Tempeh Sloppy Joe

Not out of a can, but almost as easy.

I totally missed the boat on sloppy joes as a kid. I never chose it at school (I only ate turkey or tuna for lunch during my entire elementary school career) and my parents never made it. But once I discovered the possibility of simmering tempeh in barbecue sauce and eating it on a sandwich, I was a sloppy joe convert.

This is one of the quickest dinners I can whip up. One day I want to make up a sauce from scratch so I can eliminate some of the sugar, but the convenience of this recipe in its current form is pretty great.

I usually freeze the leftovers in individual portions over rice for an easy lunch.

UPDATE October 2016 - Avocado! From now on, avocado will be spread on the bun before spooning the hot filling over it. It's amazing. It adds richness and also mellows the sweet tang of the sauce, plus the hot/cold contrast is yummy.

The Recipe (serves 4):

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 package tempeh, crumbled

4 oz barbecue sauce

4 oz water or vegetable stock

salt and pepper, to taste

1 avocado

Kaiser rolls for serving

Saute bell pepper and onion in olive oil over high heat until onion is softened
Season with salt and pepper
Add tempeh, barbecue sauce, and water or vegetable stock
Stir to combine, and simmer over low heat 1 minute (or longer to soak in more flavor)
Spread avocado on rolls, then spoon in some filling.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: B

Overall reason: Easy and satisfying. A bit too sweet for my liking.

Time to prepare: 10 minutes, max

Strange husband conversation:

Jess: "I knew it would be sloppy, but I didn't know it would be so joe!"

Me: "I don't know what that means."

Jess: "It's a good thing."

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Pickled radishes

I made those! When the CSA box hands you radishes, you eat one. Then you try to give the rest to the neighbors. Then, left with no other option, you pickle them. Then you discover that the pickled radishes are really good. I followed this super-simple method from My Korean Kitchen . I picked it because it had good reviews on Pinterest, but mostly because it was easy, and I wasn't willing to dedicate a lot of time and effort to these things that none of us really liked. But it turns out that they are delicious. As is clear from the original recipe, these are good with Korean food. They are also good on Vietnamese rice bowls. And they are PERFECT on salad with hard boiled egg and honey-mustard dressing. And the toddler ate half of them in one sitting, just as a snack. We might actually need to buy more radishes. The Recipe: 1 bunch radishes 1 c water 1 c sugar 1 c white vinegar Pinch of salt Thinly slice the radish bulbs and place them in gla...

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else. I recently made this recipe from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about. It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, must ard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead. I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results. The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect a...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

Search This Blog