Sloppy Joes Revisited . . .

As everyone knows, Sloppy Joe's are one of the greatest kid friendly dishes of all-time, incorporating ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, and served on a hamburger bun. I got this recipe from my daughter, Kate, who found it in Country Home magazine. It's a healthy version of the old stand-by. I really like the addition of the carrots and corn. It's a nice way to get a few more veggies into your family's diet.

SLOPPY JOES
Ingredients:
1# ground 90% lean hormone-free organic beef
1 onion, chopped
1 small red sweet pepper, chopped
1 carrot, shredded and/or corn kernels
1-14 oz. can organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes
or Mexican stewed tomatoes, cut up
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. rolled oats (or wheat germ)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp. hot chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
Directions:
1. Brown meat, onion, red pepper, and carrot. Drain.
2. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, water, rolled oats, Worcestershire, chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, until desired consistency is reached.
3. Serve in buns with pickles.