Elementary School Upgrade!

When it came to lunch, all through school, I was a brown bag kid.  I suppose, to be more accurate, I should own up to the fact that I was first a fabric-covered pail kid.  Then I was a Smurfette lunch box kid.  And then I was all about the anonymous, simple, plain brown bag.

But that didn't mean, just because I packed my lunch daily, that I didn't check out the monthly menu from the cafeteria.  Mondays were usually pizza, Tuesdays were chicken nuggets.  It seemed like Fridays were the surprise day of the week.  To my more mature mind today, I suppose Fridays were "whatever we have on hand and didn't use Monday through Thursday" days.  But when you're in 2nd grade, you didn't use that kind of logic.

Sloppy Joes was one of those items that'd show up to mixed reviews.  Was it fun to eat messy food?  Was it gross?  Were they ooey and gooey and good or were they to be avoided at all costs.

I never tried them, so I can't tell you.  I can, however, tell you that this grown up version is quite delicious.  Ooey, gooey, messy...they combine all of that with a little sophistication, flair and attitude.  Especially when paired with the slaw.

Tonight, take a break from the brown bag--or, the adult version of the brown bag: TAKE OUT--and toss together a batch of Sloppy Joes.  And if in so doing, you're stuck singing the Adam Sandler song, I can't apologize enough!

                              Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 pound ground beef (or chicken or turkey)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 small head cabbage; thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 4 sesame hamburger buns, split

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and ginger and cook, tossing, until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, tomato paste, sugar, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup water and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute more.
2. Toss together the cabbage, carrots, cilantro, lime juice, sesame oil, the remaining tablespoon of canola oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Fill the buns with the meat, dividing evenly, and serve with the slaw and lime wedges.