Mario Batali's Son Leo Sloppy Joes 10.6.11

No more canned sloppy Joe mix again!

This was a wonderful segment.  Mario had received a gift from his boys of the "Batali Brothers Cookbook:, a one of a kind published book (easily done via Kodak, Lulu or even if you just go to a Walgreen's store), made by the boys (with Mom's help) of family recipes the kids actually make.  What a great idea and I do hope when it gets a little closer to Christmas this idea is explored a bit more.

Today on the show (click HERE to view the episode), it was "All American Day".  My choices were beer brats, Spaghetti Carbonara and this.  I enjoyed all the segments.  The audience participation during one of the Jonas Brothers segment was perfect.  Great way to get them to stop squealing and have a bit of fun.  The beer brats segment was also terrific.

BUT, I was drawn to this idea.  By weight, more vegetables than beef.  And using ground Sirloin instead of a higher fat percentage ground beef, this is almost healthy and certainly healthier.

I did have three concerns... First, the sirloin in place of the ground beef.  Well, once all the juices from the raw tomatoes have broken down, this was plenty wet, moist and flavorful.  No concerns.

The second, while there is jalapenos in the recipe, that is the only hot spicy item.  When I taste tested the dish, it just did not have enough kick for me.  Just prior to serving, I added a TBS of Chili powder and a TBS of Taco Seasoning that I had laying about.  This extra kick added a LOT.

But, seeing that this was made by kids, I can understand the more mild flavorings.  For me, I like the pop!

And finally, sugar???  WHY???  You break down the raw tomatoes with a 45 minute simmer.  Plenty of time for the natural sugars in the tomatoes to infuse sweetness.  There is just no need so I skipped it.  Surprisingly enough, when my wife tried these she commented that they had a sweet taste.

For a almost healthy and certainly healthier dish, I was surprised to see this and lived very well without the sugar.  But that's just me and who am I to argue with Mario or his son.

I let my wife know what I had planned for dinner.  She volunteered to buy the chips, which is a rare treat for us.

To see the recipe, click HERE to see "Mario Batali's Son Leo Sloppy Joes".  You will never open that can again!