Sloppy “Rose” Lettuce Wraps - The Best Sloppy Joes Ever (Gluten Free, Grain Free + Refined Sugar Free)

I don’t know about you, but I loved Sloppy Joes as a kid.  It was one of my favorite meals that my mom would make.  She would make up a big batch of it and serve it on brown butter toasted buns.  Yum!    

I’ve been craving this lately and told my husband that I would recreate the recipe my mom used to make for me.  We both agreed this is the best Sloppy Joes we’ve ever had.  We’re still talking about how good it was and wishing we had more of it.  This is going to become a routine staple in our home. 

My husband named this a Sloppy “Rose” because of the way I plated it in the lettuce, like the lettuce was blooming out.  I loved it as a lettuce wrap, but of course you could eat it on the typical bun too.  It would be so delicious on a gluten free brown butter toasted bun or in a tortilla too.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Sloppy “Rose” Lettuce Wraps - The Best Sloppy Joes Ever 

(Gluten Free, Grain Free + Refined Sugar Free with Vegan-Option)

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Equipment:Cutting Board, Large Sauté Pan

·      3 tablespoons fat of choice, divided – pasture butter, ghee or coconut oil

·      1 yellow onion, diced

·      2 cups mushrooms, sliced

·      3 carrots, peeled and diced

·      3 garlic cloves, minced or grated

·      1 pound grass-fed ground beef (See Resources)

·      ¼ cup bone broth, veggie broth or filtered water

·      ¼ cup organic tomato paste (buy organic tomato paste here)

·      1 tablespoon chili powder blend (buy chili powder here)

·      2 teaspoons organic Dijon mustard

·      2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or organic maple syrup grade B

·      2 tablespoons coconut aminos (buy coconut aminos here)

·      ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      2-3 pickles, diced (I use Bubbie’s)

·      Organic Romaine or Red Leaf lettuce leaves

1.    Wash and prep produce – dice onion, slice mushrooms, peel and dice carrots, and mince/grate garlic.  Wash lettuce – set aside. 

2.   Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons fat of choice.  Add onion, mushrooms, carrots and garlic – stir occasionally until onions and mushrooms start to caramelize/brown, about 10-15 minutes. 

3.   Add remaining tablespoon of fat, ground beef and broth or water.  Stir, breaking up meat, until meat is browned, about 3-4 minutes.

4.   Add tomato paste, chili powder, mustard, coconut sugar, coconut aminos and sea salt.  Stir to incorporate and let simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.    

5.    Add chopped pickles and stir to incorporate.

6.   Serve hot in lettuce wraps.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Serving Suggestions: If you don’t want to use lettuce wraps, serve on toasted gluten free buns, rolls or biscuits.  For added yumminess, cut gluten free bun in half, place ½ to 1 tablespoon of pasture butter or ghee on inside of bun halves, place under broiler to brown – don’t take your eye off of it or it could burn quickly. 

Tip: This is even better the next day after everything has had time to marry.  The flavor is incredible. 

Storage: Store in the refrigerator.  For best results, eat within 3 days.

Vegan-Option: Replace meat with extra sliced mushrooms and carrots.  Add 2 more carrots and 4 more cups of sliced mushrooms.    

This post is part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Allergy Free Wednesdays @ The Tasty Alternative, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Simple Lives Thursday @ My Humble Kitchen..

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

This pureed soup is so simple and satisfying, perfect for fall and winter. 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Equipment: Large Stockpot, Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Blender or Food Processor, Soup Ladle, Large Mixing Bowl

·      2 tablespoons pasture butter or coconut oil

·      1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

·      2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

·      5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks*

·      6 organic apples, peeled, cored and quartered

·      2 cups homemade broth, stock or bone broth

·      1-2 cups organic apple juice (fresh juice is best)

·      1 strip kombu (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·      1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1.    Prep onion, garlic, butternut squash and apples – wash and peel.  Remove outer skin of onion, cut in half and dice.  Mince garlic.  Remove seeds from butternut squash (save to roast or freeze for stocks).  Core apples. 

Gala Apples and Butternut Squash

Please excuse the yellow hue, the natural lighting was not good in my kitchen.

Little Love - my favorite helper

2.   In a large stockpot, melt fat of choice over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, stirring on occasion, until slightly golden brown.  Add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring on occasion.

3.   Add butternut squash and apple chunks into the stockpot.  Add broth and apple juice, just enough liquid to barely cover the soup contents (I usually leave about ¼ inch of the squash and apples sticking out without liquid covering them).

4.   Add kombu, kelp, thyme and sea salt to the stockpot. 

5.    Bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork-tender.    

6.    Remove soup from heat.  Prep blender to puree the soup.  Bring large mixing bowl and soup ladle to the station where you will puree the soup.  In small portions, add soup contents to the blender (please use caution as the soup is extremely hot).  Note: Do not fill the blender more than half full, when contents are pureed they will expand, you don’t want hot soup all over your kitchen ceiling.  Puree soup until smooth, add pureed portions to the large mixing bowl.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Add soup back to stockpot.  

7.   Keep soup on low heat until ready to serve or store in the refrigerator for later. 

8.   Serve hot as is or top with sour cream or crème fraiche.     

Optional Toppings: Top with a dollop of cultured sour cream or crème fraiche.  It’s delicious with a blend of the two as well.   

*Note:Butternut Squash should make about 6 cups cubed, I usually buy 2 medium-size butternut squash.  If you end up having a little less or a little more, that’s fine, just alter the juice/liquid so the juice just barely covers the soup contents.  You don’t want too much liquid when you start to puree the soup, you want the soup to be somewhat thick, too much liquid will make the puree very thin, more like a broth based soup. 

Yield: Makes about 3 quarts.

Carrot Parsnip Soup w/ Parsnip Chips

I have always loved the flavor of parsnips, even as a young child.  I remember a baked chicken dish that my mom would make.  It had julienned parsnips and carrots in it and the parsnips were always my favorite part, funny how some childhood memories stand out.

The flavor combination of carrots and parsnips is wonderful.  The carrots make this soup creamy and sweet and the parsnips add a slightly spicy, rich flavor.  

   

Carrot Parsnip Soup w/ Parsnip Chips

This is one of my favorite soups to serve as a starter course for Thanksgiving dinner.  My favorite way to eat it is topped with a dollop of organic cultured sour cream.

Equipment: Cutting Board, Peeler, Sharp Knife, Large Stockpot w/ Lid, Medium Saucepan/Skillet, Soup Ladle, Blender, Large Bowl

• 10 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon organic kelp granules - optional (I use Maine Coast)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced or grated - optional
• 4-5 cups bone broth or homemade stock
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

• 1 small parsnip, peeled, sliced very thin
• 1-2 tablespoon pasture butter, ghee or coconut oil (See Resources)

1. Wash and prep carrots and parsnips.  Peel and cut carrots and parsnips into 1/2 inch pieces, reserving 1 small parsnip.  Prep small parsnip by slicing as thin as you can, these will become the parsnip chips.    

The tiny slices are for the Parsnip Chips

2. Add carrots, parsnips, fresh thyme sprigs and garlic to stockpot. 

3. Add broth to stockpot (just enough broth to cover the carrots and parsnips).  Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until carrots and parsnips are fork tender. 

4. While soup cooks, melt fat of choice in medium saucepan/skillet over medium heat.  Add thinly sliced parsnip pieces and cook/"fry" until they turn golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side until they are crisp and golden brown.  These can cook very fast, so watch them carefully so they don't burn.  Remove from pan onto a plate and set aside.   

5. Remove stockpot from stovetop.  Remove and discard thyme stems.  Most of the thyme leaves will have fallen off the stems, if some still remain, use your fingers to pull them off and put them back into the soup.  

6. In a blender, add small portions of the soup, filling only halfway full.  Cover with lid and puree until smooth.  Pour into a large bowl.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Pour soup back into stockpot.  

7. Serve hot and garnish with Parsnip Chips or refrigerate for later.  

Carrot Parsnip Soup w/ Parsnip Chips, Thyme & Sour Cream

Yield: Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled.  This soup can also be made a day in advance.


Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for later use.  

Optional Toppings: This soup is delicious topped with organic cultured sour cream and Parsnip Chips.

This post is part of Sunday Night Soup Night! @ Easy Natural Food and Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS.