Sloppy Joe's for Sunday Foot Ball ( a week late)

Sorry for the lack of posting but I have been sick and very busy over the past week. Last weekend we went to a Halloween Party at a restaurant/lounge and the fog machines set the fire alarms off. We had to stand outside in the rain for about a 1/2 before we were aloud back inside or to leave.We chose to leave because at that point we were soaked. Needless to say I ended up with a cold. It didn't really hit full force until  Monday so I was able to make a nice Sunday Football meal.

So I have a confession to make, I had never had a Sloppy Joe before I met my husband. Growing up I would always see the commercials for Manwich , I mean who hasn't but had never tried one. So one snowy night back when we were dating that was pretty much all he had in his kitchen so Manwich night it was! I have to admit they weren't half bad, but for some reason I have never had them again. Once a week I have my husband pick out a cookbook for me to cook some recipes from. This week he picked out the Everyday Food cookbook and I stumbled across a Sloppy Joe recipe that looked delicious, and probably much healthier. So I decided that was the on the menu for Sunday Football along with some homemade pita chips and red pepper hummus. The Sloppy Joes can also be made in slow cooker, but today I decided to make them on the stove top.

I had picked up some green peppers at the market for the Sloppy Joes and grabbed a jar of roasted  red peppers for the hummus. My husband is a big fan of hummus growing up in a Lebanese house. I'll admit I usually just buy the ready made hummus at the store but after picking up a Lebanese cookbook written by some of my husband's family for their church I decided to try homemade.

Red Pepper Hummus

Original recipe from A Legacy of Love

written by the ladies of

St Anthony of the Desert Church

Items Needed:

Food Processor or Blender

• 1  (15oz) can Chick Peas, reserve juice
  
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2-3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) 
• 1 lemon juiced
• salt ( to taste) 
• 1-2 roasted red peppers
  

• Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender using only one pepper. Process until creamy . Add more lemon juice, salt, tahini, and remaining pepper to your taste. I used half of another pepper. 
• If mixture is too thick add some of the reserved juice from chick peas. Serve with toasted pita chips.

Pita Chips

Items needed:

Baking Sheet

Parchment Paper

• Olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Pepper

• Take each pita and cut into six triangles, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder,salt and pepper
• Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 7-9 minutes until slightly browned

Serve with hummus 

Sloppy Joes

adapted from  

Everday Food by Martha Stewart  

Serves 4 

• 1-2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 1/2 cans (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• hamburger buns, split and toasted

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, until it is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain 
• Return beef to skillet and stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire, simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add more salt and pepper to taste then spoon onto buns  

****** Sorry no pictures but I wasn't feeling my best******* Next time I promise !!!