Loose Meat Sandwiches

My mom is visiting from out of town and shared this delicious recipe with me. I had no idea what to expect when she told me the ingredients because we are not fans of yellow mustard, but I was pleasantly surprised! These sandwiches are so yummy! I don't know that I will ever go back to a regular Sloppy Joe again. These are sweet and tangy and it is hard to stop eating them!

Traditionally these are eaten with mustard and dill pickles, we had them with coleslaw and that was a great combination. I'll have to try them with pickles next time.

Loose Meat Sandwiches adapted from food.com

2 lbs lean hamburger meat

1 extra large sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup vinegar (we prefer apple cider vinegar)

1/4 cup sugar

Seasoning salt

Directions:

Sprinkle seasoning salt in bottom of skillet and throw in chopped onion and hamburger meat. Fry up the meat and onion while chopping up the meat to make it small like for Sloppy Joes. Drain off any fat. Aadd mustard, vinegar and sugar. Heat it through till sugar is dissolved. IF you want a little more tang add just 1-2 tablespoons more vinegar to your liking. Serve on your favorite hamburger bun toasted.

Enchalada Casserole

This is an easy weeknight meal that the whole family enjoys. My kids like to eat it as is, but my husband and I like to top it with lettuce, tomatoes, onions etc ( as you can see in the picture). It is simple and delicious. I hope you enjoy it!



Enchilada Casserole

1 lb hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 cups cheese divided
10-12 corn tortillas torn up
(optional: 1 can of beans, drained)

Garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, sliced olives, sour cream etc

Fry up hamburger and drain fat. Put cooked hamburger meat in a large mixing bowl, add can of soup, enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and torn corn tortillas. Mix well and put in a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and bake in a 350* oven till heated through.

I sometimes add a can of black beans drained to stretch the recipe further. Also, if I am in a hurry I cook the entire thing in my 12inch deep skillet on the stove and it still turns out great.

North African Boulettes

I came across this recipe on Mmm...Cafe and had to try it out. I never would have thought to combine these flavors together but the resluts were delish! My entire family loved them, even my picky 7yr old! I will be making this recipe again and again. Yumm...

North African Boulettes From: Mmm...Cafe

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced

2 tsp. garlic, chopped

1 lemon, zested

1/2 cup white wine ( I used chicken broth)

1/4 cup chicken stock or broth

1 (14-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes, blended

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

To make the sauce, in a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and white wine, deglaze the pan, and let it reduce for a 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meatballs:

1 egg

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 pound ground beef

1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats

Salt and ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

2 cups cooked couscous ( I made extra)

To make the meatballs mix the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the cilantro, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and oats, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and combine gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Rolling with your hands into very tight circles, make about 32 meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter.

In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs in batches until golden on all sides. Add more oil, as needed. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over Couscous.

Serves 4-6.

Fajitas

My sister Janae shared this recipe with me and we are hooked! The flavor is incredible and it is not hard to make. We've made these with steak , chicken and shrimp, all with great results. Enjoy!

Fajitas - adapted from Alton Brown- Food Network

In a blender add;
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of soy sauce
4 scallions
2 large garlic cloves
juice of 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar

Blend above ingredients together until smooth and marinate meat such as thin skirt steak or chicken breast or even shrimp. for 1 hour in the fridge.

Cook on grill and slice meat in thin strips for skirt steak cut against the grain of the meat for tender strips. or in door stove top cast iron grill.

Veggies for fajitas

1 red bell pepper thin sliced in strips
1 green bell pepper thin sliced in strips
1/2 onion thin sliced

drizzled with veggie oil toss in oil cook in skillet or cast iron skillet
on med-high heat until onions are caramelized. on med-high heat

Serve with corn or flour tortillas and your choice of toppings, cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream etc.