Bombay Sloppy Joes

Move over Manwich, this Indian-inspired sloppy joe has got you beat by a long run!

I’ve been trying to cook more ethnic-inspired meals and experiment with various spices to mix things up at our house. I’ve fallen in love with Indian cooking and recipes, thanks to Aarti Seqeuira of Aarti Party on Food Network. Just like the Kheema (Ground Meat with Peas) I made recently, Chris and I adored last night’s meal of “Bombay Sloppy Joes” from her show as well.

As usual, I switched up a few things but the bulk of the recipe stayed the same – I decreased the amount of oil used and use refined coconut oil (love this stuff), increased the amount of a few spices, added zucchini for more green, omitted the raisins, increased the onion, subbed jalapeno for the serrano and simplified a few steps for a quicker meal. I didn’t have raisins on hand but next time would like to try adding dried currents or cherries to the meat mixture and eliminating or decreasing the added honey. The pistachios in the this recipe are a must, they add great texture to the meat mixture…if you don’t have pistachios, almonds or walnuts would make a good replacement. I used my food processor to quickly chop the onion, bell pepper and zucchini which helped cut down on the prep time.

Just as the name promised, this meal is sloppy but SO delicious and packed with layers of complex flavors. The sauce has a lovely taste of ginger and garam masala so when married with the cumin, vegetables and meat in the skillet – this dish is a total keeper, no question about that!

The photo is of Chris’ sloppy joe on a whole grain bun (not gluten free). I was out : ( BUT I served my sloppy joe mixture over cooked quinoa and it was incredibly scrumptious! You could also serve over your favorite grain such as cooked millet, brown rice or even pasta. The leftovers don’t disappoint one bit as the flavors meld together overnight. My tummy was happy at lunch the following day

Bombay Sloppy Joes (adapted from Aarti Party’s recipe)

Ingredients

Sauce

1 Tbsp refined coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp minced ginger (I use the latter)
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the meat) – or use a serrano
1 1/2 tsp garam masala (Indian spice mixture)
3/4 tsp paprika
1 15oz can of no salt added tomato sauce
1 cup of water

Meat

1 – 2 Tbsp refined coconut oil (or other neutral oil such as vegetable oil)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely diced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced
1 zucchini, finely diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (the other half saved from sauce, could use serrano but will be spicy)
1 lb ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken etc – I used turkey)
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp honey (or agave or molasses or other sweetener) to taste depending on sweetness desired

For serving
1/4 roasted/toasted pistachios, very roughly chopped (don’t leave this out, it’s delicious and adds texture!) – could sub chopped almonds or walnuts
Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (still good without it if you aren’t a cilantro fan)
4 to 6 gluten free hamburger buns

Directions

1. Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile for the meat, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the zucchini and jalapeno pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the ground meat, breaking up the big lumps. Cook through, about 5 minutes.
3. By this time, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the meat mixture. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5- 10 minutes.
4. Add the honey and stir through and taste for seasoning. For serving, toast the buns, fill with meat mixture then garnish with chopped pistachios and fresh cilantro (or you could stir both in the meat mixture prior to filling bun).Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!

*Recipe Variations: If you want a bit more sweetness, add 1/4 cup raisins or dried currants, cherries or cranberries to the meat mixture for a slight variation. You can also use yellow squash in place of zucchini or leave this out completely – I like the bulk up the veggies!

Lazy Unstuffed Cabbage Skillet

I bought a head of cabbage the other day with full intention of making ground meat and rice stuffed cabbage rolls. You know, the ones that are delicately prepared and baked in a tomato sauce and a little time-consuming. A couple days passed and I was running short on time last night and didn’t want to mess with the whole rolling, baking, boiling etc process. I didn’t want to have to freeze the meat to make the recipe at a later date so I came up with plan B – do I get bonus points for being flexible and thinking on my feet?!?

Instead, I made a “lazy girl” version that came out so delicious PLUS it was easy, fast (about 30 minutes total, 20 minutes for simmering) and is versatile. Ground beef was on sale so that’s what I bought but any ground meat would work in this dish. I made this last night and loved it BUT I must say the leftovers for lunch were even better after the flavors had a chance to develop! I haven’t tried this in the crockpot but I am sure it would be a yummy slow-cooker meal too.

Most cabbage roll recipes incorporate rice into the recipe/roll; I could have easily thrown my already cooked rice it in the skillet and had a one-dish meal (feel free to do so), but I am one of the weird unique ones that usually prefers their rice/starch/grain on the side with my meal inside of IN my meal…with the exception of fried rice since that’s the main ingredient. Does anyone else share in this quirk?

One day I should share a list of my funny food habits…would any of you like to know how quirky I really am?

Lazy Unstuffed Cabbage Skillet

Ingredients

3/4 lb ground meat (I used lean beef but chicken, turkey, bison, pork all work)*
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
1/2 tsp brown or black mustard seeds (if you don’t have, it’s ok to eliminate)
6-7 cups shredded green cabbage (I used one small head of cabbage; could also buy pre-shredded for quick prep)
1 (14 oz) can no-salt added diced tomatoes, undrained (could sub petite diced or crushed tomatoes)
1 (14 oz) can no-salt added tomato sauce
1 tsp coconut/palm sugar (or any sweetener – honey, agave, sugar etc)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice or vinegar, brightens up the flavors)
salt and pepper to taste

Cooked grains for serving, or stir into skillet if preferred (I served with leftover rice, but quinoa, millet etc would all work)

Directions

1. In a large skillet or wok, cook ground meat and onions over medium-high heat until browned (about 6 minutes). Add garlic, italian seasoning, red pepper and mustard seeds and cook for another minute or two.
2. Stir in shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and palm sugar and cook for a couples minutes on medium-high, then cover, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 20 minutes or until cabbage is cooked through and tender.
3. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve over cooked rice/quinoa/millet etc and enjoy!

