Open-Faced Sloppy Joes from ‘One-Pot Paleo’
Every week we’re serving up recipes from cookbooks designed with your health in mind. Below, we’ve chosen an excerpt from One-Pot Paleo: Simple to Make, Delicious to Eat and Gluten-free to Boot by Jenny Castaneda (Page Street Publishing), which focuses on creative paleo dishes that are influenced by Asian and American flavors. Try making the recipes at home and let us know what you think!
Photography by Jenny Castaneda
Open-Faced Sloppy Joes
Leftover ground beef can be a good base for sloppy joes if you let it soak up the Sweet-and-Tangy BBQ Sauce while simmering over a low flame. Serve open-faced on a portobello bun and eat it with a fork or double up the portobello for a true sloppy joe experience. Keep a stash of napkins close-by or wear a dark shirt, as this can get a bit messy and fun at the same time!
4 portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ghee or tallow
1 pound (450 g) ground beef
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup (120 ml) Sweet-and-Tangy BBQ Sauce
1 cup (225 ml) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons (5 g) chives, chopped
Clean the portobello mushroom caps by gently wiping with a damp paper towel. Using a small spoon, scrape off the gills from each cap and remove the stem in the middle.
Working in 2 batches, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ghee to a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Set 2 of the mushrooms cap side up on the pan. Fry for 3 minutes. Flip to the other side and fry for another 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a serving platter. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ghee to cook the remaining mushrooms. Add the ground beef in the same pan and cook for 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Break apart big pieces with the back of a wooden spoon.
Add the bell pepper, onion, sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring halfway. Add the Sweet-and-Tangy BBQ Sauce and tomato sauce. Mix together until all the meat is well coated with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Place each cooked portobello mushroom cap side down on a serving plate and add a generous scoop of the meat mixture to each one. Top with chives before serving.
Sweet-and-Tangy BBQ Sauce
Makes 1½ cups (345 ML)
You wouldn’t think this BBQ sauce is Paleo because it looks and tastes exactly like bottled brands but without the high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients that are hard to pronounce!
½ cup (120 ml) tomato paste
½ cup (120 ml) balsamic vinegar
½ cup (120 ml) raw honey
3 tablespoons (45 ml) molasses
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoon (10 g) cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon (10 g) garlic powder
2 teaspoon (10 g) onion powder
2½ teaspoon (15 ml) liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon sea salt
In a small pot over low heat, add all the ingredients and whisk until everything is combined. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let it cool before pouring it into a glass jar. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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