Showing posts with label homemade fries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homemade fries. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Gourmet Sloppy Joes - No Can Included!

Growing up my mom wasn't much of a cook. Her version of chicken soup came from a can. Meatloaf at our house included half of a bottle of ketchup. Hamburgers were considered gourmet if we used onion buns. Needless to say, Sloppy Joe's in my childhood were a weekly staple made from a can of Manwhich and hamburger buns. When I came across Johnnie's recipe of homemade sloppy joes, I was skeptical. It seemed easy and flavorful and simple. Of course I changed alot of the recipe to adapt to my kitchen, but it was still delicious!



The original recipe:
3 lbs ground beef or ground turkey 
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown suger
3 tbsp yellow mustard (I used Dijon)
3 tbsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used canned fire-roasted red peppers)
2 teaspoons chili powder (I used the full amount)

Instructions: Combine beef, onion and garlic in large pan and cook until meat browned and onion tender. In crockpot, combine remaining ingredients, stir together, add browned meat/onion/garlic to crockpot, stir until mixed. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve atop toasted hamburger buns. 

I was short on time. After combining the ingredients, I simmered over low heat for 1.5 hours. It gave the flavor time to develop and meld through the dish.
**I cut the recipe by 3 and was still able to get 6 full size Joe's with leftovers** 

My observations: This dish gave a sweet and smokey flavor to the sandwich. Toasting the bun allowed the meat mixture to set atop the bun without becoming mushy (a common problem I remember from childhood). Also, toasting the bun gave a crunch to the otherwise soft texture of the dish. To complete this meal, I served with my homemade fries and it matched the tone  perfectly. Sloppy Joe's are once again allowed in my house!


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Thursday, December 2, 2010

New Followers! Homemade Baked Fries Recipe

Thanks my new lovely followers. I will soon be stalking frequently visiting your blogs :) Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads this thing, but then I get a bunch of comments and I remember this blog is all about me having a place to vent, write, reach out and share. I will be visiting your blogs shortly and I can't wait!

My crush:
I am thankful to have my man in my life. I have no idea what I'd do without him. He makes  me smile when I'm pissed beyond words. Laugh at the most inappropriate times. He supports me, even when I wake him up at 2am to tell him my ideas. It isn't perfect at our house 24/7. We were doing laundry at 10pm last night and I started an impromptu sock fight. Guess who had to pick up those socks? Either that or have none because the dogs eat them. He's my best friend and I love him so much :) 

So I'm sharing one of his favorite recipe that I make whenever we eat hamburgers, patty melts, sandwiches, fries, chicken, salad, he eats it with anything. When I make these babies, Christmas any day of the year ;)

Homemade Baked Fries
2 lg. baking potatoes
EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
Seasoned Salt
Garlic Powder
Steak Seasoning

Cut potatoes with skins on, in thin "fry-like" shapes. Try to cut them in similar size so they bake evenly and at the speed. Place on greased baking sheet.
Lightly coat fries with EVOO so seasoning has something to stick to. Generously sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Stir fries to coat.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for additional 10-15 minutes depending on desired crispiness. 

They taste awesome and with a little dab of ketchup, heaven :) They have to be somewhat healthy right? I mean, they're homemade! :)