Sloppy Joes

These are a far cry from the stuff in a can.  I use ground turkey breast, so they're low in fat, and with all the veggies in the sauce, they're a perfect one-dish meal.   I make them a little on the sweet side to appeal to the kids - you can cut back to 1-2 T on the sugar if you'd like, and substitute cayenne pepper for the paprika to make them spicy.

I like to use potato rolls.  They're nice and soft and I pull out the inside to make a pocket for the meat - fewer carbs and less mess!  Sometimes I get the smaller dinner rolls instead for the kids.  Two regular sandwiches is too much, but two dinner roll size are perfect.

 

Sloppy Joes

• 1 T oil


• 1 medium bell pepper, diced


• 1/2 medium onion, diced


• 1 1/4 lb ground turkey breast


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 medium tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes)


• 1 T Worchestershire


• 1 T red wine vinegar


• 3 T brown sugar


• pinch ground cloves


• pinch ground allspice


• 1/2 tsp thyme


• 1/2 tsp paprika


• salt and pepper


• 1 c ketchup


• hamburger buns

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the peppers and onions and saute 3-4 minutes until beginning to soften.  Add the turkey and break up with a spoon.  Saute until turkey is fully cooked.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes (with juice), Worchestershire, vinegar, sugar, and spices.  Stir 1-2 minutes until combined.  Add ketchup, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes. If the sloppy joes look too dry, add a little water or chicken stock.  Adjust salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

Lunch Box

More Not-Deli-Meat Lunch Box Ideas:

Pasta salad - I always make extra when we have pasta for dinner, and toss it with some broccoli, shredded carrots, chicken, cheese - whatever's in the fridge the kids will eat!

Cheese and crackers - my favorite are Triscuit w/ a Hint of Salt - only 3 ingredients, none of which you need to sound out!

Yogurt - my kids think this yogurt is a big treat, and I intend to keep it that way.

Chicken Salad - use half tomato chutney or cranberry sauce, half mayo for a lot of flavor and not a lot of fat.

Leftover Ham & Cheese Biscuits

I'd love to hear your favorite lunches for kids - post in the comments!

Italian Stir Fry

I've decided to start eating more seafood, so I stuck the handy Seafood Watch Pocket Guide in my coupon holder so I could choose environmentally friendly seafood.  Turns out its hard to find affordable, environmentally friendly seafood.  I don't know if they're Italian, but bay scallops were on sale last week, and they're on the "best" list, so they made it into the recipe.

This is a 100% original recipe.  I'm sure there are others like it out there - I just haven't seen them.  It was a big hit with the kids.  Bella and Shawn even liked the scallops!   It made just enough for one adult and three kids, but could easily be doubled.

You could substitute shrimp or chicken, and just about any vegetable - just make sure to add veggies that cook longest first.  

Italian Stir Fry

• 2 c green beans, trimmed and cut in half


• 1 c quartered mushrooms


• 9 oz pasta - I used Buitoni whole wheat linguine (I had a coupon)


• 8 oz frozen bay scallops


• 1 tsp dried thyme


• 1 c chicken stock - I buy organic Better Than Bouillion chicken base.  Its a lot more affordable than chicken broth in a carton, and I'm just not into making my own chicken stock.


• 2 T sundried tomato paste - look for it in a tube in the aisle with pasta and sauce.


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp pepper


• 2 T heavy cream


• 1/4 c fresh basil

If using dried pasta, start a pot of water, and cook according to package.

Meanwhile, in a wok or large saute pan, heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the green beans, and cook, stirring frequently, until beans have brown spots.  Add about 2 T chicken stock, cover, and cook 1 minute.  Remove cover and cook until stock has evaporated.  Add a little more oil, then mushrooms, and saute until they release their liquid and brown. 

If using fresh pasta, start a pot of water and cook according to package.

Rinse scallops under running water, then pat dry.  Add scallops and thyme to pan, and stir just until scallops are opaque and any liquid has evaporated.  The scallops will continue cooking in the sauce, so don't worry about cooking them all the way through.

Add the remaining chicken stock, salt, pepper, and sundried tomato paste.  Heat to boiling, and cook 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.  Turn off heat.  Chop basil.  Don't do it ahead of time or it will turn black.  Add basil and cream and stir to blend.  Toss with pasta. 

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano - from the deli, not the green can!  Romano is less expensive than Parmesan, and very similar.