Untidy Josephs

I know what you're thinking...what the heck is an Untidy Joseph? Well, growing up my mom would add a can of Manwich to a pound of ground beef and slop it up onto a bun. Yes, you know this creation as the Sloppy Joe. While this is a functional meal, it just didn't cut it for me. I felt like it needed something more, so I went in search of more and found a recipe for Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes. The name worked, but there was nothing common enough in this recipe to have it be referred to as Joe. It's filled with vegetables and delish flavorings. It's much to sophisticated and intelliegent to go by "Joe," so I'd like to introduce you to Joseph. Despite his intelligence, he's still a little on the sloppy side...I'd like to think of it as organized chaos. So, without further ado, please PLEASE give it up for Untidy Joseph:

• 1 pound ground beef


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 2 celery stalks, chopped


• 10-ounce package of mushrooms (button or baby bella), sliced thin


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 8 ounces tomato sauce


• 1/4 cup ketchup


• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar


• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce


• 1 Tablespoon sugar


• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper


• 1 tsp salt


• 8 hamburger buns

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef. Remove to paper towels and wipe the excess fat from the pan.
Still over medium-high heat, cook the onions in the beef fat until they are softened and translucent, about five minutes. Add the celery and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms have released all their moisture and turned golden brown in spots, about eight minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about thirty seconds.
Return the ground beef to the pan, and add the remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until the desired thickness is reached.Serve on hamburger buns.

Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables and Basil

One of my co-workers has a garden, and he occasionally will bring me a vegetable. This week's vegetable was a yellow summer squash. To be honest, I haven't ever used squash in any of the dishes I've made since I got married, or perhaps ever! This is embarrassing, I know! When I brought the squash home I got a response of "Ew" from my husband which gave me even more determination to use this squash and make him like it! In my searching for a recipe, I came across this recipe on the Martha Stewart website. It looked delish and quick (something I'm fond of when I'm cooking after work). I did a bit of my own tweeking to the original recipe and added zucchini for some color (why not just go on a squash fest since I've never been brave enough to use it?). Well, lets just say it was a hit and that hubby of mine even came back for seconds!

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced 1 inch thick crosswise, halved if large


• 1 zucchini, sliced 1 inch think crosswise, halved


• 1 pint grape tomatoes


• 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• 1/8 cup olive oil


• salt and ground pepper


• 16 oz. short pasta (the recipe calls for campanelle or fusilli, but I used elbow macaroni because I had it on hand)


• 2-3 tablespoons butter


• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving


• 1 tsp. dried basil (the recipe calls for 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves, but my husband misunderstood my request for them when he went to the store. So, dried basil it was!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast without tossing until tender and starting to brown, 30-40 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, and return to pot.


3. Add vegetables, butter, Parmesan, and basil to pasta; season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

Arepas

This was a part of a typical Saturday morning breakfast in the Zuluaga house...one of the things I've gained from my Colombian heritage. Serve them warm and spread with butter...YUM!Follow package directions as directed on the Areparena, but to each cup of Areparena that you use add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 cup cheese. (Taste a little to see if it has enough salt). I like to use a cheese called cojito (it resembles parmesan cheese) or you can use grated ranchero cheese. If you can't find either of these cheeses, you can use mozerella cheese or do without cheese all together. Once you mix up the dough make them into balls and shape into patties. If dough seems a little dry and cracks while shaping wet your hands and work the water into the dough until smooth. Cook on a hot griddle with a little bit of oil and brown on both sides.

Glorified Macaroni and Cheese

• 8 oz. elbow macaroni
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimiento, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and return to saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Lactose free variety: Use lactose free Cabot cheddar cheese. Omit cream of mushroom soup and add an additional 1/3 cup mayo.

Sheep Dogs

• hotdogs
• mashed potatoes
• cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Place oven on broil.
2. Cut hotdogs long-ways (hotdog style) but keep connected. It should look like a hotdog bun. Place hotdogs on cookie sheet and cook on both sides in oven until they start to brown.
3. Pull hotdogs out of oven and place a heaping spoonful of warm mashed potatoes on open hotdog and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Put back in oven long enough for cheese to melt.

Three Bean Soup

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 can kidney beans, undrained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, undrained
• 1 can great northern beans
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Pour in oil and saute onion and garlic until golden-brown. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, northern beans, tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and salt. Turn heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Sprinkle in cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately, or cool and freeze.

Penne Pasta

This recipe is from Julie Freeman, my young women's president when I was in high school.

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped ham
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 cup white grape juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped gresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb (16 oz.) penne pasta
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Heat butter and oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter and olive oil mixture. Stir in ham and chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is brown. Stir in grape juice. Heat over high heat until hot. Stir in whipping cream, olives, parsley, and papper. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Cook penne as directed on package. Mix penne and cream mixture; top with cheese.