Summer, Sloppy Joes and Soft Serve

SUMMER

July 26

Busy days, fast forgotten thoughts and ideas, lack of time and too many things to do, too many books to read, languages to learn and meals to cook and not to mention travels to take. My days with two girls and extended family at home seem to go by way too fast. Summer is finally here and with it we try to eat fresh beautiful veggies and fruits as well as quick meals such as pizza, sandwiches or sloppy joes.





Today was humid, heavy and sleepy. I woke up with a headache and remembered I needed to buy the tickets to visit my family in Poland, renew passports and figure out what to do for dinner with the ground lean beef I had in the fridge. Waking up with the headache I needed a coffee as fast as possible, followed by some dark bread with smoked turkey, Gouda, tomatoes and fresh cucumbers. After that a quick walk to the library with my girls and a quiet moment at home when one of them fell asleep and the other one was at the park with her grandma. I had an espresso, some dark chocolate and fresh cherries all that while reading my new Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries 2, new Food and Wine magazine, a local paper and my laptop on trying to catch a moment of inspiration which was later somehow deleted by my 3 year old daughter (I thought my laptop was out of reach and password protected?) - apparently not. A moment like that is extraordinary and believe me does not happen too often as I magically find other things to do, and there are always other things to do- clean, do the laundry, put make up on or shower etc.

Later on after a quick visit to a store for the missing ingredients and I am ready to make this happen. Sloppy Joes tonight with flour tortillas and a Caesar salad with country bread croutons. Leftover pecan pie from and nearby bakery for dessert and a banana strawberry and chocolate soft serve for my energy boosting and heat fighting snack at night while watching my favourite TV show ever- Sex and the City. Carrie keeps clothes in her stove! I prefer to buy kitchen items and food instead of shoes ;) But every time I am in a bad mood this show somehow lifts me up as we all struggle with problems, we are all flawed and all we need to do is admit it and help each other. 

Sloppy Joes

500 lean ground beef

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 corn, only kernels, removed

1 can black beans

3/4 cup tomato puree

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Mexican chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

wholewheat tortilla wraps or hamburgers buns

Put a little bit of olive oil in a deep pan and add chopped onion. Wait few minutes until it softens and crumble in the meat with the tomato puree, vinegar, sugar, honey, mustard, chili powder, salt and pepper. Let it cook until the meat is done. Add the beans and the corn and more salt and pepper if needed. 

Caesar Salad with Country Croutons

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 cups croutons ( I use a baguette or a loaf that is not too soft, chop it up, add olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for the best croutons ever!) It is great to buy a day old read for this, check out the clearance section of your supermarket.

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper each

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons Mayonnaise

In a bowl whisk together olive oil, Parmesan, vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce. Add mayo and incorporate well. Mix with the lettuce and add bread just at the end.
For the croutons chop the bread into chunkier cubes, spread on a baking sheet, add olive oil and salt with pepper and bake in the oven until crispy and golden brown.

This was served with Mexican rice and wholewheat tortilla wraps.

For the soft serve throw in the below in your blender, blend and enjoy! I love the crunch of peanuts in and sometimes I add raw cocoa powder if I am craving chocolate. Or mango chunks!

Soft Serve

1 frozen banana
4 strawberries
a glass of milk, almond would be great
a touch of maple syrup for sweetness
1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter