Sloppy Joes

I have never attempted making my own sloppy joe mix before. I was very pleasantly surprised at how good this tasted! Good is an understatement - this was fabulous!!! This is adapted from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook.

Instead of serving this on buns, I made sloppy joe pockets. I made pizza dough in my bread machine using the dough cycle. (I use this recipe from The Natural Mommy.) When I took it out of the machine, I kneaded it for a few minutes then divided it into 8 (mostly) equal parts.

Once I had each dough glob worked into a circle, I piled on the sloppy joe mix, piled it with shredded cheddar cheese, then folded the dough over and pinched the edges to seal. I baked them at 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Fantastic!!

For more tempting recipes and kitchen tips, click over to visit the home of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Sloppy Joes

1 Tbs olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup sweet potato puree (you can use baby food as a shortcut)

2 large carrots, finely chopped

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup squash puree or pumpkin puree

1/2 cup water

2 Tbs worchestshire sauce

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil to skillet. Once the oil is heated, add onion, celery, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent.

2. Add ground turkey to skillet. Break apart and brown until all pink has disappeared.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Homemade Ketchup

Sorry I'm late posting my Random Recipe today. This sort of fits with the Fourth of July side dish theme. Everybody (except me) loves ketchup with their grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, right? Melanie had a blog post questioning whether ketchup could be considered a vegetable. With this recipe, it can!

Homemade Ketchup

from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup carrot puree

1/4 water

2 Tbs apple-cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp chili powder, or to taste

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a big saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.

2. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in 1/4 cup amounts in zipper-lock bag for up to 3 months.

Ginger Cookies

Ginger Cookies (with Pumpkin)
Created by Jessica Seinfeld
Makes 24 cookies
These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays…and any time of the year!

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup trans fat-free margarine spread, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg*
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (solid pack pumpkin in a can), room temperature
1/3 cup of molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, spices, salt and baking soda. In a large mixing bowl, beat the margarine spread, sugar, egg and pumpkin until smooth and fluffy. Add the molasses. Slowly, add the dry ingredients to form a smooth, soft dough. Prepare the topping by mixing the cinnamon and sugar together into a small bowl. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. With a teaspoon or your fingers, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping over each cookie before baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. For crispier cookies, bake a little longer. Cool on wire racks.

* For chewier cookies, add an additional egg.

Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie

Pam at Random Thoughts is hosting Random Recipes. Today's theme, in honor of several January birthdays (including my hubby's next week), is birthday food. When I asked Hubby what his definition of "birthday food" is, he replied "comfort food." So what says comfort food more than Turkey Pot Pie? This is from Jessica Seinfeld, author of Deceptively Delicious.

Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie (with Sweet Potato)
Created by Jessica Seinfeld
Makes one large casserole or 8 individual 1-cup servings
Sweet potato makes a creamy, thick sauce that adds tons of vitamin A. This is also a great way to use up leftover poultry!

INGREDIENTS
Pie:
2 Tbsp. trans fat-free, soft tub margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups reduced sodium, fat-free or low-fat chicken or turkey broth
2 1/2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, cubed
1 cup sweet potato puree

Topping:
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup non-fat, skim milk
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. wheat germ or flax meal
3 Tbsp. trans fat-free, soft tub margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt margarine in a medium-size saucepan. Add flour and cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until a thick paste forms and the mixture become golden but not brown. Add chicken broth and heat until mixture just begins to boil. Reduce heat; add turkey, sweet potato puree. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish or divide among 8 1-cup ramekins. For topping, in a large bowl, combine all ingredients until a soft batter forms. If using individual ramekins, spread batter on top of each ramekin. Place ramekins onto a cookie sheet and bake until dough is golden brown, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. For the casserole, spread batter to cover. Bake until dough is golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Serve warm.