Spicy BBQ Sloppy Joes

I haven't had Sloppy Joes for years.  Just never think of it.  But this recipe makes total sense as another Burger Alternative--Spicy BBQ Sloppy Joes.  It fits in line with providing simple skills with multiple variations on a theme: hamburger doesn't have to equal 'another burger night'.

See what you think.  I adapted a version from Epicurious Dinner Rush magazine called 'Sophisto Joes' but completely misread the recipe on my first attempt, adding 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar instead of 1 1/2 Tablespoons.  On remake, I adjusted the ingredients and added a few new ones.  Still simple, but with a little kick to keep things interesting!

Equipment:

Large skillet

Wooden spoon

Knife for chopping veggies

Magic-Bullet-type blender (if you don't have one you'll have to simply mash tomatoes)

Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

1 (14 1/2 oz) can whole tomatoes or diced, drained

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons butter

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 Tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon of light or dark brown sugar

Juice from 1/2 lemon or 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar 

Pinch of cayenne (optional, if you have it)

1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard (optional if you have it)

4 Kaiser Rolls / Hamburger Rolls, toasted with or without butter.

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Puree the tomatoes in the blender. Set aside.

3. Prep all of the veggies.

4. Heat butter over MEDIUM - HIGH heat in a large 12" skillet.

5. Saute garlic and onion until onion begins to turn golden brown, approx 4-5 minutes.

6. Add carrot, celery, 1/2 tsp of salt.  Stir and cook for until veggies soften, approx 4-5 minutes.

7. Add beef and brown, stirring occasionally, approx 5-6 minutes.

8. Add chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, dijon mustard, and 3/4 tsp pepper.  Stir for 2 minutes.

9. Add pureed tomatoes, lemon juice, Worchestershire Sauce, and brown sugar.

10. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, approx 6 minutes.

11. Season to taste with salt.
12. Toast your rolls for added support for the sloppiness.  Add butter or skip.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Depending on where you are living, the winds and temperatures have changed, reminding us that indeed "Winter Is Coming". Just like 'Game of Thrones' promises.  Don't wait to scurry for food and shelter.  Be prepared with this easy, homemade, twenty-minute bowl of goodness:  Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.

Secret here is buying a roasted chicken on your way home rather than spending an hour to make it yourself.  Time is money as the saying goes, and this $5-7 is well worth the time you save.  Pitch in a french baguette with butter for soaking up the flavors.
Total Cost: Approx $10, and easily serves 3-4 people.

(Adapted with some change from Cooking Light's 'Super Easy Recipe Shortcuts' magazine)

Equipment:
5 quart sauce pan
Knife for chopping a few ingredients
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons & cups

Ingredients:
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter

4-5 cups of chicken broth (I use bouillon to save room in my cabinets, and simply follow the instructions to make broth)
1 cup water
2 cups of roasted chicken, chopped and shredded

2 Tablespoons of flour
1/3 cup half-and-half or milk

Kosher salt
Pepper

2 cups of egg noodles, uncooked

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands and cleaning space.
2. Prep your veggies.

3. Prepare your broth if you are using bouillon.

4. Prepare your thickener mixing flour with half-and-half and 1/4 cup of broth

5. Heat the olive oil and butter over MEDIUM-HIGH heat.

6. Saute the celery, onion, carrots until softened, approximately 8 minutes.

7. Add broth, water, and chicken to vegetables, and bring to a boil.

8. Add uncooked egg noodles and boil x 7 minutes or until tender.

9. Add flour mixture and cook until thickens, stirring constantly.

10. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

Prep some toast and butter or fill a bread bowl just like Panera's...just better!

Loaded Nachos

These nachos are not dripping with Velveeta or liquid cheese, but are crisp, crunchy and flavored with a generous portions of real cheese, spicy refried beans, green onions, roasted chicken, jalapeños, sour cream, and salsa.  Add black beans, corn or substitute ground beef for chicken.

If you miss the yellow liquid stuff, heat it separately in a bowl for dipping and drizzling on your own pile of chips. Otherwise, your nachos are going to be soggy and soft coming out of the oven.  UGH!


This version of nachos is just one suggestion. Great for movie night or game-day from home.


Equipment:
Large cooking sheet / pan with edges
PAM spray
Foil, makes clean-up easier if available

Ingredients:
1 bag (or a combo) of your favorite chips (would not used 'Baked' bc they get soggy)
10-12 oz of Monterrey-Jack / Cheddar cheese, grated
1-2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded from your store-bought bird
4-5 green onions, chopped
Fresh or pickled 'nacho' jalapeños, as you desire
1 (14oz) can of refried beans
Fresh salsa
Sour Cream

Other options:
Salsa con Queso
Cilantro
Guacamole
Black Beans
Olives
Ground beef or chorizo
Corn

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
3. Spray your cooking sheet or layer it with foil, then spray it.
4. Cover the sheet with a layer of chips.

