A vegan recipe for Sloppy Joe’s with an interesting combination of spices.
I have been reading a lot about processed foods lately, (AKA ultra-processed meat alternatives) and I think the basics are still the best, the less processing involved the better it is for you! Myra was looking for alternatives to meat before there was a lot of choice. We invented a few things using bulgur wheat. She went on to use tofu in many dishes.
I have to sadly admit that I had never had Sloppy José before! After making it, I found that I love the spice combination over regular Sloppy Joes. This is one of those make-ahead-of-time recipes you can heat and serve at your leisure. And you can make it as spicy as you like by using a hot green pepper (such as poblano) instead of a green bell pepper. Use your favorite chile powder or try different Thai curry pastes. The consistency of tofu is better if you freeze it for 24 hours. That will give it a nice chewy texture. I served Sloppy José with Cole Slaw, which is the classic way to serve Sloppy Joes, but you can serve it any way you want.
Recipe
Sloppy José
Equipment
- 1 large 12 inch frying pan
- 1 knife, cutting board, measuring utensils
Ingredients
- 2 TBLS vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup green pepper, diced bell pepper, chile pepper, your choice
- 1 TBLS soy sauce
- 1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
- 1 TBLS chili powder Hot or mild, your choice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 or 2 teaspoon red curry paste to taste
- 1 14 oz. firm tofu (thaw in advance if frozen) Squeeze most of the moisture out of the tofu and crumble the tofu before adding to the pan.
Instructions
- Set a large skillet on medium high and add 2 TBLS vegetable oil. When the skillet is hot, sauté the onion and garlic till softened (3 or 4 minutes.)
- Turn the heat to medium. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook, stirring for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is fairly dry.
- Serve on a whole wheat bun, cole slaw on the side.
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