Super Sloppy Joes.

For the next dinner exchange, I am making these classic sandwiches.  As the weather gets warmer and we all get busier, I was thinking of doing an meal that is easy and yet feels a little like take-out.  
I love to dress them up with caramelized onions, or some kind of artisan buns.  In the exchange, I will include sweet potato fries and some dessert squares, too.
My kids like the name, but will usually eat the bun and meat sauce separately.
Dahlia, 3, was upset that the filling kept falling out of her bun, but with a little reassurance and a stack of napkins, she got through it!



Serves 4-5 
1 1/4 lbs ground sirloin beef (or extra lean ground beef)
2 tbsps brown sugar

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste


6-8 crusty rolls, toasted
Garnish with lettuce, tomato, pickles, or cheese.


Cook up your meat in a skillet, breaking up clumps.
Add in sugar & seasoning.
When meat is browned, add in onions, red pepper, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
Cook for about 5 minutes longer, then add in the tomato sauce & paste.
If acidic tasting, add a whole carrot, and then remove after simmering.
Simmer for 15 minutes longer.


Scoop Sloppy Joe sauce onto crusty rolls, garnish, serve with potato salad, fries, sweet potato fries, or a great salad.

Recipe from Foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Rachel Ray

The kids keeping busy while mama cooks.  The was a boat made out of all the big purchases made at Costco!

Mexican Pulled Pork.

A great slow cooker recipe from WW!  Can be served on it's own or on a bun!  She included a delicious homemade Coleslaw to go with it.  Servings: 8 to 10

A great meal that can be adapted to whatever flavour you are craving.  Use whatever meat you have on hand to serve a few or a crowd.  Allow lots of time so the meat will fall apart!

Ingredients
1 pork shoulder butt roast (3-1/2 lb/1.75 kg) 
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper 
2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable oil 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
2 onions, chopped 
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or 1/2 tsp/2 mL hot pepper sauce)
2 tbsp (25 mL) chili powder 
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin 
1/3 cup (75 mL) tomato paste 
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh coriander
1 green onion, minced 

Preparation
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In large Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown pork all over. Transfer to slow cooker.
Reduce heat to medium; cook garlic, chopped onions, jalapeno pepper, chili powder and cumin, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, about 4 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste darkens slightly, about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, breaking up with spoon and stirring to scrape up brown bits.  Pour sauce into the slow cooker.

Turn on the slow cooker on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. With 2 forks, shred pork.
Meanwhile, skim fat from sauce. Bring sauce to boil; boil vigorously until spoon scraped across bottom of pan leaves gap that fills in slowly, about 20 minutes. Return pork to pan. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)  Heat through until bubbling.  Sprinkle with coriander and green onion.

Freezer directions: Slow cook until meat falls apart, cool and then freeze in an airtight container for up to a month.  Heat and serve from there!

Modified the recipes from this website:

http://www.cbc.ca/bestrecipes/2010/03/mexican-pulled-pork.html

Salmon Croquettes.

Patties ready for the freezer  so they keep their shape.
 I separated them into "meals" for the next day.

Years ago, at a restaurant in Vancouver called, "The Fish House" we had fantastic fish cakes that inspired this recipe.  There are  many variations on how to make the "best", but with a little experimentation you will find your own favourite.

Ingredients:

2 cans Salmon (213g), drained, flaked, skin removed.

2 eggs, mixed

3 green onions, chopped finely

4 sprigs parsley, leaves finely chopped

Salt & pepper,

Dash lemon juice

¾ row of saltine crackers, crushed finely (or1/2 cup matsoh meal, bread crumbs, or cooked potato, white or brown rice)

oil for frying or to crisp while baking

Extra crumbs to dredge the patties in.

Directions:

Serve with mayonnaise (flavoured with garlic, wasabi, curry paste, is good.)

Combine all the ingredients together to form thin patties, suit ot to your tastes, (to fit a bun or like nuggets, or as an appetizer with dipping sauce.:)

Dredge the patties in crumbs, or in flour to make a nice coating when cooked.

Cook in a frying pan with oil, until golden on each side.
or bake in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes, brush or spray them lightly with oil so they get crisp, turning once so evenly cooked.

Freezer: Freeze each patty on a baking tray in the freezer and then wrap with wax paper, foil, or saran and then put in a freezer bag.  May be cooked from frozen, although better to thaw before cooking with normal directions.

Variations

I like to give it a theme for seasonings;

Thai: coriander, finely chopped lemon grass, finely chopped red pepper and red curry paste.

Japanese: Chopped pickled ginger, breaded in panko bread crumbs, wasabi mayo for dipping.

Indian: chopped coriander, cumin, or curry, mango chutney.

Tex mex: red peppers, onions, tabasco, cumin, 

Gluten free: Make with rice or potato to make it gluten free!


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I am always shocked when cooking in bulk!

Recipe for a large batch (8 meals worth!) 5 large patties each.


14 cans (213 g each) + 3 cans 418g salmon (red is best)
about 2 dozen eggs (I lost count!)
5 rows of crushed saltine crackers (my research said this is the best!)
about 8 spoons of minced, chopped garlic (I used pre-prepared)
salt and pepper
3 bunches of green onions chopped finely
3/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely
about 2 cups panko bread crumbs to add some crunch on the outside of each patty.