorie, low fat and high flavor!  Even my meat lover said these are better than what comes out of a can.

From Comfort Food Diet Cookbook:

Sloppy Joe's

1 lb Ground beef, lean
1 Onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 Clove of garlic, chopped
8 oz (1 cup) Tomato sauce (see my post about roasted tomato sauce for your freezer!)
1/2 C Ketchup
4 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t Molasses (corn syrup or pancake syrup works too)
1/2 t Ground mustard
1 t Prepared mustard
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 t Orange zest (or just the juice)
6 buns (sliders are a good for smaller hands!)


1. Put the ground beef, onion and garlic and saute on medium heat until beef is no longer pink.  Drain.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except the buns and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
3. Divide the mixture among the 6 buns and serve immediately.

Egg Salad with no Mayo!

I was given 2 dozen fresh eggs this week and immediately starting making dishes with eggs.  If you have never had a fresh egg, you need to find a farm (or a friend) that has them.  You will be amazed at the difference from those in your local grocery store.

I was making egg salad for lunch and realized I didn't have any mayo .  So, I came up with my own recipe with no mayo!  Another original recipe.

Egg Salad w/ No Mayo

1 T shallot, chopped
1 T pickles, chopped
1-2 T Creole mustard (grain mustard will work too)
Sprinkle Old Bay
2 Eggs, hard cooked to your liking (see note below)

1. Mix everything except the eggs in a small bowl.
2. Peel and slick open the eggs to remove the yolk and add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
3. Mash yolks into the other ingredients.
4. Chop egg whites and add to the bowl.
5. Mix gently.

Note about hard cooked eggs:  For the brightest, yellow yolk, put the eggs in water and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and let sit for 19 minutes.  Rinse immediately with ice cold water to stop the cooking process.

Enjoy!

Need some chillin'?

This is probably one of my favorite chili recipes and mostly because I prefer black beans over typical kidney beans.  This does make for a good make-ahead recipe, but I have never tried to freeze it.

From Colorado Classique

Kielbasa Black Bean Chili

2 T olive oil
1.5 lbs turkey or beef kielbasa cut 1/2 inch pieces
2 C onions chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
4 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 32oz box chicken broth
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (go for the good kind!)
3-4 T chili powder, depending on spice
2 T sugar
2.5 T red wine vinegar
3 bay leave
1.5 T dried oregano
2.5 t ground cumin
1.5 T salt or more for taste
sour cream or green onions for toppings

1. Heat oil and add kielbasa in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Saute for 12 minutes or until beginning to brown.
2. Remove meat, drain oil until all but 2 T remain.  Add onions, peppers and garlic.
3. Saute 10 minutes until very well cooked.
4. Add beans, broth, tomatoes (with juice) and all spices and vinegar.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.
6. Return the meat to the pot and simmer for 30 more minutes.

This makes 12 servings so I usually half it.  I have used leftover smoked pork butt instead of kielbasa and it gives it a great smokey flavor.

Enjoy!

Soup with little time

Who doesn't love soup?  This one is very quick, but I put an additional spin on it to make it more hearty.

From Foodnetwork.com Tyler Florence

Roasted Tomato Soup
2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional

1. Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

2. Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot.  Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.
My version: add tiny potatoes when roasting the tomatoes.  They give the soup a more fulfilling feeling.  Also, add any kind of pre-cooked meat to the pot for the last 10 minutes.  Those pre-cooked sausage flavors work well.

Take the time to put this in your slow cooker

I promise.  Mix this together and leave it for 8 hours on low in a slow cooker.  I never knew chicken could be this good (and good for you!).

3ingredient-slow-cooker-recipes:

Chicken Tacos

4 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless, thawed
1 jar salsa
1 package taco seasoning

Mix all together and put it in a slow cooker.  Cook low and slow for 8 hours.  When the 8 hours is up, gently mix and the chicken will fall apart into pulled chicken.

You can serve up the tacos or save some in your freezer for instant week night enchiladas!

Something to keep you warm!

Brrrr!  I saved this recipe for when it got really cold.  Though, I must admit, I changed it up quite a bit.  I will try the original version at sometime, but tomato based sauces are not good for us right now.

From Bellofthekitchen.com (great source from recipes!)

Cheese Crockpot Tortellini

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage crumbled
24 oz marinara sauce
4 oz sliced mushrooms
14.5 oz Italian style diced tomatoes, not drained
9 oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1. Crumble ground beef and sausage into a large skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until browned.  Drain.
2. Combine the ground meats, marinara sauce, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Stir in the tortellini and sprinkle with both cheeses over the top.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes on LOW or until the tortellini is tender.

My changes and quick week night version:

I did just ground beef (no sausage), used Alfredo instead of marinara, omitted the mushrooms, added 1 T tomato paste, chicken stock (use enough to keep the recipe consistent) and used fresh spaghetti instead of tortellini.

1. Follow step 1 above.
2. Add all the tomato products (adding the tomato paste last), Alfredo sauce and chicken stock.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add enough of cheese to make it cheesy!
3. Cook spaghetti until just done and then add it to the pot of sauce and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

This is even better as left overs!!!  Enjoy.

Easiest Recipe Ever!

I have made this twice and it turns out awesome each time.  The only problem, it takes 8-10 hours to make.  If you have a day at home, go ahead and put this on.  Your mouth will be watering after 4 hours.

Crock Pot Pork and Cabbage (original recipe)

1 head cabbage, chopped
pork tenderloin (probably could do 2 at the same time if needed)
sea salt or kosher salt
chicken stock

1. Put the cabbage at the bottom of a crock pot.
2. Place pork on top.
3. Sprinkle salt all over liberally.
4. Add enough chicken stock to coat the bottom of the pan.
5. Put it on low for 8-10 hours.
6. Check at 6 hours and the pork should fall apart.  If not, add more chicken stock and continue to cook.

It's ok if the cabbage looks burnt or stuck to the sides of the pan.  It will all come together in the end. Yum-O!