Monday and Tuesday, June 2nd and 3rd : Cheese and Tears

So I had it all together this week...mapped it all out, made a plan, and executed it pretty damn smoothly.
I had a funeral to go to on Tuesday, and my birthday was Thursday, which meant that I truly needed to keep it together.  Surprisingly enough, I did just that.

Monday:  Three Cheese Macaroni...
It has cauliflower in it!  It's topped with Muenster cheese slices, which I love not just for their melty-ness, but also for the cool orange rind they have.This dish is extremely cheesy and yummy, and it makes excellent leftovers.

click here for the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/three-cheese-macaroni-recipe.html

Tuesday:  Spicy Vegan Sloppy Joes

    

OK...this sounds a little lame.  Vegan Sloppy Joe's?  Really?  Yes!  Really!  It totally works, and they are totally delicious.  Just try it.  I did make a few modifications.  First of all, it calls for a light beer.  Well, I don't drink "Light Beer" (and neither should you), so I opted for a Lagunitas Pale Ale (you won't be using the entire bottle, so it has to be something you actually want to drink). Also, the recipe calls for a bell pepper.  I don't do bell peppers.  I hate them.  Let's just leave it at that.  Oh, and I didn't have chipotle chili powder...I just used regular chili powder.  As you can see in the picture, one of the first things you have to do is chop the onion.  I have a terrible time with onions.  They really do make me cry.  And depending on my mood, those onion tears sometimes lead to genuine sobbing (I'm already crying, so I just go with it).  What this means is that I'm pretty leery about onion cutting, not wanting to start the whole waterworks/emotional deluge thing...so, I try to employ methods that might prevent that from occurring.  If it's bright enough in my kitchen, I put on my sunglasses (does help).  If I planned ahead (rarely do), this onion was in the fridge, and therefore, not so tear-inducing.  Ultimately, I get the damn thing chopped, have a bit of a cry, and get on with things.  

I bought whole wheat buns, a pre-made broccoli slaw that I seasoned with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper...and Sloppy Joe city was complete.  Sure, it's not your "typical" Joe...but why in the hell would you want that anyway?  It's still a lovely mess, and this one is tasty and healthy.  So there you go. 

Now go make it:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spicy-vegan-sloppy-joes-recipe.html