Karen Barnaby: These sloppy sandwiches no ordinary Joes

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My father was not a cook.

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We still laugh about the time my mother and grandmother were out on a Saturday and he had to make us lunch. We had canned tomato soup — that they had probably left pre-mixed in a pot — along with cheese and crackers which, for some reason, were not served on a plate. He assembled and placed them on the table beside our bowls.

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He was a man who found green fettuccine suspicious, though he eventually came around to liking it. After my mother died, he fed himself on canned tuna either rolled up in a pita or on bagged salad. He made a big pot of porridge to last for four days and would reheat it in the microwave for breakfast.

Some people might find this sad, but for him it was efficient with a minimum of washing up to do.

Whenever I visited, I filled the freezer with soup, Shepherd’s pie and other foods that were easy to heat and eat. My youngest sister, who lived in Ottawa, would do the same on a regular basis.

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Being a good grandpa, he took her daughter to her various after school activities, then back to his home for Sloppy Joes. My sister had stocked him up on the filling and he would serve it on Italian buns flecked with cornmeal.

“Did he toast the buns?” I asked my sister and niece. They both laughed and said yes.

I can imagine how good those Sloppy Joes tasted after swimming practice, especially after coming home in the semi-arctic Ottawa winter, where frozen appendages were the norm. My niece relished her memory of eating with him and my sister described her style of Sloppy Joe, which was a combination of beef and lentils sauced with tomato and not sweet.

My particular style of the Sloppy Joe is “freestyle.” Ground beef or lentils in a tasty sauce that can be served on a bun, over rice, pasta, potatoes or cauliflower is wonderful and comforting on a cold day. If you choose to use a bun, remember to toast it. And butter it, too!

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Stroganoff Joe

If you’re looking for an upscale version, this is it.

2 tbsp (30 mL) neutral vegetable oil

1/2 lb (250 g) thickly sliced mushrooms, about 3 cups (750 mL)

3/4 cup (180 mL) diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef

2 tsp (10 mL) Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup (250 mL) water

1/2 -1 cup (125 – 250 mL) full-fat sour cream

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for about seven to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms brown and the onions are tender. Remove from the pan.

Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until it loses its raw, red colour, breaking it up as it cooks. Add Worcestershire, Dijon, 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and cook for five minutes longer until the

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mixture is thick and spoonable, adding water if necessary. Add the sour cream and heat through then taste and correct the seasoning.

Makes 4 servings.

Greek Style Joe

This delicately spiced filling reminds me of moussaka.

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

3/4 cup (180 mL) diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef

1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano

1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water

4 tbsp (60 mL) tomato paste

1 1/4 cup (310 mL) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) cubes

Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions brown around the edges. Add the beef and cook until it loses its raw, red colour, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the oregano, cinnamon, water, tomato paste, potatoes and 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the mixture is thick and spoonable, adding water if necessary. Taste and correct the seasoning.

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Makes 4 servings.

Veghead Joe

This is similar to the typical Sloppy Joe — a little sweet, tangy and savoury.

French lentils are the way to go in this recipe, as they hold their shape and have a succulent texture.

1 cup (250 mL) French lentils

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) diced onion

1/2 cup (125 mL) diced carrot

1/2 lb (250 g) diced mushrooms, about 1 1/4 cup (310 mL)

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water

4 tbsp (60 mL) tomato paste

2 tsp (10 mL) dijon mustard

1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup or 2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) chilli powder

1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce

1 tsp (5 mL) apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the lentil then cover with cold water. Let sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Drain the lentil and transfer to a pot. Add water to cover amply, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour, until the lentils are tender and not mushy.

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While the lentils cook, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook until the onion softens. Add the mushrooms and turn the heat to high. Cook until the water evaporates. Add the water, tomato paste, mustard, maple syrup, chilli powder and vinegar. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat.

When the lentils are done, drain them and add them to the frying pan. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens and the mixture is a spoonable texture, adding water if necessary.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Makes 4 servings.

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