Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Hamburger buns

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is not longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir the tomato sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture in the skillet. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Season the mixture with more salt and pepper, as desired. Spoon onto the buns and serve immediately.

Planning Ahead:

• Sloppy Joe mixture keeps in the freezer for up to three months. Freeze individual portions, then defrost as needed.

Courtesy of Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart

A Fall Favorite...

Fancy Mac!!

Pat and I love, love, love this recipe this time of the year. It is great comfort food... maybe only somewhat healthy but certainly hearty. Cheese. Mmmm....

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

· 1 (7 ounce) can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

· 1 tbsp. butter

· 2 cloves garlic

· ½ c. finely chopped green pepper

· ¼ c. finely chopped onion

· 1 (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes and chilies

· 4 c. cooked macaroni

· 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

· 1 c. low fat cottage cheese

· 1 c. milk

· ¼ c. parmesan cheese

· 1 egg, lightly beaten

· Bread crumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 1 tbsp. adobo sauce from can and remove 2 chilies; finely chop to measure 1 tbsp. Melt butter in a stock pot on medium-high heat. Add chopped chilies, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add reserved 1 tbsp. adobo sauce, pasta, and remaining ingredients—stir to combine. Spoon pasta into a prepared baking dish (2 quart) and top with bread crumbs (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce

I am starting to realize that most of the recipes that I post include black beans and come from the Cooking Light Magazine. Hmmm.... either way, here is another great one that we just tried last night. Pat, Dan, and I loved it.

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Serves: 6 (according to Cooking Light [i.e., normal] portion sizes.... 3-4 according to Pat portion sizes:)

2 dried ancho chilis, stemmed and seeded (I did not use these, I just used ancho chili powder)

2 c. water

2 tsp. olive oil

1 c. chopped yellow onion

5+ cloves garlic

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 c. vegetable broth

2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

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

2 c. shredded Mexican cheese

3 thinly sliced green onions, divided

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas

6 tbsp. sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree.

2. Combine chilies and 2 c. water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Drain chilies in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 c. cooking liquid. (I totally omitted this entire step and used extra veggie broth and ancho chili powder.... I could not find dried ancho chilies)

3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion; saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through cumin); cook 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour onion mixture into a blender; add chilies and reserved liquid (this is where I added the ancho chili powder... and I just dumped a bunch in and didn't measure it and about a cup of veggie broth). Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow the steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a towel over the opening in lid. Blend until smooth; stir in lime juice and red pepper.

5. Combine the beans, 1 c. cheese, and half the green onions in a bowl. Spread 1/2 c. sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 3 tbsp. bean mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Please, seam-side down, in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining green onions, serve with sour cream.