Salsa Sloppy Joes

Ok, so despite the not-so-appetizing picture, this dinner will please your family. I don't know how to make sloppy joes look good. But this is another recipe that is simple, healthy, fast.

I prefer to buy organic ground turkey breast (at Whole Foods)--as snobby as that sounds, it really seems to make a difference in the taste of some recipes. Since I only cook meat 2-3 times a month, the organic meat cost can be somewhat justified.

Normally, I make Martha Stewart's sloppy joe recipe, but this time I wanted to try something different--a deviation from the overwhelming ketcup flavor of typical sloppy joes. We really enjoyed it and it feels fantastic to get dinner out on the table within 30 minutes.

SALSA SLOPPY JOE'S

Serves 6-8 (depending on how meaty you like them) 

• 1-1 1/4 lb. extra lean ground turkey, organic preferred
• 2 cups salsa (~16 oz. jar)--we prefer the Herdez brand
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced finely
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 
• Salt (or Lawry's seasoned salt) & pepper, to taste
• A dash of oregano and a dash of chili powder

For serving:

• 6-8 hamburger buns-split, preferably whole grain
• 6-8 slices of Cheddar cheese or Colby Jack cheese

In a large skillet (sprayed with Pam or other non-stick cooking spray), cook turkey over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink--breaking it up with a spoon/spatula. If turkey starts to stick to the skillet, add some salsa and continue to stir.

When turkey has cooked through, stir in the rest of the salsa, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and green pepper. Add seasonings. Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Add a piece of cheese to each bun (sometimes we add a piece to each side!) and fill or spoon the sloppy joe mixture on top of the buns. Serve warm. With a stack of napkins.

Favorite Turkey Chili

My husband LOVES this chili. It's one of our favorite things to make during the cold weather, and ESPECIALLY during Superbowl time....and the superbowl is coming up!!! This is a great meal to serve during Superbowl gatherings because you can keep it warm in the crock pot/slow cooker and serve it with toppings, tortilla chips, and cornbread on the side. Everyone assembles their own meal. It's great!

We found the recipe a few years back and have tinkered with it based on reviews and our preferences-extra garlic, lime juice, beer, cilantro in the soup, etc.--those are what make it "Sommerville Chili". But the stars and 'secret ingredients' are the cinnamon and cocoa powder. I know it might sound weird, but those ingredients absolutely MAKE this chili. Everyone that tries it loves it and always tries to figure out what "that particular flavor" is...use the lower amount of those ingredients if you are feeling unsure about the flavors the first time you make it (we use the higher amounts as many of the reviewers of the original recipe also commented that they did). It's almost like a mild mole chili.

Sometimes, chilis can have an overpowering tomato flavor--we resolved that issue by using beer instead of the 8 oz of tomato sauce can and often cut down the amount of stock. But, you can use the tomato sauce if you prefer. This turkey chili freezes very well and is delicious served on top of baked potatoes. My favorite thing to do with chili leftovers is make a Skyline chili dip. More on that later :)

'FAMOUS' FAVORITE TURKEY CHILI

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 8-10.

1 Tbsp. olive oil or chili-infused olive oil (the latter is excellent!)

2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground turkey (organic if you can find it)-I often use only a pound
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1-2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (28 oz) can whole or crushed tomatoes
2-3 cups chicken or beef stock (or a mix--I use Worthington brand)
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce OR 1 bottle of beer (we use the beer)
3 (15 oz) cans beans, rinsed, drained (white, kidney, black)
A few dashes of crushed red pepper
Juice of half a lime
Dash of marjoram

Toppings: 
Chopped red onion or green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro (I often add a handful directly into the soup instead)
Plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream
Shredded cheese (Mexican blend or Cheddar)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up with back of spoon (if you use whole tomatoes, you will need to break them up with the back of the spoon or spoonula).

Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up with back of spoon. Mix in stock and tomato sauce/beer. Add left over ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass red onion, cilantro, and yogurt--and any other toppings--separately.

**I often throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and leave the heat on low for 8-10 hours or high heat for about 6 hours. Just mix ingredients and break up the turkey/tomatoes with the back of a spoon/spoonula 2-3 hours into the cooking process.

ENJOY!

For Breakfast or Dinner: Baked Potato Frittata

How good does this sound? You can serve this baked omelete either for breakfast with fruit and toast or for dinner with a crisp green salad. It's a great excuse to use up leftover baked potatoes. But in case you don't have those, I included the directions for how to use uncooked potatoes in this recipe.

I don't usually have chives on hand around this time of year, so green onions fit the bill just great. We used organic nitrate-free turkey bacon. I suggest that you skip the salt in the recipe as I felt the at the frittata turned out a bit too salty since it called for bacon (a cured meat). I made half the recipe (to serve 4 people) and it worked out beautifully. Also, no worries if you don't have a frittata pan (who does?)--just use a dutch oven (you SHOULD have one of these! Haha.) or an oven-proof frying/saute pan.

BAKED POTATO FRITTATA

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Serves 8

2 russet potatoes, 1 1/4 lb. total, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch dice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

10 (turkey) bacon slices, chopped

10 eggs

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. minced fresh chives (or green onions)

1/2 cup light sour cream

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, stir together the potatoes, 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 500°F.

In a pan (frittata pan or oven safe frying pan or even a dutch oven) over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard the fat in the pan. Finely chop 2 Tbs. of the bacon and reserve for garnish-OPTIONAL-you can always just throw everything in-still looks good. (If you use TURKEY bacon, you can skip this draining step since it won't leave extra fat--you can just set the pan aside.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the cheese and the 1/4 cup chives/green onions.

In the pan holding the bacon, over medium heat, warm 2 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the potatoes and diced bacon to the pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook, using a rubber spatula to lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath, about 2 minutes, then cook for 4 to 6 minutes more. Continue to cook, covered, until the eggs are set, about 6 minutes. (I will come clean here and tell you that I basically let the eggs start to set as soon as I poured them in and then popped the whole dutch oven pan--uncovered--in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until it was golden. It was fantastic--no flipping and mixing and waiting. I like to make things easier when I can.).

Uncover the pan and sprinkle the frittata with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 4 minutes.

Gently shake the pan to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a serving plate. Garnish with the reserved chopped bacon and the 1 Tbsp. chives/green onions. Serve immediately with the sour cream.

A final word about frittatas, taken from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, 1989, Workman Publishing:

“Frittatas are to Italians what omelets are to the French. In a frittata (or tortilla in Spain) the filling is mixed with the eggs and the whole mixture is cooked slowly in a skillet until set, then quickly browned under the broiler. Frittatas are a bit drier than omelets, not so fussy in their timing, and much easier to make for a gang. The filling ingredients are what make the frittata so wonderful, but it’s the eggs that bind everything together. Frittatas can be served hot right in the skillet or left to cool at room temperature. They can be cut into pie-shaped wedges for brunch or supper or little squares for appetizers…”