I’m still mostly limited to food I can make on a stove top because I still don’t have a working oven and I just heard from the contractor that my kitchen renovation wont be able to happen until the Fall of 2022. Sigh. So in the meantime I’m tasked with coming up with very easy recipes that can be made in a small non-functioning kitchen. But hey, maybe that’s kind of a good thing? And this recipe is VERY easy yet very tasty!
Sloppy Joes are something I’ve always wanted to like but just didn’t up until now. They were always too sloppy, too watered down, and too full of lentils. Today I decided to challenge myself to create a vegan sloppy Joe that actually tastes good and could even be enjoyed by your picky non-vegan nephew. By God, I think I succeeded!
Makes 6
Ingredients:
- 6 extra large sourdough sandwich buns, lightly toasted
- 6 slices of vegan cheddar cheese
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12oz package of Trader Joe’s Beefless Beef, crumbled (can substitute with some other vegan beef such as Smart Ground)
- 3 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped (these are found in a can at the grocery store)
- 1 Tablespoon Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company seasoning blend (Can substitute with some other “beefy” seasoning blend if you don’t have access to a Trader Joe’s, but Mushroom & Company is worth it if you do!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 6oz can tomato paste
- ½ cup of water
- 1 Tablespoon Black Vinegar (used in Chinese cooking) or vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 squirt of liquid smoke
Instructions:
- Dice a bell pepper and add it to a lightly greased pan over medium heat.
- While the pepper is sautéing, dice a red onion and add it to the pan as well. Let them both sauté for 10 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Mince two cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Allow it to sauté for two more minutes.
- Crumble a package of beefless beef and add it in. Stir and combine.
- Add your chopped chipotles and seasoning and stir to combine.
- Add the tomato paste, black vinegar, liquid smoke, and water to the pan. Stir well to combine.
- The buns will taste best if they are good quality buns and lightly toasted. Add a slice of cheese to the bottom of the bun to keep it from squishing out while eating. Add a scoop of Sloppy Joe and serve!