5. Sprinkle your cheeses.

6. Add some chicken.

7. Add the green onions and jalapeños.

8. Add dollops of refried beans out of the can across the spread.
9. Add some more cheese.

10. If you have enough ingredients, repeat another layer.
11. Bake for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted.

12. Serve with fresh salsa, heated queso, guacamole, and sour cream.

13 Billion

Energy drinks garner 12.5+ billion dollars in annual sales for promises of energy, focus, and performance--sugary, fizzy, artificial, carbonated drinks.  Yep, those ones.  And yet, the truth of the matter is they add very little benefit when compared to 8 ounces of regular home-brewed coffee.  Of course, you may not like the taste of coffee, but weight gain, blowing your budget, and empty calories are just some downsides to energy drinks.  Be careful believing they will give you "wings" or rescue you from exhaustion.

I'm not all against energy drinks, and on occasion, you may need that all-nighter of studying, or you have to take the red-eye home for someone's birthday or graduation, but know the truth and risks of daily use in exchange for reguar sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise.  Making these drinks a frequent source of energy and performance should prompt you to reconsider.  

Know The Facts:

1. Caffeine is the most consumed legal stimulant.

2. Energy drinks have 80mg - 200mg caffeine.

3. 8 ounces of Starbucks Regular Roast = 180mg of caffeine. Less than $2. 

---add your own sugar 

---brew your own pot for $0.60 / cup

4. 16 oz Monster = 160mg caffeine with 1/4 cup of sugar

5. 12 oz Mountain Dew =  55mg caffeine

6. "NO Caffeine" often just means Guarana is being used.  Guarana is equivalent to caffeine.

7. "NO Crash" usually just means "no crash from sugar". Instead, artificial sweeteners are being used.

The Effects:

1. Increases in heart rate and palpitations.

2. Elevated blood pressures.

3. Increase in weight.

4. Sleep deprivation and insomnia.  (Yes, I know that for some of you "that's the idea")

5. Dehydration, especially in combination with exercise--not recommended.

The point here is to take a step back if you are needing these drinks on a daily basis to function.   Ask yourself why, and consider better and healthier alternatives such as eating healthy, getting sleep, and exercising.  Take care of yourself.  

Hazards Of Adding Alcohol:

This is one of the most common uses of energy drinks...and, one of the most dangerous.  

--energy drinks are stimulants, that's their purpose, even if your body is begging for sleep and rest.

--alcohol is a depressant

1. Energy drinks prevent you from recognizing fatigue.

2. Fatigue, when drinking alcohol, is a reflection of a rising blood alcohol level (BAL).
3. Fatigue from alcohol is a clue that "you've probably had too much".  

4. BAL = BAL whether you can tell or not.

5. Except now you can't tell.  You feel alert, you think you can drive, you're not tired.

6. Dehydration decreases your body's ability to eliminate and process alcohol...so what?

7. Alcohol not metabolized raises your BAL, begins to linger, and remains in your system longer.

8. As you continue to drink unaware of the effects and fatigue because you are so energized, the potential for severe alcohol toxicity is exponential, including dying.

9. You want those "wings" one company promises in their ad for energy, you could just get them.

Fall Apple Cake

One of my overriding goals for this blog is to be aware of limitations that college students face who might be interested in cooking for themselves without stretching cost or needing to buy a lot of single-use equipment pieces.  I am trying to keep ingredients common, and equipment limited to the items you already own or would use for multiple recipes and other purposes.

Nothing is simpler than this recipe for a quick dessert.  No, it's not extravagant, but it is so easy.  The house smells warm, inviting, comforting.  You don't need a mixer or any funny shaped cake mold--just your ability to stir, peel, and chop, and pour into the pyrex dish you have already been using in other dishes.

(Found on Pinterest)

Equipment:

9" x 13" Pyrex Dish, greased

Large mixing bowl

Spatula

Whisk

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and chopped

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tablespoon butter, diced

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

3. Mix ingredients step-wise, IN ORDER except for the Topping ingredients:

--Combine brown sugar & oil

--Add one egg

--Add buttermilk

--Add soda

--Add vanilla

--Add flour gradually.

4. Peel, chop and dice apple (approx 1 1/2 apples ).  Fold into the batter with a spatula.

5. Pour into greased pyrex dish

6. Make the topping using a fork to combine ingredients into a coarse meal 

7. Sprinkle topping over the batter.

8. Bake for 40 minutes.

9. Add ice cream or whipping cream or just have it plain with a cold glass of milk.