Sloppy Joe's Done Green

Ingredients

·     1 lb ground beef 

·     1 tbsp avocado oil, coconut oil, butter or olive oil

·     1 small onion chopped finely

·     2 cloves garlic minced 

·     1 pepper chopped finely

·     1 tbsp tomato paste

·     ½ cup ketchup (please read the ingredients of your ketchup, they are not all created equal)

·     ½ cup water

·     1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup

·     1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

·     ½ tsp salt 

·     ½ tsp pepper

·     ½ tsp garlic power

·     ½ onion powder

·     ½ tbsp chilli powder (optional)

Your choice of greens or bun. See below for modifications. My favourite greens for this is straight up arugula. The spicier the better but spinach, kale or a blend is tasty too.

 Instructions

1.   Using a medium saucepan cook ground beef evenly until no longer pink. 

2.  Transfer meat to colander to drain.

3.  Using the same pot, heat oil. 

4.  Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft

5.  Add peppers and any other vegetable mixture and sauté for 5 minutes

6.  Add meat back into the pot 

7.  Add tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and chilli powder. 

8.  Stir and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

9.  Serve on a bed of greens (or buns- see below)

Modifications

·     What more vegetable hidden in this dish? - Grate, food process or blend (Vitamix works well to chop veggies) zucchini, cooked squash or carrots and add them to the pan when sautéing onions and garlic. If you’re not worried about hiding the vegetables from your children or significant other, then you can chop any vegetable finely and add it to the sautéing mixture. Squash would have to be pre-cooked as well as possibly carrots depending on your crunch preferences.  

·     Sloppy Joe’s can be served over a bun. We find that it is the most delicious when the bun topped with garlic butter then lightly toasted. You can then add cheese and melt it under low broil then top the bun with sloppy joes’ mixture for an open-faced sandwich idea. 

·     If you want a vegetarian version substitute ground beef for lentils, crumbled tofu or quinoa. Ensure to rinse any canned legumes well before cooking to reduce sodium content. Always rinse quinoa well before cooking to reduce bitterness. If using a plant based protein, sauté vegetable first then add plant protein, and spices sauté briefly then add liquids.