Serves 4-6

*If using a lower fat meat, consider browning the meat in a tablespoon of oil or butter with the onions.

Kheema: Indian Ground Beef with Peas

For a long time, I was afraid of Indian food. I’m not sure why I was intimidated by a particular cuisine, except that maybe I wasn’t exposed to it growing up in Texas. Don’t get me wrong, we did eat ethnic food but Indian wasn’t one on the radar.

When sweet and bubbly Aarti Sequeira of Aarti’s Party won “The Next Food Network Star” last year, I couldn’t wait for her show and to try some of her recipes. She makes Indian food accessible and makes me want to try most of what she cooks!

I knew this recipe was a homerun when Chris told me about six times that “dinner was SO good” and “Oh, we can have this for leftovers!”. He is typically not a fan of ethnic meals (except for Mexican) OR leftovers but this one he was quite ethused about, which of course made me extremely excited and put a huge grin on my face.

If you haven’t cooked Indian food before, give this one a go as a introductory meal. It’s easy and relatively quick, about 20 minutes or so to cook once you’ve chopped the onion and minced the garlic and ginger. The only two spices you may not have on hand are the ground coriander and the garam masala (a mix of ground warm, toasted spices) but if you have a bulk store like Whole Foods, Sprouts or Sunflower Market that sells spices in bulk, this is a great way to test out the waters with new flavors.

I changed a few of the ingredients, increased the peas and omitted the water that Aarti called for but it’s a slight adaptation of her original. This meal was one of her favorites as a child, so if you cut down or eliminated the cayenne, maybe a younger crowd would enjoy this too?

The tradition way of eating Kheema is to bite off a piece of Indian chapatis or pita bread and pick up bits of the beef mixture at a time. I chose to serve this over leftover rice but cooked quinoa would be delicious or even in a lettuce wrap for a low-carb meal.

Kheema: Indian Ground Beef with Peas (adapted from Aarti Party)

2 Tbsp refined (flavorless) coconut oil (canola oil, ghee, butter or other neutral is fine)
1 medium onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch thumb) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne, optional (it sounds like a lot but provides a gentle heat)
1 lb ground beef (I used ground elk that was on sale but any ground meat would work here)*
1 can of no salt added diced tomatoes (or could use 2 medium tomatoes chopped + 1/3 cup water)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (do not omit!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few extra leaves for garnish (parsley could be subbed)

Choice of cooked rice, quinoa, gluten free tortillas or pitas, warmed or lettuce wrap leaves for serving

Directions

1. In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another minute. Stir in the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin and cayenne, if using and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the ground meat, breaking up lumps with a spoon, and saute until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes with juice from can and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer, partially covered, about 5 minutes.
3. Add peas and cook another 5 minutes, partially covered.
4. Stir in the vinegar and chopped cilantro. Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper if needed. Garnish with torn cilantro leaves and serve with cooked warm rice, quinoa, gluten free tortillas, bread or pitas or fresh lettuce leaves for a Indian-style lettuce wrap. Enjoy!

*Recipes Notes: I stretched the amount of leftovers I had with 2 cups of cooked garbanzos beans. I assume you could make this a vegetarian dish by subbing the 2 cups of cooked chickpeas for the meat and adding with tomatoes.

Beef and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

Stir-fry meals are a great go-to meal if you are looking for something easy and healthy to pull together. There are so many variations of stir-fry and they do not have to include rice as the starch. Although we eat our fair share of rice (at least 2-3 times per week), change and variety are always welcome to spice things up a bit! It’s easy for Chris and I to go through time periods eating similar meals each week but starting this blog has really encouraged me to try new recipes that have been on my “must-make” list for a while.

This beef and sweet potato stir-fry is a recipe from one of Clean Eating’s 2009 summer issues — took me long enough to get around to this one!!! I didn’t have certain ingredients on hand such as apple butter and sesame oil but I loved the way this turned out! I cut the recipe in half, increased the amount of green beans, some of seasoning and potato and added some spinach to increase the veggies.

I loved the unique combination of the fresh ginger and garlic with the applesauce and sweet spices, you may not think this would work with beef and potato but it was SO good! The bright colors from the potato and the green veggies were beautiful on the plate, I bet this would be delicious with the sub or addition of baby bok choy or red/yellow bell pepper…but there I go again piling on the vegetables. This is meal that is packed with vitamins, minerals and iron and utilizes fresh ingredients, my favorite! A definite winner in my book

Beef and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry  (adapted from Clean Eating)

Ingredients

1/2 lb lean beef for stir-fry, sliced 1/8 inch thick & 1 inch strips (recipe called for eye round steak but I used lean sirloin steak)
1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
pinch of ground cinnamon
dash of ground cloves
1 Tbsp low sodium gluten free soy sauce (or Braggs)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use less if you don’t like spicy)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 to 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (or a rounded 1/2 tsp ground ginger could be subbed)
1 large sweet potato, diced into 1 inch chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup green beans
1 tsp coconut oil, olive oil or butter
3/4 to 1 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
Handful of baby spinach (about a cup)

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add beef, applesauce, cinnamon, cloves, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger. Toss to combine and set aside to marinate.
2. In a medium pot, add sweet potato chunks with 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cook for 5-7 minutes until soft but still firm. Remove sweet potato with strainer or slotted spoon; do not drain water.
3. Return water to a boil. Add green beans and boil for 4 minutes, until soft but still firm. Drain and set aside with cooked potato.
4. In a large wok or skillet, add coconut/olive oil or butter over high heat. Once hot, add beef mixture and onion, tossing quickly until done, about 3 minutes. Then toss in spinach, sweet potatoes and beans. Cook for 1- 2 more minutes and serve!