This meal is a treat for me every time I have it.  I grew up with a strong aversion to anything that had tomato in it, so it wasn’t until adulthood that I enjoyed my first sloppy joe.  I do like tomatoes now, but I still can’t stand ketchup so I stop reading a recipe immediately if I see ketchup in the ingredient list.  These sloppy joes, which are based on Rachel Ray’s Super Sloppy Joe recipe, use tomato sauce and lots of seasonings to give them a great flavor.

Ingredients:
1 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbs. maple syrup or honey
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. smoked paprika
¼ tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tbs. soy sauce
2 cups tomato sauce or diced tomatoes

1. Pour the oil into a large cast-iron skillet and add the turkey.  Cook the turkey until it’s no longer pink.
2. Add the maple syrup and the spices (through cayenne pepper).  Stir to combine flavors.
3. Add the onion and pepper and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
4. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and tomato sauce.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve warm on a roll or over a baked potato.

This is a great, fruity treat.  If you want something barely sweetened, skip the maple lemon glaze and eat it plain.  It’s a wonderful snack with a cup of tea or coffee.  The glaze turns it into a healthy dessert.

For the scones:

1 ¾ cups almond meal*
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 egg
1 tbs. maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 tbs. lemon zest
½ cup chopped dried apricots

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make the scones, mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Fold in the apricots and lemon zest.
5. Shape the dough into triangles using 2 tbs. dough for each scone.
6. Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
7. Let them cool on a rack.

For the glaze:

3 tbs. maple syrup
2 tbs. lemon juice

1. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Bring close to a boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3. Drizzle the glaze over the scones while they’re still warm.

*Note:  These also taste great with white whole wheat flour.  Use 1 1/2 cups flour.  The dough will be drier, so add a little orange juice, apple juice, or water until it comes together.

Linking to Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesday, Fresh Bites Friday, What’s in the Box?