Tuesday, February 5, 2013

the vegan sloppy joe: at work


Talking about food doesn't stress me out as much as talking about emotional issues, relationships, or the "past". Duh duh duuuuh. The good stuff is easier to digest, just like a good meal. I want to make a pledge (uh oh...). I hereby declare this blog a food blog. Whatever that means. I'll still talk about my lovely friends and good times outside of vegan food, but I also want to share my learning experience with cooking.

Let's face it (or, I'll face it): I'm not the best chef. I can throw together some stir fry or spaghetti, but as far as looking at ingredients in the fridge and figuring something out on the fly? Forget about it. I'm a recipe crazy person. I measure everything out exactly. Experimenting with flavors is frightening. I make the most ridiculous messes in the kitchen. I use like, four bowls for one mixture! ¿Por qué? It's a learning experience.


The above food item is a Chickpea Sloppy Joe. The recipe online called it a Sloppy Chick. This was by far the least sloppy thing I've ever made. To eat on the other hand...Haha. I messed with the recipe a little bit because the consistency online (from the photo) looked like it was falling apart.

  1. olive oil (enough to coat garlic and onions)
  2. ½ red onion, diced
  3. 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used a garlic press)
  4. ½ jar of roasted red pepper slices (so good)
  5. 2 15oz cans of chickpeas,  drained
  6. 1 15oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
  7. ¼ cup tomato paste
  8. 2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
  9. 2 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce...and then some more...
  10. 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  11. 2 teaspoons basil (dried or fresh)
  12. 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
  13. 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  14. 1 teaspoon paprika
  15. 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (I really recommend this!)
  16. 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (Also, please add this if you can!)
  17. salt/pepper to taste
  18. vegan hamburger buns
Today marks the third day in a row I've eaten one of these bad boys, or girls? They are Sloppy CHICKS after all. I might have to switch it up tomorrow and freeze the rest of the mixture. I'm thinking... kale salad with Hare Krishna dressing and some BBQ tofu.



And here is what I changed:

Ingredients (serves 8)
I crushed up the chickpeas in a bowl, not too much though, and set it aside. In a cast iron skillet, I sautéed the onion and garlic in olive oil. Then I added the roasted red pepper slices (after taste testing a few to make sure they weren't poisonous) and the chickpeas. Mixed everything together on medium-low heat. Then I added in everything else. I cooked it on medium low for about 15 minutes. Add however much mixture you want to a toasted bun and top with avocado slices (treat yo self!), then, seriously, drench the avocado in so much lime juice it's not even funny. EAT.

I took this to a Super Bowl party. A few people made themselves one, and liked it. But, as most Super Bowl parties go, everyone was eating sausages and burgers. I even got my boyfriend, Peter, to try a bite! He was impressed. A good side item for this sandwich is some plain ol' potato chips. And why the hell not? Grab a beer! Or a soda. You're already eating a vegan sandwich, it's okay to splurge sometimes. 


I hope you enjoy this recipe, because I sure did.


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