Monday, March 19, 2012

Ratatouille Sloppy Joes



It is a GORGEOUS day here in Philly today. A perfect 70 degrees, no wind, and not a cloud in sight. What is it about weather like that that gives life an entirely new, hopeful perspective. I smile more, laugh more, there's a bounce in my step, you get something back that you don't even realize you've missed. It's pretty great.




And while I would never think of a Sloppy Joe and a summer food, it is easily transformed into one when it's packed full of garden vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant. My kids, who were mostly resistant to all the clean eating we were doing, happy gobbled this up, which was a win for all of us.

Ratatouille Sloppy Joes
Best of Clean Eating 2

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 lb extra lean ground beef or bison (I actually used ground turkey)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons chile powder
3/4 teaspoons mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
1 1/2 cups preferred marinara (I choose one with low sugar content)
1 tablespoon Sucanat or raw honey (I omitted)
sea salt with fresh ground pepper to taste
8 thin whole grain sandwhich buns, toasted

Directions

Heat a large nonstick saute pan on medium-high. Add oil, beef, garlic and onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, breaking up meat with a spoon while cooking, until no liquid remains and beef is browned. Add chile powder, mustard and cayenne, stir well and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Pour beef mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Return pan to heat and add bell pepper, zucchini and eggplant, stir and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add beef mixture back to pan, stir well and reduce heat to medium. Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes, stirring often, or until all vegetables are tender adn cooked throughout.

Add marinara sauce, 2 tablespoons water and honey to pan, stirring until meat and vegetables are coated. Cook until sauce is hot an dbubbling. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sandwich 3/4 cup beef mixture between each bun.

Per Serving: 232 cal, 5g fat, 30g carbs, 5g fiber, 10g sugar, 18g protein

30 comments:

Erica said...

I always enjoy when I can squeeeeze more veggies in! This is a perfect way to do so!

Kim said...

I like adding veggies and beans to meat in order to stretch it out and make things more healthy. These sloopy joes look great, Teresa. We love those sandwich thins too.

Dining Alone said...

my jaw actually dropped when I saw this, what a great idea! I love sloppy joes and this is a great way to add even more goodness to them.

chow and chatter said...

love this such a fun twist

Pam said...

Hearty, filling, and delicious - can't beat that!

Joanne said...

Getting the kids to love this = major win! I love the idea of sneaking veggies into a sloppy joe and this sounds like a delicious way to do it!

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a grand idea! These really sound delicious and they'd be perfect for my grandsons. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Debbie said...

A nice twist on the usual Sloppy Joes! We're having great weather here too in Virginia. Absolutely perfect. Hope it stays this way!

jacobmontereal said...

Thank you for sharing the recipe, it looks mouth watering. I will try this for sure.

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Val said...

I think that I'm in love with this recipe....I know I'm in love with this recipe =) Wow

Reeni said...

This is a great way to sneak those veggies in! Looks hearty and delicious!

Cathy said...

What a delicious version of sloppy joes. Love that you added all those veggies and cut back on the usual amount of sugar. I don't know if I could get my grandkids to try this but I'll give it a shot. I know grandma will love them.

Chris said...

I would never think of sloppy joe as "healthy" until I just read this one.

Barbara said...

What a super, healthy idea, Teresa! I love the way you think. :)

Velva said...

I love Spring. More importantly, if your kids gobbled this up, then its a definite keeper. Awesome.

Enjoy the weather.
Velva

Taste and Tell said...

Love all the veggies in these!!

Blond Duck said...

I can make this and eat it all!

Coral said...

lovely blog yummy recipes!

Nazarina A said...

This is my type of soul food, really yummy, and chock-full of healthy veggies!

Blond Duck said...

What marinara sauce do you use?

Nick Dacis said...

It is easy to make and perfect meal for the whole family. This is one of the best summer food, I always made this recipe in summer. I impressed by that.

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Sophia Lee said...

I'm glad you're enjoying the day! It's getting a bit TOO hot for me right here.

But wow, those sloppy joes look fantastic, Teresa! I love the vibrance and sloppiness of that dish. It brings back this lovely summer camp vibe. :-)

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Blond Duck said...

Hope you're doing well!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful recipe. I would not have thought of doing this. Now, I will think of it. It would make such a nice meal for my husband to come home to. This is definitely his style of eating.

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Jamie said...

Wow, what a mouthwatering recipes. Hope to make these recipes. Thanks for sharing. health and wellness product

Kathleen said...

One of my ALL time favorites! Love your version ;)

Anonymous said...

Hope you are doing well!

Rewine said...

I love it! I suggest pairing meat with a nice Malbec wine. Malbec is wonderful with red meat. Try it and let me know.
http://www.dare2wine.com/category/store-products/red-wine/malbec/