FAST FOOD FRIDAY

MORNING EVERYONE

Well it sure rained up here last night but I can see the clouds moving fast and there is blue sky under there so hopefully we will see some sun today...Grumpy is going to pick up some mussels on the way home tonight . Our friends Terry and Norm always cook us mussels for an appetizer whenever we go down to the lake for a visit.. There is a Fish store near Bellingham called Taylor Beach where they get them nice and fresh... Soooo Good... I am going to cook fish and chips for dinner so it will be a seafood night...YUM YUM YUM..

I remember as a kid having Sloppy Joes on the weekends... so easy to make and taste so good.

SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup minced carrots (can sub with chopped bell pepper)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce (or 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, puréed)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 turns of freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns

Method
1 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. (If you are using bell pepper instead of carrots, add those at the same time as the onions.) Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medium sized bowl, set aside.

2 Using the same pan (or you can cook the meat at the same time as the vegetables in a separate pan to save time), generously salt the bottom of the pan (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Heat the pan on high. Crumble the ground beef into the pan. You will likely need to do this in two batches, otherwise you will crowd the pan and the beef won't easily brown. Do not stir the ground beef, just let it cook until it is well browned on one side. Then flip the pieces over and brown the second side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan (can add to the set-aside vegetables), salt the pan again and repeat with the rest of the ground beef.
If you are using extra lean beef, you will likely not have any excess fat in the pan ,if not strain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

3 Return the cooked ground beef and vegetables to the pan. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and brown sugar to the pan. Stir to mix well. Add ground cloves, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve with toasted hamburger buns. Serves 4.

Now to make this a true Fast Food Friday you can buy one of those premade packages of spices for Sloppy Joes the same as the ones you use for Crock Pots..

Want to thank my niece Stephanie for making comments about the Cashew Chicken I had not tried the recipe yet buy her and her husband Robin did and they said that it was real good... So you will have to give it a try.. Please if anyone is trying these recipes let me know and especially if you are putting your own twist onto it.. Stephanie added some celery and green pepper and she said it was very tastey...

Tomorrow is going to be your first Dessert Recipe ... Not quite sure what I am going to post yet but it will be good for sure... Sometimes a Saturday recipe might even just be cookies or squares. I would like to thank Pat for sending me some cookie recipes the other day...

Enjoy

Cheers

Granny